Camberwell () is a district of

South London South London is the southern part of London, England, south of the River Thames. The region consists of the Districts of England, boroughs, in whole or in part, of London Borough of Bexley, Bexley, London Borough of Bromley, Bromley, London Borou ...

, England, in the London Borough of Southwark, southeast of

Charing Cross Charing Cross ( ) is a junction in Westminster, London, England, where six routes meet. Clockwise from north these are: the east side of Trafalgar Square leading to St Martin's Place and then Charing Cross Road; the Strand leading to the City; ...

. Camberwell was first a village associated with the church of St Giles and a

common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally com ...

of which Goose Green is a remnant. This early parish included the neighbouring hamlets of

Peckham Peckham () is a district in southeast London, within the London Borough of Southwark. It is south-east of Charing Cross. At the United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 Census the Peckham ward had a population of 14,720. History "Peckham" is a Saxon p ...

Dulwich Dulwich (; ) is an area in south London, England. The settlement is mostly in the London Borough of Southwark, with parts in the London Borough of Lambeth, and consists of Dulwich Village, East Dulwich, West Dulwich, and the Southwark half of ...

, Nunhead, and part of

Herne Hill Herne Hill is a district in South London, approximately four miles from Charing Cross and bordered by Brixton, Camberwell, Dulwich, and Tulse Hill. It sits to the north and east of Brockwell Park and straddles the boundary between the boroughs ...

(the rest of Herne Hill was in the parish of

Lambeth Lambeth () is a district in South London, England, in the London Borough of Lambeth, historically in the County of Surrey. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The population of the London Borough of Lambeth was 303,086 in 2011. The area expe ...

). Until 1889, it was part of the county of

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

. In 1900 the original parish became the Metropolitan Borough of Camberwell. In 1965, most of the Borough of Camberwell was merged into the London Borough of Southwark.Southwark London Borough Council �
Community guide for Camberwell
To the west, part of both West Dulwich and Herne Hill come under the

London Borough of Lambeth Lambeth () is a London boroughs, London borough in South London, England, which forms part of Inner London. Its name was recorded in 1062 as ''Lambehitha'' ("landing place for lambs") and in 1255 as ''Lambeth''. The geographical centre of London ...

. The place now known as Camberwell covers a much smaller area than the ancient parish, and it is bound on the north by

Walworth Walworth () is a district of south London, England, within the London Borough of Southwark. It adjoins Camberwell to the south and Elephant and Castle to the north, and is south-east of Charing Cross. Major streets in Walworth include the Old ...

; on the south by East Dulwich and

; to the west by

Kennington Kennington is a district in south London, England. It is mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth, running along the boundary with the London Borough of Southwark, a boundary which can be discerned from the early medieval period between the ...

; and on the east by

History

Camberwell appears in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

as ''Cambrewelle''. The name may derive from the

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...

Cumberwell or Comberwell, meaning 'Well of the Britons', referring to remaining Celtic inhabitants of an area dominated by

Anglo-Saxons The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...

. An alternative theory suggests the name may mean 'Cripple Well', and that the settlement developed as a hamlet where people from the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...

were expelled when they had a contagious disease like

leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve damag ...

, for treatment by the church and the clean, healing waters from the wells. Springs and wells are known to have existed on the southern slope of

Denmark Hill Denmark Hill is an area and road in Camberwell, in the London Borough of Southwark. It is a sub-section of the western flank of the Norwood Ridge, centred on the long, curved Ruskin Park slope of the ridge. The road is part of the A215 road, A21 ...

, especially around Grove Park. It was already a substantial settlement with a church when mentioned in the

, and was the parish church for a large area including

and

. It was held by Haimo the Sheriff (of Kent). Its Domesday assets were: 6 hides and 1 virgate (i.e. ); 1 church, 8

plough A plough or plow ( US; both ) is a farm tool for loosening or turning the soil before sowing seed or planting. Ploughs were traditionally drawn by oxen and horses, but in modern farms are drawn by tractors. A plough may have a wooden, iron or ...

s, of

meadow A meadow ( ) is an open habitat, or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non-woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as these areas maintain an open character. Meadows may be naturally occurring or artifi ...

woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...

worth 60 hogs. It rendered £14. Up to the mid-19th 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.

Camberwell Green Camberwell Green is of common land in Camberwell, south London laid out as a formal park. Its south-west corner is the junction of Camberwell Road/Denmark Hill and Camberwell New Road/Camberwell Church Street. Its other edges share one point ...

is now a very small area of common land; it was once a traditional village green on which was held an annual fair, of ancient origin, which rivalled that of Greenwich. CambCamberwellParishBoundaryMarker

Local government

The parish of Camberwell

''Camberwell St Giles'' is the name given to an ancient, and later civil, parish in the

Brixton Brixton is a district in south London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th ce ...

hundred of

.Vision of Britain �
Camberwell parish

historic map
The parish covered in 1831 and was divided into the liberty of

to the east and the hamlet of

to the southwest, as well as Camberwell proper. The parish tapered in the south to form a point in what is now known as the Crystal Palace area. In 1801, the population was 7,059 and by 1851 this had risen to 54,667. In 1829, it was included in the

Metropolitan Police District The Metropolitan Police District (MPD) is the police area which is policed by the Metropolitan Police Service in London. It currently consists of the Greater London region, excluding the City of London. The Metropolitan Police District was create ...

and in 1855 it was included in the area of responsibility of the

Metropolitan Board of Works The Metropolitan Board of Works (MBW) was the principal instrument of local government in a wide area of Middlesex, Surrey, and Kent, defined by the Metropolis Management Act 1855, from December 1855 until the establishment of the London County ...

, with Camberwell Vestry nominating one member to the board. In 1889 the board was replaced by the

London County Council London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today kno ...

and Camberwell was removed administratively from Surrey to form part of the

County of London The County of London was a county of England from 1889 to 1965, corresponding to the area known today as Inner London. It was created as part of the general introduction of elected county government in England, by way of the Local Government A ...

The Metropolitan Borough of Camberwell

In 1900, the area of the Camberwell parish became the Metropolitan Borough of Camberwell. In 1965, the metropolitan borough was abolished and its former area became the southern part of the London Borough of Southwark in

Greater London Greater may refer to: *Greatness, the state of being great *Greater than, in inequality (mathematics), inequality *Greater (film), ''Greater'' (film), a 2016 American film *Greater (flamingo), the oldest flamingo on record *Greater (song), "Greate ...

. The western part of the area is situated in the adjacent

Industrial history

The area has historically been home to many factories, including

R. White's Lemonade R. White's Lemonade is a British brand of a carbonated lemonade, which is produced and sold in the United Kingdom by Britvic. Robert and Mary White produced the first R. White's lemonade in Camberwell, south London, in 1845. The White Family took ...

, which originated in Camberwell, as well as

Dualit Dualit is a British manufacturer of coffee and tea capsules, kitchen and catering equipment and is best known for its range of heavy-duty toasters. Although it was primarily designed for the commercial catering market, its domestic usage increa ...

toasters. Neither of these companies is now based in the area.

Former schools

Wilson's School Wilson's School is a state boys' grammar school with academy status in the London Borough of Sutton, England. It was founded as Wilson's Grammar School in Camberwell in 1615, making it one of the country's oldest state schools. The school mov ...

was founded in 1615 in Camberwell by Royal Charter by Edward Wilson, vicar of the Parish of Camberwell. The charter was granted by

James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) *James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) *James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu *James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...

. The school moved to its current site in

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...

in 1975. A school for girls,

Mary Datchelor Girls' School Mary Datchelor School was an endowed grammar school for girls on Camberwell Grove in Camberwell, Greater London, England. It was established in 1877 and closed in 1981. It was known for its innovations in encouraging teacher training, and for it ...

, was established in Camberwell in 1877. It was built on two houses at 15 and 17 Grove Lane, the location of a former manor house. All except one of its 30 pupils came from the parish of St Andrew Undershaft in the City of London. The funding for the school came from a bequest from Mary Datchelor, who died childless. Proceeds of a property in Threadneedle Street used as a coffee-house were used to pay for apprenticeships for the poor boys of the parish, but as demographics in the City changed, it was decided to set up a school. By the 1970s, the school was receiving funding from the

Clothworkers' Company The Worshipful Company of Clothworkers was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1528, formed by the amalgamation of its two predecessor companies, the Fullers (incorporated 1480) and the Shearmen (incorporated 1508). It succeeded to the position of t ...

and the

Inner London Education Authority The Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) was an ad hoc local education authority for the City of London and the 12 Inner London boroughs from 1965 until its abolition in 1990. The authority was reconstituted as a directly elected body corpor ...

funded teaching posts. The school came under pressure from ILEA to become co-educational and comprehensive. Faced with this choice or becoming fully private, the school's governors instead decided to close in 1981. The school buildings were later used as offices for the charity

Save the Children The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization established in the United Kingdom in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic ...

but have now been converted to flats.

Camberwell Collegiate School The Camberwell Collegiate School was a private school in Camberwell, London, England. It was located on the eastern side of Camberwell Grove, directly opposite the Grove Chapel. The school was opened in 1835, as an Anglican school under the pa ...

was an independent school located on the eastern side of Camberwell Grove, directly opposite the Grove Chapel. The Collegiate College had some success for a while, and led to the closure for some decades of the Denmark Hill Grammar School. However it had difficulty competing with other nearby schools including Dulwich College, and was closed in 1867.The land was sold for building.

Important buildings

Camberwell today is a mixture of relatively well preserved

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

and 20th-century housing, including a number of

tower block A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, residential tower, apartment block, block of flats, or office tower is a tall building A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently ...

Camberwell Grove Camberwell Grove is a residential street in Camberwell, London, England, in the Borough of Southwark. It follows the line of a grove of trees, hence the name. The street once led from a Tudor manor house south to the top of a hill, which aff ...

, Grove Lane and

Addington Square Addington Square is a Georgian and Regency garden square in Camberwell in the London Borough of Southwark which is named after the early 19th century prime minister Henry Addington. History Addington Square is an unusually well-preserved cons ...

have some of London's most elegant and well-preserved Georgian houses. The Salvation Army's William Booth Memorial Training College, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott, was completed in 1932: it towers over South London from

. It has a similar monumental impressiveness to Gilbert Scott's other local buildings, Battersea Power Station and the

Tate Modern Tate Modern is an art gallery located in London. It houses the United Kingdom's national collection of international modern and contemporary art, and forms part of the Tate group together with Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. It is ...

, 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. Early

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...

s in Camberwell were in the back hall of

public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

s. One, the "Father Redcap" (1853) still stands by

, 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. By 1912, the theatre was showing films as a part of the variety programme and became an

ABC cinema ABC Cinemas (Associated British Cinemas) was a cinema chain in the United Kingdom. Originally a wholly owned subsidiary of Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC), it operated between the 1930s and the 1980s. The brand name was reused in ...

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. 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. 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. The

Church of the Sacred Heart, Camberwell The Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic church on Knatchbull Road and Camberwell New Road in Camberwell, south east London, SE5. The first church on this site was destroyed by enemy action during The Blitz between 8– ...

has been listed Grade II on the National Heritage List for England since 2015. Camberwell Town Hall, designed by Culpin and Bowers, was completed in 1934. 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 beauty

The

Camberwell beauty ''Nymphalis antiopa'', known as the mourning cloak in North America and the Camberwell beauty in Britain, is a large butterfly native to Eurasia and North America. The immature form of this species is sometimes known as the spiny elm caterpillar ...

(also 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 Coldharbour Lane is a road in south London, England, that leads south-westwards from Camberwell to Brixton. The road is over long with a mixture of residential, business and retail buildings - the stretch of Coldharbour Lane near Brixton Ma ...

, Camberwell in 1748. A large mosaic of the Camberwell beauty used to adorn the Samuel Jones paper factory on Southampton Way. The paper factory has since been demolished but the mosaic was removed and re-installed on the side of Lynn Boxing Club on Wells Way.

Culture

Art

Camberwell has several art galleries including Camberwell College of Arts, the

South London Gallery The South London Gallery, founded 1891, is a public-funded gallery of contemporary art in Camberwell, London. Until 1992, it was known as the South London Art Gallery, and nowadays the acronym SLG is often used. Margot Heller became its direct ...

and numerous smaller commercial art spaces. There is an annual Camberwell Arts Festival in the summer. The

Blue Elephant Theatre The Blue Elephant Theatre is a 50-seat fringe theatre situated in the borough of Southwark in London. It was established in 1999 by Antonio Ribeiro. Niamh de Valera and Jo Sadler-Lovett are co-Artistic Directors of Blue Elephant Theatre, jointl ...

on Bethwin Road is the only theatre venue in Camberwell. A group now known as the YBAs (the Young British Artists) began in Camberwell – in the Millard building of Goldsmiths' College on Cormont Road. A former training college for women teachers, the Millard was the home of Goldsmiths Fine Art and Textiles department until 1988. It was converted to flats in 1996 and is now known as St Gabriel's Manor. The core of the later-to-be YBAs, graduated from the Goldsmiths BA Fine Art degree course in the classes of 1987–90.

Liam Gillick Liam Gillick (born 1964, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire) is a British artist who lives and works in New York City.

Fiona Rae Fiona Rae (born 10 October 1963) is a Hong Kong-born British artist. She is one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) who rose to prominence in the 1990s. Throughout her career, she has been known for having a portfolio of work that includes ele ...

Steve Park Stephen Park (born August 23, 1967) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He won races in NASCAR's two top Northeast touring series ( Modified and K&N East) and all three national divisions (Truck, Busch, Cup Series). Park ...

and Sarah Lucas, were graduates in the class of 1987.

Ian Davenport Ian Davenport (born 8 July 1966) is an English abstract painter and former Turner Prize nominee. Life and work Ian Davenport was born in Sidcup, and studied art at the Northwich College of Art and Design in Cheshire and then at Goldsmiths C ...

Michael Landy Michael Landy (born 1963) is one of the Young British Artists (YBAs). He is best known for the performance piece installation '' Break Down'' (2001), in which he destroyed all his possessions, and for the ''Art Bin'' project (2010) at the ...

, Gary Hume,

Anya Gallaccio Anya Gallaccio (born 1963) is a British artist, who creates site-specific, minimalist installations and often works with organic matter (including chocolate, sugar, flowers and ice). Her use of organic materials results in natural processes ...

Henry Bond Henry Bond, Higher Education Academy, FHEA (born 13 June 1966) is an English writer, photographer, and visual artist. In his ''Lacan at the Scene'' (2009), Bond made contributions to psychoanalysis, theoretical psychoanalysis and forensics. I ...

and Angela Bulloch, were graduates in the class of 1988; Damien Hirst,

Angus Fairhurst Angus Fairhurst (4 October 1966 – 29 March 2008) was an English artist working in installation, photography and video. He was one of the Young British Artists (YBAs). Life and work Angus Fairhurst was born in Pembury, Kent. Having attended ...

, Mat Collishaw, Simon Patterson, and

Abigail Lane Abigail Lane (born 1967) is an English artist who works in photography, wax casting, printing and sound. Lane was one of the exhibitors in the 1988 Damien Hirst-led Freeze (exhibition), Freeze exhibition—a mixed show of art which was significant ...

, were graduates from the class of 1989; whilst Gillian Wearing, and Sam Taylor-Wood, were graduates from the class of 1990. During the years 1987–90, the teaching staff on the Goldsmiths BA Fine Art included Jon Thompson, Richard Wentworth, Michael Craig-Martin,

Ian Jeffrey Ian Jeffrey is an English art historian, writer and curator. Jeffrey is the author of a series of illustrated books on the history of photography. He is a recipient of the Royal Photographic Society's J. Dudley Johnston Award. Life and work ...

, Helen Chadwick, Mark Wallinger, Judith Cowan and Glen Baxter. Collishaw has a studio in a pub in Camberwell. as does the sculptor Anish Kapoor. In his memoir

Lucky Kunst Lucky may refer to: *An adjective of luck Lucky may also refer to: Film and television * '' Lucky: No Time for Love'', a 2005 Hindi-language romance starring Salman Khan, Sneha Ullal, and Mithun Chakraborty * ''Lucky'', a 2005 short film by Avi ...

, artist

Gregor Muir Gregor Muir is Director of Collection, International Art, at Tate (based at Tate Modern), having previously been the Executive Director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London from 2011 until 2016. He was the director of Hauser & Wirth, Lo ...

, writes: ::Not yet housed in the university building at New Cross to which it eventually moved in the late 1980s, Goldsmiths was a stone's throw away in Myatts Field on the other side of Camberwell Green. In contrast to Camberwell's Friday night bacchanal, Goldsmith's held its disco on a Tuesday evening with dinner ladies serving drinks, including tea, from a service hatch. This indicated to me that Goldsmiths was deeply uncool. The building was also the hospital where Vera Brittain served as a nurse and described in her memoir ''

Testament of Youth ''Testament of Youth'' is the first instalment, covering 1900–1925, in the memoir of Vera Brittain (1893–1970). It was published in 1933. Brittain's memoir continues with ''Testament of Experience'', published in 1957, and encompassing th ...

''.

Literature

Thomas Hood, humorist and author of ''

The Song of the Shirt "The Song of the Shirt" is a poem written by Thomas Hood in 1843. It was written in honour of a Mrs. Biddell, a widow and seamstress living in wretched conditions. In what was, at that time, common practice, Mrs. Biddell sewed trousers and shi ...

'', lived in Camberwell from 1840 for two years; initially at 8, South Place, (now 181, Camberwell New Road). He later moved to 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. The Victorian art critic and watercolourist

John Ruskin John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English writer, philosopher, art critic and polymath of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as geology, architecture, myth, ornithology, literature, education, botany and politi ...

lived at 163

from 1847, but moved out in 1872 as the railways spoiled his view. Ruskin designed part of a stained-glass window in

St Giles' Church, Camberwell St Giles' Church, Camberwell, is the parish church of Camberwell, a district of London which forms part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is part of Camberwell Deanery within the Anglican Diocese of Southwark in the Church of England. The c ...

Ruskin Park Ruskin Park is a park in the London Borough of Lambeth, London, England, close to Camberwell, Loughborough Junction and Herne Hill. History At the start of the 20th century local residents successfully campaigned for a new public park on 24 acr ...

is named after him, and there is also a John Ruskin Street. Peckham Rye

Another famous writer who lived in the area was the poet

Robert Browning Robert Browning (7 May 1812 – 12 December 1889) was an English poet and playwright whose dramatic monologues put him high among the Victorian poets. He was noted for irony, characterization, dark humour, social commentary, historical settings ...

, who was born in nearby

, and lived there until he was 28. Novelist

George Gissing George Robert Gissing (; 22 November 1857 – 28 December 1903) was an English novelist, who published 23 novels between 1880 and 1903. His best-known works have reappeared in modern editions. They include ''The Nether World'' (1889), ''New Grub ...

, in the summer of 1893, took lodgings at 76 Burton Road, Brixton. From Burton Road he went for long walks through nearby Camberwell, soaking up impressions of the way of life he saw emerging there." This led him to writing ''In the Year of Jubilee'', the story of "the romantic and sexual initiation of a suburban heroine, Nancy Lord." Gissing originally called his novel ''Miss Lord of Camberwell''. Muriel Spark, the author of '' The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie'' and ''

The Ballad of Peckham Rye ''The Ballad of Peckham Rye'' is a novel written in 1960 by the British author Muriel Spark. It tells the story of a devilish Scottish migrant, Dougal Douglas, who moves to Peckham in London and wreaks havoc amongst the lives of the inhabitants ...

'' lived, between 1955 and 1965, in a

bedsit A bedsit, bedsitter, or bed-sitting room is a form of accommodation common in some parts of the United Kingdom which consists of a single room per occupant with all occupants typically sharing a bathroom. Bedsits are included in a legal category ...

at 13 Baldwin Crescent, Camberwell. The novelist Mary Jane Staples, who grew up in

, wrote a book called ''The King of Camberwell'', the third instalment of her Adams family saga about Cockney life. Comedian

Jenny Eclair Jenny Eclair (born Jenny Clare Hargreaves; 16 March 1960) is an English comedian, novelist, and actress, best known for her roles in ''Grumpy Old Women'' between 2004 and 2007 and in '' Loose Women'' in 2011 and 2012. Early life Eclair was born ...

is a long-term resident of Camberwell, and the area features in her 2001 novel ''Camberwell Beauty'', named after a species of

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

. Playwright

Martin McDonagh Martin Faranan McDonagh (; born 26 March 1970) is a British-Irish playwright, screenwriter, producer, and director. Born and brought up in London, he is the son of Irish parents. He is known as one of the most acclaimed modern playwrights whose ...

and his brother, writer/director

John Michael McDonagh John Michael McDonagh (born 7 November 1967) is a screenwriter and film director with Irish and British nationality. He wrote and directed ''The Guard'' (2011) and ''Calvary'' (2014), both films starring Brendan Gleeson, receiving a BAFTA Award ...

, live in Camberwell. The 2014 novel ''

The Paying Guests ''The Paying Guests'' is a 2014 novel by Welsh author Sarah Waters. It was shortlisted for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction and named "Fiction Book of the Year" by ''The Sunday Times'' who said that "this novel magnificently confirms Sarah ...

'' by Sarah Waters is set in 1920s Camberwell. Nearby Peckham Rye was an important in the imaginative and creative development of poet

William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. ...

, who, when he was eight, claimed to have seen the Prophet Ezekiel there under a bush, and he was probably ten years old when he had a vision of angels in a tree.

Film

Camberwell is referred to in the film '' Withnail and I'' – " Camberwell carrot" is the name of the enormous

spliff A joint (), also commonly referred to as a "doobie" or "doob", is a rolled cannabis cigarette. Unlike commercial tobacco cigarettes, the user ordinarily hand-rolls joints with rolling papers, though in some cases they are machine-rolled ...

rolled using 12 rolling papers, by Danny the dealer. His explanation for the name is, "I invented it in Camberwell and it looks like a carrot".

Music

The avant-garde band

Camberwell Now Camberwell Now were an English avant-prog band from London, formed in 1982 after the demise of This Heat. Background Camberwell Now were formed out of the remnants of This Heat by drummer and vocalist Charles Hayward, bassist and vocalist Tr ...

named themselves after the area.

Basement Jaxx Basement Jaxx are an English electronic music duo consisting of Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe. The pair got their name from the regular club night they held in Brixton, London, UK. They first rose to popularity in the underground house scene ...

recorded three songs about Camberwell: "Camberwell Skies", "Camberskank" and "I live in Camberwell" which are on ''The Singles: Special Edition'' album (2005).

Festivals

Camberwell has played host to many festivals over the years, with the long-running Camberwell Arts Festival celebrating 20 years in 2014, and Camberwell Fair taking place on Camberwell Green in 2015, 2017 and 2018, resurrecting an ancient Fair that took place on the same green from 1279 to 1855.{ Since 2013, there is also an annual 10-day film festival – Camberwell Free Film Festival (CFFF) which is usually held in March/April in addition to special one-off screenings at other times of the year.

Transport

History

Until the First World War, Camberwell was served by three railway stations – Denmark Hill, Camberwell Gate railway station, Camberwell Gate (near

), and Camberwell railway station (England), Camberwell New Road in the west. Camberwell Gate and Camberwell New Road were closed in 1916 'temporarily' because of war shortages, but were never reopened. London Underground has planned a Bakerloo line extension to Camberwell on at least three occasions since the 1930s.

Rail

Denmark Hill railway station, Denmark Hill and Loughborough Junction railway station, Loughborough Junction railway stations serve Camberwell, whilst Peckham Rye railway station, Peckham Rye and East Dulwich railway station, East Dulwich are both approximately from

. These stations are all in London fare zone 2. London Overground, Southeastern (train operating company), Southeastern, and Govia Thameslink Railway, Thameslink trains serve Denmark Hill. There are regular rail services to various destinations across Central London. There are also direct rail links to destinations elsewhere in London and the South East England, South East from Denmark Hill. London Overground connects the area directly to Clapham and Battersea in the west, and Canada Water and Dalston east London. Thameslink trains carry passengers to Kentish Town railway station, Kentish Town in the north, whilst some peak-time services continue to destinations in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, such as Luton Airport railway station, Luton Airport. Eastbound Thameslink services travel towards Orpington railway station, Orpington or Sevenoaks railway station, Sevenoaks, via Peckham Rye railway station, Peckham, Catford railway station, Catford, and Bromley South railway station, Bromley, amongst other destinations. Southeastern trains eastbound serve destinations in List of sub-regions used in the London Plan, South East London and Kent, including Peckham, Lewisham railway station, Lewisham, Gravesend railway station, Gravesend, and Dover Priory railway station, Dover. Loughborough Junction is on the Thameslink route between St Albans City railway station, St Albans City and Sutton railway station (London), Sutton. This provides Camberwell with a direct link southbound to Herne Hill railway station, Herne Hill, Streatham railway station, Streatham, Tooting railway station, Tooting, Wimbledon railway station, Wimbledon, Mitcham railway station (England), Mitcham, and Sutton, amongst other destinations in

. Northbound services run through the

and St Pancras railway station, St Pancras. Destinations north of St Pancras include Kentish Town and West Hampstead Thameslink railway station, West Hampstead. A limited Southeastern service between Blackfriars railway station, Blackfriars and Kent runs through Loughborough Junction.

Bus

Camberwell is served by numerous London Buses, London Bus routes.

Notable residents

Residents of the area have included children's author Enid Mary Blyton, who was born at 354 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich, on 11 August 1897 (though shortly afterwards the family moved to Beckenham), and the former leader of the TGWU, Jack Jones (trade unionist), Jack Jones, who lived on the Ruskin House Park estate. Karl Marx initially settled with his family in Camberwell when they moved to London in 1849. Others include the former editor of ''The Guardian'' Peter Preston. ''The Guardian'' columnist Zoe Williams is another resident, whilst Florence Welch of the rock band Florence + the Machine also lives in the area, as do actresses Lorraine Chase and Jenny Agutter. Syd Barrett, one of the founders of Pink Floyd, studied at Camberwell College of Arts from 1964. Clifford Harper, illustrator and anarchist, has lived in Camberwell since 1974. Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte gave birth to her son, Jérôme Napoléon Bonaparte, the nephew of the Emperor Napoleon I, in Camberwell in 1805. * Tammy Abraham, professional footballer * Henry Bessemer, Sir Henry Bessemer, inventor, had an estate in Denmark Hill * John Bostock, professional footballer * Jeremy Bowen, BBC war correspondent * Thomas Brodie-Sangster, actor and musician * Joseph Chamberlain, politician, born in Camberwell * Florence Collingbourne (1880–1946), British actress and singer * Catherine Dean (artist), Catherine Dean, artist * Thomas Green (sculptor), Thomas Green (1659-1730) * Albert Houthuesen, artist * Marianne Jean-Baptiste, British actress, director and singer-songwriter * Ida Lupino, Hollywood film actress and director, born in Herne Hill * David McSavage, Irish stand-up * Erin O'Connor, fashion model * Carolyn Quinn, BBC Radio 4 journalist * James Ring (1856–1939) photographer, born in Camberwell. * Edward Burnett Tylor, anthropologist * Ben Watson (footballer, born July 1985), Ben Watson, professional footballer * Jack Whicher, detective *William Rust (journalist), William Rust, British communist activist, war correspondent, and first editor of the ''Morning Star (British newspaper), Morning Star'', born in Camberwell * Jadon Sancho, professional footballer, lived in Peckham

References

External links

Camberwell Society

SE5 Forum, a community group
{{Authority control Camberwell, Districts of the London Borough of Southwark Areas of London District centres of London

History

Local government

The parish of Camberwell

The Metropolitan Borough of Camberwell

Industrial history

Former schools

Important buildings

Camberwell beauty

Culture

Art

Literature

Film

Music

Festivals

Transport

History

Rail

Bus

Notable residents

See also

References

External links