Dulwich (; ) is an area in
south London, England. The settlement is mostly in the
London Borough of Southwark
The London Borough of Southwark ( ) in South London forms part of Inner London and is connected by bridges across the River Thames to the City of London and London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It was created in 1965 when three smaller council areas ...
, with parts in the
London Borough of Lambeth, and consists of
Dulwich Village
Dulwich Village is an affluent area of Dulwich in South London. It is located in the London Borough of Southwark.
History
"Dulwich Village" is also the name of the village High Street. Residents in Dulwich Village have to pay ground rent to t ...
,
East Dulwich
East Dulwich is an area of South East London, England in the London Borough of Southwark. It forms the eastern part of Dulwich, with Peckham to the east and Camberwell to the north. This South London suburb was first developed in the nineteent ...
,
West Dulwich
West Dulwich ( ) is a neighbourhood in South London on the southern boundary of Brockwell Park, which straddles the London Borough of Lambeth and the London Borough of Southwark. Croxted Road and South Croxted Road mark the boundary between S ...
, and the Southwark half 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 borou ...
(which is often referred to as the North Dulwich triangle). Dulwich lies in a valley between the neighbouring districts of
Camberwell (to the west),
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace may refer to:
Places Canada
* Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick
* Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario
* Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...
,
Denmark Hill,
Forest Hill,
Peckham,
Sydenham Hill
Sydenham Hill forms part of a longer ridge and is an affluent locality in southeast London. It is also the name of a road which runs along the northeastern part of the ridge, demarcating the London Boroughs of Southwark, Bromley, and Lewisham ...
, and
Tulse Hill
Tulse Hill is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in South London that sits on Brockwell Park. It is approximately five miles from Charing Cross and is bordered by Brixton, Dulwich, Herne Hill, Streatham and West Norwood.
History
The a ...
.
For the last four centuries Dulwich has been centred on the
College of God's Gift
The College of God's Gift, often referred to as the Old (Dulwich) College, was a historic charity founded in 1619 by the Elizabethan actor and businessman Edward Alleyn who endowed it with the ancient Manor of Dulwich in south London. In 1857 it ...
, also known as the "Old College", which owned most of the land in the area today known as the
Dulwich Estate
The Dulwich Estate, previously the Estates Governors of Alleyn's College of God's Gift at Dulwich, is a registered charity in England, one of the successors to the historic charity Edward Alleyn's College of God's Gift that was founded in 1619. ...
. The College, founded with educational and charitable aims, established three large
independent schools
An independent school is independent in its finances and governance. Also known as private schools, non-governmental, privately funded, or non-state schools, they are not administered by local, state or national governments. In British Eng ...
in the 19th century (
Dulwich College
Dulwich College is a 2–19 Independent school (United Kingdom), independent, Day school, day and boarding school for Single-sex education, boys in Dulwich, London, England. As a Public school (United Kingdom), public school, it began as the Col ...
,
Alleyn's School
Alleyn's School is a 4–18 co-educational, independent, Church of England, day school and sixth form in Dulwich, London, England. It is a registered charity and was originally part of Edward Alleyn's College of God's Gift charitable foundation ...
and
James Allen's Girls' School
James Allen's Girls' School, abbreviated JAGS, is an independent day school situated in Dulwich, South London, England. It is the second oldest girls’ independent school in Great Britain - Godolphin School in Salisbury being the oldest, founde ...
). In recent decades four large state
secondary schools have opened in the area (
The Charter School East Dulwich
The Charter School East Dulwich is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form located in the Dulwich area of the London Borough of Southwark, England.
On 9 March 2015, it was announced by the
Department for Education that The Charter Scho ...
,
The Charter School North Dulwich
The Charter School North Dulwich (formerly The Charter School) is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form located in the Dulwich area of the London Borough of Southwark, England.
Background
The Charter School was born out of a need f ...
,
Kingsdale Foundation School
Kingsdale Foundation School (KFS) is a British mixed secondary school with academy status in West Dulwich, London, with an age range of 11–19 (Year 7 to sixth form). Admissions to the school are coordinated by the Southwark London Borough Cou ...
and
Harris Boys' Academy East Dulwich
Harris Boys' Academy East Dulwich (HBAED) is a secondary school and sixth form with academy status for boys, located in the Peckham area of the London Borough of Southwark, England.
Students arrive from 55 different feeder schools.
The school fi ...
).
Dulwich formed part of the ancient
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...
of Camberwell in
Surrey, which became the
Metropolitan Borough of Camberwell
Camberwell was a civil parish and metropolitan borough in south London, England. Camberwell was an ancient parish in the county of Surrey, governed by an administrative vestry from 1674. The parish was included in the area of responsibility of ...
within 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 ...
in 1889; in 1965, the borough was abolished and the area became part of the newly-created London Borough of Southwark.
History
The first documented evidence of Dulwich is as a hamlet outside London in 967 AD, granted by King
Edgar to one of his
thanes Earl Aelfheah. The name of Dulwich has been spelt in various ways, Dilwihs, Dylways, Dullag, and may come from two old English words,
Dill
Dill (''Anethum graveolens'') is an annual herb in the celery family Apiaceae. It is the only species in the genus ''Anethum''. Dill is grown widely in Eurasia, where its leaves and seeds are used as a herb or spice for flavouring food.
Growth ...
, a white flower, and wihs, meaning a damp meadow, giving a meaning of "the meadow where dill grows".
Harold Godwinson
Harold Godwinson ( – 14 October 1066), also called Harold II, was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon English king. Harold reigned from 6 January 1066 until his death at the Battle of Hastings, fighting the Norman invaders led by William the ...
owned the land at one point, and after 1066, King
William I of England
William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 10 ...
. In 1333, the population of Dulwich was recorded as 100.
In 1538,
Henry VIII sold the area to goldsmith Thomas Calton for £609. Calton's grandson Sir Francis Calton sold the Manor of Dulwich for £4,900 in 1605 to
Elizabethan actor and entrepreneur
Edward Alleyn. He vested his wealth in a charitable foundation, the
College of God's Gift
The College of God's Gift, often referred to as the Old (Dulwich) College, was a historic charity founded in 1619 by the Elizabethan actor and businessman Edward Alleyn who endowed it with the ancient Manor of Dulwich in south London. In 1857 it ...
, established in 1619. The charity's modern successor,
The Dulwich Estate, still owns in the area, including a number of private roads and a tollgate. As part of the foundation, Alleyn also constructed a school, the
Christ's Chapel (where
Alleyn Alleyn is a surname (and occasionally a first name). Notable people with the surname include:
* Charles Joseph Alleyn (1817–1890), Quebec lawyer and political figure
* Edward Alleyn (1566–1626), English actor
*James Alleyn (1683–1746), Englis ...
is buried) and
alms house
An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) was charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the medieval era. They were often targeted at the poor of a locality, at those from certain ...
s in Dulwich (today the Dulwich Almshouse Charity). Alleyn's original school building is no longer used for that purpose, instead now housing the Estate's Governors.
![Dulwich College, College Road, Dulwich](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Dulwich_College%2C_College_Road%2C_Dulwich._-_geograph.org.uk_-_58443.jpg)
In the 17th century, King
Charles I of England
Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. He was born into the House of Stuart as the second son of King James VI of Scotland, but after hi ...
visited
Dulwich Wood
Dulwich Wood, together with the adjacent Sydenham Hill Wood, is the largest extant part of the ancient Great North Wood in the London Borough of Southwark. s on a regular basis to hunt. In 1738, a man named Samuel Bentyman was murdered in Dulwich Woods.
On 5 August 1677
John Evelyn
John Evelyn (31 October 162027 February 1706) was an English writer, landowner, gardener, courtier and minor government official, who is now best known as a diarist. He was a founding Fellow of the Royal Society.
John Evelyn's diary, or ...
writes that he took the waters at Dulwich. The Dulwich waters were cried about the streets of London as far back as 1678. In 1739, Mr. Cox, master of the Green Man, a
tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food such as different types of roast meats and cheese, and (mostly historically) where travelers would receive lodging. An inn is a tavern t ...
situated about a mile south of the village of Dulwich, sunk a well for his family. The water was found to be possessed of
purgative
Laxatives, purgatives, or aperients are substances that loosen stools and increase bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation.
Laxatives vary as to how they work and the side effects they may have. Certain stimulant, lubri ...
qualities, and was for some time used medicinally. While the water was popular much custom was drawn to the adjoining tavern, and its proprietor flourished. The oak-lined formal avenue, known as Cox's Walk, leading from the junction of Dulwich Common and
Lordship Lane
was cut soon after 1732 by Francis Cox to connect his establishment of the Green Man Tavern and Dulwich Wells with the more popular
Sydenham Wells.
By 1815 the Green Man had become a school known as
Dr. Glennie's academy in Dulwich Grove, although it was demolished about ten years later. Among the pupils here there were a few who became well known,
Lord Byron
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and has been regarded as among the ...
,
General Le Marchant and
Captain Barclay
Robert Barclay Allardice of Ury (25 August 1779, Stonehaven, Kincardineshire – 8 May 1854), generally known as Captain Barclay, was a notable Scottish walker of the early 19th century, known as the celebrated pedestrian. His most famous feat ...
. Dr Glennie held Saturday evening concerts which attracted visitors from outside the family circle, such as the poet
Thomas Campbell, then living in nearby
Sydenham Sydenham may refer to:
Places Australia
* Sydenham, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney
** Sydenham railway station, Sydney
* Sydenham, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne
** Sydenham railway line, the name of the Sunbury railway line, Melbourne ...
, and
Robert Barker, inventor of the
panorama. Following the closure of the school, the building reverted to its original use and was known as the Grove Tavern. The building has now been boarded up and neglected for many years by owners the Dulwich Estate. In 1803, Samuel Matthews – known as the "
Dulwich Hermit" – was also murdered in Dulwich Woods; he was buried in Dulwich Old Cemetery.
1811–1814 saw the building of the
Dulwich Picture Gallery
Dulwich Picture Gallery is an art gallery in Dulwich, South London, which opened to the public in 1817. It was designed by Regency architect Sir John Soane using an innovative and influential method of illumination. Dulwich is the oldest pub ...
.
![Dulwich Picture Gallery exterior](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Dulwich_Picture_Gallery_exterior.jpg)
The school founded by Alleyn expanded in 1842 into a small new building, designed by
Sir Charles Barry who designed
Westminster Palace
The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...
, known as the Old Grammar School next to the Old College. In 1857, the foundation was restructured as part of a nationwide review of educational foundations; this resulted in a significant expansion of the school, which was split into an Upper School (later
Dulwich College
Dulwich College is a 2–19 Independent school (United Kingdom), independent, Day school, day and boarding school for Single-sex education, boys in Dulwich, London, England. As a Public school (United Kingdom), public school, it began as the Col ...
) which moved into new buildings designed by
Charles Barry (junior) in 1870, and a Lower School (later
Alleyn's School
Alleyn's School is a 4–18 co-educational, independent, Church of England, day school and sixth form in Dulwich, London, England. It is a registered charity and was originally part of Edward Alleyn's College of God's Gift charitable foundation ...
) which moved to its present day site in Townley Road in 1887.
By 1901, the population was recorded as 10,247. In the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, Dulwich was hit by many
V-1 flying bombs and
V-2 rocket
The V-2 (german: Vergeltungswaffe 2, lit=Retaliation Weapon 2), with the technical name ''Aggregat 4'' (A-4), was the world’s first long-range guided ballistic missile. The missile, powered by a liquid-propellant rocket engine, was develop ...
s. A possible explanation for this is that the British military when announcing V-1 and V-2 explosions deliberately gave map co-ordinates four miles north of the truth in an attempt to protect densely populated central London and focus the drops on the open spaces in the suburbs instead.
Geography
There are a number of recognised districts in Dulwich:
*
Dulwich Village
Dulwich Village is an affluent area of Dulwich in South London. It is located in the London Borough of Southwark.
History
"Dulwich Village" is also the name of the village High Street. Residents in Dulwich Village have to pay ground rent to t ...
which includes the traditional village centre
*
West Dulwich
West Dulwich ( ) is a neighbourhood in South London on the southern boundary of Brockwell Park, which straddles the London Borough of Lambeth and the London Borough of Southwark. Croxted Road and South Croxted Road mark the boundary between S ...
which is a mainly residential area bordering
West Norwood
West Norwood is a largely residential area of south London within the London Borough of Lambeth, located 5.4 miles (8.7 km) south south-east of Charing Cross. The centre of West Norwood sits in a bowl surrounded by hillsides on its east, ...
and
Tulse Hill
Tulse Hill is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in South London that sits on Brockwell Park. It is approximately five miles from Charing Cross and is bordered by Brixton, Dulwich, Herne Hill, Streatham and West Norwood.
History
The a ...
.
*
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 borou ...
(the Southwark half) which forms the North Dulwich Triangle, borders
Brixton,
Denmark Hill,
Loughborough Junction
Loughborough Junction is an area of South London, in the London Borough of Lambeth, which is located equidistant between Brixton, Camberwell and Herne Hill.
Loughborough Junction is centred on a rail junction consisting of seven railway ...
and
Tulse Hill
Tulse Hill is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in South London that sits on Brockwell Park. It is approximately five miles from Charing Cross and is bordered by Brixton, Dulwich, Herne Hill, Streatham and West Norwood.
History
The a ...
.
*
Sydenham Hill Wood and
Dulwich Wood
Dulwich Wood, together with the adjacent Sydenham Hill Wood, is the largest extant part of the ancient Great North Wood in the London Borough of Southwark. - The southern border includes
Sydenham Hill station, St. Stephen's Church and the mid-century housing estates of Great Brownings and Peckarmans Wood.
*
East Dulwich
East Dulwich is an area of South East London, England in the London Borough of Southwark. It forms the eastern part of Dulwich, with Peckham to the east and Camberwell to the north. This South London suburb was first developed in the nineteent ...
, also a residential area, bordering Peckham
Dulwich Village contains the original shopping street and still contains nearly all of its original 18th and 19th century buildings. It remains very uncommercialised and is a conservation zone. The village borders on
Dulwich Park
Dulwich Park is a public park in Dulwich in the London Borough of Southwark, south London, England. The park was created by the Metropolitan Board of Works from former farmland and meadows. While the initial design was by Charles Barry (juni ...
, where the Dulwich Horse and Motor Show is held every year.
Sport and leisure
Dulwich is also home to
Dulwich Hamlet F.C.
Dulwich Hamlet Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in East Dulwich in south-east London, England. They are currently members of and play at Champion Hill.
History
The club was formed in 1893, by Lorraine 'Pa' Wilson. T ...
, founded in 1893 and competing in the
National League South today. They ground share with another
Non-League football club
Fisher F.C.
Fisher Football Club is a football club based in Rotherhithe, Southwark, England. The club was established in 2009 after Fisher Athletic folded. Affiliated to the London Football Association, they are currently members of the and play at t ...
at Champion Hill in East Dulwich. In recent years Sainsbury's acquired the site, built DHFC a new ground, and developed one of the largest Sainsbury's in the country. The
Old Alleynian Football Club
The Old Alleynian Football Club is an open rugby union club founded as a team for the old boys of Dulwich College, themselves known as Old Alleynians. Founded in 1898, it is one of the oldest clubs in London and was the last of London's old bo ...
is a local
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...
team originally for former pupils of
Dulwich College
Dulwich College is a 2–19 Independent school (United Kingdom), independent, Day school, day and boarding school for Single-sex education, boys in Dulwich, London, England. As a Public school (United Kingdom), public school, it began as the Col ...
, but is now open to all who wish to play.
Dulwich Paragon cycling club are also based in the area.
Alleyn Old Boys Club - former pupils of Alleyn's School - is located on Burbage Road.
Dulwich has two running clubs, namely Dulwich Park RC and Dulwich Runners.
Local landmarks
Dulwich Park
Dulwich Park is a public park in Dulwich in the London Borough of Southwark, south London, England. The park was created by the Metropolitan Board of Works from former farmland and meadows. While the initial design was by Charles Barry (juni ...
was opened in 1890. It was formerly farmland, part of the Court Farm, and now offers duck and rowing ponds, children's play area, bowling green, tennis court, bridle path for horse-riding, and a café.
Dulwich Hospital in
East Dulwich
East Dulwich is an area of South East London, England in the London Borough of Southwark. It forms the eastern part of Dulwich, with Peckham to the east and Camberwell to the north. This South London suburb was first developed in the nineteent ...
Grove was designed by Henry Jarvis and built on of land purchased in
East Dulwich
East Dulwich is an area of South East London, England in the London Borough of Southwark. It forms the eastern part of Dulwich, with Peckham to the east and Camberwell to the north. This South London suburb was first developed in the nineteent ...
by the Guardians of the Poor of the Parish of St Saviour, Southwark, for the price of £50,000 in 1885. At the time of opening in 1887, it offered a 723-bed capacity. It was transformed from an infirmary into the Southwark Military Hospital during World War I, when it is estimated 14,000–15,000 wounded soldiers were treated at the hospital. After the Poor Law was abolished in 1930, the Southwark Union Infirmary was renamed Dulwich Hospital and the following year an operating theatre was built. In 1964, the hospital was aligned with King's College Hospital on Denmark Hill. There is no casualty department at Dulwich at present. However, in 2015 it was announced that Dulwich Hospital was to be closed and replaced by a school.
There is a memorial fountain in Dulwich Village which is in remembrance to Dr George Webster, founder of the first
British Medical Association (BMA), who worked in Dulwich from 1815 until his death in 1875.
Old Burial Ground, Dulwich Village, was created by
Edward Alleyn as part of the foundation of his College of God's Gift. The Archbishop of Canterbury,
George Abbot, conducted the consecration on Sunday 1 September 1616. Guests included
Edmund Bowyer,
Thomas Grimes
Sir Thomas Grimes or Grahme was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1614 and 1624.
Grimes was the son of Thomas Grimes, citizen and haberdasher of London and of Peckham and his wife Jane Muschamp daughter and co-heir ...
,
William Gresham,
Thomas Hunt, and
Jeremiah Turner. Thirty five Dulwich victims of the plague were buried in unmarked graves in the ground. Old Bridget, queen of the Norwood Gypsies (who appeared in the writings of
Samuel Pepys) was also buried here in 1768. The ground was declared "full" in 1858, however the family of Louisa Shroeder obtained special permission for her remains to be interred in 1868. The ground's wrought iron gates and twelve tombs are Grade II listed.
The old Grammar School adjacent to the Old College and Almshouses at the junction of Burbage Road and Gallery Road was designed by
Charles Barry
Sir Charles Barry (23 May 1795 – 12 May 1860) was a British architect, best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster (also known as the Houses of Parliament) in London during the mid-19th century, but also respons ...
(senior).
Houses
Belair House on the boundary between
West Dulwich
West Dulwich ( ) is a neighbourhood in South London on the southern boundary of Brockwell Park, which straddles the London Borough of Lambeth and the London Borough of Southwark. Croxted Road and South Croxted Road mark the boundary between S ...
and Dulwich itself, is opposite
West Dulwich railway station
West Dulwich railway station is on the Chatham Main Line in England, serving the West Dulwich area in the London Borough of Southwark, south London. It is located on opposite side of the south circular road from Belair Park, down the line from ...
and was designed in 1785 for
John Files. It remained a private house until 1938 when it came into the hands of Southwark Council. It fell into disrepair in the 1990s but was bought in 1998 and refurbished and turned into an upmarket restaurant. The house has a large park ground attached which is now public, including tennis courts and a children's play area. This area used to be the fields for its farm. The lake is the only substantial stretch of the ancient
River Effra
The River Effra is a former set of streams in south London, England, culverted and used mainly for storm sewerage. It had been a tributary of the Thames. Its catchment waters, where not drained to aquifer soakaways and surface water drains, ha ...
remaining above ground.
Bell House (Dulwich) in College Road was designed in 1767 for
Thomas Wright, a stationer and later
Lord Mayor of the City of London
Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...
. A large extension was added in the mid-19th century and it is accompanied by a lodge house. The house is Grade II listed. Its name comes from its Bell Tower situated on top of the original house and the bell was restored in the late 1990s. It became a
Dulwich College
Dulwich College is a 2–19 Independent school (United Kingdom), independent, Day school, day and boarding school for Single-sex education, boys in Dulwich, London, England. As a Public school (United Kingdom), public school, it began as the Col ...
boarding house in 1926 and only returned to private ownership in 1993. The house was bought in the summer of 2016 by an educational charity.
The Crown and Greyhound public house is in Dulwich Village. In the 19th century, two separate pubs stood in this area - the centre of Dulwich Village. The Crown was for the labourers of the area, while the Greyhound across the road, was for local gentry. The Greyhound was a coach stop on the London Piccadilly-Sittingbourne route.
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...
was a frequent visitor to the village and used to drink at The Greyhound pub. The current pub known as "The Dog", is a Grade II listed building. In the 1960s, it used to be known as the venue of the "Dulwich Poets".
One of the area's most famous residents and architects was Sir George Frederick Ellyatt (founder of the architecture practice, Ellyatt & Porter). He was responsible for the design or influence of in excess of 25 homes in the area, each built in its own individual style. One of the most notable homes was Crossways, 1 Dulwich Village, which he built as his own home following being granted permission to do so in January 1927 at a cost of just over £2000 and with a ground rent of £22 10s per annum. Uniquely, Ellyatt sought and was granted permission to build in 9" solid brick walls rather than 11" cavity walls (as was usual convention) as long as he used cement mortar. The site was originally occupied by a Georgian built home, known locally as "the Hall" which had become partially derelict during World War I and was demolished in 1925. Crossways still exists in substantially the same manner and form as when it was originally built.
The Dulwich Wood and Sydenham Hill area contains mid-century housing estates designed by Austin Vernon and Partners for the
Dulwich Estate
The Dulwich Estate, previously the Estates Governors of Alleyn's College of God's Gift at Dulwich, is a registered charity in England, one of the successors to the historic charity Edward Alleyn's College of God's Gift that was founded in 1619. ...
. Examples include Peckarmans Wood and Great Brownings.
Churches
All Saints Church, West Dulwich (Church of England) alongside Rosendale Road is a Victorian
Gothic building, originally intended to be the cathedral for
south London. The church was built between 1888 and 1897 and designed by
George Fellowes Prynne
George Halford Fellowes Prynne (1853–1927) was a Victorian and Edwardian English church architect. Part of the High Church school of Gothic Revival Architecture, Prynne's work can be found across Southern England.
Biography Early life
George Ha ...
, a pupil of
George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street (20 June 1824 – 18 December 1881), also known as G. E. Street, was an English architect, born at Woodford in Essex. Stylistically, Street was a leading practitioner of the Victorian Gothic Revival. Though mainly an eccl ...
. Although plans were scaled down it was still a huge building and is a Grade I listed building. Unfortunately it was gutted by a huge fire on 9 June 2000, the cause remains unknown. The building reopened in April 2006 after a three-year restoration project.
St Barnabas' Church (Church of England) lies on Calton Avenue at the edge of
Dulwich Village
Dulwich Village is an affluent area of Dulwich in South London. It is located in the London Borough of Southwark.
History
"Dulwich Village" is also the name of the village High Street. Residents in Dulwich Village have to pay ground rent to t ...
. The old church was designed by W H Wood of Newcastle upon Tyne and consecrated in 1894. However the original church burnt down in an arson attack by 'unknown persons' on Monday 7 December 1992. The "Phoenix appeal" raised money to build a new church and the replacement structure, designed by
Larry Malcic with an all-glass spire, was opened in 1996.
Grace Church Dulwich is situated on Turney Road and was built in 1900. The church is currently a conservative evangelical Church of England church and meets on Sunday mornings at 10:30. The building is otherwise home to Rosendale School.
In the south, the spire of St. Stephen's Church can be seen above the trees of
Dulwich Wood
Dulwich Wood, together with the adjacent Sydenham Hill Wood, is the largest extant part of the ancient Great North Wood in the London Borough of Southwark. , adjacent to
Sydenham Hill railway station.
Transport
![Paying-the-toll-College-Road-London-SE21](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Paying-the-toll-College-Road-London-SE21.jpg)
Dulwich sits astride the
South Circular (A205), one of London's
Ring Roads. Also passing through the area is the
A2199 and College Road, which features a working
tollgate
A tollbooth (or toll booth) is an enclosure placed along a toll road that is used for the purpose of collecting a toll from passing traffic. A structure consisting of several tollbooths placed next to each other is called a toll plaza, tollga ...
dating back to 1789.
The journey to
London Victoria
Victoria station, also known as London Victoria, is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in Victoria, in the City of Westminster, managed by Network Rail. Named after the nearby Victoria Street (not the Q ...
from
West Dulwich
West Dulwich ( ) is a neighbourhood in South London on the southern boundary of Brockwell Park, which straddles the London Borough of Lambeth and the London Borough of Southwark. Croxted Road and South Croxted Road mark the boundary between S ...
takes about 12 minutes and there are direct trains to and from
London Blackfriars and points north on the
Thameslink line during the morning and evening peak periods respectively,
East Dulwich
East Dulwich is an area of South East London, England in the London Borough of Southwark. It forms the eastern part of Dulwich, with Peckham to the east and Camberwell to the north. This South London suburb was first developed in the nineteent ...
is 12 minutes from
London Bridge and
North Dulwich is 14 minutes from London Bridge. The nearest stations are in:
Denmark Hill,
East Dulwich
East Dulwich is an area of South East London, England in the London Borough of Southwark. It forms the eastern part of Dulwich, with Peckham to the east and Camberwell to the north. This South London suburb was first developed in the nineteent ...
,
West Dulwich
West Dulwich ( ) is a neighbourhood in South London on the southern boundary of Brockwell Park, which straddles the London Borough of Lambeth and the London Borough of Southwark. Croxted Road and South Croxted Road mark the boundary between S ...
,
North Dulwich,
Gipsy Hill
Gipsy Hill in south London is a hilly neighbourhood spanning the southern parts of the London Boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark characterised for its great views of the City of London and Dulwich.
Historically, north of its traditional Wes ...
,
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 borou ...
,
Peckham Rye
Peckham Rye is an open space and road in the London Borough of Southwark in London, England. The roughly triangular open space lies to the south of Peckham town centre. It is managed by Southwark Council and consists of two contiguous areas, wit ...
,
Sydenham Hill
Sydenham Hill forms part of a longer ridge and is an affluent locality in southeast London. It is also the name of a road which runs along the northeastern part of the ridge, demarcating the London Boroughs of Southwark, Bromley, and Lewisham ...
and
Tulse Hill
Tulse Hill is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in South London that sits on Brockwell Park. It is approximately five miles from Charing Cross and is bordered by Brixton, Dulwich, Herne Hill, Streatham and West Norwood.
History
The a ...
.
Dulwich is served by
London Buses routes
3,
12,
37,
40,
42,
176
Year 176 ( CLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Proculus and Aper (or, less frequently, year 929 '' Ab urbe condita'') ...
,
185
Year 185 (Roman numerals, CLXXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Lascivius and Atilius (or, less frequently, year 938 ...
,
197,
201
Year 201 ( CCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Fabianus and Arrius (or, less frequently, year 954 ''Ab urbe condit ...
363 484
__NOTOC__
Year 484 ( CDLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Venantius and Theodoricus (or, less frequently, year 12 ...
,
450,
P4 and
P13.
Notable residents
Famous people born in the area include: artist
Madge Tennent in 1889; the author,
Enid Blyton
Enid Mary Blyton (11 August 1897 – 28 November 1968) was an English children's writer, whose books have been worldwide bestsellers since the 1930s, selling more than 600 million copies. Her books are still enormously popular and have b ...
in 1897;
the first compiler of the
London A-Z,
Phyllis Pearsall in East Dulwich in 1906, she went on to live in Dulwich Village; code breaker extraordinaire
Mavis Batey, then Mavis Lever, was born in Dulwich on May 5, 1921; the war-time singer
Anne Shelton who lived on Court Lane until shortly before her death in 1994; also on Court Lane, Dr
Reginald John Gladstone FRSE embryologist, lived here until his house was destroyed in the blitz in 1941; footballer
Trevor Sinclair
Trevor Lloyd Sinclair (born 2 March 1973) is an English football coach, professional footballer and pundit.
As a player, he was winger who notably played in the Premier League for Queens Park Rangers, West Ham United and Manchester City. He ...
in 1973; the actor
Tim Roth
Timothy Simon Roth (born 14 May 1961) is an English actor and producer. He began acting on films and television series in the 1980s. He was among a group of prominent British actors of the era, the " Brit Pack".
He made his television debut ...
in 1961; the TV personality
Lisa Vanderpump Lisa or LISA may refer to:
People
People with the mononym
* Lisa Lisa (born 1967), American actress and lead singer of the Cult Jam
* Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA", Japanese singer and producer
* Lisa Komine (born 1978), J ...
in 1960; and actress
Sally Hawkins
Sally Cecilia Hawkins (born 27 April 1976) is an English actress who began her career on stage and then moved into film. She has received several awards including a Golden Globe Award and the Berlin International Film Festival's Silver Bear fo ...
in 1976.
In 1980,
Bon Scott
Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott (9 July 1946 – 19 February 1980) was an Australian singer and songwriter. He was the lead vocalist and lyricist of the hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980.
Born in Forfar in Angus, Scotlan ...
, the lead singer of
AC/DC, after a night's heavy drinking, was found lifeless in a car outside 67 Overhill Road, East Dulwich. He was rushed to hospital but was dead on arrival at King's College Hospital.
The Village has also long been popular with people in show business;
Ronnie Corbett
Ronald Balfour Corbett (4 December 1930 – 31 March 2016) was a Scottish actor, broadcaster, comedian and writer. He had a long association with Ronnie Barker in the BBC television comedy sketch show ''The Two Ronnies''. He achieved promine ...
lived there for years.
Carl Barât
Carl Ashley Raphael Barât (; born 6 June 1978) is a British musician and actor, best known for being the co-frontman with Pete Doherty of the garage rock band The Libertines. He was the frontman and lead guitarist of Dirty Pretty Things, and ...
,
Libertines lead singer, lives on Lordship Lane.
Ronnie Reed
Ronald Thomas Reed (8 October 1916 – 22 January 1995) was a BBC radio engineer who became an MI5 officer in 1940, and ran double agents during World War II.
Background
Reed was born in St Pancras, London. His father had been Second Hea ...
, who ran
double agents
In the field of counterintelligence, a double agent is an employee of a secret intelligence service for one country, whose primary purpose is to spy on a target organization of another country, but who is now spying on their own country's organ ...
during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, and was an
MI5
The Security Service, also known as MI5 ( Military Intelligence, Section 5), is the United Kingdom's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), G ...
officer from 1940 to 1976, lived in Court Lane Gardens from 1960 to 1995.
Huw Edwards
Huw Edwards (; born 18 August 1961) is a Welsh journalist, presenter, and newsreader. Edwards presents ''BBC News at Ten'', the corporation's flagship news broadcast.
Edwards also presents BBC coverage of state events, international events, th ...
, the ''
BBC News at Ten
''BBC News at Ten'' formerly known as the ''BBC Ten O'Clock News'' or the ''Ten O'Clock News'' is the flagship evening news programme for the BBC News channel and British television channel BBC One on weekdays and Sundays at 10:00pm. Huw Edwa ...
'' newsreader, resides in Dulwich. Actor
Iain Glen
Iain Alan Sutherland Glen (born 24 June 1961) is a Scottish actor. Glen is best known for his roles as Dr. Alexander Isaacs/Tyrant in three films of the ''Resident Evil'' film series (2004–2016) and as Ser Jorah Mormont in the HBO fantasy t ...
also lives in the village.
Dulwich has also been home to several
Members of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
and senior
Civil Servants.
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...
bought a house in a "gated community" in Dulwich after her time as
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern ...
.
Edward George, Baron George
Edward Alan John George, Baron George (16 September 1938 – 18 April 2009), known as Eddie George, or sometimes as "Steady Eddie", was Governor of the Bank of England from 1993 to 2003 and sat on the board of NM Rothschild and Sons.
Early li ...
, governor of the
Bank of England and himself an
Old Alleynian, lived in Gilkes Crescent just off the Village until his retirement.
Ian McColl, Baron McColl of Dulwich who served as
John Major's
Parliamentary Private Secretary in the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...
, also lives there.
Admiral Sir Michael Boyce, a former
Chief of the Defence Staff, lived in Woodwarde Road and Sir
John Scarlett
Sir John McLeod Scarlett (born 18 August 1948) is a British senior intelligence officer. He was Chief of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) from 2004 to 2009. Prior to this appointment, he had chaired the Joint Intelligence Commit ...
, head of
MI6
The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 ( Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of human intelligenc ...
, lived just off the South Circular Road.
Harriet Harman
Harriet Ruth Harman (born 30 July 1950) is a British politician and solicitor who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Camberwell and Peckham, formerly Peckham, since 1982. A member of the Labour Party, she has served in various Cabi ...
MP lives in Winterbrook Road,
Albert Booth MP,
Secretary of State for Employment under
Jim Callaghan
Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, ( ; 27 March 191226 March 2005), commonly known as Jim Callaghan, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980. Callaghan is ...
, lived on the corner of Woodwarde Road and Desenfans Road and
Sir Robin Butler, secretary to the Cabinet, lived in Half Moon Lane.
In the closing chapter of
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...
' romance ''
The Pickwick Papers
''The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club'' (also known as ''The Pickwick Papers'') was Charles Dickens's first novel. Because of his success with '' Sketches by Boz'' published in 1836, Dickens was asked by the publisher Chapman & Hall to ...
'',
Samuel Pickwick
Samuel Pickwick is a fictional character and the main protagonist in ''The Pickwick Papers'' (1836), the first novel by author Charles Dickens. One of the author's most famous and loved creations, Pickwick is a retired successful businessman an ...
retires to a house in Dulwich, "one of the most pleasant spots near London."
Gallery
File:Grove Tavern, Dulwich.jpg, The Grove Tavern, 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 wa ...
, located on the busy South Circular road
File:Camberwell Met. B Ward Map 1916.svg, A map showing the Dulwich wards of Camberwell Metropolitan Borough as they appeared in 1916
File:Dulwich village houses old.jpg, An old house in Dulwich village
File:College-Road-Dulwich-London-SE21-Tollgate.JPG, The tollgate on College Road, Dulwich, London SE21
File:Table-of-tolls-College-Road-London-SE21-Tollgate.jpg, A table of tolls in pre-decimal currency for the College Road, Dulwich, London SE21 tollgate
File:Dulwich village houses modern.jpg, Modern housing in Dulwich village
See also
*
Dulwich Estate
The Dulwich Estate, previously the Estates Governors of Alleyn's College of God's Gift at Dulwich, is a registered charity in England, one of the successors to the historic charity Edward Alleyn's College of God's Gift that was founded in 1619. ...
*
Dulwich OnView, a local
virtual community
A virtual community is a social network of individuals who connect through specific social media, potentially crossing geographical and political boundaries in order to pursue mutual interests or goals. Some of the most pervasive virtual communi ...
References
Further reading
* Boast, Mary (London Borough of Southwark, 1975) ''The Story of Dulwich''
* Darby, William (1966) ''Dulwich Discovered''
* Darby, William (Darby; Cory, Adams & Mackay, 1967) ''Dulwich: A Place in History''
* Darby, Patrick (Dulwich Society) ''Belair: A History of the House and its Estate''
* Darby, Patrick (Dulwich Society) ''The Houses in-between: A History of the Houses on the North Side of Dulwich Common, between College Road and Gallery Road''
*
Dyos, H. J. (Univ of Leicester, 1962) ''Victorian Suburb''
* Galer, Allan Maxley (Truslove and Shipley, 1905) ''Norwood & Dulwich''
* Green, Brian (Dulwich Society, 1995) ''Dulwich, the Home Front, 1939–1945''
* Green, Brian (Quotes Ltd, 1988) ''Victorian & Edwardian Dulwich ''
* Green, Brian (2002) ''Dulwich: A History ''
* Hall, Edwin T. (Bickers & Son, 1917)
Dulwich History and Romance AD 967–1916'
* Powell, Kenneth (Merrell Publishers Ltd, 2004) ''City Reborn: Architecture and Regeneration in London, from Bankside to Dulwich''
* Tames, Richard (Historical Publication Ltd, 1997) ''Dulwich & Camberwell Past: With Peckham''
External links
Dulwich Park Friends photosDulwich community website including historyDulwich Picture GalleryHistory of Peckham & DulwichDulwich Village C of E Infants' School (DVIS)Dulwich Decorative & Fine Arts SocietyNorth Dulwich Tennis Club
{{Authority control
Districts of the London Borough of Southwark
Areas of London
District centres of London