When did West Hill become Westwood Hill please? I've not been able to find an answer online

[july1952]

When did West Hill become Westwood Hill? I've not been able to find an answer inline.

[Robin Orton]

According to the index of John Coulter's 'Sydenham and Forest Hill Past' (London, 1999), the names are alternatives. On p102, there is a quote from 1858: ' Above the Jew's Walk the hill is termed West Hill or Westwood-hill...'

[RJM]

There was a big run of road name changes in the first half of the 20th century, stemming from London County Council, which aimed to de-duplicate road names across the LCC area. They published volumes of street names and street name changes, which aren't available online, but which give the exact date that roads change - I remember that the big series of changes was in the late 20s/early 30s but don't have the exact dates. I would imagine that Westwood Hill got its official name then, to distinguish it from West Hill in Wandsworth.

[Tony Cox]

My aunt was born at 50 West Hill in January 1923 and I used to catch a 94 bus at the top of Taylors Lane in 1950 when it was Westwood Hill so the name changed between those dates.

[stuart]

Lawrie Park Gardens was formerly Westwood Road as described by the wooden road sign until it was replaced by the Lewisham fady blue variety (in the 1990s?). I presume the changes may be connected.

Stuart

[Michael Viner]

West Hill became Westwood Hill in 1937 ,the year after so many fire engines roared up West Hill,as was,to try to save the Crystal Palace.

Those wooden street signs in Sydenham were the norm when I was a boy in the 60's/70's- the last one to go was,I think, the one at the top of Longton Avenue (Wells Park Rd. end) a few years ago, leaving the one surviving Sydenham one,as far as I know,halfway along Sydenham Park Rd. which has been lovingly repainted and restored in the last couple of years