Upper Norwood is situated along the
London Clay ridge known as Beulah Hill. Housing dates from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries with large detached properties on the peak of the ridge and smaller semi-detached and terraced dwelling on its flanks. The hill offers panoramic views northward to central London and southward to central
Croydon and the
North Downs .
The area is one of the highest in the
London area and for centuries was occupied by the
Great North Wood , an extensive area of natural
Oak forest which formed a wilderness close to the southern edge of the ever-expanding city of London. The name 'Norwood' comes from a contraction of the 'North Wood' (
Old English ''north'' + ''wudu''). Local legend has it that
Sir Francis Drake's ship, ''
The Golden Hind '', had its timbers cut from trees in this area. The forest was a popular area for Londoners' recreation right up to the nineteenth century when it began to be built over. It was also a haunt of
Gypsies with many local street names and pubs recording the link, notably
Gypsy Hill . The area still retains large amounts of woodland for an urban situation.
The hilly nature of the land has restricted the construction of railways through the district. The former branch line terminus at
Crystal Palace High Level Railway Station closed in 1954, and the remaining
Crystal Palace Railway Station is situated some distance below Upper Norwood and approached by many steps. However, Crystal Palace Parade remains an important bus interchange and many residents instead use plentiful local bus routes to travel to
West Norwood ,
Tulse Hill ,
Streatham or
Norbury Railway Station s. The disconnection from the capital's rail/tube network has led to it having lower house prices than other areas possessing scenic views of London.
The Crystal Palace was rebuilt nearby on Sydenham Hill in 1854, following its success at the great exhibition in
Hyde Park . It was destroyed in a spectacular fire in 1936. The importance of this building led to the area immediately around the Crystal Palace becoming known as
Crystal Palace . The most easterly district of Upper Norwood is now also known as Crystal Palace and is the commercial hub of Upper Norwood - the 'Triangle'. The most westerly district is also known as Crown Point. The central district was once known as Norwood New Town but this is only seen on older maps.
The
Croydon Transmitter , a TV transmitter tower stands on the hill at Upper Norwood, making the district a landmark location, visible from any part of the London area. A second larger TV transmitter, the
Crystal Palace Transmitter , stands in Crystal Palace Park.
- Alan R. Warwick with Owen Luder (Authors); The Phoenix Suburb: A South London Social History; Publisher: Crystal Palace Foundation; ISBN 0-904034-01-1 / 0904034011
- ''Brewer's Britain and Ireland'', compiled by John Ayto and Ian Crofton, Weidenfeld & Nicolson , 2005, ISBN 0-304-35385-X
