Forest Hill, London
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Forest Hill is a district in the London Borough of Lewisham, situated between Dulwich and Sydenham in south London. Increasingly popular amongst house-buyers and investors, the area has enjoyed extensive investment since plans to extend the East London Line to Forest Hill were unveiled in 2004.
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[edit] History
Like many London suburbs, Forest Hill was only sparsely populated until the mid-19th century, and was - as its name suggests - a wooded and hilly area.
A canal, the Croydon Canal, was constructed through the area in 1809 but the large number of locks (28) meant it was not a commercial success, and it was bought by the London & Croydon Railway Company who constructed their railway along the same route, opening it in 1839.
[edit] Amenities and Entertainment
Forest Hill is home to the celebrated Horniman Museum. Despite a leaning toward anthropological and cultural collections, the museum is also home to a newly opened (July 2006) aquarium and one of the most varied collections of taxidermy in the northern hemisphere. Contained within its accompanying gardens is an animal enclosure, flower gardens, and a Grade II listed early 20th century greenhouse. Views from the gardens stretch out over central and north London.
The Hob Public House, opposite Forest Hill station, is a live music and comedy venue - home to the famous E.D. Comedy Club, it has attracted acts such as Bill Bailey, Phil Jupitus, Mark Lamarr and Chris Rock. Recently renovated, The Dartmouth Arms has been named by The Times newspaper as "one of London's very finest gastropubs... fine food crafted with flair and creativity".
Forest Hill Swimming Baths were closed in 2005 due to health and safety concerns surrounding its roof and plumbing. A intrusive survey in October 2006 suggested that a full refurbishment would cost £5.5 million. Lewisham Council recently green-lit the renovation, pledging to fully renovate whilst retaining the building's early 20th century character and original features.
Forest Hill Library is located next to the swimming baths, and in February 2001 hosted 'an evening with J. K. Rowling', attended by children from the local Fairlawn Primary School.
[edit] 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, the Horniman Museum, and classic art deco mansion blocks Forest Croft and Taymount Grange.
[edit] Transport
Forest Hill railway station is located on the South Circular Road (A205), and is served by frequent trains to London Bridge. It will also be linked to the East London Line which is to be extended south to West Croydon by 2010.
[edit] Notable residents
(in alphabetical order)
- Home decor personality Linda Barker
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) the German protestant theologian and christian martyr killed by the Nazis, briefly lived and preached in Forest Hill.
- Irish-born television, film and stage actor Michael Gambon, currently famous for portrayal of Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movie francise lived at Forest Croft in Forest Hill in the early to mid 1960s.
- Tea merchant Frederick John Horniman (1835-1906) lived in Forest Hill. A keen traveller, he accumulated a large collection of items relating to local cultures and natural history. This became so large that he built a special museum for it, donated to the public in 1901.
- British film actor Leslie Howard (1893-1943) was born in Forest Hill on 3 April 1893
- Hollywood actor Boris Karloff was a resident of Forest Hill.
- Don Letts, Desmond Dekker and Peter Perrett (of The Only Ones) in its 1970s musical heyday.
- Musician Francis Rossi, lead singer and guitarist of Status Quo, was born in Forest Hill on 29 May 1949
- Singer Millie lived in Forest Hill at the time of her major hit "My Boy Lollipop"
- Actor Timothy Spall is a current resident of the Forest Hill area.
- British broadcaster, journalist and cricketer E.W.Swanton was born in Forest Hill on 11 February 1907
- Choong Ting Max Clarke still lives on Marler Road
- Jackie Trent the singer/songwriter lived in Forest Hill when she first had success in the 1960s
- There is no evidence to support the claim of a private plaque that Dorothy Jordan, mistress of the Duke of Clarence, later William IV, lived in Forest Hill
[edit] Nearest places
[edit] External links
- Forest Hill Society: Civic group for SE23 and surrounding area
- Forest Hill.Org: Popular community website with an active web forum, news and galleries.
- Forest Hill Online: Community website focusing on Forest Hill.
- SE23.com: The community website for Forest Hill & Honor Oak, London SE23
- The German Church, Forest Hill
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer Remembered
