Forest Hill, London Explained

Static Image Name:London, Forest Hill Library.jpg
Static Image Caption:Forest Hill library
Country:England
Region:London
Official Name:Forest Hill
Coordinates:51.4392°N -0.0541°W
London Borough:Lewisham
Constituency Westminster:Lewisham West and East Dulwich
Population:14,854
Population Ref:(2011 Census. Ward)[1]
Post Town:LONDON
Postcode District:SE23
Postcode Area:SE
Dial Code:020
Os Grid Reference:TQ354736

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.

History

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 including the worlds first taxidermy of a walrus. 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,, and Highbury & Islington. Forest Hill is also served by a number of bus routes: 75, 122, 176, 185, 197, 356, 363, N63 and P4.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lambeth Ward population 2011. 13 October 2016. Office for National Statistics. Neighbourhood Statistics. 6 February 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170206164158/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=13688951&c=Forest+Hill&d=14&e=62&g=6333328&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&o=362&m=0&r=1&s=1476369653992&enc=1. dead.
  2. Hibbert, C. The London Encyclopedia, Macmillan, p. 304
  3. Field, J. Place names of Greater London, Batsford, 1980, p.49
  4. Web site: Dacres Wood Nature Reserve. Lewisham Council.
  5. Web site: Lewisham Council: News . www.lewisham.gov.uk . 20 July 2014 . 12 May 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090512175900/http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/NewsAndEvents/News/NewsArchive/JulySeptember2008/OutcomeOfThePublicMeetingOnForestHillPools.htm . dead .
  6. Web site: Forest Hill, London SE23 – Forest Hill Library . www.foresthill.org.uk . 30 December 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090531063438/http://www.foresthill.org.uk/forest_hill_library.html . 31 May 2009 . dmy-all .
  7. http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/F1C0C139-9882-4C77-B53A-566CCB5CB4BB/0/ChaptertwoSiteContextandUrbanDesignAnalysis.pdf Option Study
  8. Web site: Lewisham Council – Statutory register – listed buildings . www.lewisham.gov.uk . 30 December 2009 . 22 September 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100922123812/http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/Environment/Planning/ConservationAndUrbanDesign/ListedBuildings . dead .
  9. Web site: Lewisham Council – Forest Hill library project . www.lewisham.gov.uk . 30 December 2009 . 9 May 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090509214905/http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/LeisureAndCulture/Libraries/ForestHillProject.htm . dead .
  10. Web site: History. Dulwich and Sydenham Golf Club. 31 May 2017.
  11. Web site: Lewisham Council - Dacres Wood nature reserve. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120318025350/http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/inmyarea/openspaces/nature-reserves/dacres-wood/Pages/default.aspx. 2012-03-18.
  12. Web site: Lewisham Council - Devonshire Road nature reserve. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120516015536/http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/inmyarea/openspaces/nature-reserves/Pages/devonshire-road-nature-reserve.aspx. 2012-05-16.
  13. Web site: Lewisham Council - Garthorne Road nature reserve. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110927212036/http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/inmyarea/openspaces/nature-reserves/Pages/garthorne-road-nature-reserve.aspx. 2011-09-27.
  14. Web site: Trotter . Sarah . 2013-06-27 . Linda Barker gives home makeover to Shooter's Hill competition winner . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231001003513/https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/10513345.linda-barker-gives-home-makeover-to-shooters-hill-competition-winner/ . 2023-10-01 . 2023-10-01 . News Shopper . en . 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. News: News of the World to close: Andy Coulson's house searched after arrest . The Daily Telegraph . London . Mark . Hughes . 8 July 2011.
  16. News: Tanya Gets Frank. News Shopper. 10 February 2023.
  17. Book: Keats, Jonathon . FORGED: Why Fakes Are the Great Art of Our Age. . Oxford University Press . 2013 . 978-0-19-992835-4 . 136.
  18. Book: Grant, Thomas . Jeremy Hutchinson's Case Histories . John Murray . 2015 . 9781444799736 . London . 197.

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