This part of Peckham runs along the southern portion of Old Kent Road as it merges with New Cross in the south. Not quite as overrun with young professionals as its neighbouring areas, this pocket still has some semi-affordable housing options, especially large council flats that have drawn in many families. On their days off, residents can be found enjoying the outdoors with a stroll through Brimmington Park or its oddly named neighbour ‘Bird in Bush Park’. In the evenings there are also many wonderful restaurants on offer in the area. With such a large West African community in the area, it’s no surprise that the neighbourhood is home to multiple highly reviewed Nigerian restaurants - like 805 Restaurants and Wazobia. Other locals often spend their free time attending any of the community oriented events at the DIY Space for London. Seeing the tightly knit community that has developed in the neighbourhood, it’s no surprise that residents feel so at home.

This neighbourhood began largely as farmland.1 A site of 240 acres was then given by Henry I to his son Robert, Earl of Gloucester in order to use it as a royal hunting ground. While this led to some growth, it was still largely rural until the 19th century when The Grand Surrey Canal was built, linking this neighbourhood to the Surrey Docks. This led to the construction of this area into a middle-class suburb. However, the area subsequently developed into a rather industrial neighbourhood. Old Kent Road was lined with gasworks, attracting many working class residents. During WWII, the neighbourhood suffered from bombing damage. This then led to the construction of multiple housing estates in order to provide homes for those who were displaced during the war.

Peckham was the setting for the famous ‘90s sitcom, Desmond’s. It ran on Channel 4 and included a predominantly Black British Guyanese cast. Nonetheless, the area is perhaps best known for playing host to the 80s show, Only Fools and Horses.

Unfortunately, there’s no rail station in this part of the neighbourhood. Still, residents find it easy enough to take any of the many bus lines, and don’t mind the short walk to the nearby New Cross Gate or Queens Road stations.

This lack of transport links is a problem facing many surrounding areas in south London, but is expected to change in the coming decade. The London Underground will be extended to Lewisham via the Bakerloo line, however, the timeline for this project remains vague. This extension will include a new Old Kent Road station which is expected to radically change the neighbourhood as it becomes significantly more viable for commuters. However, TFL budget constraints stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic mean that these plans have been on hold for the last couple of years. Despite these plans being put on hold, private developers remain interested in the neighbourhood and are eager to take advantage of the council’s designated Old Kent Road Opportunity Area. The largest of these is The Ruby which is set to complete in 2026 and will provide 1414 in multiple buildings between 17 to 48 storeys in height. Similar smaller scale projects include 596-608 Old Kent Road and Sylvan Square, both of which aim to provide over 200 new homes.