This side of Walworth sits nestled between Kennington Park Road and Walworth Road, incorporating part of the town of Kennington. Home to quaint terraced houses, and larger Edwardian apartment buildings, the neighbourhood has attracted many families looking for a quieter alternative to the hustle and bustle of central London while still remaining a short commute away. Aside from the highly rated St. Paul’s Primary School, kids also benefit from the many parks in the neighbourhood. You can often find locals strolling through the former zoo, Pasley Park, or picnicking in either nearby Burgess or Kennington Park, both of which provide an abundance of open space. If visiting the area on a weekend, you’ll likely find children rushing into their dance classes at Husky Studios, while their parents catch up over a pint or two at the local favourite, The Beehive. Seeing all that the neighbourhood has to offer, it’s no wonder that developers have been circling for a while.

Pasley Park was once known as the Surrey Zoological Gardens. It was founded by Edward Cross in 1831, who wanted to sell animals from his menagerie. At the time, the gardens had a 1.2 hectare lake and a large glass conservatory that housed animal cages. Some of Cross’s animals included lions, tigers, giraffes and rhinos.

Throughout the first half of the 19th century, the gardens were one of London’s great zoological attractions. Unfortunately, once Edward Cross retired during the mid-1800s, the gardens began to decline. The gardens and animals were sold, and the space converted into a music hall. Towards the end of the 19th century, the building was repurposed into a hospital. It wasn’t until the 1980s, that the site was refurbished by Southwark Council and converted into a public park.

Famous film star, Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977), grew up in the area. Visitors often come to the neighbourhood to do a walking tour of some of his favourite spots, such as the East Street Market, Arments and Baldwins.

Unfortunately, this part of the neighbourhood doesn’t have much of a high street or business district, and there are only a few shops and eateries. Still, residents don’t mind the short walk over to Walworth Road where there are plenty of places to choose from. The aforementioned East Street Market is a particular highlight in this regard and is open every day aside from Monday.

It was recently announced that the site of the former Manor Place Baths will be converted into a new housing development. Notting Hill Genesis has permission to redevelop the 4.2-acre site, building eleven new residential blocks. The adjacent railway arches on site will be also converted into commercial space. For some the scale of construction in the north of the neighbourhood may be too much. The council estimates that there will be 4,000 new homes, 5,000 new jobs, and around 45,000 sqm of additional shopping and leisure space added to Elephant and Castle in the coming years. Multiple high rise developments are being planned in conjunction to create a new town centre around the Elephant and Castle roundabout, which includes the redevelopment of the area’s signature shopping centre as well as the expansion and refurbishment of the tube station.