Things you didn't know about... Herne Hill

What's in a name?
Nobody seems to know exactly where the name comes from. Herne Hill is on a river (the Effra), though most of it flows underground, and it might be that lots of herons gathered here (herons = Hernes). But there are other explanations, such as that it comes from Old English hyrne, meaning a nook of land, so that Herne Hill means a "hill near a nook of land".

The first revolutions
Bradley Wiggins, who cycled to gold in the 2004 Olympics, started his racing career at the Herne Hill Velodrome, aged just 8. The Velodrome hosted the cycling events in the 1948 Olympics and is the last venue from the London Games still up and running.

Fancy a dip?
Herne Hill boasts its own lido, Brockwell Lido, which opened in 1937. It has featured in a BBC documentary about beach life in the heart of the city.

Well versed Herne Hill
Author, poet and artist John Ruskin lived in Herne Hill, as did novelist Sax Rohmer, the creator of Fu Manchu. CRL James, the cricket writer and philosopher, was another famous resident.

Peace in another time
Herne Hill expanded with the coming of the railway in the 19th century. Ruskin deplored the new cheap housing that was built—but as late as 1885 he was still able to wax lyrical about Herne Hill's "leafy seclusion".

A generous chapter
The Carnegie Library in Herne Hill is one of the area's most distinctive buildings. It was opened in 1906 following a donation by the industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.

Best of both worlds
Herne Hill is sometimes described as being a bridge from Brixton to Dulwich, between the urban and the urbane. As The Times once put it, Herne Hill "isn't a location. It's a lifestyle".

Gloves on
The Half Moon pub in Herne Hill has a boxing gym upstairs which has been running for 50 years.

Top of the class
According to local government stats, Herne Hill has a high proportion of residents with a university degree.