(RE) DISCOVERING SOUTH EAST LONDON
The unexpected craziness of the last few months combined with focusing on writing my masters dissertation have caused this blog to fall by the wayside a little bit. I’ve been feeling guilty about it too but sometimes you just have to accept that with only twenty four hours in a day you can’t do it all. But I’m really excited to finally share this latest post with you guys!
At the height of the pandemic when everything was closed and we weren’t allowed to see our friends and family, I made it my daily ritual to go out on long walks around the local area. I’d put my headphones on, tune into one of my favourite podcasts and explore. The unusually warm weather definitely helped (It almost felt like mother nature was showing us a middle finger and saying ‘so you’re in an apartment with no outside space and you can’t go anywhere? Here is the hottest April on record!’) and it’s been such a great opportunity to remind myself why I love living in south east London. To flex my creative muscles I’ve also made a point to take my camera with me on these walks and in this blog post I want to share with you some of my top spots. Some of those locations I didn’t even know existed a few weeks ago, others are long time favourites. This is the kind of everyday local London that rarely gets photographed and I hope you’ll enjoy seeing a different side to the city.
Horniman Museum Gardens
You can be sure that any list of awesome places in south east London I put together will feature Horniman Museum and Gardens. It’s one of my favourite London viewpoints and I’ve been coming up here regularly for the last seven or eight years. The museum itself is probably best known for its large collection of taxidermy animals (with a huge walrus taking the centre stage) but other exhibitions are worth checking out too. If I haven’t convinced you yet, back in 2018 The New York Times called it one of the coolest museums in the world!
There are also some beautiful buildings dotted around the gardens like the stunning grade II listed Victorian conservatory and a charming bijou bandstand. But I mostly come here for the stunning views of the city. On a clear day you can see as far as the Battersea Power Station and St Paul’s Cathedral!
Canonbie Road
Just a short walk from the Horniman Museum, there is a residential road with a 10 percent average gradient and one of the most impressive vistas anywhere in London! The climb is challenging enough to make you feel your hamstrings (or get you out of breath if you walk fast enough) but the reward is totally worth it. Just imagine owning a house there and waking up to that view every day!
Dawson’s Heights
Like a medieval fortress protecting the city, Dawson’s Heights blocks of flats tower above south east London. I’ve seen their distinctive irregular, pixelated outline in the distance from various vantage points around the area over the years and always wondered what it was. Confined to my neighbourhood during lockdown I finally decided to go and see it for myself a few weeks ago and if you’re an architecture geek like me you won’t be disappointed. It’s a bummer the communal staircases and walkways are only accessible for residents, I can only imagine how spectacular the views must be!
College Road
Do you have a dream location in your hometown where you’d love your house to be if money was no object? Mine’s definitely College Road running between Dulwich Village and Crystal Palace. Here you’ll find beautiful houses and mid century apartment blocks, impressive buildings housing one of the most exclusive private colleges in the country and London’s last remaining tollgate. That’s right, part of the road is private and drivers have to pay to drive through it! This means there’s not a lot of traffic here and gives the area that quaint villagey feel.
Telegraph Hill Upper Park
As south east London residents we’re spoilt for choice when it comes to green spaces. There are at least eight or nine parks just within walking distance from my apartment. Some, like Greenwich Park, Crystal Palace Park and Brockwell Park, are very well known but it’s the smallest green spaces that can often really surprise you. Telegraph Hill Upper Park is one such spot for sure. It’s a true hidden gem with local neighbourhood feel and stunning London skyline vistas.
One Tree Hill
Have you noticed a trend yet? This part of the city is full of hills and breathtaking views! One Tree Hill is a true secret hideaway you wouldn’t ever come across if you didn’t know it was there. The entrances off the street are pretty inconspicuous and lead you to a mature woodland (this is one of the remnants of Great North Wood that once covered a big chunk of south east London). Now all you need to do is climb to the top of the hill where you’ll be rewarded with beautiful views.
Blythe Hill
Last but definitely not least, is Blythe Hill. It’s one of those places I never knew existed despite living in the area for over five years. I stumbled across it completely by chance a few weeks ago during one of my walks and I’m so happy I did. The small park is a perfect spot for a picnic and together with the surrounding streets provides panoramic views of Canary Wharf and The City.
Hope you enjoyed this insider tour of south east London. Do you have a favourite spot from this list? Or maybe you’re a local and have your own favourite spots I should check out. Let me know in the comments!
