Abbey Wood
Anerley & Penge
Beckenham
Bermondsey
Bexley
Blackheath
Borough
Brixton
Brockley
Bromley
Camberwell
Catford
Charlton
Croydon
Crystal Palace
Deptford
Dulwich Village
East Dulwich
Elephant and Castle
Eltham
Forest Hill
Greenwich
Herne Hill
Kennington
Lee
Lewisham
New Cross
Old Kent Road
Peckham
Rotherhithe
Southbank
Sydenham
Walworth
West Norwood
Woolwich
The name Norwood is derived from the (Great) North Wood which once covered North Surrey and stretched from Croydon to Camberwell.
Mediaeval Norwood
Upper Norwood passed to Whitehorse family in reign of Edward III.
Tudor Norwood
In Tudor times timber for Golden Hinde, being built in Deptford, came from Norwood.
Stuart Norwood
1652 The diarist, John Evelyn, was robbed in Norwoood.
1662 John Aubrey described Norwood as 'a great wood... belonging to the See of Canterbury'.
1665 Became a refuge from the Plague.
Georgian Norwood
1747 Rocque's map showed Great North Wood being reduced by commons.
1797 Beginning of enclosure of Norwood area.
1806 Lambeth Enclosures Act
c1810 Norwood High Street laid out
Regency Norwood
1820s Large houses built on Crown Lane.
1825 St Luke's (F Bedford), West Norwood opened.
1831 Beulah Spa opened.
Early Victorian Norwood
1837 South Metropolitan Cemetery was consecrated.
(later West Norwood Cemetery)
1854 Crystal Palace moved from Hyde Park to Sydenham Hill.
1854 Crystal Palace and West End Railway line opened. Much house building.
Late Victorian Norwood
1861 Jews' Hospital and Orphan Asylum opened on Wellington Road . Buildings included a hospital, an orphanage, a small synagogue and a school (closed 1961).
1863 St Saviour's Almhouses opened in Hamilton Road.
1870 View of West Norwood pre-development
Mid Victorian Norwood
1881 West Norwood Fire station opened
Photo of St Lukes
1888 Lower Norwood became known as West Norwood
Free Public Library (by Sidney Smith of Tate Modern fame) established by Sir Henry Tate
Edwardian West Norwood
1905 Tinted postcard of Knight Hill
1911 Norwood Park opened.
1911 West Norwood Picture Palace opened on Knight’s Hill
Pre-War West Norwood
1930 Regal Cinema 304 Norwood Road opened, with a seating capacity of 2,100.
Norwood in WW2
1936 Crystal Palace burnt down.
1944 Church on Chatworth Way bombed
Post War West Norwood
1953 Holderness Estate, Knights Hill by Howes and Jackman
1955 Royal Cinema closed in and partly demolished, Replaced by Roseberrys.
1964 Regal Cinema in Norwood Road closed
Free Public Library closed
1967 South London Theatre formed in old West Norwood Fire station premises.
1969 New Norwood Library (by Ted Hollanby) opened
2004 Old Free Public Library restored.
Booklist
The Phoenix Suburb - *