Telegraph Hill, Lewisham

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Telegraph Hill is in New Cross in the London Borough of Lewisham in south London. It was formerly known as Plowed Garlic Hill. It gained its current name from a semaphore telegraph station which was constructed on the summit of the hill at the end of the 18th century.

The hill was for many years covered by market gardens owned by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, one of the ancient livery companies of London. In the late 19th century the Haberdashers decided to develop the hill for housing. Over the last quarter of the 19th century they built tree-lined avenues of large villas, together with St Catherine's Church, a boy's and a girl's school (now combined as Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College) and a park. The villas are distinctive in style and as a result of this architectural unity, Telegraph Hill is now a conservation area.

An active local residents' group called the Telegraph Hill Society campaigns for improvements to the area. Its latest effort led to the restoration of the Victorian park at the top of the hill. The park is in two halves on either side of Kitto Road; the upper park contains tennis courts which apparently occupy the site of the telegraph station which gave the hill its name. The lower park contains ponds and children's playgrounds. The refurbished park was reopened in Summer 2005.

An arts festival is held each year in March.