English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Forest Hill

Early-attested site in the Parish of Camberwell

Etymology

Forest Hill. This district, which lies partly in Lewisham (K), is first so named in 1797 (Lewisham ParReg) and takes its name from a wood known as Forest Wood in 1520 (Hasted 252) and as late as 1801. It was a part of the great Northwood (Norwood infra 50) of which some 300 acres were in Lambeth (SAC xii).Cf. also Adam de la Forest (1293Ass ) and Adam and Robert atte Forest (1320Rental ), in Duncan, History of Lewisham 147.