The Croydon Canal ran 9.5 miles from Croydon via Forest Hill to the Grand Surrey Canal at New Cross in south London.

Authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1801, the canal was originally intended to extend northwards to Rotherhithe, but the simultaneous construction of the Grand Surrey Canal provided a convenient access route. It opened on 22 October 1809.

The Croydon Canal linked to the Croydon Merstham and Godstone Railway (itself connected to the Surrey Iron Railway), enabling the canal to be used to transport stone and lime from workings at Merstham. The canal was never extended further south-west, as was initially intended, to reach Epsom.

The canal was originally planned with two inclined planes but in the end 28 locks, arranged in two flights, were used instead. A reservoir was constructed at South Norwood to help keep the canal supplied with water. The canal was built to be 34 feet wide tapering to ?? feet. It had a maximum depth of 5 feet. By 1811 there were 22 barges on the canal. The barges were 60 feet long and 9 feet wide and could carry about 30 tons. The canal's main cargo was timber.

The canal was never a success and closed in 1836. It was the first canal to be formally abandoned by an Act of Parliament. Much of the alignment was used by the London & Croydon Railway Company for part of the railway route that today links London Bridge railway station and West Croydon railway station - the latter stands on the site of the old canal basin.