Where to buy in Forest Hill

Forest Hill was originally just called “The Forest”. Nearby Honour Oak took its name from the fact that Elizabeth I had a meal under a large oak tree in the forest. The Croydon canal was constructed through the area in 1809 but was not commercially successful. The railway came through the area in 1839. From that point onwards, there was considerable development with housing for the middle-classes. There were a German community at Forest Hill in the late 19th century and they had their own church. Many of the original houses were replaced by flats in the 20th century.

Forest Hill is covered by the SE23 postal area. The most desirable part of Forest Hill is Hornimans. This is an estate named after a J. Horniman who made a fortune from trading tea in Victorian times and built a museum here in the late 19th century. It is off Honor Oak Road and the residential area is up the hill, north of Horniman Gardens. The main streets are Horniman Drive and Westwood Park, with detached houses from the 1930s. Similar properties are to be found in nearby streets such as Ringmore Rise and Tewksbury Avenue. Some Victorian houses are mixed among the ‘30s in Canonbie Road and Netherby Road. The other notable residential area is Forest Hill East in the area of Perry Vale, east of Forest Hill station.