EVENTS FOR YOUR DIARY

The following events have been cancelled:

Gin Tasting: Thursday 23rd April, 7pm. Sample a selection of English Gins to celebrate St George’s Day.

Spring Planting: Saturday 25th April, 2pm.

Havelock Walk Open Studio Days: May 9-10th and May 16-17th.

Walk Through History: Sunday 17th May, 2:30pm




We will be postponing the Edible Plant Give-Away and looking for a safe way to continue with this project without congregating in one place while the government advice is to stay indoors.

Forest Hill Society Visits Parliament

By Belinda Evans

Thursday the 6th June was an inspirational day for members of the Forest Hill Society, who joined our local MP, Ellie Reeves, for a tour of the Houses of Parliament.

It was a sunny, balmy evening and, once through security, we entered the grand building’s interior. Funnily enough, the first stop was the gift shop! (Surely it should be ‘exit via the gift shop’?) Many of us purchased something, including some of their excellent whisky.

We met up with Ellie in Westminster Hall, a vast and imposing building which, interestingly, is the oldest building on the Parliamentary estate. It has a magnificent hammer-beam roof which was commissioned in 1393 and is the oldest example of such a roof in Europe. On the floor were plaques which signify who has lain in state in the hall with details of their dates, the most recent one being for the Queen Mother in 2002. There were also plaques celebrating events which took place in the Hall, such as historic addresses by famous visitors such as Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela and Pope Benedict XVI.

Ellie also pointed out the Hall’s statues and other important aspects, and told an interesting story of how some suffragettes in 1909 handcuffed themselves to the statues. One particular statue — of Viscount Falkland — was damaged by Margery Humes, who handcuffed herself to the spur on his statue! No charges were brought, but the same statue was damaged many years later when school children managed to break its sword.

We were very impressed with a modern installation at the far end of the Hall called “New Dawn”, created by artist Mary Branson. This is a spectacular glass, metal and light sculpture which marked the 150-year anniversary in 2016 of philosopher and MP John Stuart Mill having presented a petition to Parliament calling for votes for women. It was designed in the colours of the suffragette movement and its lighting changes over a twelve-hour cycle, governed by the ebb and flow of the Thames.

Once we left Westminster Hall, we entered Central Lobby — a bustling and busy interchange at the core of the building where members of both houses can meet, MPs can meet their constituents and where you can lobby your MP. There are beautiful mosaics above each of the four exits depicting the patron saints of the four constituent countries of the UK, and there is even a working post office! This Lobby is also the place you see in televised news broadcasts when MPs are interviewed inside Parliament.

Our next stop was the Members’ Lobby, which was designed to be a working anteroom to the House of Commons Chamber, where we saw statues of past Prime Ministers. There weren't any statues on display which were more recent than a bust of John Major, but there are portraits planned for the more recent Prime Ministers. The 2007 bronze statue of Margaret Thatcher was imposing, if not scary, as she is portrayed with her arm outstretched and posed as if addressing the House. She seemed to dominate the room! She is famously quoted as saying, “I might have preferred iron (a reference to the iron lady), but bronze will do.” We then moved to the Commons Chamber via the Churchill Arch.

While the Commons Chamber is probably very familiar to everyone from televised debates, it still gave us all a “Wow!” moment when we entered it via one of the two voting corridors, where MPs, when voting or discussing an amendment, have to queue up to register their votes. Ellie explained the process for voting and it did seem to be quite a tedious process. The Chamber was impressive with its familiar green seating, tiered benches, Speaker’s chair and central debating area. Interestingly, there still remains, delineated on the floor, a distance between the Government and the Opposition of 3.96 metres (13 ft). This is equivalent to the length of two outstretched swords, and was marked so that members could not lunge at each other. It is purely symbolic, of course, especially as weapons have been banned in the Chamber for hundreds of years!

Ellie pointed out a significant, recently placed plaque in the memory of Jo Cox, the murdered MP.

We stayed in the Commons Chamber for the remaining time we had on our tour, asking Ellie questions about parliamentary procedures, changes and updates; and what the life of a modern MP is actually like in very interesting and challenging times.

It was a fascinating visit, and one which afforded us a glimpse of what it’s really like to be an active and passionate MP, as Ellie Reeves obviously is. Many thanks to Forest Hill Executive member Paul Corley for organizing it!

If you get a chance to visit the Houses of Parliament, please go as it’s a beautiful, inspirational building, steeped in history.

Christmas Events 2017

SEE3 Guide to Christmas events in Forest Hill, Sydenham, and Kirkdale for December 2017

Download your copy from here.

Dates for Your Diary

Autumn Walk in the Woods: Sunday, 8th October, 2:30pm. Meet at the main entrance to Horniman Gardens for a walk through Sydenham Woods

Autumn Planting at Forest Hill Station: Saturday, 14th October, 2pm

Forest Hill Society AGM: Thursday 19th October, 7:30pm at Louise House





Members and non-members are invited to our Annual General Meeting on Thursday, 19th October 2017, 7:30pm at Louise House (adjacent to the library on Dartmouth Road).

Our AGM sets the direction for the Society in the year ahead and elects  the Executive Committee. If you are interested in getting more involved on the Executive, or in any other way, please contact michael@fhsoc.com for more details.

SEE3 Christmas Calendar 2015

You can download the calendar from here.

Dates for your Diary

Forest Hill Fashion Week 2015: Thu 24th - Sun 27th September. 
 

Perry Vale Ward Assembly: Tue 6th October, 7pm. Forest Hill School, Dacres Road.

Forest Hill Ward Assembly: Sat 17th October, 1:30pm. Voting to take place to allocate 2015-16 Assembly Funding on local projects. Venue TBC.

Crofton Park Ward Assembly: Thu 22nd October, 7pm. Venue TBC.

Forest Hill Society’s Annual General Meeting: 

Thu 22nd October, 7:30pm. The Honor Oak pub (upstairs), 1 Saint German’s Road (on the corner of Brockley Rise). Arrive early to buy a drink at the bar.   

Forest Hill Society's Pub Crawl: Thu 26th November.  

Imbibe at pubs new and old in SE23, starting at the All Inn One on Perry Vale at 7:30pm and departing for the next venue at 8pm. Just turn up!

Havelock Walk Winter Weekend: Sat 28th - Sun 29th November, 11am-5pm. Artists’ open studios. For more info: www.havelockwalk.com.

WEEKLY

Horniman Farmers’ Market: Every Sat 9am-1:30pm, Horniman Gardens’ bandstand.

MONTHLY

Dacres Wood Nature Reserve: Open to the public on Sat 26th September. Behind Dacres Estate, Dacres Road. For hours and more info: dacreswood.org.uk.

Devonshire Road Nature Reserve: Open to the public on the last Sunday of each month. 170 Devonshire Road. For more info: www.devonshireroadnaturereserve.org.

• For local assembly meeting info, see bit.ly/1JSHn9b

Forest Hill Fashion Week - 24-27 September 2015

Forest Hill Fashion Week showcases local talent in a festival of fashion, design and craft. It is a family-friendly, inclusive, community festival with something to offer for people of all ages; and celebrates South East London’s wonderful creative buzz. Founded in 2013 by South East London local Louise Brooks, this traditionally bi-annual event builds on the momentum created by the SEE3 Portas Pilot investment to regenerate local high streets in the area.

Featuring established and up-and-coming designers, the fashion week is organised by a group of volunteers with local shops, cafés, bars, other venues and community interest groups all joining forces to fund and host an exciting line-up of fashion-themed events — illustrating Forest Hill’s community spirit, creativity, love of sharing and commitment to high street regeneration.
The 2015 theme is ‘Creativity, Community and Culture’ — three things that definitely make Forest Hill such a vibrant and unique part of London. This year’s FHFW will focus on the community cohesion that exists in Forest Hill. There are several themed events planned for the week to involve the whole community. The catwalk event will close with a very special show from ‘Pavement to Catwalk’, an inspiring organisation dedicated to involving people with mental health problems, addiction issues and disabilities in creative projects using fashion and design. The Pavement2catwalk section of the show will focus on homelessness, addiction disability, mental health and also the elderly.

FHFW 2015 is coordinated by Pauline Wright, who runs Forest Hill’s iconic Sugar Mountain sweet and ice cream shop; Donald Waugh, a noted actor, singer/dancer who founded the social enterprise Pavement2catwalk; and Emma Drysdale, who runs locally-based Gems Performing Arts, offering classes in dance, acting and signing for ages 3-16.

Pauline told us that, initially, only £1,500 in funding was available from SEE3 to put the event together. “I knew there wouldn’t be much funding when I decided to take the event on, but I could never have made it possible without my friends Donald and Emma, and my customers getting behind me to make FHFW possible this year. Many of my local customers are lending equipment and another customer is printing flyers — advertising the events — for free. Just by chatting to my customers, many offered to help — which shows amazing community spirit in Forest Hill.”






 FOREST HILL FASHION WEEK EVENTS

• Thu 24th, 3pm: Pavement2catwalk workshop
• Fri 25th, 4.30pm: Kids’ fashionable face painting workshop
• Fri 25th, 4.30pm: Kids’ fashion cupcake decorating workshop
• Fri 25th, 6.30pm: Youth performance workshop
• Fri 25th, 8pm: Drop Dead Gorgeous salsa night
• Sat 26th, 12pm: Kids’ balloon modeling workshop
• Sat 26th, 12pm: Crepe Records catwalk warm-up show
• Sat 26th, 2pm: Main catwalk show
• Sat 26th, 8pm: Catwalk after party
• Sun 27th, 2.30pm: Mad Hatters Tea Party. Look out for a flashmob!
• Sun 27th, 4.30pm: Kids’ catwalk show

 Up-to-date details of all events, including ‘Warm up’ events between 19th-20th September, can be found at fhfw.co.uk

Local Dates for your Diary

Forest Hill Society’s Edible High Road, potting-up day: Sat 25th April, 11.30am-3pm. Devonshire Road Nature Reserve, 170 Devonshire Rd.

Forest Hill Society’s Edible High Road, distribution day: Sat 9th May, 3-5pm. Devonshire Road Nature Reserve, 170 Devonshire Rd.

Havelock Walk Open Studios: Sat 9th-Sun 10th & Sat 16th-Sun 17th May, 11am-6pm. Part of Artists’ Open House, Dulwich Festival 2015. For all participating SE23 artists and venues, see www.dulwichfestival.co.uk/openhouse

Forest Hill Society’s Edible High Road, launch day: Sat 16th May, 2.30pm. Forest Hill station forecourt.

WEEKLY
Horniman Farmers’ Market: Every Sat 9am-1:30pm, Horniman Gardens’ bandstand.

MONTHLY
Dacres Wood Nature Reserve: Open to the public on the last Saturday of each month, 1-4pm. 28th March, 25th April, 30th May. Behind Dacres Estate, Dacres Road.

Devonshire Road Nature Reserve: Open to the public on the last Sunday of each month, 2-5:30pm. 29th March, 26th April, 31st May. 170 Devonshire Road.

Lewisham Elders Resource Centre - Open Day

Saturday 9th August, 11:30am-3:30pm, Stanstead Lodge, 260 Stanstead Road, Forest Hill, SE23 1DD

There will be stalls with Bric a Brac, Cakes for sale, and an AUCTION of porcelain dolls and other items.

There will also be short demonstrations of Tai Chi - line dancing - Vista Reminiscence and their Choir. This will Start around 2.00pm to 2.30pm and all proceeding will be going back into the rebuilding funds for Stanstead Lodge which is a Grade ll listed building and urgently needs funding for its restoration.

February Newsletter: Making Forest Hill more fun!

‘Jack in the Box’ is a community led initiative funded by SEE3 (the Portas Pilot high street re-generation scheme) that over the next three months aims to put on a diverse and interesting programme of events to encourage more people to visit Forest Hill.

SEE3 set the ‘Jack in the Box’ team a number of key themes to work to including Valentines Day, Fashion Week, Easter & Film but crucially the events are being planned around the results of an on-line survey that ran throughout the month of January. The survey was designed to uncover the reasons people visit Forest Hill, what aspects of Forest Hill are popular (and which are not); and, most importantly, what activities/events people would like to see more. The survey went out to schools, community groups, businesses and residents and the results can be seen on the SEE3 website.

The ‘Jack in the Box’ team made up of two women have successfully delivered a number of events across London via their Shared City enterprise. Together they run imaginative inter-cultural experiences, consultation projects and community events across London.

Deborah, one part of duo (that has lived locally for ten years) says: “Forest Hill is an incredible place with a rich history, great shops and leisure offer, wonderful transport and a diverse, dynamic population. We are big fans of all the ‘local gems’ that Totally Locally have identified”.

“Through this project, we’re sure we can attract more people to the area to appreciate all that Forest Hill has to offer. Though this project, we would like to ensure that the events we run leave a legacy, encourage further collaborations between businesses and residents and continue to bring more Londoners from an increased catchment to enjoy the area”.

“The events are all different but one lesson we’ve learnt is that they work best when the community comes together and gets involved. We also want to attract those Forest Hill residents who might feel marginalised and through the events make Forest Hill a place of which everyone is proud”.

Keep an eye out for upcoming events via www.see3.co.uk or the Forest Hill Society website.

Horniman Halloween Fair - 26th and 27th October

In addition to their weekly Saturday Farmers' Market the Horniman will be hosting an Arts and Crafts market on Sunday 27th October.

There will be a 'spooky trail' through the gardens, some haunting melodies from the bandstand, and a talk about weird animals in the museum.

More details at http://www.horniman.ac.uk/visit/events/horniman-halloween-fair

Tea at the Opera

Project:Opera, The People's Opera Company brings you piano accompanied extracts from a variety of works in local venues, keeping ticket prices low and offering ideal tasters for people new to Opera and fans alike, with 50% of their proceeds going in direct support of the local community - in this case, the community of St Saviour's church and the Lewisham Food Bank.

On Sunday, 20 October, they will be performing an Italian inspired program of Verdi, Puccini and Rossini, from Gilda's death scene (Rigoletto) to Rossini's hilarious Cat Duet. True to Project:Opera's style, their artists' passion will make you laugh and cry, wishing you could come back and hear it all again!

Tickets are available through their home-page or for on-the-day purchase. Tickets are priced at £10 for Adults, £5 for Concessions and children under 12 go free.

Performers:
Angela Pascale (Piano)
Annalisa Vaughan (Soprano)
Colleen Nicoll (Soprano)
Ian Pope (Bass-Baritone)
Yuri Sabatini (Tenor)

Apple days

If you've got a surplus of apples or just want a fun day out, pop along to one of the local apple days.

Mayow Park

SEPlentyFree and GrowMayow have got together to run an apple day today (Wednesday 2 October) from 2 - 6pm. There will be apple & pear juice fresh from the apple press, cakes, pies, crumbles & pastries as well as jams & chutneys to sample & buy. There will also be kids activities, free apple recipes to take home, mulled apple juice (hot) & apple lot more.. There will also be a plants on sale as well as freshly made herb bundles.

One Tree Hill allotments

The One Tree Hill Allotment Society will be apple pressing on Saturday 5th October from 1pm to 6pm.

Go and help press apples and taste fresh juice. Please make sure that you wear old clothes and decent footwear as the event is out doors. All ages welcome, but children must be supervised directly at all times. Free event - welcome to bring snacks to share. Entry by Top Side Gate on Honor Oak Park SE23 

Devonshire Road Nature Reserve

Sunday 13th October is Devonshire Road Nature Reserve Apple Day....11 till 3

It’s a fantastic day for the whole family. Take along your apples if you have them. They’ll be crushing and pressing them to make fresh apple and pear juice.

Great food, refreshments and homemade cakes. Also face painting, games and music.
 

They hope to see you there.

Orchard Day

On Saturday 19th, the Forest Hill Society is organising a walk with the Friends of Albion Millenium Green. We will be planting some of the trees from the Edible High Road which were donated by bCards, Bunka and the Horniman Museum.

Meet at Forest Hill station at 11.00 am to walk to Albion Millenium Green for planting of trees at 11.30. We'll then go over the footbridge and walk
through Mayow Park for a brief talk about the trees already planted in the Mayow community orchard, arriving at de Frene community garden's mature orchard with lunch from pizza oven from about 1:30pm.

There will be apple bobbing, apple juicing and other activities.

Posted using Bloggerdroid. Apologies for any weird formatting

Sydenham Recital Series

Today (Sunday 29) at 3pm marks the beginning of a new series of recitals at St Bartholomew's on Westwood Hill, SE26 6QR.

Led by soprano Rosie Lomas the group Literary Music, brings alive the music of literature; from the drawing rooms of the Regency era and fashionable concerts of Georgian Bath to the factories of the industrial Victorian cities, performing songs and arias of the period with quotations from the novels, historical background and entertaining anecdotes.

This will be followed by the Albany Piano Trio on 27 October performing Haydn and Brahms.

On 24th November, the Palomino Quartet, described as ‘exuberant and energetic’, are a fresh and dynamic emerging talent in chamber music. Formed in 2011, the quartet comprises former members of Southbank Sinfonia from England, Ireland and New Zealand.

All concerts are from 3-4pm, and followed with tea and homemade cakes. Tickets are £8 (£5 Concessions) on the door or please contact the box office at info@sydenhamrecitalseries.com or 07761923176. Sydenham Recital Series are also on Twitter (SydenhamRS) and Facebook (Sydenham Recital Series).

Dacres Wood Nature Reserve Open Day

This Saturday, 28 September, Dacres Wood Nature Reserve will be open (as usual on the last Saturday of each month) from 1:30 to 4pm.

We will also be holding our seventh Bring and Take event. This time, we will be at the Dacres Wood Nature Reserve in the Field Centre which is accessed via the driveway between Catling Close and Homefield House - you can just take if you so desire, you don't have to bring anything.

Simply Bring any good quality items for somebody else to reuse and Take anything you fancy; all for free.

We cannot accept the following items:

• NO Electrical items larger than a toaster
• NO DVD/VHS/CD recorders / players
• NO TVs, PCs or monitors
• NO printers or scanners
• NO VHS or cassette tapes
• NO vacuum cleaners
• NO Furniture or carpets
• NO Jumble or broken items

as Lewisham Council will not be taking away the unwanted items this time.

Oktoberfest

Come along this Saturday for a local Oktoberfest, Bavarian style, at the German Church in Dacres Road, Forest Hill! It will be great fun! Entry only £5

The church is located just next to the footbridge over the railway line, between Forest Hill and Sydenham.

View Larger Map

Fashion Week - What's On - Wednesday

8pm-11pm It's a Wrap - FHFW closing party

Where better to celebrate the end of FHFW in style than at our established friendly, trendy and central Forest Hill favourite The Sylvan Post, who have created a special FHFW cocktail in honour of the event with a 2-4-1 offer on it all night!! Other £5 cocktail deals and a special snack menu are on offer alongside regular menus. Add a local DJ playing House/electro tunes all night, friendly locals and local fashionistas and this is definitely "THE" closing party to be at! All of drinking age welcome!

Host: Forest Hill Fashion Development Project
Venue: The Sylvan Post, 24-28 Dartmouth Road, SE23 3XZ
Tickets: Free
penelope@foresthillfashion.com // sylvanpost.com

Fashion Week - What's On - Sunday

11.30am-1.30pm Express nail art afternoon

Bunka is bringing the nail art phenomenon to Forest Hill, ladies. Pop in and relax as our artiste turns your nails into a work of art. Come with unpolished nails, leave with a design of your choice.

Host: Ayshin Demirci of Bunka
Venue: Bunka, 4 Dartmouth Road, SE23 3XU
Tickets: Free, but booking required. Call or come into store to reserve your place
020 8291 4499 // facebook.com/bunkafh

Midday-1pm Make a stylish leather cuff

Learn how to make a simple and stylish leather cuff of your own, courtesy of the genius behind N'Damus Bags. Materials will be provided but it helps if you can bring some too!

Host: Nneka Onyenakala of N'Damus London
Venue: The Montage, 33 Dartmouth Rd, SE23 3HN
Tickets: £10 for materials (spaces limited - booking advised)
leather@foresthillfashion.com // ndamus.com

Midday-1pm Customise clothes with structured frills

Learn how to upcycle an old top with structured frills to give it that VaVaVoom. This great fashion detailing can be used in so many ways! Please bring a metre of silky fabric, a top you would like to upcycle, fabric scissors, matching thread and pins.

Host: Molly Quest
Venue: The Montage, 33 Dartmouth Rd, SE23 3HN
Tickets: Free (spaces limited - booking advised)
mollyquest@gmail.com // mollyquest.blogspot.co.uk

Midday-2pm The Tie’s the Limit!

Join us at Stag & Bow for a very special Forest Hill Fashion Week workshop, showing you how to work drab old ties into something special… SE23 will be ringing with the cries of - “Oh no! I haven’t seen your ties in ages dear!”

Host: Pascale Spall of Stag & Bow
Venue: Stag & Bow, 8 Dartmouth Road, SE23 3XU
Tickets: Free (spaces limited - booking required) Details on request or our website.
info@stagandbow.com // 020 8291 4992 // stagandbow.com

2pm-5pm Re-fashion your Fashion

Take something old and turn it into something completely different, with the help of the upcycling genius of your host Paulina. Bring your own project or get experimental with our abundance of preloved clothes.

Host: Paulina Palian & Frockcycle
Venue: The Montage, 33 Dartmouth Rd, SE23 3HN
Tickets: Free
pen@frockcycle.co.uk // frockcycle.co.uk

4pm-5pm Get the bra right to get your fashion right

This is a bra-fitting workshop for fuller-busted females who struggle with ill-fitting bras. A correctly-fitted bra can make you look pounds lighter and boost your body confidence. Join us for our demonstration of the world of a well-fitted bra, then ask questions and share your bra-fitting problems - maybe some solutions can be found. Our free individual bra-fitting will let you understand how a properly fitted bra should look and feel: marvel at how different you look in your clothes.

Host: Kyra Pitter of The Fitting Studio
Venue: The Fitting Studio, 16 Dartmouth Rd, SE23 3XU
Tickets: Free
help@thefittingstudio.co.uk // 020 8613 8038 // thefittingstudio.co.uk

4pm-6pm Beads & Kids

A children's jewellery-making workshop. Upcycle everyday objects to create something unusual.

Host: Marcin Giebultowski
Venue: Doopo Doopo, 15 Dartmouth Road, SE23 3HN
Tickets: Free
info@doopodoopo.co.uk // 0203 632 5041 // doopodoopo.co.uk

5pm-6pm Five beautiful ways with bra straps

Bra straps can be the bane of the stylishly-inclined, especially for the most wellendowed amongst us. Come and discover ways to disguise, replace or remove them altogether, beautifully! Bring your problem bra and/or top to explore solutions.

Host: Penelope & Kyra
Venue: The Fitting Studio, 16 Dartmouth Rd, SE23 3XU
Tickets: Free (spaces limited - booking advised)
brastraps@foresthillfashion.com // foresthillfashion.com/brastraps

7pm-8pm Artsy clothes swap

Are you bored with your clothes? Do you own things you don’t wear? Do you fancy something new and exciting? Bring along 3 pieces of artsy, colourful, exciting clothes & accessories that you would be proud to pass onto a fellow Swapper. Take home 3 new items. Swapping is the new shopping! It’s Frugal! It’s Eco Friendly! It’s Fun!

Host: Agata Zielinska-Hryn of Doopo Doopo
Venue: Doopo Doopo, 15 Dartmouth Road, SE23 3HN
Tickets: £3 on the door
info@doopodoopo.co.uk // 0203 632 5041 // doopodoopo.co.uk

Tell me a story

Originally just a group of friends and neighbours living in Perry Vale, the Forest with the Big Hill are looking for helpers. In particular, they need people to

• maintain their website
• organise their finances
• write funding applications

Their objective is to bring people together using storytelling; it's also a great way to foster children's language development and to explore our understanding of the world. They want to make their neighbourhood a welcoming, safe, stimulating, happy place for us all to live and for their children to grow up in by putting on events with a broad appeal, while encouraging a love of (and facility in) the spoken word and the use of story. They have already run two events; the Snake King in October 2012 and a performance by Raventales in February 2013.

They're currently planning two performances/workshops on Saturday, 19 October 2013 for children and another for parents/grandparents who want to improve their storytelling skills – all of this at the Forest Hill Methodist Church in Normanton Street, followed by fruit, tea and cake. Then, in the evening, there'll be another special performance upstairs at the Blythe Hill Tavern. Performers will include Randolph Matthews, Effua Daniels, June Peters, Jacq Paschoud and Chris Wise.

If you would like to be involved in The Forest with the Big Hill, do get in touch. They are a volunteer run community organisation and are happy for new members to join them. You can contact them on Facebook, by email to theforestwiththebighill@gmail.com or by phone on 07551 803078.

Walk in the Great North Wood

The Friends of One Tree Hill and London Wildlife Trust have teamed up to organise a free walk this Sunday (4 August) with Daniel Greenwood retracing the remnant woodlands of the Great North Wood that are accessible on foot.

The Great North Wood once stretched from Deptford to Selhurst, with One Tree Hill, Sydenham Hill Wood, Dulwich Wood and Dulwich Upper Wood being living remnants of it in one way or another. This is an excellent way to discover the natural landscape of the local area and learn about its history, as well as getting some very good exercise.

Meet at the Honor Oak Park entrance to One Tree Hill at noon, next to the Hindu Temple on the road leading up to St. Augustine’s Church. The walk will go over the hill to Brenchley Gardens, along Wood Vale to admire the ancient oak boundary trees and down to Cox’s Walk. After that it will go into Sydenham Hill Wood, through to Dulwich Wood, out and over to Dulwich Upper Wood and then up onto the Crystal Palace Park ridge, just through from the parade.

The walk will last approximately 4 hours, with the walk broken up by stops to discuss the history of the area.

Please note that the walk will not be suitable for buggies due to the terrain and kissing gates in Sydenham Hill Wood and Cox’s Walk. It will also cross major roads, so extra care and attention will need to be paid on occasion. Please also be aware this is a long distance walk, so suitable footwear and water is necessary as well as reasonable fitness.

Contact Daniel Greenwood (dgreenwood@wildlondon.org.uk) for more information about the day and if you have any questions about suitability.