Forest Hill Walking Festival
The Forest Hill Society is excited to hold the annual Forest Hill Walking Festival, which will next take place to take place on Saturday and Sunday, 7th & 8th June, 2025
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This event is a great way to showcase some of the beauty and history of the area, and show that there's a lot more to Forest Hill and the surrounding neighbourhood than you can see while simply driving through it on the South Circular.​
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Why a Festival?
A walking festival is a great opportunity to meet other people who also love walking and to make new friends who live or are interested in the area. Participants can learn more about the local area, history and biodiversity, join in social events and informative talks and generally have a good time.
The festival is a great way to be introduced to the joys of walking . If anyone is new to walking, unsure about where to go in the area, or needs an incentive to get boots on, then this Festival might be just the answer to get started.
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The goal is not only to encourage active exploration of the area, but to meet other locals. It is also a chance to get to know the Forest Hill Society, and help us to encourage more walking and exploring in our community and make this a healthy and welcoming neighbourhood.​​​
What is Happening?
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There will be 6 different walks. You can follow these routes at any time, but each route will have one guided session where a member of the committee will take you on the tour to show you the route, point out any local features and answer questions.
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The themed walks will be:
Architectural gems
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As well as different themes to introduce you to different aspects of the area, the walks also have different lengths and difficulty levels to suit more or less experienced walkers.
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Each walk has been described and uploaded to GoJauntly so that you can explore the route at your leisure, either on the day or at any other time.
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Make sure you check in at the start and end of the walk so we know how many people have taken part and we can see how many miles of walking we can log together as a community in just one day!
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SCHEDULE
Saturday 7th of June
13:30 :: GUIDED WALK: Peaks & Views
17:00 :: GUIDED WALK: Pub History Tour
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Sunday 8th of June
09:00 :: EVENT OPENS
10:00 :: GUIDED WALK: Nature Reserve Challenge
11:00 :: GUIDED WALK: Architectural gems
12:00 :: Plant giveaway starts (first 30 minutes is kids only)
13:30 :: GUIDED WALK: Victorian History
14:30 :: GUIDED WALK: Art & Music
16:00 :: EVENT CLOSES
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Details of the Walks:
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PEAKS & VIEWS
Distance: 4.5 miles
Difficulty: medium, with steep sections
Time (length): 2 - 2½ hours
Leader: John Firmin
Guided walk time: 13:30
Details: A circular walk, starting and ending at Forest Hill Station, that visits several different peaks around this elevated corner of London, with views over London and the City and beyond, but also across Kent. If the weather cooperates you will get a new perspective on London.
Link: click here for the route on GoJauntly
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PUB HISTORY WALK
Distance: 3 miles
Difficulty: easy
Time (length): 2+ hours
Leader: Ian White
Guided walk time: 17:30
Details: Local expert, Ian White, will once again take us on a tour of some of the many different public bars in Forest Hill, Bell Green, Sydenham and Kirkdale. Explore historic as well as modern takes on the public house, and maybe enjoy a drink or two along the way along with other local enthusiasts.
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Link: click here for the route on GoJauntly (coming soon)
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ARCHITECTURAL GEMS
Distance: 3 miles
Difficulty: medium (easy, but with a few hills)
Time (length): 2+ hours
Leader: Claire Gayle
Guided walk time: 11:00
Details: Claire is a local architect, and will lead a walk around certain key buildings in Forest Hill to explore some of the history, while also pointing out architectural details of the houses of different eras along the way. Get to know some truly unique buildings better, but also get to know your local area more and learn to recognise the distinct construction and design eras that have resulted in the style you see today.
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Link: click here for the route on GoJauntly
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NATURE RESERVE CHALLENGE
Distance: 6+ miles
Difficulty: medium (some steeper sections and some walking on uneven ground)
Time (length): 4-5 hours
Leader: Robert McIntosh
Guided walk time: 10:00
Details: A circular walk, starting and ending at Forest Hill Station, that offers a proper challenge for more committed walkers that will take walkers on a route that will explore all the different nature reserves in the area, which will be opening just for the purpose, and will include a welcome introduction and history of each one. The walk will be around 6 miles, with around 30-45 minutes maximum spent in each reserve space, so this could take a little time, but will be a unique opportunity to get to know more about the local history, green spaces and biodiversity.
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Link: click here for the route on GoJauntly
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VICTORIAN HISTORY
Distance: 2.5 miles
Difficulty: medium (one steep section, one pedestrian bridge)
Time (length): 1½ - 2 hours
Leader: Tim Walker
Guided walk time: 13:30
Details: A circular walk, starting and ending at Forest Hill Station, that explores the legacy of two prominent Victorians that had a major impact on the area, including some exclusive access to historic sites.
Robert Harrild and George Baxter lived and died in Forest Hill. One invented an inking method that revolutionised the print industry across the world, and he became a very wealthy man, philanthropist and local property developer. The other, his son-in-law, was a talented artist and engraver who invented the printing process that introduced mass produced coloured images to the world. Images of the 1854 Crystal Palace opening and a portrait of Queen Victoria are among his collectable works, though he himself became bankrupt. We will trace their footsteps around the area, hear about their notable lives and visit each of their final resting places in local churchyards.
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For more details of the history, visit our guide
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Link: click here for the route on GoJauntly
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MUSIC & ART CONNECTIONS
Distance: 4 miles
Difficulty: easy
Time (length): 1½ - 2 hours
Leader: Gary Thornton
Guided walk time: 14:30
Details: A circular walk, starting and ending at Forest Hill Station, that explores the many exciting and sometimes surprising connections that Forest Hill has in the worlds of music and art. The walk also has an accompanying playlist which you can explore here.
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This walk even has an associated SE23 playlist on Spotify - check it out and see if you can work out any of the connections! (all will be revealed on the walk)
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For more details of the history, visit our guide
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Link: click here for the route on GoJauntly
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If you are planning on coming along, let us know so we can send you a reminder and know how many people to expect. Sign up (for free) on our events page here
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Contact
If you have questions or comments, or wish to join the next meeting, do get in touch