what is the house?

[adamhud]

I've recently moved to Sydenham. I walk up to Sydenham Station everyday to go to work passing the building at the traffic lights at the bottom of the high street. Does anyone know the history of the building...whether it was once a home or used for business? And why the traffic lights face it! It's not an important question but it would be nice to know! Thanks. : )

[chrisj1948]

Are you referring to the traffic lights at the Newlands Park junction?

Regards
Chris

[fishcox]

I imagine its the house next to the (Methodist?) Church at the junction with Kent House Road.

It's a cracking looking house, but is presently boarded up, and has been for some time.

[adamhud]

thanks for the replies so far. sorry, i wasnt that descriptive about which house i was referring to but fishcox, yes, it is the one next to the church, kent house road junction. It'd be nice to see it restored at some point in time, hopefully its listed and cant just be knocked down to replace it with something else.

[Steve Grindlay]

I think you mean 215 Sydenham Road.

If so, it was built about 1870 by a local potato merchant when it was called York House. The same family lived there until the late 1890s.

By the early 1900s it became a doctor's surgery, and remained so until the 1960s when Lewisham Council bought it and turned it into an Old People's Home. Until a few years ago I'm fairly sure the building still belonged to the council.

According to a recent planning application it now belongs to a housing association. I don't think it is listed, but the housing association applied to convert it to flats.

[Ronski]

Just curious the planning application was given 18 April 2007 does that ever run out once given?