London By Londoners Blog 2010 Telegraph HillTelegraph Hill Park
Telegraph Hill, sandwiched between Brockley and New Cross in South-east London, was named after the semaphore telegraph station which was built there at the end of the 19th century (previously it was known as 'P
low'd Garlic Hill'). Pre-electricity, the fastest way of sending a message was not dispatch rider, but visual signals (flags or shutters commonly) as it had been since Roman times in Britain. In order to maximise the range they were put on hilltops, or fixed to towers, but the system was expensive, inoperable in bad weather and of course - the messages were not private. The Telegraph Hill station was part of a series linking the Admiralty in Whitehall, with the fleet in Deal and Portsmouth.
Previously the area was private gardens, owned by the present Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College, but became parkland when the surrounding area was developed for housing in the late Victorian period.
Its standout feature is the view. London being a large and relatively flat, chalky basin - it has only a 
few natural vantage points (Parliament, Primrose and Greenwich Hill are several others). It's also more central than Greenwich, so the West End is less obscured. Best for leisurely catching rays in the summer, the leafy trees partly obscure the panoramic views. On a crisp, sunny day in Winter, you have a full semi-circle of unbroken vista.
The Telegraph Hill Lower Park (also on the hill) has attractive ponds and an adventure playground with a long, steep slide (uh-huh - I've tested it). The third Saturday in every month, there's also a farmer's market until 3pm.
Tube/Rail: New Cross or Brockley (every 5 mins - East London Extension from Canada Water)
