Forest Hill is perhaps a little less foresty than when it was given its name, but still has lots of trees which gives it a relaxed feel while all hills have remained intact, although can be levelled out for a short time by a visit to one of its many pubs offering fine refreshments.This entry will do its level best to cover some of the history, places to visit, places to eat, drink of se23, travelling to and fro and put in a little note at the end too.

Forest Hill's history

For those wanting a little history....

Forest Hill came into being in the middle of the 19th century. The forest was used to supply timber for the docks at Deptford. There were various methods of transport were devised to reach it but it was only really with the advent of the railway that it became inhabited. The rich Victorians initially came to live here, using it as a retreat from the hustle and bustle of Central London and this accounts for the large number of Victorian houses in the area. Canals and an atmospheric railway (trains pulled along by vacuum power) were tried as a way to get there before a railway was settled on using the path of the discontinued canal as its direction.

Some of the street names that have come into being such as Honor Oak Road are derived, reputedly, from a visit by Queen Elizabeth in 1602, where she had a picnic by an oak tree. Frederick Hornimann, the tea merchant, donated his collection of African art to Forest Hill in 1901 and in the process created the Horniman Museum. Further details on this can be found below.

Thinking of a visit then try ....

A walk up 'Canonbie Rd', Forest Hill's very own tribute to the hills of San Francisco.... this rewards the slightly breathless viewer with a view from west of Battersea power station round to Millenium Dome. At night time it is particulary impressive, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, St Paul's Canary Wharf are all there. It is competely worth the effort.

Travelling back down the hill, you can visit an Aquarium, African Art, an unrivalled collection of musical instruments and lots of cool exhibitions all at the 'Horniman Museum'. Once entered you have a World Cultures section (80,000 objects), Natural History section (250,000 objects) Musical Instruments (7,000). This can start to sound quite overwhelming, so having been there, there is a big collection of African exhibits focusing on the material objects of certain African peoples, the new music section is astounding with exhibits dating back to Egyptian clappers from 1500 BC right up to synthesisers and more or less everything between!. The Natural History collection is superb and is particulary good on birds and butterflies amongst others. The Aquarium is interestingly set partly on the stairs and includes over 100 kinds of fish. There are also lots of exciting temporary exhibitions viewable for a small fee (check the website for current details) considering you see everything else for free its still a complete bargain. There are also lots of activities for kids and big kids!, including tours etc. This all goes to making it a really lively museum and not stuffy and dull. Having seen the museum before and after the extensive refit it is true to say that they have done a really good job on it. This is also echoed by the Good Museum Guide who gave their Best Museum award last year. Basically, it is a lot like walking into the British Musuem in terms of the impact and light, albeit on a smaller scale. It is set in the 16 acre grounds of the Horniman Gardens. These are constantly well maintained and have a ever changing display of flora and fauna. Stop press - The Gardens have earned a Green Flag, which denotes that it is of the highest quality. The Gardens have lots of places to sit and chill and generally relax. There is also a bandstand area that is used for concerts in summer. All completely free.To be honest, this Musuem deserves its own entry, so go explore it and enjoy!Please check the link at the bottom which will lead you straight to the Museum site which will really do the place some justice.

Feeling hungry ?

There are a growing number of nice places to eat. There are the usual supsects; McDonald's, KFC clones, kebabs etc. Those looking for something tastes good in a restaurant that looks good could do a lot worse than 'Latitude', an arty restuarant which offers lush Thai food in a comfy setting for a fiver before 8pm. They also have a great wine list and do wine by the glass, showing their wine credentials and offer themed evenings such as music and film nights. The recently reopened 'Dartmouth Arms' now offers a very interesting menu, with mains at around £10. Good food can also be found at 'Question', which does great pizza, Caribbean or malay food depending on which day you go. There is also 'Provender' health food shop opposite the pool which has coffee, inside and outside seating and great chocolate brownies amongst other treats. There are also Indian and Chinese restaurants. 'Tse's' should get a mention because they have a loyal customer base which would suggest that the food is good. It is!. If you are in Forest Hill and want a GOOD English breakfast, not just a rubbish one, then go to the 'Westbourne Cafe'. This is on the other side of the tracks, opposite Alldays shop. It always serves good nosh, nicely presented, a definite cut above your usual caff.

Thirsty perhaps ?

Okay, so something to drink might just be in order. Assuming that you don't want hybrid coke in a polystyrene cup then you still have some great options. Across from the train station is 'The Hob'. Plus points are late license till 2am, great comedy on Saturday night due to poaching of comedy from EDT (East Dulwich Tavern). There is usually a band there and something happening. Lots of board games a pool table, and general relaxed atmosphere. All in all a great pub. For those interested it is a Hobgoblin pub, so there is some nice beer as well as the usual selection. Then there is 'Question'. This is the new name for the Malt Shovel. This pub is a real star for the Hill. Just along Dartmouth road and has nice decor, great beer, some of the best value cocktails you'll see (£3)and pub quizzes that are not too hard! ;) (3rd prize is a bottle of champers) and really nice atmosphere but don't worry, Russ Abbot is not a regular!. Some would even disagree with its second billing in this section!.There is a 'Wetherspoons', opposite Sainsbury's. It's big, very handy, serves food, has beer, is clean. The 'Dartmouth Arms' and 'Latitdue' also offers drinks too and are sure to be good

Great, let's go there, or have been south of the river too long and am feeling queasy. Need to leave.

Nearest tube is , you've got to be joking. This is SE23! Realistic options are Forest Hill train station, 4 stops from London Bridge with too many trains too mention. Buses are 176 (to Oxford Street) and 185 (to Victoria. Other more local buses passing this way are the 356, 312. These all stop nearby Sainsbury's on London Road (South Circular A205) 363 (stops on the other side of the hill) and 122 (stops on Dartmouth Road opposite the Dartmouth Arms). A possible good one is the P4, which stops by the Horniman Museum and also stops at the Dulwich Picture Gallery as well.

Final note

This is very much an abridged highlights, designed to be a taste rather than a 5 star 4 course meal!. If you are interested in the place then swing by sometime and give it a go. Summertime is recommended cos then you can have a chill in the park. Also for bookcrossing.com lovers, the park seems to score in the places where books are left too. If you don't fancy coming then well hey, thanks for reading this far! Hope you enjoyed the virtual tour!

PubsTrainsBusesMcDonald's