Forest Hill, London facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Forest Hill |
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 Forest Hill library |
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 Forest Hill
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| Population | 14,854 (2011 Census. Ward) |
| 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 |
| EU Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament |
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| London Assembly |
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Forest Hill is a lively area in south east London, England. It's part of the London Borough of Lewisham and is located on the South Circular Road. One of its most famous spots is the Horniman Museum.
Contents
Discovering Forest Hill's Past
For a long time, Forest Hill was mostly empty land. It only started to grow in the mid-1800s. The name "Forest Hill" comes from "The Forest," which was a large woodland that used to cover this area. It was a leftover part of the ancient Great North Wood.
In 1809, the Croydon Canal opened here. But it had too many locks (28 of them!), so it wasn't very good for business. A railway company bought the canal and used its path to build the London Bridge to Croydon railway line. This railway opened in 1839. Today, you can still see parts of the old canal. Look for the ponds in the Dacres Wood Nature Reserve and a wall near the station.
A big change happened in 1854 when the famous Crystal Palace building moved from Hyde Park to nearby Sydenham. This led to many large homes being built in Forest Hill. In 1884, London's oldest swimming pool was built on Dartmouth Road.
A tea merchant named Frederick Horniman built a museum for his huge collection of natural history items. In 1901, he gave the museum and its gardens to the public. This became the well-known Horniman Museum.
Exploring the Local Area
Fun Places to Visit
The Horniman Museum is a fantastic place to explore. It has amazing collections of items from different cultures and a cool aquarium. You can also see one of the biggest collections of stuffed animals (called taxidermy) in the northern part of the world, including a famous walrus! The museum also has a wonderful collection of musical instruments.
Outside, the museum gardens are beautiful. They have an animal area, pretty flower gardens, and an old conservatory from the early 1900s. From the gardens, you can enjoy amazing views across central and north London.
Forest Hill Library was built in 1901. It has a special design called Arts and Crafts. It's one of over 500 historic buildings in the Lewisham area. The library was updated in 2008.
Parks and Green Spaces
Forest Hill has several lovely parks. Horniman Triangle Park is right across from the Horniman Museum. Tarleton Gardens is also nearby. Blythe Hill is on the edge of Catford. In Sydenham, you can find Baxter Field, Mayow Park, and Sydenham Hill Woods close to Forest Hill.
Next to Sydenham Hill Woods is the Dulwich and Sydenham Golf course, which opened in 1893. Forest Hill also has three special nature reserves: Dacres Wood, Devonshire Road, and Garthorne Road. These are great places to see local wildlife. Dacres Wood Nature Reserve is open on the last Saturday of each month, and Devonshire Road Nature Reserve is open on the last Sunday of the month.
Cool Buildings to See
Forest Hill has many interesting buildings from the late 1800s and 1900s. A famous architect named Sir Norman Foster once called it "a delightful pocket of South London." Some notable buildings include the Capitol Cinema (now a pub), the Horniman Museum, and the classic art deco apartment blocks Forest Croft and Taymount Grange.
Schools in Forest Hill
Forest Hill has nine primary schools: Dalmain, Fairlawn, Holy Trinity, Horniman, Kilmorie, Perrymount, St George's, and St William of York. There is also one special school called Brent Knoll. For secondary education, there's Forest Hill School for boys. Nearby, you'll find Eliot Bank primary and Sydenham School for girls. Forest Hill and Sydenham schools also have a joint sixth form for older students.
Gallery
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The Horniman Museum
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Viewing the London skyline from the Horniman Museum garden
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Spire from Sir Christopher Wren's St Antholin's Church which once stood in the City of London, now located in Round Hill, Forest Hill. The land that the spire is now on is now owned by the London and Quadrant housing association.
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Painted in March 2018, the Forest Hill mural was organised by Forest Hill community group SE23.life.
Famous People from Forest Hill
Many interesting people have lived in or come from Forest Hill:
- Linda Barker: A TV personality known for home decor.
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A German theologian who lived and preached here for a short time.
- Raymond Chandler: A famous mystery writer, known for books like The Long Goodbye. He lived here with his mother.
- Michael Gambon: The actor who played Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies lived in Forest Hill in the 1960s.
- Denis Gifford: A historian who studied films, comics, radio, and television.
- Vince Hilaire: A well-known football player who played for Crystal Palace.
- Frederick John Horniman: The tea merchant who created and donated the famous Horniman Museum.
- Leslie Howard: A British film actor born in Forest Hill.
- Boris Karloff: The Hollywood actor, famous for playing monsters, lived nearby.
- Lionel Jeffries: An actor and film director.
- Don Letts: A filmmaker and musician.
- Millie: The singer known for her hit song My Boy Lollipop.
- Mica Paris: A popular singer and songwriter.
- Peter Perrett: A musician from the band The Only Ones.
- Luke Pritchard: The lead singer of the band The Kooks.
- Iwan Rheon: An actor and singer-songwriter, known from the TV series Misfits.
- Francis Rossi: The lead singer and guitarist of the famous band Status Quo.
- Timothy Spall: An actor who lived nearby.
- E. W. Swanton: A well-known sports commentator and journalist, especially for cricket.
- Jackie Trent: A singer and songwriter.
- Hayley Squires: An actress and playwright, known for shows like Call The Midwife.
Getting Around Forest Hill
Forest Hill railway station is on the South Circular Road. You can catch frequent London Overground and Southern trains from here. They go to places like London Bridge, London Victoria, Croydon, Caterham, Crystal Palace, Dalston Junction, and Highbury & Islington. Many bus routes also serve Forest Hill, including the 75, 122, 176, 185, 197, 356, 363, N63, and P4.
Nearby Areas
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Dulwich | Honor Oak | Crofton Park | |
| Dulwich |  |
Catford | ||
 Forest Hill  |
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| Sydenham Hill, Crystal Palace | Sydenham | Perry Vale, Lower Sydenham |
