Sydenham Walkabouts - any interesting places?

[Falkor]

I'd be keen to explore the area where Upper Sydenham station was amongst other places but we can discuss next week?

Julwz will be joining us.

Cool! I hope you guys don't get bored... maybe we should plan this beforehand? I recommend something along the lines of...
Crystal Palace Museum
High Level Subway - park end
Farquhar Road
Spinney Gardens (alchoved wall, tunnel mouth)
High Level Subway - station end
Crystal Palace Parade
Sydenham Hill
Lambeth Reservoir ruins (left of Rock Hill)
Dome Hill Park
Bluebell Close
High Level Drive (both tunnel mouths)
Wells Park Road (upper)
Longton Avenue
Wells Park
Taylors Lane
Wells Park Road (lower) or Longton Grove + Jews Walk
Kirkdale
Mount Gardens (never walked here before!)

That would take just over 3 hours; I hope it doesn't rain! Some other good places to check out would be Charlecote Grove, Baxter's Field (where I did my egg and spoon race!), Round Hill (church spire), Sydenham Park, Dog Shit Alley (the canal towpath) and the Forest Hill subway, as I have to walk home this route, but it may be too far out for you guys? Remember, the real Forest Hill doesn't start until you get to Honour Oak. I know Greg lives in Lower Sydenham, so some other good places might be Sydenham High Street, via Peak/Spring Hill.

The ultimate walkabout would be Riverside Walk from Bell Green to Catford Bridge! Can't beat this... Remember, the history of Sydenham starts with the Pool River!

If everything goes well then maybe we could plan some other walks? There's some good stuff in Crystal Palace Park, including column bases hidden inside bushes, the Aquarium/Monkey House/Paxton's tunnel, Fountain basin with the last surviving jet, Lead mine cave entrance and all sorts! I assume you guys have checked out Sydenham Hill Woods and Horniman's Gardens? Crescent Wood Road has some interesting houses, including one where John Logie Baird resided.

As long it's under 30 miles and there's daylight, I don't mind where we go!

Any comments/suggestions/ideas from anyone?

[The Eagle]

Not one pub mentioned

[Greg Whitehead]

Falkor's agenda sounds pretty good to me.

He's right - I do live in Lower Sydenham for the moment. In about 4 weeks I expect to exchange on a place in Sydenham Hill (fingers crossed). For that reason I'd be keen to stick to upper Sydenham and Sydenham Hill. Not that Lower Sydenham doesn't have an abundance of beautiful streets and interesting places (because I believe it does) but because I feel I know Lower Sydenham like the back of my hand.

Although I think a discussion would be good. Perhaps another walk could start at Catford and take in things like the the bath house, All Saints on Trewbury/Knighton Park Road and make our way up Westwood Hill to take in places such as Charleville Circus and Sydenham High for Girls or places like the fine house that sits on the very top of Krikdale by the roundabout (forget it's name).

So much choice but I fear as many threads have highlighted not enough choice of pub to retire to The Eagle (bar Dulwich Wood House for the moment)

Remember, the real Forest Hill doesn't start until you get to Honour Oak.
And this HAS to be some sort of joke. You're wicked Falkor.

[Juwlz]

falkor's agenda sounds great.

[The Eagle]

Falkor's agenda sounds pretty good to me.

He's right - I do live in Lower Sydenham for the moment. In about 4 weeks I expect to exchange on a place in Sydenham Hill (fingers crossed). For that reason I'd be keen to stick to upper Sydenham and Sydenham Hill. Not that Lower Sydenham doesn't have an abundance of beautiful streets and interesting places (because I believe it does) but because I feel I know Lower Sydenham like the back of my hand.

According to the map Lower Sydenham starts from Sydenham Station http://www.flickr.com/photos/60808061@N00/251737620/

[Greg Whitehead]

I always thought that was the generally held view? Lower Sydenham runs from the station downhill and includes Bell Green. Upper Sydenham runs from the other side of the bridge up Kirkdale and Westwood Hill until it reaches...well Sydenham Hill is pretty obvious (although I would call above Panmure Road and Charleville Cicrus pretty much Sydenham Hill)

Currently I live on Knighton Park Road so I live in Lower Sydenham. My new home...if all goes to plan...well, I'll send some of you an invite to the house-warming (two houses on the same street have fallen through so I don't want to jinx this third one) is in Sydenham Hill.

Is this the wrong view? For what it's worth I don't go along with the view the there's a middle Sydenham or plain old Sydenham - it's lower/upper/hill.

[Juwlz]

The reason that the old map shows Lower Sydenham being just below the station is that Sydenham has actually moved. I don't know exactly when this happened but what is now Kirkdale, ie where the Fox and hounds pub and 'that's Amore' etc. used to be the 'high street'. The high street has in effect moved down the hill.

[Falkor]

Wells Park Road (lower) or Longton Grove + Jews Walk
Kirkdale

Maybe we should take the first option and go Halifax street in-between? This is one of the first off-shoots of Wells Park Road with houses dating back to the 1840s!

Here's another place I've yet to visit :
http://canals.awardspace.com//croydon/dacwds.html

[Greg Whitehead]

I've got a funny feeling I'm going to be needing my hiking boots Giles!

Great !

BTW - can you get into Dacres Wood Nature Reserve? It's been said it's by appointment only? Not that this has stopped us before

[leaf]

wow!

dacres wood nature reserve,i cant believe i have never known of its existance!!!

[sarahc]

Me neither! Where is it? Dacres road (or is that too obvious!?!)

[Falkor]

2 remnants of the Croydon Canal I found on the 1862 Stanford map, includes this Dacres Wood area...





Looking at the map above, the Dacres Wood Nature Reserve must be here:
http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2& ... ne=4272721

I've never been here before, but I'm sure we'll find a way in...

[Greg Whitehead]

Yes, that is it.

http://www2.lewisham.gov.uk/nature_cons ... esPark.htm

http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/LeisureAndCu ... Access.htm

@ Falkor: Do you think the first of your maps gives a hint to where your 'level crossing over Forest Hill' (a few posts back) was? Potentially straight across from Havelock Terrace? Clearly it's not a map of the railway but perhaps they worked with what was already in place?