This intriguing volume describes the growth and development of Sydenham and Forest Hill from open common land in Kent to the sprawling suburb of Greater London that it is today. In the eighteenth century Sydenham achieved importance from the exploitation of natural springs discovered in the previous century, but it was the advent of the London and Croydon Railway in 1836 that saw the area come to prominence as a London suburb.

This event, in conjunction with the erection of the Crystal Palace in 1852, saw both Sydenham and Forest Hill develop rapidly as commuter areas and as centres in their own right. Sydenham and Forest Hill: History & Guide is a well illustrated and readable introduction to the area's past that will appeal to residents and visitors alike. An important feature of the book is a series of walking tours, which reveal the history of the area in its existing streets and buildings.