This photos is one heck of a rare! I saw this down the local studies centre...
Sydenham Road near the corner of Newlands Park
This photo shows Priory Villa (has a less confusing AKA), the survivng Grove Cottage and Priory Cottage (Sydenham's oldest building) and the almost identical pair that once stood to the right. This is before Newlands Park was widened (a building of that size would no longer fit).
I think there is a similar illustration published in Sydenham and Forest Hill Past, but this is an actual photo!
May I just also point out that the barbers in Sydenham that I use now and then (opposite Newlands Park junction) has a nice picture of Sydenham in there. It's taken literally standing at the former Criterion Ice place and the Golden Lion and clearly shows a nice parade of shops where the car hand-wash place now is. The All Saints church had a steeple also - it's taken in 1900 or so
The point is I know the gentleman are from Famagusta or Ammochostos (for the Turkish Cypriots amongst us) in Northern Cyprus and he was pointing out "you know that's at the corner of the road with the huge houses down by Kent House Road - they're flats now" I was quite impressed
I think this is the picture you saw, Greg:
I can add little to what you said, other than that the chapel was probably built in the 1750s. The spire was added in 1845 and removed in about 1903. Although I am loathe to blow my own trumpet, I've written something about the bell that the spire held <here>
Falkor wrote:Is Sydenham's oldest building in the top photo listed? I couldn't find it on English Heritage's Images of England.
Yes. Both Grove and Priory Cottages are Grade II listed. Grove Cottage (34, Sydenham Road) is incorrectly listed as Woodmans Cottage (which I think used to be where No. 36 now is)
I saw this down the local studies centre...
