TonyQuinn Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 This has been troubling a number of us in my workplace over the past couple of days so would appreciate any help.South East London's postcodes, unlike the equivalent in South West London, follow an alphabetical pattern as opposed to geographic. Following SE1, which is Southwark's postcode and related to where the main sorting office is, the rest of the postcodes in South East London follow the alphabet.HenceSE2 is Abbey Wood, SE3 is Blackheath, SE4 is Brockley, SE5 is Camberwell....I hope you get the idea.So why is Dulwich Village SE21, East Dulwich SE22, Forest Hill/Honor Oak SE23, and Herne Hill SE24.Huge kudos to the person who can explain why that little pocket of South East London is not included in the original postcodes.ThanksTQ Link to comment https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/17384-why-is-east-dulwichs-postcode-se22/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Townleygreen Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Because - I believe - ED was in the second set of (slightly) outer London codes, which are again alphabetical - asSE20 AnerleySE21 DulwichSE22 East DulwichSE23 Forest HillSE24 Herne HillSE25 South NorwoodSE26 SydenhamSE27 West NorwoodThamesmead, SE28 was added in the 70s or 80sSend me the kudos now please! Link to comment https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/17384-why-is-east-dulwichs-postcode-se22/#findComment-437767 Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbo1964 Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Good knowledge. Link to comment https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/17384-why-is-east-dulwichs-postcode-se22/#findComment-437773 Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyQuinn Posted May 20, 2011 Author Share Posted May 20, 2011 Think you may have it Townleygreen. Well done. Congratulations. All the best and have a top weekend.One thing though, apart from Thamesmead, the SE20s are the most western postcodes. They weren't in SouthWest originally were they or was there an S postcode like North London's N? Link to comment https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/17384-why-is-east-dulwichs-postcode-se22/#findComment-437774 Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratty Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 S is Sheffield is it not? Link to comment https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/17384-why-is-east-dulwichs-postcode-se22/#findComment-437776 Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyQuinn Posted May 20, 2011 Author Share Posted May 20, 2011 Wonderful response Ratty....this is one of the best threads I've read on here for a longtime. Link to comment https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/17384-why-is-east-dulwichs-postcode-se22/#findComment-437777 Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraferJack Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 And london lost NE and NW because of Newcastle Link to comment https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/17384-why-is-east-dulwichs-postcode-se22/#findComment-437781 Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyQuinn Posted May 20, 2011 Author Share Posted May 20, 2011 StraferJack, I believe NE and NW still exist. Excuse me for asking, but are you talking to us from the future? How are things then? Link to comment https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/17384-why-is-east-dulwichs-postcode-se22/#findComment-437783 Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraferJack Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Do they? Such as where? (that sounds crotchety in print, but I'm just curious) Link to comment https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/17384-why-is-east-dulwichs-postcode-se22/#findComment-437792 Share on other sites More sharing options...
milk76 Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 This is a cool thread.NE was moved to Newcastle ans S to Sheffield. The districts from the old NE went into the E code and the S areas were split between SW ans SE. Link to comment https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/17384-why-is-east-dulwichs-postcode-se22/#findComment-437799 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Townleygreen Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 No, Tony, they weren't in the SW zone, and there'e never been a S code either. It was literally that there was a second wave of SE districts created, some years after the first ones.There is a NW postcode, though no NE one. N and E cover that area. Link to comment https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/17384-why-is-east-dulwichs-postcode-se22/#findComment-437801 Share on other sites More sharing options...
drew Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 This gives a good summary:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_postal_district#Changes_to_NE_and_SI agree, good post! Link to comment https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/17384-why-is-east-dulwichs-postcode-se22/#findComment-437804 Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraferJack Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 doh of course there is an NW postcode - it's not like I haven't been that wayI'm such an idiot - I just assumed that as NE had been moved, NW had as wellforgive me Link to comment https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/17384-why-is-east-dulwichs-postcode-se22/#findComment-437805 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Townleygreen Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 The one postal district that doesn't seem to fit is Upper Norwood, which follows SE18 Woolwich. Maybe it was added at some stage before ED, Herne Hill etc.I am wrong, there was a S code at an early stage, later split into SE and SW. milk76 has it right. Link to comment https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/17384-why-is-east-dulwichs-postcode-se22/#findComment-437820 Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyQuinn Posted May 20, 2011 Author Share Posted May 20, 2011 Fascinating stuff...I'm a Londoner for over 40 years and didn't know there wasn't an NE code. Amazing.Apparently Anthony Trollope got rid of the NE and S codes in 1866.Yes John Major's favourite author! Link to comment https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/17384-why-is-east-dulwichs-postcode-se22/#findComment-437844 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgley Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Great knowledge from both of you, as I have always wanted to know that type of history forgive me for changing the topic a little but I always wanted to know why some places are the following GroveMusePlace Link to comment https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/17384-why-is-east-dulwichs-postcode-se22/#findComment-437846 Share on other sites More sharing options...
womanofdulwich Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 you could win a pub quiz if you read everything on here ;) Link to comment https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/17384-why-is-east-dulwichs-postcode-se22/#findComment-437902 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huguenot Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 I don't quite understand your question Ridgley.A grove is a small group of trees, and since ED was predominantly a rural area until just over 100 years ago there's lots of 'grove' street names in ED.A mews (as in a row of buildings) is mainly used now to describe a converted stable block, but the history of the word is from the building used to house hunting birds. They were called 'mews' because it was where the birds were put when they were moulting, and the french word for 'change' is 'muer'.So if you like, 'mews' means 'changing rooms'.A place just means a location. Nothing complicated there - it comes from the latin word for courtyard. Link to comment https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/17384-why-is-east-dulwichs-postcode-se22/#findComment-437917 Share on other sites More sharing options...
edhistory Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Don't believe everything you read on Wikipedia or in a Postal Museum "Archive Information Sheet".Here is a poor quality photograph of the Official 1870 map. It is thought that only a couple of examples survive.East Dulwich Postal District was created c1895.SE22 is not the same as East Dulwich. The SE22 sorting office processes mail for some parts of East Dulwich.John K Link to comment https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/17384-why-is-east-dulwichs-postcode-se22/#findComment-437945 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huguenot Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 "Don't believe everything you read on Wikipedia or in a Postal Museum "Archive Information Sheet". "You can be a bit frustrating sometimes John K, and I don't want to wind you up.However, if you know something better why don't you just tell us what it is? What is the information you have that's more accurate? Link to comment https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/17384-why-is-east-dulwichs-postcode-se22/#findComment-438209 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodo1 Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 HiJust noticed on Google maps that (even though we are ED) accoring to them we are in Camberwell- other half not pleased! Link to comment https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/17384-why-is-east-dulwichs-postcode-se22/#findComment-438440 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moos Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Camberwell is a much older settlement, so the whole area was previously included in Camberwell parish before being further split up. Mr. Chener Books is your man for local history. Link to comment https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/17384-why-is-east-dulwichs-postcode-se22/#findComment-438442 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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