Great North Wood

The Great North Wood was a natural oak forest that covered most of the area of raised ground starting some four miles (6 km) south of central London, covering the Sydenham Ridge and the southern reaches of the River Effra and its tributaries. At its full extent, the wood's boundaries stretched almost as far as Croydon and as far north as Camberwell. Very little of the original woodland remains, but today's suburban placenames that contain the contraction Norwood are a reminder of the former woodland nature of the area, and include South Norwood, Upper Norwood, West Norwood (known as Lower Norwood until 1885). Other local names that reflect its past include Woodside, Gipsy Hill, Forest Hill, the Beulah Spa Tavern, Whitehorse Lane, and...