I’ve lived in Forest Hill for the past 5 years and had totally fallen for love at first site. Still living the honey moon period and loving digging into the hidden treasures SE has to offer, I would love to hear yours?
What are your hidden treasures or top facts of SE? Anything in Art, history, nature (parakets for the win), architecture (concrete house, Ted Christmas houses, Dawson Heights), music, culture, celebs, amazing shops …
Sometimes when I am driving home I take a short detour up Canonbie Road because the view of the city is absolutely breathtaking from the top of the hill.
The Horniman is great - not just the museum but the gardens and the butterfly house are worth a visit.
A little out of SE23 but Cox’s Walk is a great way to pretend to be in the countryside of a while…
The Waterlink Way also takes you out of town without going anywhere and if you are lucky you might see some Heron or collect some sloes in the autumn. You can follow the river’s path all the way to Deptford Creek (well sort of) and from there I can really recommend walking the Thames Path out to Woolwich or beyond - or go the other way up past the City Farm (worth a visit if you have little ones) and look over to the Isle of Dogs… There are some really interesting bits of London hidden away round there…
The London Heritage Fund are currently renovating St Antholin’s Spire, preserved from a Wren church in The City in the early 1800’s and re-erected in the garden of Round Hill House. Sadly that’s no longer there but the spire remains among the houses off of Round Hill.
Also, you can spot kingfishers on the river walk from behind Sainsbury’s in Bell Green towards Catford.
Beckenham Place Park! Fantastic place for a walk with the dog (big open spaces AND woods and a stream to paddle in) and a swim in the fabulous lake. Great events going on at the mansion too, especially in the summer but lots of Christmassy things coming up as well. Nice café and a new play area for kids
Some of it is as I recall but there may be bits where it is too muddy - I think you’ll be ok on the main paths. Plenty of family groups normally up there of a weekend.