Honor Oak Christian Fellowship Centre

Earliest days

Map of Forest Hill in 17991799 Map. Oak of Honor Wood.

We believe that in its earliest days there was a farm on this site. There is evidence in the basement of 39 Honor Oak Road that the building used to be a dairy.

There has been a house on the site since the 1770s, and at some point a doctor was living here and was presumably using part of the building for his practice.

Map of Forest Hill in 18631863 Map. Oak Honour Hill. The Limes.

By the 1870s it was known as Bay House because of a large bay tree at the front of the property. It is believed that Charles Peace, the notorious criminal and murderer, hid in the tree to evade the police chasing him.

Map of Forest Hill in 18931893 Map. Oak of Honor Hill. Forest Hill House.

In these maps, Oak Honour Hill or Oak of Honor Hill is marked – the area now known as Honor Oak. The story goes that Queen Elizabeth I dined under an oak tree (on what is now One Tree Hill), and therefore particularly honoured it, while on a visit to Lewisham on May Day (possibly in 1602).

‘Forest Hill’ possibly came into use in the 1790s.


Next: Forest Hill House School ►