View source for Hither Green

{{Use British English|date=September 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{infobox UK place
| country                  = England
| region                   = London
| official_name            = Hither Green
| coordinates              = {{coord|51.4522|0.0000|display=inline,title}}
| london_borough           = Lewisham
| constituency_westminster = [[Lewisham Deptford (UK Parliament constituency)|Lewisham Deptford]], [[Lewisham East (UK Parliament constituency)|Lewisham East]]
| post_town                = LONDON
| postcode_district        = SE6, SE12, SE13
| postcode_area            = SE
| dial_code                = 020
| os_grid_reference        = TQ395745
| static_image_name        = Hither Green fair.jpg
| static_image_caption     = Square around the water tower belonging to the former Park Fever Hospital
}}

'''Hither Green''' is a district in south-east [[London]], England, in the [[London Borough of Lewisham]]. It forms the southern part of [[Lewisham]], 6.6&nbsp;miles (10.6&nbsp;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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://thecorbettsociety.org.uk/history/|title=Local history and heritage {{!}} The Archibald Corbett Society|website=thecorbettsociety.org.uk|language=en-US|access-date=2018-01-31}}</ref> The railway runs through the centre of the area, which divides Hither Green into an "east side" focused on Staplehurst Road, and a "west side" focused on Hither Green Lane and Springbank Road. The lane dates back to Roman times and runs between the [[Quaggy River|Quaggy]] and [[Ravensbourne River|Ravensbourne]] rivers.

From 1978 to 1998 Hither Green was the name of the [[Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom|electoral ward]] that covered the area<ref>The London Borough of Lewisham (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1977</ref>&nbsp;– then since 2002 the local ward that covered most of Hither Green was [[Lewisham Central (ward)|Lewisham Central]].<ref>legislation.gov.uk – [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2000/1236/made The London Borough of Lewisham (Electoral Changes) Order 2000]. Retrieved on 2 March 2015.</ref> In 2020 a new Hither Green ward was created.<ref name="News Shopper HG Ward">{{cite web|url=https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/18551274.proposed-lewisham-boundary-changes-finalised/|website=[[News Shopper]]|title=Proposed Lewisham boundary changes finalised|first=Grainne|last=Cuffe|date=30 June 2020|accessdate=5 July 2023}}</ref> The [[parliamentary constituency]] is [[Lewisham East (UK Parliament constituency)|Lewisham East]].

The area is known for the 1967 [[Hither Green rail crash]], in which 49 people were killed.

==History==
===Toponymy===
[[File:Boone's Chapel.jpg|thumb|left|The 17th-century Boone's Chapel in Hither Green]]
Hither Green acquired its name as it was closer to [[Lewisham]] 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]].

===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.

===Development===
====Mountsfield Park====
{{main|Mountsfield Park}}
[[File:Gate and Walls of the Merchant Taylor's Almshouses (II).jpg|thumb|right|The 19th-century gate and walls around the Merchant Taylor's Almshouses, now Grade II listed]]
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, home of noted [[entomologist]] [[Henry Tibbats Stainton]]. 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 F.C.|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.

====Park Fever Hospital====
The Park Fever Hospital (latterly Hither Green Hospital) was opened by the [[Prince of Wales]] in 1897<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ezitis.myzen.co.uk/hithergreen.html|title = Lost_Hospitals_of_London}}</ref> 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''.

====Corbett Estate====
[[File:Hither Green Street.jpg|225px|thumb|right|Typical Victorian terrace found on Corbett estate]]
Much of the Victorian terraced housing dates from the late 19th century when [[social reformer]] and Scottish [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) [[Archibald Corbett, 1st Baron Rowallan|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.

====St. Swithun's Church====
In November 1888, the new parish of St. Swithun's was created. Designed by [[Ernest Newton]] the foundation stone was laid in July 1892 and the church, built of red Wrotham brick with Bath stone windows, was completed in 1904. Its organ previously came from [[Blenheim Palace]].<ref name="Abbott organ">{{cite web|title=The National Pipe Organ Register – Blenheim Palace: the Long Library|url=http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N09564}}</ref>

====Wesleyan Church, Hither Green Lane====
The large non-conformist [[Wesleyan Methodist Church (Great Britain)|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. It was 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 11–12 September 1940, the church was destroyed in [[the Blitz]]. What was left of the church was torn down and the site was subsequently occupied by council-built flats.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.ideal-homes.org.uk/lewisham/assets/galleries/hither-green/wesleyan-church| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120318221201/http://www.ideal-homes.org.uk/lewisham/assets/galleries/hither-green/wesleyan-church| archive-date = 2012-03-18| title = Wesleyan Church, Hither Green Lane, Hither Green, c. 1910 {{!}} Lewisham Galleries {{!}} Ideal Homes}}</ref>

====Hither Green TMD====
[[Hither Green TMD]] was opened by the [[Southern Railway (UK)|Southern Railway]] in 1933. It remains in use in a reduced capacity as a [[DB Cargo UK]] depot.

==Nearby areas==
{{Geographic location
|title     = '''Districts closest to Hither Green'''
|Centre    = Hither Green
|North     = [[Lewisham]]
|Northeast = [[Blackheath, London|Blackheath]]
|East      = [[Lee, London|Lee]]
|Southeast = [[Grove Park, Lewisham|Grove Park]]
|South     = [[Bellingham, London|Bellingham]]
|Southwest = [[Catford]]
|West      = [[Ladywell]]
|Northwest = [[Brockley]]
}}

==Transport==
[[File:Hither_Green_mural.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Hither Green mural painted beneath a railway bridge on Ennersdale Road in 2016.]]

===Rail===
[[Hither Green railway station]] serves the area with services to [[Charing Cross railway station|London Charing Cross]] and to [[Cannon Street railway station|London Cannon Street]] both via [[Lewisham railway station|Lewisham]] and as part of a loop service via both [[Sidcup railway station|Sidcup]] and [[Woolwich Arsenal railway station|Woolwich Arsenal]]. There are also services to [[Orpington railway station|Orpington]], [[Sevenoaks railway station|Sevenoaks]] via Orpington and to [[Gravesend railway station|Gravesend]] via Sidcup.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/mar/03/lets-move-hither-green-south-east-london-tom-dyckhoff|title=Let's move to Hither Green, London: 'Good schools, train links and parks'|last=Dyckhoff|first=Tom|date=2017-03-03|website=The Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-01-31}}</ref> [[Hither Green railway station]] also lies upon the [[Prime Meridian]].

===Buses===
Hither Green is also served by several [[Transport for London]] bus services that connect it with areas including [[Lewisham]], [[Eltham]], [[Catford]], [[Sidcup]], [[New Cross]], [[Canada Water]] and [[Crystal Palace, London|Crystal Palace]].

===Driving===
The [[Driving Standards Agency]] ran a driving test centre in Hither Green&nbsp;– it was one of the largest in south London catering for over 1,000 driving tests each month, before being closed <ref>https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKDVSA/bulletins/3cae6fe</ref> on 1st February 2025.

==Hither Green in the news==
* [https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/mar/03/lets-move-hither-green-south-east-london-tom-dyckhoff "Let's move to Hither Green, London" in The Guardian newspaper]
* [http://www.wallpaper.com/gallery/lifestyle/bites-wallpapers-pick-of-the-latest-grooming-food-and-technology-goings-on-2017?iid=sr-link1#195360 Park Fever beer and chocolate in Wallpaper magazine]
* [http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/14604471.IN_PICTURES__Hither_Green_mural_from_start_to_finish Hither Green mural from start to finish in News Shopper]
* [http://www.homesandproperty.co.uk/property-news/buying/first-time-buyers/hither-green-and-lewisham-are-the-top-homes-hotspots-for-londons-firsttime-buyers-a98136.html Hither Green in the Evening Standard]
* [http://issuu.com/meridianmagazine/docs/meridian_magazine_june_2014 Hither Green in Meridian magazine (p.7)]

==Notable inhabitants and former inhabitants==<!-- This section is linked from [[London Borough of Lewisham]] -->

*[[Jude Law]] – Actor<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071113234725/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/11/10/sm_judelaw.xml&page=1 "Jude Law: No Surrender"], ''telegraph.co.uk''</ref>
*[[Gladys Cooper]] – Actress
*[[Miss Read|Dora Jessie Saint (Miss Read)]] – Author
*[[Dane Baptiste]] – Comedian
*[[Juris Kalnins]] – Polish musician, philanthropist
*[[Debbie McGee]] - Magician’s assistant
*[[Sinéad O'Connor]] - Irish singer-songwriter and activist<ref>{{cite web | url=https://lithub.com/sinead-oconnor-on-discovering-van-morrison-in-her-lonely-early-days-in-london/ | title=Sinéad O'Connor on Discovering van Morrison in Her Lonely Early Days in London | date=14 June 2021 }}</ref>
* [[Libby Welsh]] - Actor, Producer, and Disability Rights advocate.

==See also==
*[[Hither Green Cemetery]] 
*[[Hither Green railway station]]
*[[Hither Green rail crash]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
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{{Div col}}
* [https://www.facebook.com/groups/2251215302 Hither Green community forum on Facebook]
* [http://www.ourhithergreen.com OurHitherGreen.com – Community Association website]
* [http://www.saintswithuns.org.uk The website of St Swithun's Church (C of E)]
* [http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/LeisureAndCulture/ParksAndRecreation/LocalParks/ManorHouseGardens.htm Manor House Gardens]
* [http://mountsfieldpark.wordpress.com/ Friends of Mountsfield Park]
* [https://walkinghithergreen.blogspot.com/ Walking Hither Green]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/5/newsid_3135000/3135762.stm The 1967 Hither Green rail crash (BBC)]
{{Div col end}}
[[File:Hither Green to City.jpg|700px|thumb|centre|View from Hither Green Lane to City of London]]

{{LB Lewisham}}

[[Category:Hither Green| ]]
[[Category:Districts of the London Borough of Lewisham]]
[[Category:Areas of London]]