Herne Hill
Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox UK place Herne Hill (Template:IPAc-en) is a district in South London, approximately four miles from Charing Cross and bordered by Brixton, Camberwell, Dulwich, and Tulse Hill. It sits to the north and east of Brockwell Park and straddles the boundary between the boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark. There is a road of the same name in the area (which is part of the A215), as well as a railway station.
Toponymy
In Rocque's 1746 map, the area is shown as "Island Green", probably reflecting the presence of the River Effra and smaller tributaries.<ref name=sn>The Story of Norwood J.B. Wilson & H.A. Wilson Template:ISBN</ref> Early references to the area also use the form "Ireland Green".
The earliest documented reference to "Herne Hill" is in two fire insurance policies issued by the Sun Insurance Company in 1792 (where the spelling is "Hearns" and "Herns" Hill).<ref>See article by B. Nurse, Herne Hill Society Magazine, Summer 2016, https://issuu.com/hernehillsociety/docs/herne-hill-mag-135 Template:Webarchive. The earliest recorded reference on a map is in James Edwards, A Companion from London to Brighthelmston, in Sussex: Consisting of a Set of Topographical Maps from Actual Surveys. Edwards' Companion was published in complete form in 1801, but the relevant map has the publication date 1 March 1800. The map uses the spelling "Hearn". The descriptive text, which does not mention Herne Hill, refers to the survey being under way in 1789. The name therefore appeared at some point between then and 1800, prompted by the need to find a description for the location of the newly built houses, though it is likely it must have been in use orally long before then. This is consistent with the evidence of the fire insurance policies and a small sketch by Thomas Girtin (1705–1802), inscribed "Herne Hill" and not dated, but attributed to 1796/7 in D. Girtin and D. Loshak , The Art of Thomas Girtin (London, 1974), the sketch appearing to show a small group of buildings on sloping ground with building materials in the foreground (sketch in the Huntington Library, California, object no. 59.55.596).</ref><ref>Herne Hill Society, Herne Hill Heritage Trail (rev. edn, 2013); J. Brunton, A Short History of Herne Hill (Herne Hill Society, 2011). See also A Dictionary of London Place-Names, A. D. Mills, OUP Oxford, 2010, Template:ISBN, probably named from a field called "le Herne" (c.1495), that is "the angle or corner of land" from Anglo Saxon hyrne (cognate with the English word "horn"), with the later addition of "hill". Alternatively, it may take its name from the family called Herne mentioned in connection with nearby Dulwich from the 17th century (although their surname almost certainly derives from the same, or a similar, early place name). A link to "heron" has also been suggested, the river Effra being once frequented by herons.</ref>
History
1291 – Manor of Milkwell
The area now known as Herne Hill was part of the Manor of Milkwell, which existed from at least 1291, and was a mixture of farms and woodland until the late 18th century.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was divided between the ancient parishes of Camberwell and Lambeth.<ref>"Parishes: Camberwell" Template:Webarchive, British History Online.</ref>
1783 – Samuel Sanders
In 1783, Samuel Sanders (a timber merchant) bought the land now occupied by Denmark Hill and Herne Hill from the Manor; he then began granting leases for large plots of land to wealthy families.<ref>Survey of London: volume 26: Lambeth: Southern area Template:Webarchive, British History Online.</ref>
Mid-19th century
By the mid-19th century, the road from the modern Herne Hill Junction to Denmark Hill was lined with substantial villas set in spacious grounds and the area had become a prosperous suburb for the merchant class. (John Ruskin grew up, from the age of 4, in a house on Herne Hill, until moving in 1842 to a large villa on Denmark Hill).<ref name="british-history.ac.uk">"Myatt's Fields, Denmark Hill and Herne Hill" Template:Webarchive, British History Online.</ref>
1862 – arrival of the London, Chatham & Dover Railway
Herne Hill was transformed by the arrival of the London, Chatham & Dover Railway in 1862. Cheap and convenient access to London Victoria, the City of London, Kent and south-west London created demand for middle-class housing; the terraced streets that now characterise the area were constructed in the decades after the opening of Herne Hill station and the old estates were entirely built over.<ref name="british-history.ac.uk"/>
World War II
During World War II five V-1 flying bombs fell at various sites in the Herne Hill area, causing six deaths.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
August 2013 floods
During the early morning of 7 August 2013, an 88‑year‑old 0.9 m diameter water main on Half Moon Lane burst, flooding Herne Hill, Dulwich Road and Norwood Road along with 36 properties (including the Half Moon public house) to create a scene described as "biblical" by local residents.<ref name=BBCFlood>Template:Cite news</ref> Thames Water admitted liability and estimated the total cost of the damage to be around £4 million.<ref name=StandardFlood>Template:Cite news</ref> The Half Moon reopened in March 2017, following a vigorous local campaign to save it as a pub; Southwark Council has designated it an asset of community value.<ref>Mike Urban, "Campaign to save the Herne Hill’s Half Moon pub gathers momentum with an ACV application" Template:Webarchive, Brixton Buzz, 27 November 2015.</ref><ref>"Latest on The Half Moon" Template:Webarchive, Herne Hill Society.</ref>
Local landmarks
Brockwell Park
The area is home to the Template:Convert Brockwell Park. Near a hilltop in Brockwell Park stands the Grade II* listed Brockwell Hall,<ref>Template:NHLE</ref> which was built in 1811–13 to the design of the architect David Riddall Roper. The hall and the land surrounding it were opened to the public in 1891 after being purchased by London County Council. Brockwell Park hosts the annual Lambeth Country Show and was the site of London's Gay Pride festival for several years in the 1990s. The park also houses Brockwell Lido, a 1937 open-air swimming-pool that faces on to Dulwich Road, Grade II listed in 2003.
The railway station
Herne Hill railway station on Railton Road was opened by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway in 1862; the Gothic, polychrome brick<ref name="Pevsner">Template:Cite book</ref> station building was Grade II listed in 1998.<ref>Template:NHLE</ref> The associated railway viaduct and bridges are also noteworthy; The Building News stated in 1863 that the viaduct was "one of the most ornamental pieces of work we have ever seen attempted on a railway" for its fine brickwork.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Herne Hill Velodrome
The Herne Hill Velodrome, situated in a park off Burbage Road, was built in 1891 and hosted the track cycling events in the 1948 Summer Olympics. Unlike most modern, steeply-banked velodromes, it is a shallow concrete bowl; as of 2010 the 'Save the Herne Hill Velodrome' campaign was seeking a way to secure the future of the site.<ref>[1] Template:Webarchive Save the Herne Hill Velodrome. Retrieved 28 April 2012</ref>Template:Needs update The same park also has a football pitch and was the home of Crystal Palace F.C. from 1915 until 1918.
Sam Mussabini – 84 Burbage Road
A Blue plaque at 84 Burbage Road marks the former home of the athletics coach Sam Mussabini. In 1894, Mussabini was appointed coach to the Dunlop cycling team which trained at the Herne Hill Velodrome. In 1913, Mussabini was appointed coach to the Polytechnic Harriers at the Herne Hill athletics track, which ran round the inside of the Velodrome cycle track. Here he trained athletes, including the fourteen-year-old Harold Abrahams. Mussabini was later immortalised in the film Chariots of Fire, in which he was played by actor Ian Holm.Template:Citation needed
Conservation area
In recognition of the historical importance and specialist character of the area within its urban context, Stradella Road was designated as a conservation area, by Southwark Council in 2000, under the Civic Amenities Act of 1967. The conservation area consists principally of properties in Stradella and Winterbrook Roads and also includes bordering properties in Burbage Road and Half Moon Lane.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Public houses
The Half Moon public house in Half Moon Lane was built in 1896 (although a tavern has existed on the site since the 17th century) and was Grade II* listed in 1998.<ref>Template:NHLE</ref> The pub was formerly a popular live music venue and hosted a boxing gym for more than 50 years.<ref>"Where the pugilists drink" Template:Webarchive, Times Online. Retrieved 28 April 2012.</ref> The freehold of the pub belongs to the Dulwich Estate. The Commercial in Railton Road was rebuilt in 1938, and is locally listed by Lambeth Council as an inter-war pub of architectural and historic interest.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
St Paul's Church
The Church of St Paul on Herne Hill was originally built by G. Alexander in 1843 at a cost of £6,707,<ref>Herne Hill Society, Herne Hill Heritage Trail, p.138 (rev.edn 2013)</ref> but dramatically rebuilt by Gothic architect G.E. Street in 1858 after a destructive fire, although the tower and spire were saved. It is now Grade II* listed.<ref>Template:NHLE</ref>
Sunray Gardens pond
The lake in Sunray Gardens (at the junction of Elmwood Road and Red Post Hill) was originally the fish pond in the grounds of Casino House (a large estate established in 1796/97, demolished 1906); the adjoining Casino Estate still bears the house's name. The estate, now a conservation area, was built by Camberwell Borough Council after World War I, modelled on the garden suburb ideal and part of the drive to provide Homes Fit for Heroes.
Delawyk Crescent
Delawyk Crescent is a housing estate with an unusual Radburn layout, separating vehicle and pedestrian movements. It was built in the 1960s and 1970s on land from the Dulwich Estate.<ref>Delawyk Residents Management Organisation http://www.delawyk.org/about.html Template:Webarchive</ref>
Hurst Street Estate
Hurst Street Estate comprises two pentagon plan<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> tower blocks, Park View House and Herne Hill House, both 19 storeys (52 meters) high which dominate the skyline of the area. Completed in 1968 by Lambeth Borough Council, they each contain 72 dwellings.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Carnegie Public Library
The Carnegie Public Library on Herne Hill Road (not to be confused with the much older road known as Herne Hill) opened in 1906 after a Lambeth librarian was awarded a grant from Andrew Carnegie for building a library within the Herne Hill area. It is also a listed Grade II building.<ref>Myatt's Fields, Denmark Hill and Herne Hill Template:Webarchive. British History Online.</ref>
Sax Rohmer – 51 Herne Hill
A Blue plaque at 51 Herne Hill (by the junction with Danecroft Road) marks the former home of Sax Rohmer (a.k.a. Arthur Henry Ward), author of a series of novels featuring the fictional master criminal Dr. Fu Manchu.Template:Cn
Politics
Herne Hill is represented on Southwark Council by councillors for Dulwich Village ward (two councillors) and on Lambeth Council by councillors for Herne Hill and Loughborough Junction ward (three councillors) and West Dulwich ward (two councillors).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> All three wards are currently represented by councillors from the Labour Party. Herne Hill is represented in the London Assembly by Marina Ahmad and in Westminster by Helen Hayes.
Transport
Buses
The London bus routes are 3, 37, 42, 68, 196, 201, 322, 468, P4 school route 690 and night buses N3 and N68.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Rail
Direct rail services are available from Herne Hill railway station to Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon, St Pancras International, and St Albans (all via the Thameslink Wimbledon loop) and to Orpington, and Victoria (via the Southeastern Metro Bromley South line).
Nearby railway stations offer services to other destinations: London Bridge can be reached from North Dulwich and Tulse Hill; Denmark Hill has trains to Clapham Junction and Highbury and Islington via the London Overground's Windrush line. The nearest London Underground station is Brixton on the Victoria line. There have been past proposals to extend the Victoria line to Herne Hill station on a large reversing loop.<ref>Template:Cite web (Click on the arrow pointing south east from Brixton and then, on the popup, click on "more")</ref>
Notable residents
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References
External links
Template:Commons category Template:Commons category
Template:LB Lambeth Template:London Borough of Southwark Template:London districts Template:Geographic location
- Pages with broken file links
- Herne Hill
- Districts of the London Borough of Lambeth
- Districts of the London Borough of Southwark
- Streets in the London Borough of Lambeth
- History of the London Borough of Lambeth
- Streets in the London Borough of Southwark
- History of the London Borough of Southwark
- Areas of London
- District centres of London
- Hills of London