In the eightenth century the old farming community of Sydenham developed into an area of small country houses, many occupied by City merchants and bankers.

Their private parks off Perry Hill, Sydenham Road, and Westwood Hill are marked in pink on this map.

Several of the houses were built on the edge of the Common, which continued to account for a third of Sydenham's land until 1810.

Thomas Milne, Land Use Map, 1795 - 1799.