The site was formerly a narrow lane that served a cluster of outbuildings behind the Edwardian houses on Silverdale. Overlaying historical maps reveals that the C20th lane coincides with an earlier lane, lined with trees, possibly even a stream. This extended east, beyond the site across open land that is now the Thorpe Conservation Area, and also westwards into what was previously Sydenham Common. The fact that the site not only falls east-west, but is at the bottom of a north-south dip, lends some credence to the idea that the alignment of the lane may correspond to an earlier water course.

On a number of early C20th maps one of the outbuildings is named as Cobb’s Cottage. Further research into street directories and other sources confirms that the house at number 24 Silverdale (which occupied the applicant site and the land where the houses of Forrester Path now sit) was for some time the home of Walter Cobb, the founder of Cobb’s department store in Sydenham. In its Edwardian heyday Cobbs was likened to Harrods and Selfridges. The outbuildings were used in connection with the store, and there was a further furniture depository at 3 - 5 Silverdale. It seems likely the lane would have been busy with horse-drawn carts, and later, motor vehicles, moving a range of goods to and from the store and delivering to customers.