Forest Hill, London

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Forest Hill
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Forest Hill library
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Forest Hill
Location within Greater London
Population14,854 (2011 Census. Ward) [1]
OS grid reference TQ354736
London borough
Ceremonial county Greater London
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town LONDON
Postcode district SE23
Dialling code 020
Police Metropolitan
Fire London
Ambulance London
UK Parliament
London Assembly
List of places
UK
England
London
51°26′21″N0°03′15″W / 51.439189°N 0.054063°W / 51.439189; -0.054063

Forest Hill is a district of the London Borough of Lewisham in south east London, England, on the South Circular Road, which is home to the Horniman Museum.

Contents

History

A map showing the Forest Hill ward of Lewisham Metropolitan Borough as it appeared in 1916. Lewisham Met. B Ward Map 1916.svg
A map showing the Forest Hill ward of Lewisham Metropolitan Borough as it appeared in 1916.

Like much of Greater London, Forest Hill was only sparsely populated until the mid-19th century. The name Forest Hill, originally simply "The Forest", [2] referred to the woodland which once covered the area [3] and which was a relict part of the Great North Wood.

In 1809, the Croydon Canal opened, however, the large number of locks (28) meant it was not a commercial success, and it was bought by the London & Croydon Railway Company who used the alignment to construct the London Bridge to Croydon railway line opening in 1839. The ponds in the Dacres Wood Nature Reserve and the retaining wall of the footpath opposite the station outside The Signal pub are about the only physical evidence of the canal which still exist. [4]

When the Crystal Palace was moved from Hyde Park to Sydenham in 1854, many large homes were built on the western end of Forest Hill along with Honor Oak. In 1884, London's oldest swimming pool was constructed on Dartmouth Road. The tea merchant Frederick Horniman built a museum to house his collection of natural history artifacts. He donated the building and its gardens to the public in 1901 and this became the Horniman Museum.

Local area

Amenities

Horniman Museum is home to anthropological and cultural collections, an aquarium and one of the most varied collections of taxidermy in the northern hemisphere. It also houses one of the finest collection of musical instruments in the British Isles. Contained within its accompanying gardens is an animal enclosure, flower gardens, and a Grade II listed early 20th century conservatory. Views from the gardens stretch out over central and north London.

Following a successful and widely supported campaign from local group Save The Face Of Forest Hill, Louise House was designated a Grade II listed building by English Heritage. [5]

Forest Hill Library was built in 1901 to an Arts and Crafts design by local architect Alexander Hennell. [6] It is one of over 500 Grade II listed buildings in Lewisham Borough. [7] [8] It was refurbished in 2008. [9]

Recreation

A few parks are located in and around in Forest Hill. Horniman Triangle Park is located directly opposite Horniman Museum and Gardens, with Tarleton Gardens close by. Blythe Hill is located on the border with Catford, while in Sydenham, Baxter Field, Mayow Park and Sydenham Hill Woods are located on the border with Forest Hill.

Alongside Sydenham Hill Woods, is the Dulwich and Sydenham Golf course, dating back to 1893. [10] There are three nature reserves in Forest Hill: Dacres Wood, [11] Devonshire Road [12] and Garthorne Road. [13] Dacres Wood Nature Reserve is open on the last Saturday of each month and Devonshire Road Nature Reserve on the last Sunday of the month.

Architecture

With a range of architectural styles spanning the late 19th and 20th centuries, Forest Hill was described by Sir Norman Foster as "a delightful pocket of South London". Of particular note are the Capitol Cinema (latterly a JD Wetherspoon pub), the Horniman Museum, and classic art deco mansion blocks Forest Croft and Taymount Grange.

Education

There are nine primary schools in SE23 (Dalmain, Fairlawn, Holy Trinity, Horniman, Kilmorie, Perrymount, St George's, St William of York), one specialist through school (Brent Knoll) and one secondary school (Forest Hill School for boys). Eliot Bank primary and Sydenham School (for girls) is close by in Upper Sydenham. There are no private schools in Forest Hill; however, Dulwich College, James Allen's Girls, St Dunstans and Sydenham High are in surrounding areas. Furthermore, there are no colleges in Forest Hill; however, Forest Hill and Sydenham schools have a joint sixth form.

Notable residents

Transport

Forest Hill railway station is located on the South Circular Road (A205), and is served by frequent London Overground and Southern trains to London Bridge, London Victoria, Croydon, Caterham, Crystal Palace, Dalston Junction and Highbury & Islington. Forest Hill is also served by a number of bus routes: 75, 122, 176, 185, 197, 356, 363, N63 and P4.

Nearest places

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crofton Park</span> Human settlement in England

Crofton Park is a mainly residential suburb and electoral ward in the London Borough of Lewisham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystal Palace, London</span> Residential area in London, England

Crystal Palace is in South London, and named after the Crystal Palace Exhibition building which stood in the area from 1854, until it was destroyed by fire in 1936. About 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Charing Cross, it includes one of the highest points in London, at 367 feet (112 m), offering views over the capital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dulwich</span> Human settlement in England

Dulwich is an area in south London, England. The settlement is mostly in the London Borough of Southwark, with parts in the London Borough of Lambeth, and consists of Dulwich Village, East Dulwich, West Dulwich, and the Southwark half of Herne Hill. Dulwich lies in a valley between the neighbouring districts of Camberwell, Crystal Palace, Denmark Hill, Forest Hill, Peckham, Sydenham Hill, and Tulse Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydenham, London</span> Human settlement in England

Sydenham is a district of south-east London, England, which is shared between the London boroughs of Lewisham, Bromley and Southwark. Prior to the creation of the County of London in 1889, Sydenham was located in Kent, bordering Surrey. Historically, the area was very affluent, with the Crystal Palace being relocated to Sydenham Hill in 1854. Today, Sydenham is a diverse area, with a population of 28,378 and borders Forest Hill, Dulwich, Crystal Palace, Penge, Beckenham, Catford and Bellingham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upper Norwood</span> Area of south London

Upper Norwood is an area of south London, England, within the London Boroughs of Bromley, Croydon, Lambeth and Southwark. It is north of Croydon. The eastern part of it is better known as the Crystal Palace area. The SE19 London postcode covers the entirety of the district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croydon Canal</span> Former canal in south London

The Croydon Canal ran 9+14 miles (15 km) from Croydon, via Forest Hill, to the Grand Surrey Canal at New Cross in south London, England. It opened in 1809 and closed in 1836, the first canal to be abandoned by an Act of Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honor Oak</span> Human settlement in England

Honor Oak is an inner suburban area principally of the London Borough of Lewisham, with part in the London Borough of Southwark. It is named after the oak tree on One Tree Hill that Elizabeth I is reputed to have picnicked under.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coombe, Croydon</span> Human settlement in England

Coombe is a place in the London Borough of Croydon, situated south-east of central Croydon, between Addiscombe, Selsdon and Upper Shirley. Formerly a hamlet, since the growth of suburban development the area has become swallowed into the London conurbation and often does not appear on modern map.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Croydon</span>

The London Borough of Croydon has over 120 parks and open spaces within its boundaries, ranging from the 200 acre (80ha) Selsdon Wood Nature Reserve to many recreation grounds and sports fields scattered throughout the Borough. Croydon covers an area of 86.52 km², the 256th largest district in England. Croydon's physical features consist of many hills and rivers that are spread out across the borough and into the North Downs, Surrey and the rest of South London. Some of the open spaces in Croydon form part of the well-known London LOOP walks where the first section was opened on 3 May 1996 with a ceremony on Farthing Downs in Coulsdon. As a borough in Outer London it also contains some open countryside in the form of country parks. Croydon Council is associated with several other boroughs who are taking part in the Downlands Countryside Management Project. These boroughs are Sutton; and by Surrey County Council; the City of London Corporation; the Surrey districts of Reigate and Banstead and Tandridge; and the Countryside Agency. An additional partner is Natural Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Lewisham</span>

Lewisham parks and open spaces are part of the "green lung" of London and include a diverse range of sites, from small urban parks and gardens to one of the most historic natural landscapes in Greater London at Blackheath. While overall control rests with London Borough of Lewisham, management of borough-owned parks and their facilities is contracted out to Glendale Grounds Management.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norwood Ridge</span> Ridge in south London

The Norwood Ridge is a 10-square-mile (26 km2) rectangular upland which occupies the geographical centre of south London, centred 5 miles (8 km) south of London Bridge. Beneath its topsoil it is a ridge of London Clay that is capped on all sides with remaining natural gravel deposits mixed with some sandy soil, which in the South Thames basin is a material known as the Claygate Beds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydenham Hill</span> Affluent locality in southeast London

Sydenham Hill forms part of a longer ridge and is an affluent locality in southeast London. It is also the name of a road which runs along the northeastern part of the ridge, demarcating the London Boroughs of Southwark, Bromley, and Lewisham. Its highest part is the apex of the Boroughs of Southwark and Lewisham and the 15th-highest peak in London, at 367 feet (112 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A2216 road</span> Road in southeast London

The A2216 is an A road in south London, England suburbia. It runs from the A215 in Denmark Hill to the A212 in Sydenham. Part of the road is an ancient thoroughfare, Lordship Lane. In Dulwich, the road runs via the A205 South Circular Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great North Wood</span> Wood in south London

The Great North Wood was a natural oak woodland that started three miles (4.8 km) south-east of central London and scaled the Norwood Ridge. At its full extent, the wood's boundaries stretched almost as far as Croydon and as far north as Camberwell. It had occasional landownings as large clearings, well-established by the Middle Ages such as the hamlets of Penge and Dulwich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydenham Hill Wood</span> Nature reserve in Southwark, London

Sydenham Hill Wood is a ten-hectare wood on the northern slopes of the Norwood Ridge in the London Borough of Southwark. It is designated as a Local Nature Reserve and Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. With the adjacent Dulwich Wood, Sydenham Hill Wood is the largest extant tract of the ancient Great North Wood. The two woods are formed from coppices known as Lapsewood, Old Ambrook Hill Wood and Peckarmans Wood after the relocation of The Crystal Palace in 1854 and the creation of the high level line in 1865.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayow Park</span>

Mayow Park, formerly known as Sydenham Recreation Ground, is a municipal park in London Borough of Lewisham. Located on Mayow Road in Sydenham, south east London, it is the borough's oldest park and its second oldest public open space after Blackheath. The park has a Green Flag Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dacres Wood</span>

Dacres Wood is a small local nature reserve in Forest Hill in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is owned and managed by Lewisham Council.

References

  1. "Lambeth Ward population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 6 February 2017. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  2. Hibbert, C. The London Encyclopedia, Macmillan, p. 304
  3. Field, J. Place names of Greater London, Batsford, 1980, p.49
  4. "Dacres Wood Nature Reserve". Lewisham Council.
  5. "Lewisham Council: News". www.lewisham.gov.uk. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  6. "Forest Hill, London SE23 – Forest Hill Library". www.foresthill.org.uk. Archived from the original on 31 May 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2009.
  7. Option Study Archived 8 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine lewisham.gov.uk
  8. "Lewisham Council – Statutory register – listed buildings". www.lewisham.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 December 2009.
  9. "Lewisham Council – Forest Hill library project". www.lewisham.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 December 2009.
  10. "History". Dulwich and Sydenham Golf Club. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  11. "Lewisham Council - Dacres Wood nature reserve". Archived from the original on 18 March 2012.
  12. "Lewisham Council - Devonshire Road nature reserve". Archived from the original on 16 May 2012.
  13. "Lewisham Council - Garthorne Road nature reserve". Archived from the original on 27 September 2011.
  14. Trotter, Sarah (27 June 2013). "Linda Barker gives home makeover to Shooter's Hill competition winner". News Shopper. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023. I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here contestant Ms Barker, who lives in Forest Hill, added: "As a previous customer, I am very excited to be working with Hunters and giving Jackie expert tips on how she can makeover her kitchen and bathroom; two crucial parts of the house.
  15. Hughes, Mark (8 July 2011). "News of the World to close: Andy Coulson's house searched after arrest". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  16. "Tanya Gets Frank" (PDF). News Shopper . Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  17. Keats, Jonathon (2013). FORGED: Why Fakes Are the Great Art of Our Age. Oxford University Press. p. 136. ISBN   978-0-19-992835-4.
  18. Grant, Thomas (2015). Jeremy Hutchinson's Case Histories. London: John Murray. p. 197. ISBN   9781444799736.