Hither Green
Encyclopedia
Hither Green is a district in south east London
, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham
. It is situated 6.6 miles (10.6 km) south east of Charing Cross
, and on the Prime Meridian
.
Growing extensively with the arrival of the railways, Hither Green is characterised by late 19th and early 20th century Victorian and Edwardian domestic architecture, most notably the Corbett Estate. The railway runs through the centre of the area, with Staplehurst Road and its shopping parade to the east, and Hither Green Lane to the west. The lane dates back to Roman times and runs between the Quaggy and Ravensbourne rivers.
Hither Green is relatively peaceful and situated close to shopping facilities in Blackheath
, Lewisham
and Catford
. It also enjoys fast, frequent transport links to the City and West End as well as connections with the Docklands Light Railway
in Lewisham and East London Line
in New Cross (now the London Overground
).
The area is known for the Hither Green rail crash
, in which 49 people were killed in 1967.
than Further Green located on Verdant Lane. The original Hither Green was located where the present day George Lane intersects with Hither Green Lane. The area now occupied by Hither Green is thought to have originally been a hamlet called Romborough, which was wiped out in the Black Death
.
. The house was demolished but remnants of the garden remain.
Additional acres were bought from the School Board for London and six allotments from Trinity College. And when Charlton Athletic
football club gave up the football ground at the bottom of the hill in 1923 the park had grown to 28 acres.
Bombing damage to a terrace of houses along the south side of George Lane saw this also added to the park. The final addition came in 1994 when a large majority of the Catford Boys School playing field was added.
Other nearby parks include Manor House Gardens and Manor Park to the east.
opened in 1897 for the treatment of infectious diseases such as scarlet fever or diphtheria. The hospital was designed by Edwin T. Hall
, the architect behind London's Liberty & Co. department store. The hospital and local area suffered extensive bombing damage during the Second World War. All that remains of the hospital is the water tower with its large clock faces (now the emblem of Hither Green) which is illuminated at night, and several of the hospital’s outbuildings. In 1997 the hospital closed and site was developed as a housing estate called Meridian South.
Archibald Cameron Corbett
built numerous houses on 278 acres of land he purchased from North Park Farm, this was to become known as the Corbett Estate.
A booking hall was added to the east side of Hither Green Station to cater for people living on this new estate. Many of the road names are of Scottish origin, as Corbett was a Scot. Due to his Quaker origins, the area was devoid of a public house and remains so. He gave the land for St Andrew's Church, dedicated to Scotland's patron saint.
the foundation stone was laid in July 1892 and the church, built of red Wrotham brick with Bath stone windows, was completed in 1904.
On the night of September 11-12 1940, the church was destroyed by the bombing. What was left of the church was torn down and the site was subsequently occupied by the council-built flats.
]
Hither Green railway station
straddles two main lines into London with frequent services to London Bridge, Charing Cross, Waterloo East, Cannon Street, Lewisham (Docklands Light Railway
), and New Cross (East London Line
, now the London Overground
). The station exits to Fernbrook Road in the east, and Springbank Road in the west.
During the morning peak hours there are up to nine trains per hour leaving for central London. The last train from Charing Cross to Hither Green leaves shortly before 1am. In coming years, the area will also be connected to St Pancras International station as part of the Thameslink Programme
.
Hither Green is also served by the following Transport for London
contracted London Bus
routes: 181, 225, 202 and 273. To the south, Hither Green is located on the A205 South Circular road.
The Driving Standards Agency
runs a driving test centre located in Hither Green - one of the largest in south London catering for over 1,000 driving tests each month.
of SE13 with Lewisham
, but it also overlaps with SE12 and SE6.
, the east by Lee Green, the south Catford
and to the west Ladywell
.
South East (London sub region)
The South East is a sub-region of the London Plan corresponding to the London Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Lewisham and Southwark. The sub region was established in 2008. The south east has a population of 1,300,000 and is the location of 500,000 jobs...
, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham
London Borough of Lewisham
The London Borough of Lewisham is a London borough in south-east London, England and forms part of Inner London. The principal settlement of the borough is Lewisham...
. It is situated 6.6 miles (10.6 km) south east of Charing Cross
Charing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
, and on the Prime Meridian
Prime Meridian
The Prime Meridian is the meridian at which the longitude is defined to be 0°.The Prime Meridian and its opposite the 180th meridian , which the International Date Line generally follows, form a great circle that divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.An international...
.
Growing extensively with the arrival of the railways, Hither Green is characterised by late 19th and early 20th century Victorian and Edwardian domestic architecture, most notably the Corbett Estate. The railway runs through the centre of the area, with Staplehurst Road and its shopping parade to the east, and Hither Green Lane to the west. The lane dates back to Roman times and runs between the Quaggy and Ravensbourne rivers.
Hither Green is relatively peaceful and situated close to shopping facilities in Blackheath
Blackheath, London
Blackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...
, Lewisham
Lewisham
Lewisham is a district in South London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
and Catford
Catford
Catford is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-Architecture:...
. It also enjoys fast, frequent transport links to the City and West End as well as connections with the Docklands Light Railway
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
in Lewisham and East London Line
East London Line
The East London Line is a London Overground line which runs north to south through the East End, Docklands and South areas of London.Built in 1869 by the East London Railway Company, which reused the Thames Tunnel, originally intended for horse-drawn carriages, the line became part of the London...
in New Cross (now the London Overground
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
).
The area is known for the Hither Green rail crash
Hither Green rail crash
The Hither Green rail crash was an accident on the British railway system that occurred on 5 November 1967 near Hither Green maintenance depot, between Hither Green and Grove Park railway stations, in south-east London....
, in which 49 people were killed in 1967.
Toponymy
Hither Green acquired its name as it was closer to LewishamLewisham
Lewisham is a district in South London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
than Further Green located on Verdant Lane. The original Hither Green was located where the present day George Lane intersects with Hither Green Lane. The area now occupied by Hither Green is thought to have originally been a hamlet called Romborough, which was wiped out in the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
.
Origins
Hither Green had remained a largely wooded area through the medieval times but by the 18th-century most of the trees had been felled, and the first houses were built. Additional houses appeared through the 19th-century, many of them quite substantial residences.Mountsfield Park
Mountsfield Park opened in August 1905 and has grown through several acquisitions since then. The location of the original park included the substantial residence called Mountsfield, the home of notedentomologist Henry Tibbats StaintonHenry Tibbats Stainton
Henry Tibbats Stainton was an English entomologist.He was educated at King's College London.He was the author of Manual of British Butterflies and Moths and with the German entomologist Philipp Christoph Zeller, a Swiss, Heinrich Frey and another Englishman, John William Douglas of The Natural...
. The house was demolished but remnants of the garden remain.
Additional acres were bought from the School Board for London and six allotments from Trinity College. And when Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
football club gave up the football ground at the bottom of the hill in 1923 the park had grown to 28 acres.
Bombing damage to a terrace of houses along the south side of George Lane saw this also added to the park. The final addition came in 1994 when a large majority of the Catford Boys School playing field was added.
Other nearby parks include Manor House Gardens and Manor Park to the east.
Park Fever Hospital
The Park Fever Hospital (latterly Hither Green Hospital) was by the Prince of WalesPrince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
opened in 1897 for the treatment of infectious diseases such as scarlet fever or diphtheria. The hospital was designed by Edwin T. Hall
Edwin T. Hall
Edwin Thomas Hall was a British architect known primarily for the design of the Liberty & Co. department store, the Old Library at Dulwich College and various hospitals...
, the architect behind London's Liberty & Co. department store. The hospital and local area suffered extensive bombing damage during the Second World War. All that remains of the hospital is the water tower with its large clock faces (now the emblem of Hither Green) which is illuminated at night, and several of the hospital’s outbuildings. In 1997 the hospital closed and site was developed as a housing estate called Meridian South.
Corbett Estate
Much of the Victorian terraced housing dates from the late 19th century when social reformer and Scottish MPMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Archibald Cameron Corbett
Archibald Corbett, 1st Baron Rowallan
Archibald Cameron Corbett, 1st Baron Rowallan , was a Scottish Liberal Party and Liberal Unionist Party politician.-Early Life:...
built numerous houses on 278 acres of land he purchased from North Park Farm, this was to become known as the Corbett Estate.
A booking hall was added to the east side of Hither Green Station to cater for people living on this new estate. Many of the road names are of Scottish origin, as Corbett was a Scot. Due to his Quaker origins, the area was devoid of a public house and remains so. He gave the land for St Andrew's Church, dedicated to Scotland's patron saint.
St. Swithun's Church
In November 1888, the new parish of St. Swithun's was created. Designed by Ernest NewtonErnest Newton
Ernest Newton, FRIBA, ARA was an English architect and President of Royal Institute of British Architects.-Life:Newton was the son of an estate manager of Bickley, Kent. He was educated at Uppingham School. He married, in 1881, Antoinette Johanna Hoyack, of Rotterdam, and had three sons...
the foundation stone was laid in July 1892 and the church, built of red Wrotham brick with Bath stone windows, was completed in 1904.
Wesleyan Church, Hither Green Lane
The large non-conformist Wesleyan Church, designed by Josiah Gunton, standing in the angle of Hither Green Lane and Wellmeadow Road, was completed in 1900 to accommodate 700 people. Built by C. Castle & Son of Lower Clapton of red brick with a nave, two aisles, a transept, chancel, organ chamber and galleries on three sides, along with a tall pinnacled tower.On the night of September 11-12 1940, the church was destroyed by the bombing. What was left of the church was torn down and the site was subsequently occupied by the council-built flats.
Transport
Hither Green railway station
Hither Green railway station
Hither Green is a railway station located in Hither Green in the London Borough of Lewisham, in southeast London, United Kingdom. Hither Green is a busy commuter station with services to several London termini and destinations to the southeast Hither Green is a railway station located in Hither...
straddles two main lines into London with frequent services to London Bridge, Charing Cross, Waterloo East, Cannon Street, Lewisham (Docklands Light Railway
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
), and New Cross (East London Line
East London Line
The East London Line is a London Overground line which runs north to south through the East End, Docklands and South areas of London.Built in 1869 by the East London Railway Company, which reused the Thames Tunnel, originally intended for horse-drawn carriages, the line became part of the London...
, now the London Overground
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
). The station exits to Fernbrook Road in the east, and Springbank Road in the west.
During the morning peak hours there are up to nine trains per hour leaving for central London. The last train from Charing Cross to Hither Green leaves shortly before 1am. In coming years, the area will also be connected to St Pancras International station as part of the Thameslink Programme
Thameslink Programme
The Thameslink Programme, originally Thameslink 2000, is a £6 billion project in south-east England to upgrade and expand the Thameslink rail network to provide new and longer trains between a wider range of stations to the north and to the south of London without requiring passengers to change...
.
Hither Green is also served by the following Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
contracted London Bus
London Buses
London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London that manages bus services within Greater London, UK. Buses are required to carry similar red colour schemes and conform to the same fare scheme...
routes: 181, 225, 202 and 273. To the south, Hither Green is located on the A205 South Circular road.
The Driving Standards Agency
Driving Standards Agency
The Driving Standards Agency is an executive agency of the UK Department for Transport .DSA’s vision is 'Safe Driving for Life'. Its overall mission is to contribute to the public service agreement objective to achieve 40% reduction in riders and drivers killed or seriously injured in road...
runs a driving test centre located in Hither Green - one of the largest in south London catering for over 1,000 driving tests each month.
Postcode
Most of Hither Green comes under the postcode districtUK postcodes
The postal codes used in the United Kingdom are known as postcodes. They are alphanumeric and were introduced by the Royal Mail over a 15-year period from 11th October 1959 to 1974...
of SE13 with Lewisham
Lewisham
Lewisham is a district in South London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, but it also overlaps with SE12 and SE6.
Bordering areas
Hither Green is bordered to the north by LewishamLewisham
Lewisham is a district in South London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, the east by Lee Green, the south Catford
Catford
Catford is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-Architecture:...
and to the west Ladywell
Ladywell
Ladywell is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham.-History:The name Ladywell was in use by the 15th century, and maps dating to this period show the site of the original Ladywell, in front of the area later to be occupied by the Freemason's Arms and...
.
Hither Green in the news
- Hither Green in Time Out magazine
- Hither Green in The Guardian newspaper
- Hither Green rail crashHither Green rail crashThe Hither Green rail crash was an accident on the British railway system that occurred on 5 November 1967 near Hither Green maintenance depot, between Hither Green and Grove Park railway stations, in south-east London....
(1967)
Notable former inhabitants
- Jude LawJude LawDavid Jude Heyworth Law , known professionally as Jude Law, is an English actor, film producer and director.He began acting with the National Youth Music Theatre in 1987, and had his first television role in 1989...
– Actor - Gladys CooperGladys CooperDame Gladys Constance Cooper, DBE was an English actress whose career spanned seven decades on stage, in films and on television....
– Actress - Dora Jessie Saint (Miss Read)Miss ReadDora Jessie Saint MBE née Shafe , best known by the pen name Miss Read, is an English novelist, by profession a schoolmistress. Her pseudonym is derived from her mother's maiden name. She began writing for several journals after World War II and worked as a scriptwriter for the BBC.Saint wrote a...
– Author
See also
- Hither Green CemeteryHither Green CemeteryHither Green Cemetery is a large cemetery located on Verdant Lane, in Whitefoot, London, England. Contrary to the name, the cemetery is situated in Catford, but near to Hither Green, Lee and Grove Park. Next to Hither Green Cemetery is Lewisham Crematorium....
- contrary to the name, the cemetery is situated in CatfordCatfordCatford is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-Architecture:... - Hither Green railway stationHither Green railway stationHither Green is a railway station located in Hither Green in the London Borough of Lewisham, in southeast London, United Kingdom. Hither Green is a busy commuter station with services to several London termini and destinations to the southeast Hither Green is a railway station located in Hither...
- Hither Green rail crashHither Green rail crashThe Hither Green rail crash was an accident on the British railway system that occurred on 5 November 1967 near Hither Green maintenance depot, between Hither Green and Grove Park railway stations, in south-east London....
External links
- Hither Green at Lewisham Council website
- Hither Green's local community website and forum
- OurHitherGreen.com - Community Association website
- The website of St Swithun's Church (C of E)
- Hither Green Urban Development Framework
- Video: Driving around Hither Green in the snow
- Hither Green photos on Flickr
- More Hither Green photos
- Leepedia blog
- Manor House Gardens
- Friends of Mountsfield Park
- Walking Hither Green
- The 1967 Hither Green rail crash (BBC)