About
CAMBERWELL

About
CAMBERWELL

A brief
History of Camberwell

A brief
History of Camberwell

Today, Camberwell is so much a part of the city that it’s hard to believe the area once had its own mill and supported itself from the surrounding fields – or that it traded with London by supplying the city with fresh fruit and vegetables and milk. From a farming village, Camberwell became an exclusive Georgian retreat, attracting visitors because of its reputation for clean air and healthy waters – as well as improvements in transport.

The most significant of these was the construction of new bridges over the Thames to bypass the congestion of London Bridge, which in turn led to the construction of a new local road network. Camberwell New Road, for example, was opened in 1818 to link Camberwell with Vauxhall Bridge, which was built in 1816.

As London’s transport infrastructure expanded, Camberwell developed into an inner city suburb. By 1800 two firms ran coaches 7 times a day from Camberwell to Gracechurch Street in the City to accommodate commuters. This was a relatively expensive form of transport as tolls had to be paid. In the mid 1800s the horse-drawn bus was developed and the first buses came to Camberwell in 1851.

"This
is the story
of how a small Surrey
farming community
became engulfed by
the great metropolis
of London...

In 1862 a railway line was extended to Camberwell, followed by a station at Denmark Hill, enabling less wealthy people to commute to London. In 1871 the service attracted competition from tram companies and by the 1900s as many as 250 trams passed through Camberwell every hour on 14 different routes.

By the beginning of the 20th century, Camberwell had become so over-crowded that philanthropic organisations began to look at how to improve housing in the area. In 1910 the Peabody Trust built flats by Camberwell Green followed by the development of the Samuel Lewis Trust Buildings in 1915. Further redevelopment was necessary following World War II when air attacks destroyed 5,650 houses in the local area.

Today, Camberwell has become well and truly part of London – an inner-city area with a diverse population. Elegant Georgian properties sit alongside post-war estates, giving the place its eclectic character. Throw into the mix a large teaching hospital, a leading mental health research institution and the students of Camberwell College of Art and you have a truly unique part of London.

A Travel Guide
to CAMBERWELL

A Travel Guide
to CAMBERWELL

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