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.