What's in a name? - Florrie's Hill

The origin of place names is a complex subject; things aren't always what they seem.  Without going into details, names should never be taken at their face value.

Look at any map of Wanstead Park which shows any detail and you'll see names such as 'Chalet Wood', 'Heronry Pond' and 'Rook Island'.  Chalet Wood may seem a bit obscure unless you know that there used to be an ornamental refreshment building called "The Chalet" adjacent to the wood.

But what about Heronry Pond?  It is known that in the early part of last century there was a heronry in Wanstead Park.  However, it is thought that this was probably on the Lincoln Island.  And where did Lincoln Island get its name?  Next to Lincoln Island is Rook Island and perhaps we can assume that the rooks once used it.  Whether we should assume the rooks used it is another matter!

But we do have an instance in Wanstead Park where the origin of a now-used placed name is known.  This is Florrie's Hill, which descends from a small gate off Warren Road down to the Ornamental Water.  Now we don't know who Florrie was, and it is just supposition that she was a local resident who used that gate as an access to Wanstead Park, but it was Pete Saunders that knew it by that name. With that in mind, when I required some names to indicate the whereabouts of some of the Park's flora, I thought "Well, if that's Florrie's Gate then the track must be Florrie's Hill".

So that's what I drew onto my recording map and a year or two later was surprised to see the name Florrie's Hill being used in a City of London publication.

Not yet on the maps, perhaps (except mine) is Aldersbrook Wood. This is the small area of woodland adjacent to the park's southern boundary - near Perch Pond (perches? - probably). It is an area which I have for long felt threatened by development, probably housing. So I thought that if I gave it a name it might also give it status. So there's another one: "Aldersbrook Wood". And let us hope it remains that and doesn't just become an extension to "Bunker Villas". I shall leave it to the reader to work that one out.

(for more information on Aldersbrook Wood, click here)

Paul Ferris, 21 February 2010