My proposal to rename Gipsy Hill station

[Sad Sprinter]

A semi-serious proposal...alright I am being serious. I propose that Gipsy Hill station should be renamed "Norwood Hills", to reflect the other nearby hilly communities across the Norwood Ridge like Central Hill and Beulah Hill, the latter of which is a remote area quite unconnected from public transport. Gipsy Hill is only the minor of the many hills in the area. "Norwood Hills" will help to be more inclusive of the wide area of which Gipsy Hill station, already, acts as somewhat of a railhead anyway.

Of course, the problem would be Norwood Hills sounds a bit too much like Northwood Hills, how many people will find this a problem I'm not sure. I already know at least one person who made the unfortunate mistake of mixing up Forest Hill and Forest Gate...

 

[randyrippley]

Are you sure this isn't a estate agent's attempt to move the area upmarket?

 

[Wolfie]

A semi-serious proposal...alright I am being serious. I propose that Gipsy Hill station should be renamed "Norwood Hills", to reflect the other nearby hilly communities across the Norwood Ridge like Central Hill and Beulah Hill, the latter of which is a remote area quite unconnected from public transport. Gipsy Hill is only the minor of the many hills in the area. "Norwood Hills" will help to be more inclusive of the wide area of which Gipsy Hill station, already, acts as somewhat of a railhead anyway.

Of course, the problem would be Norwood Hills sounds a bit too much like Northwood Hills, how many people will find this a problem I'm not sure. I already know at least one person who made the unfortunate mistake of mixing up Forest Hill and Forest Gate...

Frankly comes over as change for the sake of it. The current name has worked well enough for a bloody long time.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Are you sure this isn't a estate agent's attempt to move the area upmarket?

I assure you I am but a humble train enthusiast. Besides, every station along the Outer South London Line already has that "edgy-trendy" vibe to it. For some reason the areas along the main line via Norbury has not had the same treatment.

 

[Wolfie]

Are you sure this isn't a estate agent's attempt to move the area upmarket?

Hadn't thought of that but yes, it does rather smack of that.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Frankly comes over as change for the sake of it.

That's exactly what it is.

 

[Wolfie]

That's exactly what it is.

Given that, and the fact that no change is cost free, that is a hard no then.

 

[WizCastro197]

I'm confused what the issue is with the current name. Is there something wrong with it? Considering the station is located on Gispy Hill, I don't think it could be better named.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Given that, and the fact that no change is cost free, that is a hard no then.

Well if you don't like that proposal, I have plenty other station rename ideas you might enjoy.

I'm confused what the issue is with the current name. Is there something wrong with it? Considering the station is located on Gispy Hill, I don't think it could be better named.

Well I have an interest in what's called the Norwood Ridge, which is the steep hilly outcrop in the centre of South London. The ridge itself is made of a succession of hills, some large like Beulah Hill and some small like Gipsy Hill - or even Bedford Hill in Balham which is one of the smallest. Given the the geography of the ridge means that a large sprawl of housing becomes quite unconnected from railways, I identified Gipsy Hill, being largely the middlemost station of the ridge - ripe for a name change in order to draw the other communities slightly closer together. Making areas along the Central Hill/Beulah Hill corridors psychologically closer to railway.

I remember recently using a mapping tool designed by TFL which overlays a colour gradient scale over London which displays the distance from a railway station as a colour ranging from red (very near) or light blue (very remote) unsurprisingly, Beulah and Central Hills were all light blue. Naming Gipsy Hill won't change the physical location of the railway, but it might make the railway "feel" closer. It's no different than giving a station an "& X" suffix to group another settlement in with the station's catchment area.

So perhaps I've sold myself short to the other poster, it's not change for the sake of it, but a relatively cheap way of trying to improve transport in Middle South London.

 

[Wolfie]

Well if you don't like that proposal, I have plenty other station rename ideas you might enjoy.



Well I have an interest in what's called the Norwood Ridge, which is the steep hilly outcrop in the centre of South London. The ridge itself is made of a succession of hills, some large like Beulah Hill and some small like Gipsy Hill - or even Bedford Hill in Balham which is one of the smallest. Given the the geography of the ridge means that a large sprawl of housing becomes quite unconnected from railways, I identified Gipsy Hill, being largely the middlemost station of the ridge - ripe for a name change in order to draw the other communities slightly closer together. Making areas along the Central Hill/Beulah Hill corridors psychologically closer to railway.

I remember recently using a mapping tool designed by TFL which overlays a colour gradient scale over London which displays the distance from a railway station as a colour ranging from red (very near) or light blue (very remote) unsurprisingly, Beulah and Central Hills were all light blue. Naming Gipsy Hill won't change the physical location of the railway, but it might make the railway "feel" closer. It's no different than giving a station an "& X" suffix to group another settlement in with the station's catchment area.

So perhaps I've sold myself short to the other poster, it's not change for the sake of it, but a relatively cheap way of trying to improve transport in Middle South London.

I'm now even more confused. Anyone who lives there knows where the station is. Anyone who wants to visit there will be pointed at the station by Google or other search tools. As such what does changing the name and nothing else actually achieve?

 

[randyrippley]

.......As such what does changing the name and nothing else actually achieve?

Increased property values........

 

[Wolfie]

Increased property values........

No gain for the railway though....

 

[randyrippley]

No gain for the railway though....

Richer residents = more ticket sales maybe?

 

[PGAT]

Richer residents = more ticket sales maybe?

Richer you are more likely you are to buy a better car and less likely you are to use the train. Talking very generally

 

[Sad Sprinter]

No gain for the railway though....

Unless it attracts more people from the surrounding hills away from buses to Brixton, which is what the name change will seek to achieve

 

[yorksrob]

I think "Gipsy Hill" has a nice rustic quality to it. It makes me want to listen to my Steeleye Span lp's.

 

[Turtle]

Richer you are more likely you are to buy a better car and less likely you are to use the train. Talking very generally

Not so much in London though.
I went to school in the Beulah Hill area in the early 1950s, including the Great Smog. It was quite educational to notice how the 137 bus from Battersea was able to speed up in the clearer air as it climbed uphill after Streatham to the sunny uplands of Beulah Hill.
The more I think about it I'm surprised the estate agents haven't cottoned on to Norwood Hills à la Surrey Hills, although the latter term might be outdated now.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Not so much in London though.
I went to school in the Beulah Hill area in the early 1950s, including the Great Smog. It was quite educational to notice how the 137 bus from Battersea was able to speed up in the clearer air as it climbed uphill after Streatham to the sunny uplands of Beulah Hill.
The more I think about it I'm surprised the estate agents haven't cottoned on to Norwood Hills à la Surrey Hills, although the latter term might be outdated now.

Must of been interesting seeing the transmitters going up in that time

 

[Turtle]

Must of been interesting seeing the transmitters going up in that time

Unfortunately my trips ceased in summer 1953 so nothing to see.

 

[Dr Hoo]

I think "Gipsy Hill" has a nice rustic quality to it. It makes me want to listen to my Steeleye Span lp's.

Ah! @yorksrob likes Steeleye Span. We must have more in common than I thought.

 

[yorksrob]

Ah! @yorksrob likes Steeleye Span. We must have more in common than I thought.

Fair to say, they do some good tunes

 

[JohnElliott]

Is there a nearby pub it could be named after, like Bat & Ball or Jolly Sailor?

 

[duffield]

Is there a nearby pub it could be named after, like Bat & Ball or Jolly Sailor?

As long as it's not "Slug and Lettuce". "Slaughtered Lamb" would be good though.

 

[AlastairFraser]

Is there a nearby pub it could be named after, like Bat & Ball or Jolly Sailor?

The Great Southern pub seems to be adjacent.

 

[hwl]

The Great Southern pub seems to be adjacent.

Which happens to be former station hotel

 

[zwk500]

So perhaps I've sold myself short to the other poster, it's not change for the sake of it, but a relatively cheap way of trying to improve transport in Middle South London.

Believe potential name changes have been costed at £1m+ (there's a separate discussion as to why, and how to reduce it to something more sensible), so it's not *that* cheap.

 

[AlastairFraser]

Which happens to be former station hotel

Interesting. Who built the line passing through Gipsy Hill Station?

 

[Wolfie]

Interesting. Who built the line passing through Gipsy Hill Station?

The attached says that "Opened as part of West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway LBSCR".

Gipsy Hill Station

Gypsy Hill Station.. Opened 1856 it lies between Crystal Palace and West Norwood stations on Southern Rail. Opened as part of West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway LBSCR – for the opening of Crystal Palace at Norwood. First station from Crystal Palace Low Level

www.layersoflondon.org

 

[AlastairFraser]

The attached says that "Opened as part of West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway LBSCR".

Gipsy Hill Station

Gypsy Hill Station.. Opened 1856 it lies between Crystal Palace and West Norwood stations on Southern Rail. Opened as part of West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway LBSCR – for the opening of Crystal Palace at Norwood. First station from Crystal Palace Low Level

www.layersoflondon.org

So I wonder why the great Southern? Was the LBSCR the biggest?

 

[hwl]

So I wonder why the great Southern? Was the LBSCR the biggest?

Asked the people who renamed it "Great Southern" about 15years ago, before that it was the "Gipsy Hill Tavern" which wasn't first name either.

Several LBSCR directors lived locally and have streets named after them e.g. Farquahar Road is named after an LBSCR FD.
The large parts of Gipsy Hill and Crystal Palace areas were developed by lots of the LBSCR directors in their spare time as well as the railway itself.