About Peckham
One of Southwark's famous 'villages' mentioned in the Doomsday book, today Peckham is a vibrant, colourful, cultural melting-pot full of trendy galleries and controversial street art. The name is of Saxon descent meaning 'the village of the river Peck', and a small stream ran through the district until it was enclosed in 1823. During the 18th century, Peckham flourished as a commercial centre, with extensive market gardens and orchards, supplying much of London with, among other things, melons, figs and grapes. In fact, Rye Lane probably takes its name from the cereal that was grown on the farm that owned the land until the end of the 19th century. Like it's neighbours, Dulwich and Camberwell, Peckham was still a small, leafy village at the beginning of the 1800's and it was only with the arrival of a large gas works on the Old Kent Road in 1833 followed by public transport in the 1870's, that the tranquillity of Peckham was swallowed up by the outskirts of London.
In the 1960's Peckham developed a less attractive image; that of the neglected area depicted in the TV series Only Fools and Horses. However, thanks to a European incentive to stimulate the socio-economic regeneration of this part of Southwark, Peckham has begun to look more like a hip bohemian hangout than Delboy's high-rise wilderness. Already some of the more insalubrious residential developments have been torn down and grants have been given to upgrade houses and local businesses. The district has some very attractive Victorian and Georgian residences, which are beginning to fetch some very strong prices.
The Bellenden Renewal Scheme is a 10-year, £20 million project. The parade of shops in East Dulwich Road has been redeveloped with the help of fashion designer Zandra Rhodes. Sculptor Anthony Gormley has created bollards and service covers. Pavements have been inscribed with poems chosen by residents and pathways, street lamps, mosaics and custom built benches, created by local artists, abound.
One of the more prominent landmarks that has emerged from the Scheme is Peckham Library & Media Centre, an architectural triumph designed by Alsop & Stormer and completed in 2000. The library won the Stirling Prize for the best new building in Britain. The odd, upturned 'L' shaped construction contains meeting rooms, a children's activity area, extensive computer resources and an Afro-Caribbean study centre, and don't miss the Sunday morning farmers' market out front!
Peckham Rye Park and Common lies to the South of the district and offers some much needed greenery. Currently undergoing restoration, the park was opened in May 1894 and is considered one of the most beautiful in South London. There are formal gardens, a duck pond, a children's play area and adventure playground, numerous sports facilities and a visitor's centre.
Another historic landmark is Nunhead Cemetery, one Southwark's hidden treasures and the second largest but least known Victorian cemeteries in London. The avenues of towering lime trees and Victorian planting give it a truly Gothic feel and make it a fascinating place to visit.
Local residents have transformed the once derelict land into the McDermott Road Wildlife Garden. With a little help from the BBC, this urban development contains seating and architectural features by famous artists and has been designed to encourage local wildlife.
Local Insight
Peckham may well be the birthplace of Trotter's Independent Trading Co. but at last, the area is beginning to shake off its down at heel image with some serious facelifts. The once famous market gardens are now long gone and in their place is a fantastic and colourful array of ethnic shops, market stalls and street art. Peckham is London at its rich, colourful best: full of cafés, wine bars, niche shops and artist's studios on the one hand and wonderful ethnic delis on the other, full of unusual vegetables and curious foreign delicacies.
Choumert Road and Rye Lane have some great fresh fruit and vegetable markets, Halal butchers, fishmongers and a fantastic selection of Afro-Caribbean and Asian produce. Blenheim Court Arches is an eclectic community of creative artist studios selling ceramics and metalwork to jewellery and furniture. With all this art and regeneration, restaurants and cafés have followed suit. Choose between Petitou on Choumert Road, the Bubble and Squeak Café on East Dulwich Road, the trendy Peckham Experiment, a gallery come restaurant come café or Manze's Eel & Pie House on Peckham High Street, for the best Pie and Mash in town apparently!
Primary schools are especially good in the area; click here for more schools information, bus routes are plentiful and trains from Peckham Rye take about 10 minutes into Victoria or 15 to London Bridge; for more transport information please click here.
Peckham Trivia
In 2002, local artist Mark Folds crated a line of … rock. The minty tasting, pink and white sticky rock had 'I Love Peckham' written all the way through the middle and was part of a 'There is love in Peckham' campaign to encourage locals to care for their community!
