We exit the Bakerloo line station and navigate to Newington Butts – the road running south from the Elephant & Castle junction. It’s all a bit traffic-filled and not so pleasant. Past the Metropolitan Tabernacle and into St Mary’s Churchyard. And breathe!
Navigate due west across the churchyard until we reach Churchyard Row. Admire the tall building and then turn right to reach Brook Drive.
From the corner of Dante Road, the Osborne Water Tower can be seen. This tower was built in 1867 and once supplied water to the Lambeth Workhouse. This workhouse used to house 800 destitute families. A seven-year-old Charlie Chaplin lived there with his mother. In 2012, it was converted into a home and featured on the TV programme ‘Grand Designs.
On the corner of Brook Drive and Hayles Street, Dexy Midnight Runners filmed their ‘Come On Eileen’ video in 1982. Shops on the corner of Hayles Street and Dante Road, featured in the video have both disappeared since.
Walk along Brook Drive until Austral Street (which was once called South Street) and turn right, reaching West Square. Here there was once a huge telegraph tower which is long gone.
Exit the square via Geraldine Street, around its corner and into the park which contains the Imperial War Museum.
Cross the park and exit onto Lambeth Road (beside the World Garden). Left up to the traffic lights. Cross the road up to Kennington Road which leads to Lambeth North station.
THE LAMBETH NORTH MUG
Lambeth North is the area surrounding the Imperial War Museum.
Since the 19th century North Lambeth has been one of the names to describe the area around Waterloo station and the shopping district around Lower Marsh market, which was the heart of the original Lambeth village. This area contains many business premises and nationally important locations such as St Thomas’ Hospital, the London Eye, the Royal National Theatre, the Royal Festival Hall, County Hall, Lambeth Palace, and the Imperial War Museum.
Lambeth North tube station serves the area. Designed by Leslie Green, the station was opened by the Baker Street & Waterloo Railway on 10 March 1906, with the name Kennington Road. It served as the temporary southern terminus of the line until 5 August 1906, when Elephant & Castle station was opened. The station’s name was changed to Westminster Bridge Road in July 1906 and it was again renamed, to Lambeth North, in April 1917.
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THE ELEPHANT AND CASTLE MUG
Elephant and Castle is one of five London tube stations named after a pub.
One thing Elephant and Castle is not named after is ‘La Infanta de Castilla’, seemingly referring to a series of Spanish princesses such as Eleanor of Castile and María, the daughter of Philip III of Spain. However, Eleanor of Castile was not an infanta – the term only appeared in English about 1600. María has a strong British connection because she was once controversially engaged to Charles I, but she had no connection with Castile. Infanta de Castilla therefore seems to be a conflation of two Iberian royals separated by 300 years.
Regardless, the pub of that name gave its name to the station, and in turn the station to the nearby area.
Elephant & Castle tube station is on the Bank branch of the Northern Line between Kennington and Borough, and is the southern terminus of the Bakerloo Line.
It’s large yet not elephant-sized. The Elephant & Castle ceramic mug weighs 11 ounces. Glossy white finish. Dishwasher and microwave safe. Click on the image to be taken to the Shopify page