Brixton is situated in the London Borough of Lambeth, slightly less than four miles south-east of Charing Cross Station. Its name derives originally from Brixiges Stan, although in the Domesday Book of 1086 the area was called Brixiestan. As stan is the old English word for stone, it is generally thought that the name derives from a stone marker used either as a boundary or a meeting place.
The old hundred (or district) of Brixiestan was a much larger area than the Brixton of today, incorporating what we now know as the London Boroughs of Southwark, Lambeth and Wandsworth, as well as parts of Merton and Richmond. The village of Brixton didn't come into being until the end of the eighteenth century when much of the woodland was cleared to make way for agriculture.
The population of the area saw a considerable increase in the early 1800s as the new bridges were raised over the Thames. For the first time, the idea that you could work in London but live in the country became feasible. The building of Vauxhall Bridge in particular, in 1816, resulted in a spate of new and comfortably proportioned houses appearing along Acre Lane.
During the next 70 or so years, Brixton developed into a popular and genteel suburb. The Angell Town development of the 1850s was positively luxurious, with its Italianate style of houses and crescents. The Chatham Main Line Railway gave residents a 'high speed' link to the centre of London, making the suburb even more attractive.
Brixton also gained fame as one of the best shopping areas in South London. Bon March'e, the UK's first department store, was opened in 1877, and in 1888 Electric Avenue became the first shopping street to have electric lighting. Brixton's street market was also establishing itself, and the haphazard rapidity of its growth meant that it soon required a permanent home. The three elegant arcades that resulted now enjoy protected status.
The early years of the twentieth century saw the departure of many middle class families to suburbs even further afield. The lower cost of land and improved transport links meant that they could afford larger properties and still travel into work each day.
The properties that were left empty in areas such as Brixton were usually either converted into small flats or simply abandoned. The bombing raids of World War II did nothing to improve conditions and the area was cleared after the war to make room for council houses.
In 1948, the Empire Windrush brought the first wave of immigrants over from Jamaica. They were temporarily housed in the deep-level air raid shelter beneath Clapham Common tube station, but soon discovered that nearby Brixton offered both accommodation and a labour exchange. The Mayor of Brixton extended to them the warmest of welcomes, and many remained in the area to form the basis of a vibrant new community.
The old hundred (or district) of Brixiestan was a much larger area than the Brixton of today, incorporating what we now know as the London Boroughs of Southwark, Lambeth and Wandsworth, as well as parts of Merton and Richmond. The village of Brixton didn't come into being until the end of the eighteenth century when much of the woodland was cleared to make way for agriculture.
The population of the area saw a considerable increase in the early 1800s as the new bridges were raised over the Thames. For the first time, the idea that you could work in London but live in the country became feasible. The building of Vauxhall Bridge in particular, in 1816, resulted in a spate of new and comfortably proportioned houses appearing along Acre Lane.
During the next 70 or so years, Brixton developed into a popular and genteel suburb. The Angell Town development of the 1850s was positively luxurious, with its Italianate style of houses and crescents. The Chatham Main Line Railway gave residents a 'high speed' link to the centre of London, making the suburb even more attractive.
Brixton also gained fame as one of the best shopping areas in South London. Bon March'e, the UK's first department store, was opened in 1877, and in 1888 Electric Avenue became the first shopping street to have electric lighting. Brixton's street market was also establishing itself, and the haphazard rapidity of its growth meant that it soon required a permanent home. The three elegant arcades that resulted now enjoy protected status.
The early years of the twentieth century saw the departure of many middle class families to suburbs even further afield. The lower cost of land and improved transport links meant that they could afford larger properties and still travel into work each day.
The properties that were left empty in areas such as Brixton were usually either converted into small flats or simply abandoned. The bombing raids of World War II did nothing to improve conditions and the area was cleared after the war to make room for council houses.
In 1948, the Empire Windrush brought the first wave of immigrants over from Jamaica. They were temporarily housed in the deep-level air raid shelter beneath Clapham Common tube station, but soon discovered that nearby Brixton offered both accommodation and a labour exchange. The Mayor of Brixton extended to them the warmest of welcomes, and many remained in the area to form the basis of a vibrant new community.
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