The bustling heart of the town of Peckham is located in South East London, in the Borough Southwark, with Nunhead to its south east, Camberwell to its west, and New Cross to its east. Arguably one of London’s trendiest areas, it is clear that Peckham has risen to be a cultural hotspot in south London and beyond. Peckham Road cuts through the locality and is home to the famous Bussey Building which is one of the many centres of Peckham’s creative population. This neighbourhood benefits from the multiculturalism brought about through its ethnically diverse population, with British Nigerians making up such a large proportion, and holding significant influence over the local culture, that Peckham has colloquially come to be known as ‘Little Lagos’!

Peckham is a Saxon name, meaning the ‘Village of River Peck’, a small river which one ran through neighbouring Honor Oak and Peckham Rye, ending in South Bermondsey. Peckham was originally a wealthy residential area during the 16th century, yet by the 18th century, the area had become known as a commercial district predominantly due to its large gardens which would provide melons and figs for the London markets. Furthermore, Peckham was the last stopping area for people moving their livestock from Kent to sell in London’s Smithfield Market. By the mid-19th century, vast developments swept across Peckham such as ‘Peckham New Town’ which was built on land owned by the Hill family. This coupled with increased public transport meant Peckham became a popular residential option for the young middle-classes. The area saw growth during the 20th century, but high unemployment saw a period of huge decline from the 1970s, with much of the area becoming some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in Europe. During the 90s Peckham was home to a significant underground music scene, though by the millennium many of the activities associated with this scene had been moved elsewhere by a large-scale redevelopment project which continues to this day.

The Thomas Tilling Bus Company was the first bus service running in Peckham, taking residents from Peckham to Oxford Street in the mid-19th century. Star Wars’ runaway Storm Trooper, Finn, is played by John Boyega who is a Peckham Local.

This neighbourhood’s unemployment figures are above both the London and national average. Peckham has notoriously had high levels of crime, with the latest figures from the Met showing that of 159 crimes reported in the area immediately surrounding Peckham Road in July 2018 – 62 of which were related to violence.

Peckham is currently in the process of an approximately £4 million investment from Southwark Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund to contribute to regenerations and preserve some of its most historic and culturally significant buildings. Some locals have therefore been disappointed by the Berkeley Group’s plans to turn the site of the Rye Lane shopping centre into a derivative mixed-use commercial development. On a similar note, a feasibility study conducted by TFL has said it will not be a good use of public funds to re-open local Camberwell Station, much to the disappointment of campaigners.