Catford

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Post to the west Forest Hill

 Blythe Hill

Conical hill.  A Roman road supposedly ran across it. Marked thus near to ‘Blythe House’ built c.1830 on Bacon's map of 1888, possibly a transferred name or so called from the surname of some local person or family.

To the north of Blythe Hill are the open fields once stretching to the south from Brockley Grove. 

Blythe Hill Fields.

London County Council 1935. They had bought up Blythe Hill Farm which had also taken over the grounds of Blythe Hill House. Has in the centre a large grassed mound, 70 metres high, which provides sensational views on all sides except to the west; there is a particular! Good panorama to the north, covering Shooters Hill, Hilly Fields with Prendergast School, Canary Wharf, and the National Westminster Tower. Trees planted for the coronation of George VI.

Drinking fountain. Modern design and a reference point for Roman Road dig 1962. Now gone.

Toilets on the east side of the childrens’ playground., demolished 1992.

Blythe Hill Lane

A rural lane leading from Stanstead Road up to Blythe Hill Fields. Together with neighbouring roads - Winterstoke Road, Blythe Hill, Ravensbourne Road - it forms a distinct enclave, with many houses of the 1860S within an otherwise predominantly Edwardian area.

2 a late 19th century house, two recent sundial designed by Ray Ashley - one on the chimneystack with the legend ‘Time can do much', and one on the west side with the legend ‘The day flies on'

Blythe Hill House, built 1842 and designed by Samunel Teulon.  demolished c1895. It was to the south and its grounds became a large part of the Fields

Fire hydrant iron pavement cover.

Very few houses in it on the east side, and these 2-storey houses, are south of Blythe Hill, rather than south of Upper  Winchester Rd. No dwellings south of Lower Winchester Road (Booth)

Blythe Vale

Old lane on old maps called Stoney Street

Brockley Grove

small 2-storey.  Occupied by clerks etc, no servants. 

Haddon (now Joy) Farm, demolished, 

The Grove is continued round the bend facing the open front of Brockley Hall. occupied by the family of Nokes (deceased), big brewers. 

Brockley Park

St William of York a Roman Catholic brick church with considerable extensions of 1931 on both sides. It is classical, with deep aisles, and a fine doorcase with Byzantine columns and shell hood. The interior is attractive, top-lit by a small square window in the centre of a fine wooden roof. The chancel is of 1986, with orientation north; behind the altar is a circular window with brightly coloured stained glass Goddard & Gibbs. At the rear of the church is an arcade with Byzantine columns.

Four self build houses next to the school

Brockley Park Estate, built by Lewisham Council 1980, is at the top of the hill. Partly weather boarded houses are in imaginatively grouped clusters around a large but secluded green, and there are similar houses nearby.  The road outside provides a fantastic view across to the ridges formed by Honor Oak Road and Sydenham Hill, with the tower of Horniman Museum in between. 

Houses Crisp low yellow brick terraces of the 1970s an interesting example of more recent trends. Homely timber- framed, partly weather boarded clusters of imaginatively grouped houses, around a secluded green... A special feature is the flexible planning which allows for an additional front room or garage. By the Borough of Lewisham Architect's Department, Geoffrey Wigfall. 1978-80.

Brockley Rise

56 The Chandos, an imposing pub of 1857.  cheapest pub in the area.  Model of the Burton Union system of brewing.

St Saviour. 1865-6 by W. Smith, completed 1875 and 1928, truncated after war damage.

Guys Hospital Athletic Grounds


Carholme Road

St Georges Church Hall, originally St Georges Slum School and Parish Room of 1889, now serving as the Church; like the church, has some distinctive features

Catford Hill

128 former Catford Police Station, an impressive long red brick building of 1891.

Prince Henry was the Place House Tavern with an alleged haunted cellar. closed

King's Church, or Catford Hill Baptist Church, built 1880; under the gabled east end are chequer work and a Gothic window.


Cranston Road

Horse trough at junction with Stanstead Road. Gone.

Elsinore Road

Bombed 8.12.40 50 casualties

Faversham Road

Late Canterbury Road. 

Fermor Road

Fire hydrant iron pavement cover. Made by Blakeborough of Brighouse

Fire hydrant iron pavement cover. Made by Stanton  with Thames Water logo

Kilmore Road

Bombed 1940, school destroyed

Ladywell Road

Lessing Street

Lower Winchester Road (Not on AZ)

Lowther Hill

Four more self-build houses of 1996 on the south side backing onto Segal Close.

1/3 a fine stuccoed Italianate pair c 1870, with towers at each end.  Note the numerous narrow round-headed windows - pairs in the towers, triplets elsewhere.

Leads steeply up to Blythe Hill Fields.  Between Lowther Hill and Duncombe Hill is a private oblong of wooded open space, with no public access.

Montacute Road

Is the name of the murderer of Edward II who was rewarded with the manor of Catford?

82/84 an Italianate pair, probably c1860, a full-height gently bowed extension, probably of the late 1860s.

Rathfern Road

Rathfern School, a pleasant London School Board building of 1887, distinguished by tall pedimented windows which protrude into the gables; the smaller building to the south is 1900.

Fire hydrant iron pavement cover. Made by Blakeborough of Brighouse. BUDC

Ravensbourne Park Crescent

57 one of a pair facing the Gardens from the west, originally Italianate houses c1860 with Doric porches. In 1885 changed in an extraordinary way - it was extended to the left, given three dramatic top storey` bows, and a grand staircase leading up to the Doric porch to which square pillars were added. In the 1970s it was extended upwards in an unpathetic way, with a top floor and dormers added.

59 remains unaltered.

Segal Close

Self build houses - Attractive narrow close off Brockley Park, with seven timber- clad self-build houses based on the Walter Segal concept, completed 1981.  It was the earliest of the social self-build schemes of Lewisham; built by Jon Broome of Architype in 1978.

St.Germain Road

1 St.Germain Hotel

Stanstead Grove.

Rural survival, a private close,

1/3 c1855,

4/8 1860s.

The Coach House, steep gabled was the coach-house for Stanstead Villa, a large mid 19th century house to the demolished in the late 19th century. 

Stanstead Road

Tye Garage. Now a modern building. In the 1920s site of a private bus co. garage. Traded as Edward Paul Ltd. until 1949.

319 Blythe Hill Tavern, pub c1866. development followed the pub. Has become an Irish pub. Lively locals' pub on the South Circular, A three-roomed, two-bar pub, it is larger than the exterior suggests.

250 Stanstead Lodge, A large and fanciful stuccoed villa probably of 1842, with battlemented front and west side.a large Tudor villa of c. 1840, stuccoed, with crowstepped gable

Upper Winchester Road (not on AZ)


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