Visit Penge Places

Welcome to Visit Penge Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Penge

  

Penge Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Penge

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Penge history

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Penge was recorded under the name Penceat in an Anglo-Saxon deed dating from 957. Most historians believe the name is derived from the Celtic word Penceat, which means ‘edge of wood’ and refers to the fact that the surrounding area was once covered in a dense forest.

Pensgreene and the Crooked Billet

Penge Green appears as Pensgreene on Kip’s 1607 map . The green was bounded to the north by Penge Lane, the west by Beckenham Road and the southeast by the Crooked Billet . There was also an old footpath crossing the Green leading to Sydenham .

Expansion

The London and Croydon Canal was built across Penge Common along what is now the line of the railway through Penge West railway station, deviating to the south before Anerley railway station . There is a remnant at the northern corner of Betts Park, Anerly .

Penge landmarks

The Free Watermen and Lightermen’s Almshouses were built in 1840–1841 on Beckenham Road, Penge. The residents were moved in 1973 to a new site in Hastings and the original buildings were converted into private homes.

Gallery

Waterman’s Square Almhouses were built in 1890s . Waterman Square Almouses were built on the site of the site . The square was built in the 1880s and was completed in 1890 .

Penge geography / climate

Nearby areas

Crystal Palace

You can visit Penge places with Walkfo Penge to hear history at Penge’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Penge has 150 places to visit in our interactive Penge map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Penge, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Penge places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Penge & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 150 audio facts unique to Penge places in an interactive Penge map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Penge Places Map
150 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Penge historic spots	Penge tourist destinations	Penge plaques	Penge geographic features
Walkfo Penge tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Penge

  

Best Penge places to visit

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Penge has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Penge’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Penge’s information audio spots:

South Norwood Country Park South Norwood Country Park is a 47 hectare (116 acre) green space which opened in 1989 . The park is a mix of countryside and parkland, and land formerly used for sewage farms .

Norwood Ridge The Norwood Ridge is a 10-square-mile (26 km) rectangular upland which occupies the geographical centre of south London . Beneath its topsoil it is a ridge of London Clay that is capped on all sides (including as isolated knolls in the north)

Crystal Palace Bowl Crystal Palace Bowl has 60 years of live music heritage and a legacy as an outdoor performance venue stretching back over a century . It has a unique sculptural permanent stage designed by Ian Ritchie Architects, which won multiple awards .

Dulwich Upper Wood Dulwich Upper Wood is a 2.4 hectare local nature reserve and Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade 1, in Crystal Palace . It is owned by Southwark Council and managed by the Trust for Urban Ecology .

Pear Tree House Pear Tree House was the former Civil Defence control centre for South-East London . It is a block of council flats in the Central Hill Estate of Upper Norwood with eight two-bedroom flats .

Forest Hill Pools Forest Hill Pools is a leisure centre in Forest Hill, London . After being closed in 2006, it was rebuilt including two pools and a health and fitness suite . It reopened in September 2012 .

Forest Croft and Taymount Grange Forest Croft and Taymount Grange are two 1930s Art Deco–style mansion blocks situated at the top of Taymount Rise in Forest Hill, London .

Biggin Wood Biggin Wood is an area of ancient oak woodland situated within the London Borough of Croydon . The London Wildlife Trust is currently working to improve the site for wildlife, as a part of The Great North Wood Project .

Wellcome Research Laboratories Wellcome Research Laboratories was a site in Beckenham, south-east London, that was a main research centre for pharmaceuticals . Until 1965, this laboratory site was situated in Kent .

One Tree Hill, Honor Oak Honor Oak is mostly in London Borough of Southwark but parts also in Lewisham . It includes a 7 hectare public park, local nature reserve and Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade 1 .

Visit Penge plaques