Walworth Through Time

by Mark Baxter and Darren Lock

Published 15 October 2010
From beautiful eighteenth century houses to ugly concrete tower blocks Walworth Through Time welcomes you to explore the long and fruitful history of this area of South London, first mentioned in the Domesday book of 1086. Once described as the 'Farm of Briton' by the Anglo-Saxons, the Walworth of today is a built-up sprawling urban area of shops, markets, churches, pubs, historic buildings and housing estates, with green spaces at a premium. It is also the birthplace of Hollywood legend Charlie Chaplin and of Charles Babbage, who is acknowledged as the father of the modern computer and it's also home to a 1961 bronze by sculptor Henry Moore. Using a mixture of photographs from personal archives, as well from the local history library, this book reveals a forever changing and welcoming area, where if you look carefully enough, you find forgotten gems and fascinating glimpses into its past.

This unusual collection of photographs from the area of Walworth and its immediate surrounding area tell further stories on this fascinating part of South London. We take a peek at long lost cinemas, famous theatres, legendary local characters, war time bombing, a large urban park, the biggest nightclub in the world, a modern mosque, fondly remembered pubs and schools, local transport, often frequented shops and the ever rapidly arriving 'new builds'.We travel outside SE17 to take a look at parts of the Old Kent Road, Kennington, the Elephant and Castle and Camberwell - but the heart of the book is still in Walworth. We will introduce you to a mixed bag of world famous names such as Bobby Kennedy, Muhammad Ali, Dexys Midnight Runners, R.Whites lemonade, Buddy Holly and David Beckham. So, plump up a cushion and take a journey to Walworth and beyond!