| Camberwell | |
Camberwell Green |
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Camberwell
Camberwell shown within Greater London |
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| OS grid reference | TQ325767 |
|---|---|
| - Charing Cross | 2.7 mi (4.3 km) NW |
| London borough | Southwark |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | London |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LONDON |
| Postcode district | SE5 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| EU Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament | Camberwell and Peckham |
| Dulwich and West Norwood | |
| London Assembly | Lambeth and Southwark |
| List of places: UK • England • London | |
Camberwell is a district of south London, England, and forms part of the London Borough of Southwark.[1] It is a built-up inner city district located 2.7 miles (4.3 km) southeast of Charing Cross. To the west it has a boundary with the London Borough of Lambeth.
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Camberwell appears in Domesday Book as Cambrewelle.[2] The name might derive from the old English Cumberwell or Comberwell, meaning Welsh well. Springs and wells are known to have existed on the southern slope of Denmark Hill, especially around Grove Park.[3] Alternatively, the name Camberwell may have come from the Saxon language, meaning Cripple Well, which developed as a hamlet where people from the City of London were expelled when they had life threatening diseases like leprosy, for treatment by the church and the clean waters from the wells.
It was already a substantial settlement with a church when mentioned in the Domesday Book, and was the parish church for a large area including Dulwich and Peckham. It was held by Haimo the Sheriff (of Kent). Its domesday assets were: 6 hides and 1 virgate; 1 church, 8 ploughs, 63 acres (250,000 m2) of meadow, woodland worth 60 hogs. It rendered £14. Up to the mid-nineteenth century, Camberwell was visited by Londoners for its rural tranquillity and the reputed healing properties of its mineral springs. Like much of inner South London, Camberwell was transformed by the arrival of the railways in the 1860s.[3]
Early music halls in Camberwell were in the back hall of public houses. One, the "Father Redcap" (1853) still stands by Camberwell Green, but internally, much altered. In 1896, the Dan Leno company opened the "Oriental Palace of Varieties", on Denmark Hill. This successful venture was soon replaced with a new theatre, designed by Ernest A.E. Woodrow and with a capacity of 1,553, in 1899, named the "Camberwell Palace". This was further expanded by architect Lewen Sharp in 1908.[4] By 1912, the theatre was showing films as a part of the variety programme and became an ABC cinema in September 1932 – known simply as "The Palace Cinema". It reopened as a variety theatre in 1943, but closed on 28 April 1956 and was demolished.[5]
The 1957 film, The Smallest Show on Earth,[6] which tells the tale of a struggling family-run suburban cinema, is thought to have been based on the Palace. Nearby, marked by Orpheus Street, was the "Metropole Theatre and Opera House", presenting transfers of West End shows. This was demolished to build an Odeon cinema in 1939. The cinema seated 2,470, and has since been demolished.[7] A second ABC cinema, known originally as the Regal Cinema and later as the ABC Camberwell, opened in 1940. With only one screen but 2,470 seats, the cinema was one of the largest suburban cinemas in London and continued to operate until 1973, after which it was used as a bingo hall until February 2010. The building retains its Art Deco style and is Grade II listed.[8]
Camberwell St Giles formed an ancient, and later civil, parish in the Brixton hundred of Surrey.[9] The parish of St Giles' Church, Camberwell covered 4,570 acres (18.5 km2) in 1831 and included Peckham to the east and Dulwich to the south. The width of the parish tapered in the south to form a point at Crystal Palace.[9] In 1801 the population was 7,059 and by 1851 this had risen to 54,667.[10] In 1829 it was included in the Metropolitan Police District and in 1855 it was included in the area of responsibility of the Metropolitan Board of Works, with Camberwell Vestry nominating one member to the board. In 1889 the board was replaced by the London County Council and Camberwell was removed from Surrey, to form part of the County of London. In 1900 the area of the Camberwell parish became the Metropolitan Borough of Camberwell.[11] In 1965 the metropolitan borough was abolished and its former area became the southern part of the London Borough of Southwark in Greater London.
Camberwell today is a mixture of relatively well preserved Georgian and 20th century housing, including a number of tower blocks. Camberwell Grove and Grove Lane have some of London's most elegant and well preserved Georgian houses. The crossroads at the centre of Camberwell is the site of Camberwell Green, a very small area of common land which was once a traditional village green on which was held an annual fair of ancient origin which rivalled that of Greenwich. An extensive range of bus routes have stops at Camberwell Green. The Camberwell Beauty is a butterfly (Nymphalis antiopa) which is rarely found in the UK - it is so named because two examples were first identified on Coldharbour Lane, Camberwell in 1748.
The Salvation Army's William Booth Memorial Training College, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott, was completed in 1932: it towers over South London from Denmark Hill. It has a similar monumental impressiveness to Gilbert Scott's other local buildings, Battersea Power Station and the Tate Modern, although its simplicity is partly the result of repeated budget cuts during its construction: much more detail, including carved Gothic stonework surrounding the windows, was originally planned. Camberwell is home to one of London's largest teaching hospitals, King's College Hospital with associated medical school the Guy’s King’s and St Thomas’ (GKT) School of Medicine. The Maudsley Hospital, an internationally significant psychiatric hospital, is located in Camberwell along with the Institute of Psychiatry.
Nearest places are Dulwich, Brixton, Peckham, Walworth, Elephant and Castle, Stockwell, Herne Hill, Vauxhall and Kennington.
On 3 July 2009 a major fire swept through Lakanal House, a twelve storey tower block. Six people were killed and at least 20 people were injured.
Camberwell is home to several art galleries including Camberwell College of Arts, the South London Gallery and numerous smaller commercial art spaces. The annual Camberwell Arts Festival is well supported. The Blue Elephant Theatre on Bethwin Road is the only theatre venue in Camberwell.[12]
Camberwell is referenced in the film Withnail and I — "Camberwell carrot" is the name of the enormous spliff rolled using 12 rolling papers, by Danny the dealer.[13] His explanation for the name is that "I invented it in Camberwell and it looks like a carrot".
In 1840, Thomas Hood, humorist and author of The Song of the Shirt, lived in Camberwell for two years; initially at No. 8, South Place, (now 181, Camberwell New Road). He later moved to No. 2, Union Row (now 266, High Street). He wrote to friends praising the clean air. In late 1841, he moved to St John's Wood.[14] The Victorian art critic and watercolourist John Ruskin lived at 163 Denmark Hill from 1847, but moved out in 1872 as the railways spoiled his view.[15] Ruskin designed part of a stained glass window in St Giles' Church, Camberwell.[16] Ruskin Park is named after him, and there is also a John Ruskin Street.
Other famous writers who have lived in the area include Muriel Spark, the author of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. The poet Robert Browning was born in Camberwell, and lived there until he was 28.[17]
Syd Barrett, one of the founders of Pink Floyd, studied at Camberwell College of Arts from 1964.[18]
Novelist Mary Jane Staples, who grew up in Walworth, wrote a book called The King of Camberwell, the third instalment of her Adams family saga about Cockney life.[19]
The avant-garde band Camberwell Now named themselves after the area. Florence Welch of the rock band Florence + the Machine also lives in the area.[20]
Playwright Martin McDonagh and his brother writer/director John Michael McDonagh live in Camberwell. Other residents include former editor of The Guardian Peter Preston[21] and The Guardian columnist Zoe Williams.[22]
Basement Jaxx recorded three songs about Camberwell: "Camberwell Skies", "Camberskank" and "I live in Camberwell".[23] The songs on the The Singles: Special Edition album (2005).
Comedienne Jenny Eclair is a long term resident of Camberwell. The area features in her 2001 novel "Camberwell Beauty", named for a species of butterfly. Others include actresses Lorraine Chase and Jenny Agutter.[24]
Camberwell is connected to central London by Camberwell Road in the north and Camberwell New Road in the west. It is very well served by bus routes: its location means that it is easy to travel into central London with journey times of 20 to 30 minutes, though often much longer in the rush hour.
Camberwell had been served by three railway stations until the First World War, Camberwell Gate, Camberwell New Road and Denmark Hill. Like many less well used stations in inner London, Camberwell Gate and Camberwell New Road were closed in 1916 'temporarily' because of war shortages and were never reopened.
London Underground have planned a Bakerloo line extension to Camberwell on at least three occasions since the 1930s, and this is again said to be under consideration.[25] Another possibility is that the Northern Line may be extented to Camberwell, once the line has been extended to Battersea.
Nearest railway stations are Loughborough Junction railway station and Denmark Hill railway station.