| Author |
Message |
Robwinton
Joined 07-06-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, 28 February, 2007 - 10:10 am: | |
inspired by having got so many answers on Sunday, but not wishing to pester Steve endlessly, I thought I might canvass the site for some assistance.
As I walk around SE23 I often come across interesting old buildings for which I have no history.
As an example, does anyone know anything about this funny building on Beadnell Road:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/126/323122870_46180 5bde5_b.jpg
It is marked "Forest Hill 1901" which makes it too old for the canal, but it is in a strange position for the railway. As far as I can tell, that steet was all terraced before 1901 so it must have replaced another building. I think it is being used as storage at the moment.
Can anyone help? |
Brian
Joined 18-04-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, 28 February, 2007 - 05:28 pm: | |
Hi Rob
Looks like probably a small school |
Robwinton
Joined 07-06-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, 28 February, 2007 - 05:36 pm: | |
Thanks Brian. I hadn't considered that, but the position and size (and lack) of windows makes me doubt it. Of course there is the modern door now, but there is a distinct lack of any other feature here. |
Theotherbrian
Joined 28-03-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, 28 February, 2007 - 05:50 pm: | |
Postal office of some kind, perhaps? Looks similar, if simpler style to the one in Devonshire Rd. Just a thought. |
Stevegrindlay
Joined 24-10-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, 28 February, 2007 - 07:59 pm: | |
I have assumed, like theotherbrian, that it was a postal sorting office. However, it seems as though Brian is closer. In a 1902 street directory the building is called The Forest Hill Creche. This seems improbable but a century ago a creche was "a public nursery for infants... whose mothers are in hospitals or convalescent homes... other children were left daily by their mothers while at work, for 2d. a day". Beadnell Road was part of an estate called West Kent Park, consisting of several hundred small terraced houses which extended to Brockley Rise. It was a poor area, with many women needing to go out to work.
By 1925 the building had become Forest Hill Christian Spiritual Church. |
Robwinton
Joined 07-06-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, 28 February, 2007 - 08:07 pm: | |
Wow! Thanks. Must have been depressing for the little kids then, but I suppose the alternatives were not that nice either.
Seems a strange building if it was orignally built to be a creche though.
Thanks everyone for your help on this one. Plenty more questions where that came from, but maybe another day. |
Davidwhiting
Joined 07-12-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, 01 March, 2007 - 12:31 am: | |
I think, Steve, you will find that it is still a poor area of small terraced houses with many women needing to go out to work - but that is perhaps because of the current price of the said small terraced houses?
Who would have run a day nursery in that location? The local authority or some other body? I'm unaware of LAs offering that type of child care that early. |
Robwinton
Joined 07-06-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, 01 March, 2007 - 09:28 am: | |
I imagine it would have been one of the charitable organisations (it seems the Foresters were quite active around here), or even a church based place. There is a church down that way is there not, on Malham Road? |
