Telegraph Hill, Lewisham
| Telegraph Hill | |
|---|---|
 Telegraph Hill
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| Telegraph Hill shown within Greater London | |
| Population | 16,414 (2011 Census. Ward) |
| OS grid reference | TQ359760 |
| London borough | |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LONDON |
| Postcode district | SE14 and SE4 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| EU Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament | |
| London Assembly | |
Telegraph Hill is a largely residential conservation area bounded by Nunhead and Brockley and is an electoral ward just south of New Cross in the London Borough of Lewisham in southeast London, England.
Telegraph Hill rises to around 50 metres at its highest point and was formerly known as Plowed Garlic Hill. It gained its current name from a semaphore telegraph station which was constructed on the summit of the hill circa 1795. The signalling station was one of the points from which news of Wellington's victory at Waterloo was flashed to London. It was removed in 1823.
The poet Robert Browning at one time lived at the foot of Telegraph Hill, in a cottage which he wrote looked like a 'goose pie'.
For many years Telegraph Hill was covered by market gardens owned by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, one of the ancient livery companies of London. In the late 19th century the Haberdashers decided to develop Telegraph Hill for housing. The company had already built terraced housing on its land nearer New Cross Road when it commissioned a study of the development potential of Telegraph Hill in 1859. The surveyor recommended 'the erection of dwelling houses of a high standard' on wide tree-lined streets.
Most construction took place around 1871. The villas are distinctive in style and as a result of this architectural unity Telegraph Hill is now a conservation area. The company added Haberdashers' Aske's School for boys and girls (named after one of its members Robert Aske, and now Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College) in 1875, a separate Haberdashers' Aske's girls' school in 1891 and St Catherine's Church in 1894.
In the 1895 the London County Council opened Telegraph Hill Park to the public.
Telegraph Hill Centre was built in 1971 and opened by Bishop Trevor Huddleston, the noted anti-apartheid campaigner. Funding from London Borough of Lewisham was cut in 1986/7. In 1993, the vicar and curate of St Catherine's Church met with local residents and set up the Telegraph Hill Festival. Telegraph Hill Centre was also instrumental in working with local residents to set up Bold Vision and Hill Station cafe. The Centre is now a self-funded entity and continues to provide services for the community on Telegraph Hill and its surrounding areas by operating as a sub committee of the Parochial Church Council of St Catherine's Church.
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Wikipedia