This post is about two things: being high, and being dead. Thrilling, I know. And it's only because I wanted to find some viewpoints of central London. Either way, I'm back in south London.
Now, the funny thing about this post is it's been lurking in my drafts for ages. Originally, it was going to be a longer piece, filled with additional trips to Forest Hill and Nunhead, but that was four months ago. It would be a bit of a waste to not publish what I hadn't written at the time, though.
One Tree Hill
Honor Oak is the kind of suburb you've probably only heard about through the Tube map. The area is shared between Southwark and Lewisham, but I spent all my time in the former when I visited.
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| Looking down Honor Oak Park (the road) |
The main attraction in Honor Oak is probably One Tree Hill, which has had so many historical connections, it's almost staggering. This is supposedly where Queen Boudicca fell to the Romans in 61 AD, and where highwayman Dick Turpin held a lookout post, spotting travellers and riding down to rob them. Both of these connections are dubious at best - Boudicca was likely defeated in the Midlands, and it's likely a different, more local highwayman known as Brockley Jack used the hill instead of Turpin. At least, that's what the information board on the hill says.
It's probably most famous as the place where Queen Elizabeth I picnicked and fell asleep under a tree that's now known as the Honor Oak, back in 1601. At the time, that's how you spelt "honour" as well, which is why Honor Oak looks like it was named by the Americans.
That said, the tree that now stands on One Tree Hill was planted in 1905, though it's very much the Honor Oak today. It's even surrounded by a fence, with a plaque mentioning its history nearby.
When you climb up One Tree Hill, you end up with a lovely view of central London. There's the Shard, Gherkin, and BT Tower, amongst other glassy office blocks, with the odd crane in between. In front of them lies a swathe of suburban housing, their roofs a mix of brown and white. When I visited, there was a couple sitting on a bench, taking in the view. The view also acts as a reward for making your way through a pretty nature reserve, which also consists of some other cool attractions. One of these is a beacon erected for King George V's Silver Jubilee, standing at the top of the hill, which I somehow didn't notice.
One Tree Hill is worth a visit, if you're in and around the area with nothing else to do. It's a brisk walk, and you might end up with some pretty pictures, bonus points if you don't need to zoom in.
Camberwell New Cemetery
Before I reached One Tree Hill, I spent a while wandering around a cemetery. For some reason, I thought I could somehow end up making my way through the grounds, imagining there was a hidden path, but instead I ended up circling my way around tombstones.
Cemeteries aren't the nicest places. Most people wouldn't visit one, at least not to then go and write about them. There was the odd dogwalker, sure, but I suspect most people who were there probably wished they didn't have to. The bleakest aspect is reading the tombstones along the way, spotting one with an angel, and slowly realising it likely belonged to a kid. It's also disheartening to see how elaborate some tombstones are, seeing how well-preserved they are, before walking past a runty, crooked crucifix, no names to be found.
You've probably realised by now that this isn't the only Camberwell cemetery, though - this one was built to alleviate crowding in a cemetery just across the road. Plans to build it were made in 1901, with the first internment in 1927. Reportedly, there are nearly 75,000 memorials here, which I find astonishing. All those people I'll never get to truly know, now stuck in the ground forever.
Epilogue
Around that time, I happened to be into visiting viewpoints in south London, with the hope of maybe writing a blogpost about them. I climbed Dawson's Hill, located in the midst of an estate in East Dulwich, as well as Camberwell Old Cemetery, which has an even better view.
I also happened to be nearby Nunhead Cemetery around that time, and thought of maybe blogging about it too. Maybe discuss the Magnificent Seven cemeteries that cropped up in London to alleviate Victorian burial space while I was at it. Perhaps I'd even return to the Horniman Museum and mention what had happened there since I last blogged about it over three years ago.
Well, I didn't end up writing any of that. I might do so in the future, if only to pick up new memories so I can get a blogpost that's not overly reliant on Wikipedia. Luckily, though, I did remember to discuss Honor Oak, so this post is around. Hope you enjoyed the return of south London-based content!
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