Rye Lane, SE15

Road in/near Peckham, existing between the 1700s and now.

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(51.46942 -0.0681, 51.469 -0.068) 
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Road · * · SE15 ·
August
20
2018
Rye Lane runs from Peckham High Street at the north, down to the corner of Copeland Road where The Nags Head sits at the south.

Originally called ’South Street’ and now named after Peckham Rye Park, Rye Lane is a very different place now compared to the early 1700s, when Peckham was just a village of around 600 people on the outskirts of London. The street then would have been one of the main thoroughfares into London, bustling with market stalls, colourful gardens and rows of orchards growing produce for nearby London’s increasingly demanding population.

Back then, Peckham was one of the last stopping points for traders on their way into London, who would have stopped for the night at a local inn. Over the years, Rye Lane and the surrounding streets became an area of important industrial activity due to its links into London and access to markets, fields and even docks.

As Peckham became a sought-after area, Rye Lane developed into a major shopping destination (often referred to as the ‘Golden Mile’) which even rivalled the likes of Oxford Street. In 1867, Jones & Higgins opened a store on the corner of Rye Lane and Peckham High Street that went on to become one of south London’s best-known department stores until its closure in the 1980s.

Other notable shops that made Rye Lane a shopping hotspot included Holdron’s Department Store, which included an outlet of Selfridges, and branches of popular stores such as Lipton’s and Dunn’s. Today, Holdron’s Arcade (as it is now known) is home to several exciting start-ups including; YAM Records; Wavey Garms; One Organic and Nutkin, a vegetarian & vegan cafe specialising in nut-based vegan cheese. There is also talk of re-developing the Holdron Arcade, with plans to link the indoor shopping area to the now-famous Copeland Park square at the rear.

During the 1920s and 1930s, Peckham continued to thrive despite the economic downturn, and shops including C&A, BHS and Sainsbury’s all opened. However, the closure of Holdron’s in 1949 marked the start of the retail decline. A small section of Holdron’s art deco frontage is all that remains.

Although Rye Lane managed to survive the Second World War, perhaps due to its distance from more central targets, other local areas started to become well-linked to central London, leading to more shops closing and some industries relocating. During the 1970s, Peckham became one of the most deprived areas in Europe, gaining a notoriously bad reputation – not helped by its depiction on television and the murder of ten-year-old Damilola Taylor, on the North Peckham Estate in 2000.

However, during the 1990s, the European Union ploughed considerable investment into the area – initially to redevelop the North Peckham Estate, followed by the building of Peckham Library, which sits as a colourful beacon near the top of Rye Lane.

Thankfully, Rye Lane is thriving once again - independent businesses still play a crucial role in the community. What remains to be seen, however, is how this independent business community will fare in the face of investment from London’s big property magnates and the gentrification that inevitably comes with it.


Main source: South London Club
Further citations and sources


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CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LOCALITY

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Wendy    
Added: 22 Mar 2024 15:33 GMT   

Polygon Buildings
Following the demolition of the Polygon, and prior to the construction of Oakshott Court in 1974, 4 tenement type blocks of flats were built on the site at Clarendon Sq/Phoenix Rd called Polygon Buildings. These were primarily for people working for the Midland Railway and subsequently British Rail. My family lived for 5 years in Block C in the 1950s. It seems that very few photos exist of these buildings.

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Steve   
Added: 19 Mar 2024 08:42 GMT   

Road construction and houses completed
New Charleville Circus road layout shown on Stanford’s Library Map Of London And Its Suburbs 1879 with access via West Hill only.

Plans showing street numbering were recorded in 1888 so we can concluded the houses in Charleville Circus were built by this date.

Source: Charleville Circus, Sydenham, London

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Comment
Steve   
Added: 19 Mar 2024 08:04 GMT   

Charleville Circus, Sydenham: One Place Study (OPS)
One Place Study’s (OPS) are a recent innovation to research and record historical facts/events/people focused on a single place �’ building, street, town etc.

I have created an open access OPS of Charleville Circus on WikiTree that has over a million members across the globe working on a single family tree for everyone to enjoy, for free, forever.

Source: Charleville Circus, Sydenham, London

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Comment
Charles   
Added: 8 Mar 2024 20:45 GMT   

My House
I want to know who lived in my house in the 1860’s.

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NH   
Added: 7 Mar 2024 11:41 GMT   

Telephone House
Donald Hunter House, formerly Telephone House, was the BT Offices closed in 2000

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Comment
Paul Cox   
Added: 5 Mar 2024 22:18 GMT   

War damage reinstatement plans of No’s 11 & 13 Aldine Street
Whilst clearing my elderly Mothers house of general detritus, I’ve come across original plans (one on acetate) of No’s 11 & 13 Aldine Street. Might they be of interest or should I just dispose of them? There are 4 copies seemingly from the one single acetate example. Seems a shame to just junk them as the level of detail is exquisite. No worries if of no interest, but thought I’d put it out there.

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Comment
Diana   
Added: 28 Feb 2024 13:52 GMT   

New Inn Yard, E1
My great grandparents x 6 lived in New Inn Yard. On this date, their son was baptised in nearby St Leonard’s Church, Shoreditch

Source: BDM London, Cripplegate and Shoreditch registers written by church clerk.

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Comment
Vic Stanley   
Added: 24 Feb 2024 17:38 GMT   

Postcose
The postcode is SE15, NOT SE1

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