Forest Hill

Described by The Independent as “one of London’s greenest and most tranquil suburbs”, Forest Hill is fast becoming a favourite among property investors. The area has benefited greatly from improved transport links due to the East London line extension (London Overground service), and for estate agents, Forest Hill SE23 has seen a steady influx of young families and professionals all hoping to capitalise on some of the capital’s most affordable homes. This up-and-coming area has great potential – and with plans to further extend transport links to the City, now is a great time to consider Forest Hill.

Where is Forest Hill?

Forest Hill is a district of South London, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated between Dulwich and Brockley to the north, and Sydenham and Catford to the south

As the name suggests “Forest Hill” sits at a high vantage point with breathtaking views of the City –  and wherever you are in this leafy suburb, you’ll see tree-lined streets affording stunning vistas without the hefty price tag. According to local estate agents, Forest Hill offers a good mix of housing: Victorian villas, art deco apartment blocks, beautifully renovated mews houses and more. Still relatively affordable even in comparison to its neighbour Dulwich, Forest Hill offers a less-city-more-countryside-village feel with its quaint passageways, private roads and quiet backstreets.

Forest Hill has an abundance of parks, gardens, wooded areas and nature reserves, and there’s even an allotment scheme for residents. Both One Tree Hill and Blythe Hill are great locales for walkers. The Grade II Listed Horniman Museum and Gardens, which was gifted to the local people by wealthy tea-trader Frederick Horniman in 1901, offers 16 acres of gardens, an aquarium, a natural history museum, and a world-famous collection of musical instruments.

For a bit of relaxation head to the all new Forest Hill Pools – which have just had a multimillion-pound refurbishment and extension to include a new health and fitness suite.

As boasted by residents and estate agents, Forest Hill has character, soul and spirit. It’s the kind of place where you’ll know your neighbours and people will smile and say hello in the street. It’s this genuine community feel, along with some great schools with “Outstanding” Ofsted ratings such as St William of York in Honor Oak, which are attracting young families.

Similarly, the bohemian, culturally diverse local population, coupled with great transport links to the City, is attracting young professionals and a creative, artistic crowd. Havelock Walk is the heart of the creative community, and artists from across London flock there to work and open their studios and gallery spaces to the public.

Need a Forest Hill estate agent (SE23)?

Forest Hill has a scattering of well established agents including Kinleigh, Folkard & Haywood, Pedder (formerly Wates), Acorn and Winkworths, as well as a few smaller independents such as Pickwich Estates, Eaton Properties and us, Fish Need Water (based in Dulwich but covering all south east postcode towns).

As Forest Hill estate agents we’re ideally placed to sell your home – and we know exactly how to achieve a higher price while putting you in complete control.

About Forest Hill Town Centre

Forest Hill’s once rundown town centre is really starting to flourish again with the establishment of new cafes, delis, boutiques and galleries as well as a conveniently located supermarket. Funky haberdashery, Stag and Bow, offers handmade crafts, furniture and jewellery, while Montage, a vintage-inspired shop, serves up cups of tea while you browse the gallery and listen to Forties jazz. Nathan and Ruth of The Butchery on London Road are set to feature in the new Raymond Blanc series; their meat shop focuses on providing, tasty, native-breed, free-range meat sourced from small farmers .

Forest Hill is a real treat for foodies – with restaurants and gastropubs serving up cuisine such as Chinese, Indian, Italian, Nepalese, Spanish and Thai. Once a month, there’s a food fair held outside Forest Hill Station. Try Babur Brasserie, an award-winning Indian restuarant, for rare speciality dishes made with authentically sourced regional spices.

Nightlife in Forest Hill is good with a mix of trendy bars and traditional pubs. The Hob Pub is famous for its stand-up comedy nights with the likes of local-boy Micky Flanagan performing. For something a bit different try the Sylvan Post, a converted former Sixties Post Office complete with upcycled Royal Mail furniture, décor, and souvenirs. They have an excellent selection of wine, kegs and five hand-pull pumps to choose from. And as with so many of the bars and restaurants in Forest Hill, it’s kids and dogs friendly.

Just up Devonshire Road from Forest Hill itself is its SE23 neighbour Honor Oak. With a true community feel despite being just 14 minutes by train from the middle of London, local life is centred around the Honor Oak Park parade of shops which is made up of predominantly independent retailers. The Honor Oak Gallery holds regularly changing exhibitions, the Jumping Bean is a thriving independent gift shop, there’s a well-regarded delicatessen Hills & Parkes, and Hop Scotch offers coffee by day, beers in the evening, and live music at weekends.

There’s also Sardinian restaurant Le Querce (“the oaks” in Italian), and Spanish tapas at Tapatisserie on Honor Oak Park.

Transport info

Forest Hill and Honor Oak Park London Overground stations (14 minutes to London Bridge)

Regular buses to Crystal Palace, Tottenham Court Road and Victoria

15 minutes by Overground to Canary Wharf

9 miles to London City Airport

Best local finds

Best restaurant – Babur Brasserie

Best pub – Sylvan Post

Best Comedy Pub – The Hob

Best butcher – The Butchery

Best culture – Horniman Museum and Gardens

Best Deli – Hills & Parkes

Best Coffee Shop – St David Coffee House

James Hall of Fish Need Water has been a Forest Hillian for the last 12 years, and couldn’t think of living anywhere else right now.