Information AboutWest Norwood |
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West Norwood (sometimes referred to as '''Norwood''') is a place in the London Borough Of Lambeth . It is primarily a residential suburb of south London but with some light industry near Knights Hill in the south. It is 5.4 miles (8.7 km) south south-east of Charing Cross , bordered by Upper Norwood , Crystal Palace , West Dulwich , Tulse Hill and Streatham . West Norwood is part of the Norwood town centre area of the London Borough of Lambeth comprising Gipsy Hill, Thurlow Park, and Knights Hill Wards. The town centre office is located at the West Norwood Library. It is currently represented by nine councillors, six of whom are Conservative and three Labour. Two of the Conservative councillors for Thurlow Park Ward have served continuously on the Council since 1990. PLACES AND SPACES Most public buildings and shops in West Norwood are anchored on either side of Norwood Road And Knights Hill , which runs north-south through the town. West Norwood is well served for parks and open spaces with Norwood Park and Brockwell Park which is only a short walk outside the town centre area. The Cemetery has 45 acres (18.2 hectares) of green space in the centre of the town. There are tennis courts, a recreation ground and a small wood beside Knights Hill. Peabody Hill Wood is an area of outstanding importance recognised by English Nature. Education is a major service industry in West Norwood, which has several private sector and local authority primary schools. A number of local parents are promoting the foundation of Elmgreen School as a new non-faith secondary school, with funding from the government, which is scheduled to open in 2007. West Norwood is also home to L'Arche Lambeth, a L'Arche Community founded in 1977 by Therese Vanier. The Community provides 5 residential care homes and 5 day provision workshops for adults with learning disabilties, and is part of the International Federation of L'Arche. There are churches of many demoninations incuding the Anglican parishes of All Saints and St Luke's, the Roman Catholic parish of St Matthew's, the Chatsworth Baptist Church, and the Roupell Methodist Church, as well as several newly arrived faith groups that follow the evangelical or charismatic tradition. In 2000, All Saints Church, home of the Lambeth Orchestra, burned down, but it re-opened on the same site in 2006 thanks to the sustained work of parishoners and the local community. The longest serving member of the clergy is Provost John Devane, parish priest at St Matthew's, West Norwood, since May 1970, who retires in September 2007. KNIGHTS HILL Confusingly, there are two areas called Knight's Hill nearby; the better known area is the residential area and Electoral Ward in the south west by the road called Knights Hill. But there is another hill to the north near Thurlow Park Road known as Knight's Hill (over the Tulse Hill railway tunnel, West Dulwich), which once had a nearby Railway Station named after it. It includes the hilly land between the western end of Thurlow Park Road (South Circular), Peabody Hill and Lovelace Road, where the adjoining Rosendale allotments in Dulwich stand today. The green area is still marked as Knight's Hill on detailed maps, but not normally on modern streetmaps to avoid confusion. Both areas have similar origins, first mentioned as belonging to Thomas Knyght in 1545, and were known as Knight's Hill Common and Knight's Hill Farm, respectively. HISTORY Before 1885 West Norwood was known as Lower Norwood, in contrast to Upper Norwood and South Norwood . These areas were created as a result of the Enclosure Acts which divided up the Great North Wood , hence the name 'Norwood'. The first act in 1797 was for Croydon and was mainly in favour of the Archbishop Of Canterbury in the south, while the second in 1806 was for Lambeth , being mainly in favour of Lord Thurlow to the north. John Rocque 's 1745 map of London already showed the Horns Tavern at Knight's Hill in the south of the town, backing onto extensive woodland, with an open valley stretching to 'Island Green' in the north, approximately where Herne Hill Railway Station stands now. The enclosure maps 50 years later showed little left of the woodland other than a few coppices. Most of the current main roads were soon in position with a Turnpike gate at the junction of the roads now called Norwood road and the High Street. The River Effra ran alongside the current Elder Road towards Sydenham in open countryside, and was prone to flooding. The new parish required a church, so St. Luke's was provided under the Waterloo Church scheme, one of four built in Lambeth (the others being Matthew, Mark, And John ) and was completed in 1825. Originally St Luke's parish served just a few substantial villas, and some more humble worker's cottages mainly situated between Knights Hill and the High Street. The early 19th century saw the arrival of recreational Tea Garden s around Knights Hill and Beulah Hill , and the South Metropolitan Cemetery in 1837. The new railway line to Sydenham and the Crystal Palace in 1856 heralded major changes, and many of the larger houses and gardens were demolished and replaced with predominantly Terraced and Semi-detached housing over the next 4 decades. Norwood High Street never developed into a major shopping parade as originally planned, instead most local shops have been located on the Norwood Rd between York Hill and St Luke's. Horse-drawn trams shuttled passengers along this road from the terminus in front of St Luke's to Herne Hill, and beyond. More recently, parts of West Norwood have been declared conservation areas including the area around the cemetery, Lancaster Avenue, and West Norwood Fire Station. The two world wars witnessed fatalities and bomb damage to many buildings in the area, with York Hill and the areas around the railway suffering particularly badly. Chatsworth Baptist church had to be rebuilt after a direct hit. Many of the post-war Estates were built on bomb sites or replaced areas which had experienced damage. A stunning Art Deco cinema, named The Regal, was built at 304 Norwood Road in the late 1920s. It was designed by architect F Edward Jones and opened in January 1930. The cinema sat 2,010 and was equipped with a Christie Manual organ. The cinema closed on 8th February 1964 with a double screening of Peter Sellers ' I'm Alright Jack and Two Way Stretch. Following its closure, the building became a Top Rank Bingo Club a few months later and remained open until 1978. The building was demolished in November 1981 and a B&Q store can be seen today on the same site. {Link without Title} Clocks in West Norwood
LOCAL LANDMARKS Local landmarks include West Norwood Cemetery , South London Theatre , St Luke's Church and the Old Library, originally endowed by Henry Tate and renovated by Lambeth Council in 2004 with the aid of grants from the Single Regeneration Budget. The modern library, which includes the Nettlefold Hall, was host to a popular local cinema club " Film On Thursday ".
TRANSPORT AND LOCALE Nearest places Nearest rail stations Bus Garage NOTABLE FORMER AND CURRENT RESIDENTS
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