Sheet 23 of Stanford’s Library Map of London and Its Suburbs records the elevated southern suburbs in 1862, covering Norwood, Sydenham and the Crystal Palace area. Hills, wooded ground, villas and railway lines give the sheet a markedly different character from the densely built centre of London.
Map Details
- Original title: Stanford’s Library Map of London and Its Suburbs
- Sheet: 23 of 24
- Publisher: Edward Stanford
- Published: London, 15 February 1862
- Scale: Six inches to one mile, approximately 1:10,560
- Area shown: Norwood, Sydenham, Crystal Palace and adjoining districts
- Orientation: North at the top
- Original appearance: Printed linework with hand-coloured roads, water, boundaries and open ground
Norwood, Sydenham and Crystal Palace
Norwood and Sydenham are shown as developing settlements among large areas of gardens, woodland and open ground. The Crystal Palace and its surrounding landscape form a particularly distinctive landmark on the sheet.
Railways and Victorian Suburban Growth
Railway connections had already made the southern hills attractive for suburban development. Their lines link expanding residential districts with central London while the older landscape remains clearly visible around them.
Postal and Administrative Detail
The map preserves the parish and postal divisions of the mid-nineteenth century, before later borough boundaries replaced them.
Modern Postcode Coverage
The area shown broadly corresponds with parts of:
- SE19 – Upper Norwood and Crystal Palace
- SE25 – South Norwood
- SE26 – Sydenham
- SE27 – West Norwood
Modern postcode boundaries do not precisely follow the historic divisions shown on the map.
