Croydon

Address
8 High Street
Croydon
CR0 1YA
Opening Times
Monday to Friday08.30 - 17.30
Saturday08.30 - 17.30
Croydon Branch

Rawlings Opticians & Hearing Care in Croydon

Welcome to Rawlings Opticians Croydon, proudly serving the local community since 1895 with the highest standards of Eye Care & Hearing Care. We’ve been at our 8 High Street location since 1900 and recently completed a stunning refurbishment in 2023. With a calming colour scheme, our boutique-style practice now offers a more spacious, modern, and welcoming experience. We’ve created a friendly, relaxed environment where personalised care is our priority.

Optical services in Croydon

Our expert Optometrists provide thorough eye examinations using the latest technology, including OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography). This advanced scan allows for early detection of glaucoma, macular degeneration, and other retinal conditions with incredible detail.

We also offer:

  • Contact lens fittings (soft and rigid)
  • Eye health appointments, including access to the Croydon COS scheme
  • Specialist children’s eyewear, from infants to teens, with dedicated support during their transition to adult frames
  • Designer frames from cutting edge brands like Cartier
  • Our Dispensing Team takes the time to ensure you feel confident and comfortable with your new glasses – no rush, no pressure.

Audiology Care in Croydon

As well as our eyecare services, we’re delighted to offer professional hearing care with Jessica, our experienced Audiologist and Decio, our qualified Hearing Care Assistant. Services include:

Pop in and meet our team at Rawlings Croydon – where heritage meets modern eyecare and hearing expertise.

What our Croydon customers say about us

  • Very attentative and thorough examination by Deeviya who makes you feel you are a valuable customer.

    Peter Cooper Avatar Peter Cooper
    29 July 2025

    Everybody in store was very friendly and helpful. Priscilla was very thorough, she explained each stage/ test and let me know if it was normal etc. Would definitely recommend

    Nicola Stones Avatar Nicola Stones
    22 July 2025

    Always friendly service

    melody dale Avatar melody dale
    15 July 2025
  • I had my annual eye test at Rowlings Optitians with Francesca Hale - she was great! She explained the test results in detail to me. I could tell that she loves her job and she is also very good at it!

    felicita gimenez Avatar felicita gimenez
    3 July 2025

    I would highly recommend this place. They really care. When I needed to see a specialist they referred me promptly. I've got some really lovely frames here that aren't easily found and when I needed a faulty lens replaced, they replaced it promptly and with no fuss. I would recommend highly for their excellent quality of care.

    rachel holland Avatar rachel holland
    3 July 2025

    Here’s a summary of my experience: - **Excellent communication**: The staff were very communicative and helpful. - **Wide variety of frames**: There was an amazing choice and variety of frames available. It wad hard for me to pick just one! - **Quick service**: The glasses were ready very quickly. - **High quality**: The overall quality of the glasses and service was very high. - **Recommendation**: I am very happy with my experience and will not hesitate to recommend Rawlings Opticians to my friends and family.

    Elena Lebedeva Avatar Elena Lebedeva
    10 June 2025
  • Superb service and a very professional and compassionate approach from all the staff at Rawlings. Particularly I would like to praise Deeviyah who carried out my eye examination and was so thorough and thoughtful in her approach. Also must mention Reena and her colleague who helped me select new frames. Cannot thank you all enough. Wonderful staff and committed to their work.

    Ann Osborn Avatar Ann Osborn
    10 June 2025

    Good post cataract op review. i had confidence that Rawlings staff know what there're doing

    Nigel Orton Avatar Nigel Orton
    10 May 2025

    My contact lens appointment was truly exceptional as usual. Mr Barker expertise, professionalism, and care made the entire process smooth and reassuring. Even after moving to Welling, I keep coming back—I’ve tried going local twice, but no one matches the quality of care I receive here. I simply don’t trust anyone else with my eyes. Special thanks to the front desk ladies, who went the extra mile to help me—even though it was past closing time. Outstanding service from start to finish. Highly recommended!

    Maria Elisabete Martins Avatar Maria Elisabete Martins
    10 May 2025
  • Always professional, welcoming and helpful. And have been for me for many years.

    Steve Packer Avatar Steve Packer
    10 April 2025

    I joined Rawlings due to the great care my son received when he was referred. I have been with them for nearly 3 years and the service has been excellent!

    Sheza P Avatar Sheza P
    10 April 2025

    Amazing new facilities and support with my eye care for numerous years with top treatment. Rawlings Croydon is always a place I feel comfortable and safe to go. Thank you Rawlings. Initials: OR Date: 21/03/2025 Location: Rawlings Croydon , 8 Croydon night street, CR0 1YA

    Omar Redway Avatar Omar Redway
    10 April 2025
  • Extremely professional workers. Im so happy i came here rather than all the other options out there. Quick and easy. Straight to the point. No waiting around. I can see there is alot of care in this buisness.

    louis wilson Avatar louis wilson
    19 February 2025

    The lady that we saw i think her name was Prescilla she was so thorough really good she gave so much information she was really good with my son too who is only 4 .. honestly I was blown away by the service I recieved from her really nice experience it was for my son to have his eyes tested because he is complaining of headaches and eye pain.. she should be awarded for her service .. she was good .

    Grace M Avatar Grace M
    12 February 2025

    Great store and excellent staff. It's clear they are knowledgeable and fully get to know the customer. Always leave confident they have checked everything and not a tick box exercise which I have experienced with other high street opticians. Would recommend to anyone.

    Diana Avatar Diana
    26 January 2025
  • Excellent service!

    Itry Mariti Avatar Itry Mariti
    26 December 2024

    I had a very good experience as the optician who worked on my eyes was very thorough and made me feel like i was been cared for the best way possible

    Daisy Warren Avatar Daisy Warren
    26 December 2024

    Very polite, helpful and friendly staff. Went in for eye test and they Identified problems and explained them well.

    Infinity Stone Avatar Infinity Stone
    26 December 2024
  • I was so happy I went to Rawlings. First for my daughter and she loved it, how nice everyone welcomed her and they are so good and helpful with kids. After that I changed my option to Rawlings, I loved their service. It’s so nearby my house as-well. I had a condition which I never knew until they did a scan, I went to hospital and admitted. Rawlings Mrs. Hale called me after twice to see how I’m doing. Really kind and thoughtful. I highly recommended all my family and friends.

    Emberr's Tutorials Avatar Emberr's Tutorials
    26 December 2024

    Extremely helpful and very professional.

    P Stevens Avatar P Stevens
    26 November 2024

    It is always a positive experience visiting Rawlings opticians in Croydon and our last visit was no different. My son had broken his glasses and Rawlings were able to get a new pair out in just two days. Following that, there were some medical concerns during his eye test and he was immediately given a scan so he could have that peace of mind. The attention to patient care is incredible at Rawlings by every member of the team. And once again the new glasses were prepared in two days.

    Alison Mcdonald Avatar Alison Mcdonald
    26 November 2024

Our Croydon branch staff

Reena_Patel

Manager

Reena Patel

FBDO

I qualified as a Dispensing Optician in 2007 at City and Islington College. Having had no idea what I wanted to do after receiving my A–Level results, a friend recommended that I give the Dispensing course a go and so I found a place through clearing! Luckily a career as a Dispensing Optician turned out to be a perfect fit for me as I can utilise my creative side and interest in fashion as well as my scientific and technical abilities.

After qualifying, my first position was in Holloway followed by several years in West Byfleet where I developed my interest in Low Vision. After leaving West Byfleet I joined Rawlings in 2013 – I was attracted to the family feel to the company and the fact the most staff had been with the company for many many years. I began by working between the 3 Surrey practices and then became Manager of the Croydon branch in 2015.

Outside of work I enjoy keeping fit and currently I am training to take part in Tough Mudder, a very intense obstacle course – I like to be challenged and to achieve goals that I think may not be possible.

Optometrists / Contact Lens Opticians / Audiologists

Jessica Tovey

(RHAD) BA Sp&A (Hons)

I qualified as a speech therapist and audiologist in 2015 in South Africa and having a deeper insight into the mutual influences of both the hearing system and speech system and how this influences the brain functioning enables me to treat my patients from a holistic point of view.

I have always had a deep passion for helping people and will always go above and beyond for my patients. I love really getting to know my patients and giving them back the gift of hearing so they can reconnect with their loved ones.

Initially I practiced full time at a government hospital (NHS equivalent) in South Africa which developed my passion for working with patients from all walks of life. Here I gained experience working with TB, noise exposure, age related hearing loss, middle ear pathologies and syndromes to name a few. I then moved to the UK in 2020 where I worked in an independent practice which strengthened my skills in hearing technology and tinnitus. I have experience working with both adults and pediatrics in Audiology and my special interests are microsuction, age related hearing loss, tinnitus and noise exposure.

I maintain current knowledge by engaging in various courses and CPD activities and I strive to continually grow as an Individual. I enjoy developing and pioneering innovative ideas for practice and clinical growth and I’m looking forward to bringing this into Rawlings hearing care and working together to provide patient centered care.

David_Barker

David Barker

BSc MCOptom Dip TP (IP) Prof Cert Med Ret, Prof Cert Glauc

Being an optometrist must be in my blood as four other members of my family have worked in the industry. My mum worked at Rawlings Opticians and I had my first eye test at downstairs in Rawlings Croydon branch when I was 11. As a young child I always loved playing with the buttons in the consulting room when I was off from school. I guess I still like playing with the buttons now but there are now just a lot more!

After graduating from Aston University I worked for a few years in Kent but 20 years ago I returned to my optometric starting point and have been at Rawlings ever since. I have always been interested in contact lenses and have done several trials on new products for manufacturers. I am an active member of our local optometric committee in Croydon which has been instrumental in setting up local shared care service which allows me to treat and help patients referred from local GPs. Due to this I decided to take the plunge and go back to studying to become one of the few optometry independent prescribers in the country which allows me to treat manage and treat many more conditions than I dreamed possible when I started.

Outside of work I try to play golf when time allows and probably spend far too much time following the trials and tribulations of Crystal Palace FC.

Priscilla-Cunningham

Priscilla Cunningham

BSc MCOptom

Initially I couldn’t decide if I wanted to be a veterinary surgeon or an optometrist. After a year of working in a veterinary clinic I learned a lot, for example how to monitor animals’ vitals in surgery, how to get a cat to take its medication and most importantly that I really didn’t want to be a vet at all, I just wanted a pet dog! As the head veterinary nurse gently put it, I was “good with animals, but better with people”.

In contrast I was really enamoured with my work experience in a local optician at the age of 17 and the open day at City University I later attended. I had not appreciated quite how much went into glazing prescription lenses into spectacles, nor how the shapes of the frames and type of lenses you chose decided the cosmetic finish. I also was fascinated with how the eyes truly were the “windows to the soul” in that you could potentially find signs pointing to issues with the blood, brain, nervous system, digestive system and more through an eye exam.

I studied optometry at City University graduating in 2007. I worked for various chains of opticians around London, Kent and Surrey over the years and also provided regular cover for the Harrods opticians.

I’m one of those weird people who actually loves my job and I have a calm, caring and friendly personality. So naturally I jumped at the chance to work at Rawlings in an independent environment where the equipment, training and links with the hospitals means I can provide the best care possible for our patients.

I’m particularly interested in contact lenses and the healthcare side of my job and am known for explaining complicated matters in a manner free of jargon that is easily understood by my patients, using day to day illustrations or apps to put the point across.

Outside of work I enjoy dancing, music, painting, cooking, bible study and in true west African style attempting to feed anyone who enters my house for more than 10 minutes! I am an avid sports fan and follow Arsenal football club, having also adopted Crystal Palace FC since moving across the river in 2011.

Deeviya_Vijendra

Deeviya Vijendra

Bsc MCOptom

As a teenager exploring potential career paths during my GCSE’s, I discovered my passion for optometry. The prospect of helping people see clearly and ensuring the health of their eyes fascinated me from the start, and this fascination has only grown stronger over the years. I embarked on my journey into the optical industry at City University, where I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Optometry.

There’s something incredibly rewarding about enhancing someone’s vision and, by extension, their quality of life. Optometry isn’t just a job for me; it’s a calling that I pursue with enthusiasm and dedication.

I am deeply committed to staying at the forefront of my field and that’s why I consistently engage myself in ongoing training and education. This ensures I provide my patients with the most cutting-edge and effective eye-care solutions available.

Recently having joined Rawlings Opticians & Hearing Care, the company’s exceptional commitment to patient care and its unwavering focus on clinical excellence is what intrigued me the most. Being part of a team that shares my passion for delivering top-notch eye care services has been an inspiring experience.

Outside the world of optometry, I indulge in my love for the arts. Reading opens new worlds for me, and I find immense joy in expressing my creativity through drawing and painting. These hobbies not only provide a balance to my professional life but also fuel my creativity and passion.

Francesca Hale

Francesca Hale

BSc MCOptom

My journey into Optometry began when I started wearing glasses from age two due to an unfortunate tendency to walk into objects I couldn’t see! As time passed I felt a strong urgency to utilise my own experiences alongside an appreciation of the frustration that may lie with an impairment of this vital sense. As a result I wanted nothing more than to share the gift of sight with others!

I moved to England from Northern Ireland to study at City University in order to gain insight and perspective from people of all walks of life. I am always in awe of the number of patients who will divulge their own personal ties to the Emerald Isle and share a laugh about the apparent Irish charm. Moving countries at a young age and living in a vibrant melting pot such as London has moulded not only the person I am but the clinician I aspire to be. I have an affinity for understanding not only the impact of physical manifestations of ocular conditions but also the emotional.

I joined Rawlings to work alongside like minded individuals with specialised accreditations in Optometry to provide tailored and high quality care for a range of ocular conditions at any age range. From my experience so far it has surpassed these expectations!

When not in clinic you can always find me nose deep in a book or at an early morning Pilates class. I am a big fan of rugby (but be warned the World Cup 2023 is still a sore point.)

Decio Figuera

Decio Figueira

MSHAA RHAD

I qualified as a Hearing Aid Dispenser from South Devon University in September 2024. I find immense satisfaction in helping patients overcome their hearing challenges and achieve their best possible hearing. I’m dedicated to providing compassionate and effective care, empowering patients to live more connected and fulfilling lives.

My career in healthcare began in 2016, initially on the optical side of a large chain. I then joined Rawlings Opticians & Hear Care in 2018, as a dispensing assistant until 2021. After gaining further experience elsewhere, my passion led me to transition into hearing care in 2023. I embarked on my unique path to qualify as a Hearing Aid Dispenser through an apprenticeship, graduating in September 2024. My hands-on experience provided me with a deep understanding of diverse patient needs and environments, ensuring accessible and tailored care.

I have a keen interest in comprehensive auditory rehabilitation and exploring diverse hearing techniques that extend beyond traditional hearing aids. I’m passionate about empowering patients with a holistic approach to improving their hearing health.

Having previously worked with Rawlings Opticians & Hear Care, I’m delighted to return as a qualified Hearing Aid Dispenser. I was particularly drawn back by the company’s unwavering commitment to independent, patient-centred care, which allows me the freedom to offer a wide range of unbiased recommendations and truly provide the best advice for each patient. I am a strong advocate for continuous professional development (CPD) and consistently seek out new courses and qualifications to refine my skills and stay at the forefront of hearing care advancements.

Beyond formal learning, I’m always eager to assist colleagues with the day-to-day running of the practice, reflecting my deep commitment to a supportive team environment and continuous improvement. I am excited to continue my professional journey here at Rawlings.

Outside of work, my time is dedicated to my family, enjoying moments with my parents, siblings, nephews, and nieces, and exploring new places with my partner. I also have a passion for continuous learning, often researching various subjects to gain more information and knowledge and finding ways to put that into practice, which continually enriches both my personal and professional

Our dispensing team

Reena Patel FBDO (Manager)
Ariane Rodney-Mondesir FBDO
Ana Iordache

Travel information

Surrey Street Q-Park is the closest around 5 mins walk
Central Shopping Centre is slightly further away
Whitgift Centre

All are short and long stay and have disabled access
Park Street: 60, 109, 166, 197, 264, 405, 407, 455, 466
Tram stop George Street
Train station East or West Croydon
Nuffield Health Croydon Central Fitness & Wellbeing Gym 44 Surry Street CR0 1RJ. Defibrillator is at reception.
Good, both consulting rooms and dispensing area all on the same level

Out of hours eyecare for customers of the Croydon practice

There are occasions when emergency treatment is needed for the eyes. If you are concerned and it is outside of our opening hours there is an eye casualty department based St. Georges Hospital in Tooting. For more information please click here or phone 0208 7252064. Click here for directions to the hospital.

Alternatively you may contact the NHS Emergency and urgent care line by dialling 111.