Ten Things To Do In Forest Hill: Last Saturday, I visited the Horniman Museum and Gardens in Forest Hill, which was wonderful. I had time to wander around the area to look at the independent shops, restaurants and cafes. It’s a beautiful part of London to explore with the kids, friends or your partner. Read on to discover Ten Things To Do In Forest Hill.
Horniman Museum
Ten Things To Do In Forest Hill List
My 10 Things To Do In Forest Hill List
1. Marvel at the unusual Horniman Museum collections
2. Walk around the stunning Horniman Gardens
3. See aquatic life close up at the Horniman Aquarium
4. Be with the butterflies at the Horniman Butterfly House
5. Shop at the Horniman Sunday Market
6. Visit the artist community of Havelock Walk
7. Dine at one of the Forest Hill restaurants and cafes
8. Browse the Forest Hill independent shops
9. Make a splash at the Forest Hill Pools
10. Explore the Dacres Wood Nature Reserve
Ten Things To Do In Forest Hill Details
Horniman Museum: View the fascinating collections of tea merchant Frederick John Horniman in the museum dating back to 1901. See stuff animals in the Natural History section. Discover more about different countries in the World Gallery. Find out about instruments in the Music Gallery. It’s a family-friendly museum which is free to enter. With several cafes and gorgeous gardens, it’s a beautiful place to spend an afternoon.
Horniman Museum, 100 London Road, SE23 3PQ
Horniman Gardens: Walk around the lovely gardens where you get breathtaking views of London. You will see a bandstand, animal enclosure, outside instruments and more.
Horniman Gardens, 100 London Road, SE23 3PQ
Horniman Aquarium: View colourful fish swimming in coral reefs at this cute aquarium.
Horniman Aquarium, 100 London Road, SE23 3PQ
Horniman Butterfly House: In the Horniman Museum Gardens, you will find a small tropical indoor garden housing hundreds of butterflies.
Horniman Butterfly House, 100 London Road, SE23 3PQ
Horniman Sunday Market: Shop at the weekly Sunday market hosted from 10 am until 3 pm in the Horniman Gardens. Expect to find stalls selling fruit, veg, bread, meat, hot food, jam, cakes, ethical craft and more.
Horniman Market, 100 London Road, SE23 3PQ
Havelock Walk: Venture down the cobbled mews where you will find delightful warehouse buildings housing artists, designers, yoga studios and other creative businesses. Check out the website for open days.
Havelock Walk, SE23 3HG
Forest Hill Restaurants and Cafes: My favourite eatery is Sylvan Post inside an old Royal Mail Post Office. with vintage post office décor. Enjoy a glass of real ale and British pub grub including Sunday roasts. Other restaurants include Bona Sourdough Pizza, Big Cheeks Thai, and Sushi Garden. Cafes include The Archi Parker, St David Coffee House, Lazy Chef and Canvas and Cream. Delicatessens include Aga’s Little Deli and Café, Olives and More, Beetroot and Beans is a zero-waste shop, and the Guava Kitchen is a plant-based deli with a tropical twist.
Sylvan Post, 24-28 Dartmouth Road, SE23 3XU
Forest Hill Independent Shops: There are some interesting stores to check out in the area. Stag and Bow is a craft shop who host workshops. Wild Horse and Farr & Wyde both sell vintage furniture and home accessories. The Time Tunnel is a delightful junk shop. Bunka sells clothing and fashion accessories. For a made-to-measure suit and shave visit Smoody Sharp. For skateboards head for Decked Out.
Wild Horses, 95 Dartmouth Road, SE23 3HT
Forest Hill Pools: Keep active with a swim in the pool or join the gym. There is a café on site.
Forest Hill Pools, Dartmouth Road, SE23 3HZ
Dacres Wood Nature Reserve: 2.5 hectares of grounds for wildlife set within a former Victorian garden which includes a remnant of Croydon Canal. It is in the London Borough of Lewisham between Forest Hill and Sydenham stations.
Ten Things To Do In Forest Hill Information
Forest Hill is located in the London Borough of Lewisham in South East London with the postcode SE23. It lies in between Dulwich, Sydenham, Perry Vale and Honor Park. The Forest Hill station is via the Overground and Southern Trains. The shops, restaurants and Horniman Museum and Gardens are near the station, so everything is within walking distance. The name Forest Hill means The Forest, and there is a hill! The area was once a woodland which was part of the Great North Wood. The Croydon Canal ran through the area, and you can see the remnants in the Dacres Wood Nature Reserve. Forest Hill is worth exploring, mainly because of the fantastic Horniman Museum and Gardens. To see more photographs of the area take a look at my Love Forest Hill London Pinterest Board. Enjoy your visit.
Author: Homegirl London. Photographs: Homegirl London. Thanks: Homeboy for visiting with me.
