Apr 14 2009
Clapham
Now that I have moved to Clapham, I have a new interest in the history of the area. This article from Lambeth Council is interesting:
The history of Clapham can be traced back to more than a thousand years, when it was a ninth century collection of cottages on a hill. These cottages grew into a thriving Surrey Village over the next few centuries.
The original village of Clapham was centred on the section around rectory Grove (to the north of the Old Town) and the original parish church was located on the site of the present St Paul’s in that street. The main road leading into the village was North Street.
Clapham High Street was an ancient ‘diversion’ of the Roman military road Stane Street, which ran from London to Chichester. Stane Street followed the line of Clapham Road and then onward along the line of Abbeville Road.
By 1700, Clapham became a significant village. The latter was accelerated by the rush out from the city after the plague and the Great Fire of London in 1666.
c1890
With the arrival of public transport in the 19th Century, a new wave of development began with entrepreneurs creating whole new streets of houses for the gentry. When the underground reached Clapham, the village became a proper part of London. In the latter part of the 19th century, Clapham experienced a significant downturn and was no longer considered an exclusive suburb.
c1910
Clapham continued to change throughout the 20th century. Many of the larger houses have disappeared with several smaller ones in their place. The Second World War had a huge impact on the area, particularly the High Street. The two large entrances to the deep shelters spoilt the landscape and significant bomb damage provided lots of development opportunities at a significant cost.
Clapham is now a thriving district of London with many bars, restaurants and shops along the High Street.
Future Clapham
Some interesting plans for an ugly site on Clapham High Street called Mary Seacole House.
Redevelopment for mixed use with public, retailing or commercial use on ground and lower floors.
Mary Seacole House is landmark, eight-storey 1960s office building with multi-storey car park and ancillary buildings to the rear. The properties occupy a level regular shaped site of one acre with a frontage of 35m to Clapham High Street. An approved Planning Brief supports redevelopment of the site for a predominantly residential led mixed use scheme.
not sure about the design, better than what is there of course.
the new library looks cool mind you:
