Telegraph Hill, North-East Surrey
| Telegraph Hill | |
| Surrey | |
|---|---|
 View of central London from Telegraph Hill Park | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TQ359760 |
| Location: | 51°27’58"N, 0°2’38"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 16,414 (2011) |
| Post town: | London |
| Postcode: | SE14 and SE4 |
| Dialling code: | 020 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Lewisham |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Lewisham Deptford |
Telegraph Hill is a largely residential village of Surrey, deep within the metropolitan conurbation, close by the border of Kent. It is bounded by Nunhead and Brockley.
History
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Telegraph Hill rises to around 164 feet at its highest point and was formerly known as Plowed Garlic Hill.[1] It gained its current name from a semaphore telegraph station which was constructed on the summit of the hill circa 1795. The signalling station was one of the points from which news of Wellington's victory at Waterloo was flashed to London. It was removed in 1823.
The poet Robert Browning at one time lived at the foot of Telegraph Hill, in a cottage which he wrote looked like a 'goose pie'.
For many years Telegraph Hill was covered by market gardens owned by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, one of the ancient livery companies of London. In the late 19th century the Haberdashers decided to develop Telegraph Hill for housing. The company had already built terraced housing on its land nearer New Cross Road when it commissioned a study of the development potential of Telegraph Hill in 1859. The surveyor recommended 'the erection of dwelling houses of a high standard' on wide tree-lined streets.
Most construction took place around 1871. The villas are distinctive in style and as a result of this architectural unity Telegraph Hill is now a conservation area.[2] The company added Haberdashers' Aske's School for boys and girls (named after one of its members Robert Aske, and now Haberdashers' Hatcham College) in 1875, a separate Haberdashers' Aske's girls' school in 1891 and St Catherine's Church in 1894.
In the 1895 the council opened Telegraph Hill Park to the public.[3]
St Catherine's Church
St Catherine's Church was built in 1893 on the summit of Telegraph Hill.[4] Designed by the surveyor to the Haberdashers Company as part of their development of the area around Telegraph Hill, it was destroyed by fire on 6 May 1913, allegedly arson by suffragettes, and rebuilt “with a larger chancel” by Stock, Page & Stock (i.e. the present church, although that was badly damaged in World War 2).[5][6][7][8][9] No description has been found of the original church.
In 1993, the vicar and curate of St Catherine's Church met with local residents and set up the Telegraph Hill Festival.[10] Since then, the Vicar and Parochial Church Council (PCC) of St Catherine's Church has, in partnership with Telegraph Hill Centre, been instrumental in working with local residents to set up a controversially named 'hill station' cafe as part of its ownership of the whole site.[11]
Telegraph Hill Centre
Telegraph Hill Centre was built in 1971 and opened in 1972. Funding was cut in 1986/7 and ownership and funding of the site reverted to St Catherine's Church.[12] In 1993, the vicar and curate of St Catherine's Church met with local residents and set up the Telegraph Hill Festival. Centre is now a self-funded entity owned by St Catherine's Church, and continues to provide services with and for the community on Telegraph Hill and its surrounding areas.
Telegraph Hill Festival
Telegraph Hill Festival ran for 25 years and included musical events, plays, public art and open studios across the area, becoming increasingly noted for its public engagement and popularity in its last five years up to 2019.[13]
Telegraph Hill Park
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Telegraph Hill Park is in two halves on either side of Kitto Road; the upper park contains tennis courts which apparently occupy the site of the telegraph station which gave the hill its name. This upper part is the only part of the park to allow dogs, and is a popular spot amongst the local community for watching the New Years fireworks across London due to its excellent vantage point and view across the London skyline. The lower park contains ponds, children's playgrounds and a concrete space for ball games.
Telegraph Hill Society
The Telegraph Hill Society was a local residents' group which campaigned for improvements to the area.[14]
Outside links
- Telegraph Hill Centre
- The next station to the west on the telegraph line including image of the shutter telegraph here
- More information about the Telegraph Hill's three borough councillors, on the Lewisham borough website
References
- ↑ "Our History". http://www.haaf.org.uk/index.php?/about/our_history/.
- ↑ "Lewisham Council - Telegraph Hill Conservation Area". lewisham.gov.uk. http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/planning/conservation/conservation-areas/Pages/Telegraph-Hill-Conservation-Area.aspx.
- ↑ "Telegraph Hill Park, New Cross, Lewisham, c. 1905". ideal-homes.org.uk. http://www.ideal-homes.org.uk/lewisham/assets/galleries/new-cross/telegraph-hill-park.
- ↑ "History Timeline". https://thcentre.com/about-the-telegraph-hill-centre/history-timeline/.
- ↑ "St Catherine's Church, Pepys Road, New Cross, Lewisham, c. 1910 | Lewisham Galleries | Ideal Homes". http://www.ideal-homes.org.uk/lewisham/assets/galleries/new-cross/st-catherines-church.
- ↑ "London Blitz 1940: The first day's bomb attacks listed in full". 6 September 2010. https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2010/sep/06/london-blitz-bomb-map-september-7-1940.
- ↑ "History home". http://thehill.org.uk/society/history.htm.
- ↑ "Transpontine: The Fire at St Catherine's, Hatcham, 1913 - a Suffragette attack?". 30 December 2008. http://transpont.blogspot.com/2008/12/fire-at-st-catherine-hatcham-1913.html.
- ↑ "Home – A beacon on the hill". https://www.stcatherinehatcham.org.uk/.
- ↑ "Home". stcatherinehatcham.com. http://www.stcatherinehatcham.com/.
- ↑ "Telegraph Hill Centre". https://thcentre.com/.
- ↑ "The Centre". Telegraph Hill Centre. http://thcentre.com/about/.
- ↑ "Residents gather for Telegraph Hill festival". eastlondonlines.co.uk. http://www.eastlondonlines.co.uk/2012/03/residents-gather-for-telegraph-hill-festival/.
- ↑ "Telegraph Hill". londongardenstrust.org. http://www.londongardenstrust.org/features/telegraph.htm.