Back

Conservation areas

Guidance on restrictions that apply in conservation areas. View all Southwark's conservation areas as a list or map.

List of conservation areas

Addington Square

The Addington Square conservation area is on the east side of Camberwell Road. The core of the conservation area is the square itself. The conservation area occupies a position mid-way between Camberwell Village and Walworth. Burgess Park meets Camberwell Road to define the northern boundary of the conservation area. To the east, the square is also bounded by Burgess Park. The buildings in the conservation area were built in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

The square is not all terraced properties. The buildings are not all the same height or style. The gaps between properties are very important. They add to the character of the Addington Square conservation area.

You can view our interactive map of Addington Square conservation area.

Addington Square was made a conservation area on 9 July 1971 as published in the London Gazette, July 1971.

Bear Gardens

The Bear Gardens conservation area is tightly defined around the road called ‘Bear Gardens’. It is on the south side of the River Thames, to the west of Southwark Bridge. It includes buildings on the east side of New Globe Walk and the north side of Park Street. It also includes the west side of Rose Alley, Bear Gardens and part of Bankside. It extends half way across the River Thames to abut the boundary with the City of London.

The conservation area contains the Scheduled Monument of the Hope Playhouse and 3 bear gardens, which are nationally important archaeological sites. 

The area's layout still clearly comes from its medieval and post-medieval development. Dense buildings line the river. They connect to the land behind them by narrow lanes and alleys. Bear Gardens widens in the approximate location of the last bear baiting ring. Waterfront industries grew more in the 18th and 19th centuries. They made this pattern stronger. This tight and dense urban grain still exists today, particularly in Bear Gardens. The riverscape is another important element of the conservation area’s character. The river walk offers a wide-open space in direct contrast with the intimacy of Bear Gardens.

You can view our interactive map of Bear Gardens conservation area.

Bear Gardens was made a conservation area on 22 April 1989 as published in the London Gazette, September 1989.

Bermondsey Street

The Bermondsey Street conservation area is in the streets south of the London Bridge railway line. It goes to the Bricklayers Arms Roundabout.

The conservation area has a rich and varied character reflecting its medieval origins. The historic street pattern has largely remained. It is built up by 18th century houses and shops and 19th and 20th century warehouses and offices. At its heart lies St Mary Magdalen Church and churchyard. Medieval scale and industrial detail combine to make a unique townscape. It has narrow streets and building plots, arched alleyways to rear yards and warehouse architecture. This physical character continues to be expressed in a vibrant range of uses and activities that include housing, workshop and office-based businesses and many small-scale shops and cafés.

You can view our interactive map of Bermondsey Street conservation area.

Bermondsey Street was originally made a conservation area on 3 January 1973, which was extended on 23 October 1991, 13 December 1993 and 11 January 2010. Read the listings in the London Gazette:

Download the 2003 appraisal plan, which sets out how to preserve and enhance the conservation area:

Borough High Street

The Borough High Street conservation area is based on Borough High Street between St George the Martyr and London Bridge. 

To the west, the conservation area includes Southwark Street to the junction with Park Street. It also includes a small network of streets between London Bridge, the riverfront, and the Cannon Street railway bridge. Southwark Cathedral and Borough Market are in this area. East of Borough High Street the conservation area includes the surroundings of Guy’s Hospital in St Thomas Street. The townscape of the conservation area reflects its evolution over a long period. The buildings are of the 18th, 19th and 20th century, except for Southwark Cathedral and The George Inn.

You can view our interactive map of the Borough High Street conservation area.

Borough High Street was originally made a conservation area on 29 September 1968, which was extended on 24 June 1970 and 5 December 1980. Read the listings in the London Gazette:

Download the 2006 appraisal plan, which sets out how to preserve and enhance the conservation area:

Old Barge House Alley was originally made a conservation area on 21 February 1983, which was extended on 13 August 1988 and 5 July 2005.

Caroline Gardens

The Caroline Gardens conservation area is south of the Old Kent Road, off Asylum Road. The boundary is tightly drawn around the Licensed Victualler’s Asylum development, which is physically defined by its enclosing railings and walls. 

The Almshouse development was built in phases between 1827 to 1866. The scale, form, architecture and materials of the conservation area are consistent. The houses are 2 storeys. They have a modest scale and simple architecture. Carefully designed palace-fronted facades give them a generous scale. The chapel is the centrepiece of the development. It is the focal point for the range on Asylum Road.

You can view our interactive map of Caroline Gardens conservation area.

Caroline Gardens was originally made a conservation area on 27 September 1968. Read the listing in the London Gazette:

Download the latest appraisal plan, which sets out how to preserve and enhance the conservation area:

Camberwell Green

The Camberwell Green conservation area is the original Camberwell village. It is now at the junction of Camberwell New Road and Camberwell Church Street. It covers the Green and the main streets. These are at the centre of Camberwell, with mostly commercial frontages (shops, pubs, banks, and other services).

The conservation area is unique. It has 3 and 4 story blocks. They usually have finely detailed upper stories. These details repeat along the length of the street front. It also has purpose-built, commercial buildings. They are in elaborate, revivalist styles. The Peabody tenement buildings provide a distinct backdrop. They are on the eastern side of the Green.

You can view our interactive map of Camberwell Green conservation area.

Read the latest appraisal plan, which sets out how to preserve and enhance the conservation area:

Camberwell Green conservation area appraisal (PDF, 2.9MB)

Camberwell Grove

The Camberwell Grove conservation area is the area above the original Camberwell village. It is based on 2 long residential streets: Camberwell Grove and Grove Lane. They were built from the 1770s to the 1840s. It also includes areas of historic interest in Champion Park, Denmark Hill and Grove Park. The northern end of the conservation area has local shops and restaurants. It includes St Giles Church. The western side of the conservation area is between Denmark Hill and Grove Lane. It has a strong institutional character. This comes from the large building complexes of the Maudsley Hospital and Salvation Army College.

Camberwell Grove, Grove Park, and Grove Lane have homes from the late Georgian to the Edwardian period. The 18th and 19th century houses follow classical themes. Those from the late 19th century have a more vernacular 'English' style.

You can view our interactive map of Camberwell Grove conservation area.

Camberwell New Road

The Camberwell New Road conservation area is west of the original Camberwell village. It includes part of Camberwell New Road up to the railway. It includes a triangular area to the south bounded by the railway line and Flodden Road.

The conservation area includes late Georgian terraces. They lie along Camberwell New Road. In the side streets are groups of mainly terraced houses. They date from the mid to the later 19th century. A few detached or semi-detached villas or mansion flats are also there. The area's layout comes from its rapid growth as part of the urbanisation of London in the early 19th century. The road between Kennington and Camberwell Green offers new development opportunities.

You can view our interactive map of Camberwell New Road conservation area.

Cobourg Road

The Cobourg Road conservation area is south of the Old Kent Road. It is right across from Burgess Park. It is mostly made up of properties in Cobourg Road. It also includes the southside of the Old Kent Road up to Trafalgar Avenue.

Cobourg Road is one of the earliest developments in north Peckham. It's away from the Old Kent Road and dates from the 1820s. These are mostly detached and semi-detached houses of 3 to 4 storeys. Interspersed are rows of later 19th century 2 storey housing on Oakley Place, Loncroft Road and on Cobourg Road itself. This housing was built around the same time as the old St Mark’s Church (now New Peckham Mosque) and St George’s Methodist Church.

A group of commercial buildings on the Old Kent Road are between Oakley Place and Trafalgar Avenue. They were built around the same time as those in the neighbouring Trafalgar Avenue conservation area.

You can view our interactive map of Cobourg Road conservation area.

Dulwich Village

The Dulwich Village conservation area is at the southern end of Southwark. Denmark Hill, Camberwell, East Dulwich, Herne Hill and Sydenham loosely border it. The area's character comes from the historic layout of property boundaries and streets. It has openness, greenery and views along streets and between buildings.

The buildings date from the mid-18th to the 21st centuries. They have excellent examples of architecture, from grand houses to humble terraces. Big Georgian houses sit next to fine Victorian and Edwardian terraces and 1930s family homes. There are good examples of 1960s architecture. There are also more recently approved, high quality and modern developments. These all add to Dulwich Village's special qualities.

You can view our interactive map of Dulwich Village conservation area.

Dulwich Wood

The Dulwich Wood conservation area is in the southeast of Dulwich Village. Its woods and commons are Southwark’s largest open space. College Road, Sydenham Hill, Lordship Lane and Court Lane bound it. The area includes playing fields, allotments and a golf course. It also has parkland. To the north, Dulwich Park's formal grounds are separated from Dulwich Common by the south circular road. 

Buildings in the conservation area run along the edge of the the open spaces. They include some good Victorian houses in big grounds. Most were demolished for several 20th century estates, however. Some of these were built in the 1960s or 1970s. They have pretty gardens, old trees and a unified form.

Edward III’s Rotherhithe

Edward III’s Rotherhithe conservation area is south of the borough boundary, between Southwark and Tower Hamlets. It's in the middle of the River Thames and north of the Registered Park and Garden of Southwark Park.

The conservation area contains the Scheduled Monument of Edward III’s Manor House. It also has open land to the north and east of this important archaeological site. The conservation area is characterised by open spaces, clear of trees, on the river front and the scheduled monument. In other areas such as King’s Stairs Gardens and to the east of Fulford Street, the south of Paradise Street and east of Cathay Street, the conservation area is heavily wooded and characterised by mounded and articulated land forms. The layout of the small number of roads in the conservation area generally dates from before 1800, although the buildings fronting the roads date from throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

You can view our interactive map of Edward III’s Rotherhithe conservation area.

Elliot’s Row

The Elliott’s Row conservation area is to the south of St George’s Road and to the west of Elephant and Castle town centre. The main body of the conservation area is bounded by West Square conservation area to its west, Brook Drive to its south and Oswin Street and the town centre to its east. Prospect House is to its west, London Road to its north, Perronet House to its east and Laurie House to its south.

This is a cohesive townscape. It includes development from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The historic street layout remains. Well-defined streets are a feature with high quality architecturally interesting frontage. This is a highly urban environment with little in the way of soft landscaping.

You can view our interactive map of Elliot's Row conservation area.

Glengall Road

The Glengall Road conservation area is south of the Old Kent Road. It is about 350 metres south east of the entrance to Burgess Park. The area mainly has properties in Glengall Road and Glengall Terrace. They were built in the 1840s.

These Regency properties remain mostly intact. They help give the conservation area a unique 19th century character. This character persists despite the demolition and rebuilding of the surrounding streets in the 1960s and 70s.

You can view our interactive map of Glengall Road conservation area.

Grosvenor Park

The Grosvenor Park conservation area is to the west of the Camberwell Road and the mainline railway into Elephant and Castle. The properties in Ulwin Street, Grosvenor Park and Grosvenor Terrace were built in the mid 19th century.

The triangle core is the key part of the conservation area. It gives the area its tapering shape. The routes into the conservation area are limited which provides a contained townscape. The villas in Urlwin Street vary in style, scale and ambition. They are very different from the terraces found elsewhere in the conservation area.

Holly Grove

Holly Grove conservation area is situated in the centre of Peckham, to the south of Peckham Road. A railway line runs east-west through the conservation area. Rye Lane forms the eastern boundary.

It is a 19th century planned suburb with a big focus on landscaping. It contrasts with its surroundings. These city main streets are typical of the inner city. They have lively shops mixed with homes. 

Choumert Road, forming the area's southern boundary, has a more commercial character. The northern boundary is clearly defined. It is against the grounds of 2 schools on either side of Bellenden Road. 

Most of the conservation area was built from the early 19th to the early 20th century. It used a few materials for classical and, later, revivalist styles.

You can view our interactive map of the Holly Grove conservation area

Holly Grove was made a conservation area on 6 September 1971, which was extended on 26 November 1984, 17 January 1990 and 2 September 2008. Read the original listing from the London Gazette:

London Gazette May 1975

Honor Oak Rise

The Honor Oak Rise conservation area is on land on the southern boundary of Southwark. It is where Southwark meets the Honor Oak Park area in the London Borough of Lewisham. 

Honor Oak Rise has 19th century 'out-of-town' homes. They grew in an area of farmland and woodland that had housing for rural workers. Later, it was surrounded by suburban housing in the 19th and 20th centuries. The area is notable because it is next to a historic area of semi-natural woodland on One Tree Hill. The hill is famed for its visit by Queen Elizabeth I. The original oak tree was planted on the hill top for her.

You can view our interactive map of Honor Oak Rise conservation area

Honor Oak Rise was made a conservation area on 29 September 1985. Read the listing in the London Gazette:

London Gazette February 1987

Kennington Park Road

The Kennington Park Road conservation area is to the south-east side of Kennington Park Road. The Guinness Trust Buildings mark the north-east boundary of the area on Kennington Park Road. Kennington Park Place marks the boundary with the London Borough of Lambeth. It also marks the the south-west edge of the conservation area. 

The area is a conservation area. It has a group of houses from the late 18th and 19th centuries. The conservation area forms an ‘L’ shape. The north end is marked by St Mary’s Church and the south by Kennington Park Place. The south stretch is dominated by the imposing Bishop’s House and the short terrace in St Agnes Place.

You can view our interactive map of Kennington Park Road conservation area

Kennington Park Road was made a conservation area on 27 September 1968. Read the listing in the London Gazette:

London Gazette September 1968

Kentish Drovers and Bird in Bush

The Kentish Drovers and Bird in Bush conservation area is mainly on Commercial Way and Bird in Bush Road. It goes from the Grade II listed former Kentish Drovers on the Old Kent Road. It includes the listed properties on Commercial Way and the historic townscape around Bird in Bush Park.

This area is like others from early residential development off the Old Kent Road. It has a mix of urban buildings on the main road. Smaller scale cottages, industry and schools are on side streets. It has 1800s terraced, semi-detached and detached properties. They have fine details and mostly unchanged exteriors. The area has a fine and typical ‘board’ school. It's still in use today. It also has open space with trees, landscaping and sports facilities.

King’s Bench

The King’s Bench conservation area is a small, compact area in the north-east of Southwark, just to the east of Blackfriars Road. It's between Glasshill Street and the railway viaduct to the east. It's between the east side of Rushworth Street to the west and King James Street in the south. Pocock Street is to the north. The area's layout is from the late 18th century. It was overlaid first by the mid-19th century brick railway viaduct. Then by later 19th and early 20th century homes, churches, and factories. They are mostly 2 or 3 stories.

You can view our interactive map of King's Bench conservation area

Larcom Street

The Larcom Street conservation area is east of Walworth Road. It is south-east of Elephant and Castle town centre. It's bounded by Brandon Street to the east. Browning Street is to the south. The rears of buildings on Walworth Road are to the west.

Larcom Street is a good example of mid to late 19th century urbanisation.

Buildings at St. John's Church include a vicarage, school, institute and a pair of matching homes. These homes enclose the church's eastern end. They lie between narrow streets lined with terraced houses. Building heights across the area are generally uniform. 

The typical terraces have 3 storeys. They have slanted ground floor bay windows. They also have the traditional Victorian details and small front gardens.

The area's urban structure is unique. It has short streets with many dog-legs and cul-de-sacs and buildings in close proximity.

You can view our interactive map of Larcom Street conservation area

Larcom Street was made a conservation area on 26 March 2013. Read the listing in the London Gazette:

London Gazette April 2013

Liberty of the Mint

The Liberty of the Mint conservation area is situated to the west and south of Borough tube station. It contains the site of Brandon House and Suffolk Place, the former palace of the Dukes of Suffolk. Much of the property has been excavated on the site, which stands at the north-west junction of Borough High Street and Marshalsea Road.

The area is a townscape from the late 19th century. It has a mix of industrial, residential, educational, transport and historic buildings. They are mixed-use and face Borough High Street. The area has a particular significance due to the rebuilding of much of the area with the construction of Marshalsea Road dating from 1888. The southern parts of the area keep much of the Victorian character. They have closely packed former industrial and residential buildings. These buildings define a tight, well-defined townscape.

You can view our interactive map of Liberty of the Mint Conservation Area

Liberty of the Mint was made a conservation area on 1 December 2015.

Liverpool Grove

The Liverpool Grove conservation area is a notable example of social housing. It began in the 1890s. At the heart of the conservation area is the Grade I listed St Peter’s Church, built by Sir John Soane. The arts and crafts architectural style and Garden City planning principles create a backdrop in the conservation area. They contribute to a near-suburban feel. The housing consists of 2-storey terraced cottages and 3-storey tenements.

You can view our interactive map of Liverpool Grove conservation area

Liverpool Grove was made a conservation area on 12 January 1982. Read the listing in London Gazette:

London Gazette February 1982

Livesey

The Livesey conservation area is a surviving fragment of the Old Kent Road civic townscape. It is centred on the Grade II listed Livesey Library and takes in the historic townscape to the north of Ethnard Road.

It has high-quality, working-class housing above shops in terraces. They have mostly intact original details, materials and architecture. It also includes landmark buildings like:

  • the Camberwell Library (now Livesey Museum)
  • Christ Church on Old Kent Road
  • the Royal London Friendly Society building

Nunhead Cemetery

Nunhead Cemetery conservation area is at Nunhead. The boundaries closely follow the edges of the cemetery. The site is roughly diamond-shaped. It is bordered by Linden Grove to the north-west, Ivydale Road to the north-east and Limesford Road to the south-east.

The area is now mostly woodland and foliage. The buildings, including the Anglican Chapel, the Gate Lodges and monuments, add to the identity of the cemetery.

You can view our interactive map of Nunhead Cemetery conservation area

Nunhead Cemetery was made a conservation area on 29 September 1986. Read the listing in the London Gazette:

Nunhead Green

Nunhead Green conservation area is in the south-east of Southwark, just to the east of Peckham Rye. The area includes the Green itself and the buildings around it. It also includes some of the streets leading away from it. This includes parts of Gordon and Consort Roads to the north. And Nunhead Grove and Linden Grove are to the south. The conservation area includes 2 groups of listed almshouses. They are on street corners. The area also has public houses, a library and shops on the south side of the Green. The buildings mostly date from the mid to late 19th century. They are generally small and have a domestic feel.

You can view our interactive map of Nunhead Green conservation area.

Nunhead Green was made a conservation area on 16 January 2007.

Old Barge House Alley

The Old Barge House Alley conservation area is in the north-west of Southwark. It overlaps with the boundary with Lambeth.

The area includes 2 historic thoroughfares: Barge House Street and Barge House Alley. They lead to Barge House Stairs, a route down to the Thames and the foreshore itself. The conservation area still has special architecture and history. But, its character has changed since it was designated. In the past, the area has been used for light industry. This was related to riverside activity and docking.

Oxo Tower Wharf is a refurbished warehouse building. Its presence gives the conservation area an industrial feel. It's like the many warehouses that once created a dense urban area along the southern side of the Thames.

At the time of designation, there were 2 key buildings in the conservation area. They were Stamford Wharf and Nelson’s Wharf. Both represented the vanishing 19th and early 20th century warehousing of riverside dock industries.

The 19th century Nelsons Wharf was demolished in the 1970s. Boundary changes moved Nelson's wharf into the London Borough of Lambeth. It has been made into a park called Bernie Spain Gardens. 

Elements of Stamford Wharf still exist, and now known as Oxo Tower Wharf.

You can view our interactive map of Old Barge House Alley conservation area.

Pages Walk

The Pages Walk conservation area is between Willow Walk and the Old Kent Road. It has a row of dwellings built in the mid-19th century. The small 2 storey brick terraced houses have paired entrances. The original flat parapets have been rebuilt in butterfly form. The houses in the conservation area have a strong, unified character. They were built at the same time by the same developer.

You can view our interactive map of Pages Walk conservation area.

Pages Walk was made a conservation area on 30 June 1985. Read the listing in the London Gazette:

Pages Walk London Gazette Notice

Peckham Hill Street

The Peckham Hill Street conservation area is to the north of the commercial core of Peckham. The area is centered on Peckham Hill Street. The southern edge is bounded by the Rye Lane Peckham Conservation Area. Northwards, the area extends to Willowbrook Bridge. 

The conservation area is based on a group of early to mid-19th century houses. These houses have structures and open spaces linked to the former Grand Surrey Canal. The conservation area is mostly marked by flat, yellow brick houses. They are in terraces or in semi-detached pairs. These buildings vary in height from 2 and 3 storeys (with attics) and 1, 2 or 3 bays in width.

You can view our interactive map of Peckham Hill Street conservation area.

Peckham Hill Street was made a conservation area on 18 October 2011. Read the listing in the London Gazette:

London Gazette October 2011

Pullens Estate

The area is characterised by late 19th-century tenement buildings with attached rear workshops. These are accessed from Peacock Yard, Illiffe Yard and Clements Yard. 

The tenement buildings are 4 storeys in height, with flat roofs. Each unit is 3 bays wide with an ornate central entrance to a common stairwell. The yellow stock brick side and rear walls of all the buildings are utilitarian in character. In contrast, the front elevations have decorative bands of nail-head decoration in moulded brick. They also have richly detailed painted terracotta windows and door heads. 

The 2-storey workshops attached to the rear of the tenements in a mews fashion are simpler and more functional in appearance. On the south side of Amelia Street is an enclosed open space. It's called Pullens Gardens. It was created after they demolished the tenement block. There are no green open spaces among the Pullens Estate Buildings and Pullens Gardens provides a small area of green ‘breathing space’.

You can view our interactive map of Pullens Estate conservation area.

Pullens Estate was made a conservation area on 19 April 2005.

Rye Lane Peckham

The Rye Lane Peckham conservation area is in Peckham's commercial core. It is defined by its 3 main roads: Peckham High Street, Peckham Hill Street, and Rye Lane. They meet at a staggered crossroads.

These roads share the same development pattern. But, each had different phases of commercial and retail growth. These phases lasted from the 18th to mid-20th century. Unlike Holly Grove and Peckham Hill Street, the area lacks a main architectural style or materials. The Rye Lane Peckham conservation area has a unique character. It comes from its mix of architectural styles and materials.

You can view our interactive map of Rye Lane Peckham conservation area.

Rye Lane Peckham was made a conservation area on 18 October 2011. Read the listing in the London Gazette:

London Gazette November 2011

Sceaux Gardens

The Sceaux Gardens conservation area is located to the east of Camberwell Green. The area is centered on the group of late 18th-century buildings around the Old Town Hall in Peckham Road. Victorian, Edwardian, and post-war buildings lead up to the junction with Southampton Way. The conservation area extends south along Vestry Road to include Lucas Gardens. It also extends north to include the 1950s public housing of the Sceaux Gardens Estate.

The area has architecture from several phases, from late Georgian to post-World War 2.

You can view our interactive map of Sceaux Gardens conservation area.

Sceaux Gardens was made a conservation area on 27 September 1968, which was extended on 16 September 1977. Read the listing in the London Gazette:

London Gazette September 1968

 

St George’s Circus

The St George’s Circus conservation area is in the north-west of Southwark. It is at the south end of Blackfriars Road. It includes the Circus, the western end of Borough Road and the northern end of London Road.

Much of the early 19th-century development around the Circus itself is gone. But its Georgian origins are still clear. You can see them in the terraces in London Road and the south side of Borough Road. They are also visible in the layout of the roads around the obelisk. And in the curved front of the former Duke of Clarence pub.

You can view our interactive map of St George's Circus conservation area.

St George's Circus was made a conservation area on 23 October 2000. Read the listing in the London Gazette:

London Gazette December 2000

St Mary’s Rotherhithe

The St Mary’s Rotherhithe conservation area is a fine example of a ‘London village’ on the riverside. The surviving historic core is a relatively small area, 3 kilometres east of Tower Bridge. It centres on the 18th-century St Mary’s Church and a few surrounding streets. Buildings on the northern edge of the conservation area lie right on the river wall. The church and churchyard are surrounded by remnants of the old town. These remnants date from the 19th century. To the east lies the old Engine House and air shaft to Brunel’s tunnel. To the south is the 18th-century former school on St Marychurch Street.

You can view our interactive map of St Mary's Rotherhithe conservation area.

St Mary's Rotherhithe was made a conservation area on 9 October 1970, which was extended on 18 October 1978.

St Saviour’s Dock

The St Saviour’s Dock conservation area is south of the River Thames. It extends a short way east from the dock. The area includes the buildings in Shad Thames on its west side. The southern boundary of the conservation area is formed by Jamaica Road. 

The River Thames is the area's key feature. It has a tight frontage of warehouses that serve it. They are accessed by narrow streets. The materials and details are consistent. They reflect the short development period in the late 19th century. Across the conservation area, facades follow classical principles. Most of the warehouse buildings are plain, but some of the later buildings have a little more decoration.

You can view our interactive map of St Saviour's Dock conservation area.

St Saviour's Dock was made a conservation area on 1 April 1978, which was extended on 5 February 1980 and 12 December 1985. Read the listings in the London Gazette:

London Gazette November 1980

Stradella Road

The Stradella Road conservation area is to the west of Southwark close to the boundary with Lambeth and east of the Herne Hill Railway line. The area covers properties in Stradella and Winterbrook Roads. It also includes properties on the bordering Burbage Road and Half Moon Lane. 

The area has a mix of continuous terraces and semi-detached houses. This mix has stayed the same since it was first made in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. The spaces between the pairs of houses create gaps to the sky and greenery. They give a sense of the semi-rural or original suburban character sought by the early designers.

The Half Moon Public House is a Grade II* listed building. It has a flamboyant design. It forms a dramatic landmark at the bottom of Herne Hill.

You can view our interactive map of Stradella Road conservation area.

Stradella Road was made a conservation area on 26 September 2000. Read the listing in the London Gazette:

London Gazette December 2000

Sunray Estate

The Sunray Estate conservation area comprises the Sunray Estate. It is on Denmark Hill in North Dulwich. It includes Sunray Avenue, Sunray Gardens, Casino Avenue, Nairne Grove and Red Post Hill. Part of Herne Hill is also included. The area extends south to North Dulwich Station. It includes St Faith’s Church and vicarage.

Sunray Estate has cottage housing. They are arranged in a distinctly uniform layout. It was built between 1920 and 1922. The area is a great example of a small garden suburb. The cottage character is accentuated by a rather rural setting consisting of mature tree-lined streets, culs-de-sacs and very generous front gardens. The conservation area is the subject of an Article 4 Direction, confirmed by the Secretary of State on 13 November 1987, under which some categories of external alterations, which would otherwise constitute ‘Permitted Development’, are subject to control.

You can view our interactive map of Sunray Estate conservation area.

Sunray Estate was made a conservation area on 20 January 2009.

Sutherland Square

The Sutherland Square conservation area is to the west of the Walworth Road and the mainline railway into Elephant and Castle.

The oldest properties are near Sutherland Square. They date from the early 19th century. These houses are on the former pleasure gardens of Walworth. They were built before the railway and are typically 3 storeys. The houses on Lorrimore Road are later and are in the form of terraces or linked blocked of 2 to 3 storeys.

The heart of the conservation area was extensively damaged in World War Two. St. Wilfred’s RC Church and the buildings on Penrose Street and Eglington Court are part of the area's post-war rebuilding.

You can view our interactive map of Sutherland Square conservation area.

Sutherland Square was made a conservation area on 12 January 1982. Read the listing in the London Gazette:

London Gazette February 1982

The Gardens

The Gardens conservation area is in south Peckham. It's on the west side of Peckham Rye Common. Peckham Rye and the common itself form the area's eastern boundary. The East Dulwich Road runs east-west near the area's northern boundary. It provides access into Oakhurst Grove. The core of the area is The Gardens themselves, a neat square of houses around a central green space. They include the adjacent streets of Oakhurst Grove and Kelmore Grove. 

The buildings are of various sizes. They range from 2-storey terraces to large 4 and 5-storey houses. But, the materials and detailing are mostly consistent. They reflect the 60 to 70 year period of the 19th century when the area was developed.

You can view our interactive map of The Gardens conservation area.

The Gardens was made a conservation area on 22 June 1988.

The Mission

The Mission conservation area is centred on Pembroke House (The Mission). It includes the nearby historic properties on Elstead Street and Tisdale Place. It also includes the listed school and other historic buildings on Flint Street.

It includes a mix of homes. Municipal, educational, religious, and missionary buildings intersperse them. They are all in one compact neighbourhood. This area was built over a short time at the end of the 19th century. It includes elegant streets. They have purpose-built terraced housing. There are fine and typical boarding schools, still in use today. A public house and landmark buildings survive. They include the former Flint Street police station.

Thomas A’ Becket and High Street

The Thomas A’Becket and High Street conservation area is at the north end of the Old Kent Road. It extends from the former Thomas A’Becket pub to the Peabody Estate at the junction with Mandela Way. A part of the proposed conservation area extends to the west along East Street. It includes a historic residential quarter around Surrey Square.

It's a good example of a traditional high street. It has 18th and 19th-century townhouses. At ground floor, the townhouses extend to the back of the footpath with retail shops. It retains the architecture of a busy town centre on a major road. It has public houses, cinemas, a fire station and department stores. They are still in their original form, but with new uses. It includes traditional 19th-century terraces. Local developers and philanthropists built the terraces and mansion blocks.

Thorburn Square

The Thorburn Square conservation area is to the south of Southwark Park Road. It is the only remaining part of a tightly packed 19th-century residential area. The area once filled this part of Bermondsey. The conservation area has narrow streets. They are fronted by terraced houses with a strong, unified character. The houses have traditional Victorian details and small front gardens.

You can view our interactive map of Thorburn Square conservation area.

Thrale Street

The Thrale Street conservation area is mostly in the ‘L’ formed by Southwark Bridge Road and the railway line. The railway line runs between London Bridge and Charing Cross.

The conservation area has mostly 19th-century commercial buildings. They are on Southwark Street and Southwark Bridge Road. It also has smaller, late 18th-century homes on Thrale Street and Anchor Terrace. The conservation area contains the Scheduled Monument of the Globe Theatre, which is a nationally important archaeological site.

You can view our interactive map of Thrale Street conservation area.

Tooley Street

The Tooley Street conservation area is defined as the riverside area hemmed in by London Bridge, Tower Bridge and its approach and the railway viaduct into London Bridge Station. 

This was 2 conservation areas. They reflected the difference in character between the riverside to the north and the smaller commercial and mansion blocks to the south. The buildings vary in size in the conservation area but most use similar materials and details. They reflect the short period of development from the middle to the end of the 19th century.

You can view our interactive map of Tooley Street conservation area.

Tower Bridge

The Tower Bridge conservation area is east of Tower Bridge Road. It extends west along Shad Thames and south of the River Thames and Tower Bridge.

The area is mostly defined by its sense of enclosure from its warehouse heritage. It reflects the building up of the 19th-century dockland, but the recent development is in the heart of the conservation area. The street pattern and scale remain true to the 19th century. At the southern end are Tooley Street and Tower Bridge Road. The area has a more urban feel. It has more highly detailed building fronts.

You can view our interactive map of Tower Bridge conservation area.

Tower Bridge was made a conservation area on 7 February 1978, which was extended on 12 December 1985. 

Trafalgar Avenue

The Trafalgar Avenue conservation area is to the south of the Old Kent Road. It consists of groups of early to mid-Victorian terraced houses that are typically 3 to 4 storeys. Along with the Lord Nelson Public House the buildings form a cohesive group. The houses in Trafalgar Avenue were part of the first phase of development in Peckham, which occurred in the early part of the 19th century, in areas close to the Old Kent Road.

You can view our interactive map of Trafalgar Avenue conservation area.

Trafalgar Avenue was made a conservation area on 5 February 1980, which was extended on 30 September 1991. 

Trinity Church Square

The Trinity Church Square conservation area is to the south-east of Southwark. Trinity Street forms the north edge of the conservation area. It runs between Borough High Street and Great Dover Street. Falmouth Road runs north-south. It goes between Trinity Street and Harper Road. It forms the east edge of the conservation area. To the west Trinity Church Square and the junction of Trinity and Swan Streets form a natural boundary.

Trinity Church Square was completed in entirety within a comparatively short period in the early 19th century. The conservation area has 2 main features: the uniformity of the terrace design and its grand squares. The focal point of the conservation area is the Henry Wood Hall, former Holy Trinity Church, at the centre of Trinity Church Square.

You can view our interactive map of Trinity Church Square conservation area.

Trinity Church Square was made a conservation area on 27 September 1968.

Union Street

The Union Street conservation area lies half a kilometre south of the River Thames and is based on the streets around Union Street and Southwark Bridge Road, which run east-west and north-south through the area.

The townscape is a mix of predominantly 19th-century commercial, industrial warehousing, social housing and ecclesiastical developments. The buildings in the conservation area are generally utilitarian. They are modest in scale and detail.

You can view our interactive map of Union Street conservation area.

Union Street was made a conservation area on 11 May 2000.

Valentine Place

The Valentine Place conservation area is small. It is in the north-west of Southwark, west of Blackfriars Road. It is south of Boundary Row, north of Webber Street, and west of Valentine Place. Running diagonally north-east and south-west through the conservation area are Pontypool Place and Valentine Row.

This is a cohesive townscape. It is mainly industrial and warehouse buildings. They are from the late 19th and early-20th centuries. The historic street layout remains. The intimate scale and high quality and architecturally interesting frontage developments of 2, 3 and 4 storeys, have survived largely intact. This is a highly urban environment with little in the way of soft landscaping.

You can view our interactive map of Valentine Place conservation area.

Walworth Road

The Walworth Road conservation area is south of Elephant and Castle. It is in the commercial core of Walworth. It mainly centers on the Walworth Road and the north end of Camberwell Road. The conservation area is mainly defined by one main road. It is linear in shape and has roadside buildings. They include housing, retail and civic buildings. They date back to the late 1700s to the mid-1900s. In contrast, the streets off the Walworth Road have a different character. The same is true for the northern section of the Camberwell Road. Both areas are defined by 19th and early 20th-century housing. 

The railway line was built in the mid 19th century. It runs parallel with the Walworth Road and has defined the area's western side.

Open land and former gardens were filled in with mostly industry and manufacturing. In a few places, this character has been kept.

You can view our interactive map of Walworth Road conservation area.

Walworth Road was made a conservation area on 22 March 2016.

West Square

The West Square conservation area is to the north-west of Southwark. It is a mixed area with many notable terraces of good quality late Georgian and mid-19th century houses. It also has many important public buildings. West Square is at the heart of the conservation area. It is one of the earliest surviving Georgian Squares in south London. The Imperial War Museum is the centrepiece of the conservation area. It is surrounded by Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park. St George’s Roman Catholic Cathedral is another important building.

You can view our interactive map of West Square conservation area.

West Square was made a conservation area on 17 September 1971.

Wilson Grove

The Wilson Grove conservation area lies between the River Thames and Jamaica Road. It is marked by 1920s low-rise terraced cottages. They are on Wilson Grove, Emba Street, and Janeway Street. The former Bermondsey Borough Council originally built the cottages as municipal housing. They were built in the ‘garden village form’, inspired by the work of Dr Alfred Salter, a local pioneering doctor. The cottages are a mix of neo-Georgian and vernacular features. They are set back from the street with small front gardens and larger rear gardens.

You can view our interactive map of Wilson Grove conservation area.

Wilson Grove was made a conservation area on 19 August 1977.

Yates Estate and Victory

The Yates Estate and Victory conservation area is in the north-west part of Southwark. It is centredcentered on groups of buildings in Henshaw Street, Searles Road, Chatham Street and Darwin Street. It also includes many of the open spaces in the area, including Victory Park and Salisbury Row Park.

The area encompasses development that is typical of the Old Kent Road area. It has a mix of homes, schools, churches, and former churches. It also has signs of past industry. All of this is in one compact neighbourhood from the late-18th and early-19th century. 

Its urban form includes traces of Searles’s Paragon, street layouts and plot widths. It has names related to the Battle of Trafalgar. It includes 19th-century residential development by local developer Edward Yates. He built purpose-built terraced housing for lower-middle and working-class residents.

The area includes fine and typical boarding schools. Two are still in use today. There are also former pubs on the edges of the Yates Estate terraces. There are historic places of worship and modern green open spaces.