This trail takes in the Rush Common roads and greens as far as the top of Brixton Hill. It must be the only short walk in this country to include a prison and a windmill.

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This trail begins at Brixton Underground Station. Leaving the tube station, turn left and walk up to the traffic lights. You will cross Electric Avenue which leads into the heart of Brixton’s busy market area. You walk past shops to the cross roads at Coldharbour Lane. Note the Prince of Wales pub, although not in its current, smaller form, a Prince of Wales pub has been on this site since 1800. Cross the road at the lights to the Ritzy.

THE RITZY

The Ritzy, next to the Library, is a purpose built cinema, which opened in 1911 as the Electric Pavilion; the letters "E P" are displayed on the corner wall. It is reckoned to be the oldest functioning cinema in South London and the second oldest in all London. It was restored and extended in the 1990s.

BRIXTON OVAL

Brixton Oval is the common name for the open space opposite Lambeth Town Hall and in front of Brixton Tate Library. Officially it is "Tate Library Garden". It boasts a grand old plane tree, a modern fountain, ample seating and a bust of Sir Henry Tate. Two objects in the Oval are worth looking out. One is the foundation stone of the Brixton Theatre and Opera House "laid by Henry Irving May 3rd 1894"; this is now sitting just outside the wall of the gardens, on the Library side. The theatre, destroyed in the Second World War, was between the Library and the Ritzy Cinema.

Sir Henry Tate was the inventor of the sugar cube, and gave the nation the Tate Gallery. When he was living at Streatham Common he provided Brixton Tate Library and its site (1892). His widow, who had once lived on Brixton Hill, bought the Oval site and gave it to Lambeth Council for a public garden.

Next to the library is an open space called Windrush Square. One object to note here is an old milestone at the entrance to the garden from the main road. It used to stand on the opposite side of the road where the Town Hall is, so it shows the distances to the Royal Exchange and Whitehall, but not to Croydon or Brighton.

ST MATTHEWS PEACE GARDEN

Coming out of the Oval and facing the Town Hall cross by the lights to the tip of the "Brixton Village" garden. This triangular green was the burial ground of St. Matthew's Church. It was later grassed over and laid out as a "peace garden".

BUDD MEMORIAL

The first thing you see in the garden is a very large and curious stone monument. Erected by Henry Budd in 1825 it is the burial place of his father Richard Budd and others of the family. It was described by a writer of that time as “without doubt the finest sepulchral monument in the open air in the metropolis, and perhaps not equalled by any one in the kingdom.” You can certainly say that the design of this memorial in the heart of Brixton is unique.

ST MATTHEW'S CHURCH

Walk up the garden. The building in front of you has been a very important one in Brixton's life. It was consecrated in 1824 as St. Matthew's Church and in the following year a new Parish District of "St. Matthew, Brixton" was created. This gave Brixton an identity. Stand well back to view the building. The architect, C.F.Porden, made history in another way. Over the previous century new parish churches had been built with a classical Greek pillared portico at the western end with bell tower and steeple more or less on top of it. Not always a happy mixture. In planning the Brixton church Porden broke with tradition and put his tower at the east (Effra Road) end so as not to spoil the beauty of the portico at the west end.

INTERIOR

The interior of the building had become unsuitable for modern church use and it has been adapted for activities by the local community as well as for use by St. Matthew's Parish Church and another church, the New Testament Assembly. In its new role the building became "St. Matthew's Meeting Place" and later “Brixton Village” and now “The Brix”. The building also houses a restaurant and a wine bar.

You can go into the building but do not expect a “church” interior. As you come out turn left and make your way around the side of the church and leave the garden, turning right into Effra Road and walk a few yards up to the traffic lights. Cross to the island and make for the lights on your right. Walk a few yards along the pavement and then turn left into the quiet of St. Matthew's Road.

ST MATTHEW'S ROAD

Before you go along this road have a look at the first house of the red-brick terrace on your right - the colourful late 19th century Baltic House - including its back which faces Brixton Hill.

St. Matthew's Road was one of the first residential roads to be laid out in Brixton. Nos. 1, 3 and 5 on the left are three survivors of the original houses in this road; they date from the 1820s. Two contrasting styles of modern housing follow. A late 1950s slab on the left and a softer looking new sheltered homes block on the right. Trinity Congregational Church on the left has an 1828 foundation stone. At the end of the road turn left into Brixton Water Lane. If you make a short detour to the right you will come across Brixton Dispensary. This was founded in 1850 to provide charitable medical help to the area.

BRIXTON WATER LANE

Walk on the right hand side of the road. Just past Crownstone Road you will notice on the left side behind the shops some cottages (nos. 43-49) of the 1830s. No. 51, of the same age, sports a classical pediment but has been much altered. Turn right into Josephine Avenue.

JOSEPHINE AVENUE

This is a road of late Victorian houses with long gardens on both sides of the road. Thanks to the Rush Common building restrictions, explained later, here is a spacious tree-lined avenue. Its mature trees include horse chestnut, lime, plane and a particularly venerable old oak about half way along on the right. Where Josephine Avenue starts to bear right look up the short Helix Gardens on your left - this is laid out in the same way. It may help you to understand better what you see on this walk if at this point you read about Rush Common.

RUSH COMMON

An area on the east side of Brixton Hill was once wasteland known as Rush or Rushy Common or Rushey Green. An Act of Parliament in 1806 enclosed waste lands of Brixton and Norwood. This Act allowed development but provided for "proscribed lands" on which nothing could be erected. These proscribed lands consist of a wide strip along the entire length of the east side of Brixton Hill, and strips of varying width along each side of Effra Road, Josephine Avenue and Helix Gardens. The old common land between the proscribed lands has long since been built over and when people talk today of Rush Common they usually mean these remaining strips of open land.

The biggest tracts of Rush Common land are those along the east side of Brixton Hill. For many years most of this land consisted of privately owned long front gardens surrounded (illegally) by walls. Lambeth Council started to acquire this land with the long-term aim of creating a continuous strip of open grassed or wooded land wherever possible.

In 1947 Parliament gave power to the local authority to enforce the 1806 building restrictions on the proscribed lands, but to consent to building if it considered it right.

BRIXTON HILL

Coming out of Josephine Avenue into Brixton Hill you will notice on your right the front gardens of a short row of houses on Brixton Hill. These are an example of unliberated Rush Common. Turn left into Brixton Hill. The shops on your left come right up to the pavement, in spite of the building restrictions. Behind the shop premises of no. 95 is a small house; it is a listed building of the late 18th century, possibly the oldest remaining building in Brixton. It was because of the existence of this old cottage that the neighbouring houses and shops came to be built, and to remain, on Rush Common land.

CINEMA

The domed premises at no. 101 Brixton Hill, now a camping shop, started life in 1911 as a cinema. The auditorium has been demolished except for parts of its walls which can be seen from the side roads. On your left the front gardens between Fairmount and Beechdale Roads have happily been converted by Lambeth Council into open spaces, with parking for residents of the terraced houses.

On the right side of Brixton Hill, opposite Beechdale Road, is a group of four fairly large houses - early mid-19th century survivors. Between this group and the George IV is the entrance to the Waterworks. The Waterworks were started in 1834 but the present buildings are more modern. On the left the strip between Beechdale and Endymion Roads is open land.

BRIXTON PRISON

Looking up Jebb Avenue, on the right, you can see, past the flats on the left side, the walls of Brixton Prison. It dates from 1820 but about all that is left of the original "Brixton House of Correction" is the two storey eight-sided house where the first governor would have lived. Today most of the prisoners are on remand. Delays in bringing cases to trial mean that unconvicted prisoners often have to spend many months in this overcrowded jail. More of the prison is seen later on the walk.

RENTON CLOSE

Past Jebb Avenue is Renton Close, an interesting example of a good early London County Council housing estate, built as "Briscoe's Buildings" in 1906. On your left, Rush Common is represented by an open green tree-bordered space fronting Tudor Close. This green and pleasant land was originally laid out as tennis courts, but these fell into disuse and nature has reasserted itself, with trees and shrubs encroaching on the former lawns.

ARCHBISHOP'S PLACE

Turn left into Somers Road. On your right is a more extensive tract of the Common. When you reach The King of Sardinia turn left into Archbishop's Place, a quiet cul-de-sac with pairs of small houses of about 1830. They were reputedly built for staff of The Elms, a large old house which stood halfway along the present Elm Park. It is worth walking to the end. Take the same route back to Brixton Hill but just past Hyperion House on your left, turn left and continue walking up Brixton Hill. This piece of Rush Common was the first part to be laid out as open space in the 1950s by Wandsworth Borough Council.

TELEGRAPHY

Across the road notice the Telegraph pub. High up on the front gable is a representation of an old semaphore telegraph. Shortly after 1815 experimental apparatus was set up near here. This might have become the site for one of a chain of hilltop telegraph stations linking London with Portsmouth but the Admiralty decided to use a different and shorter route. Morse's magnetic telegraph, shown on the pub's signboard, was a later invention.

NEW PARK ROAD

Cross at the crossing near Holmewood Road, go along Morrish Road and turn right into New Park Road. There are several pairs of small early 19th century houses, many of them now shops. Richard Atkins Primary School, on your left, deserves a good look. It was built in 1897 by the London School Board as "Brixton Hill School". Opposite the school note the parish boundary marker on the wall of a former bakers. This marks the junction of Clapham, Streatham and Lambeth parishes. Turn left into Lyham Road.

LYHAM ROAD

Immediately on your left is the new All Saints Church with sheltered housing complex next door. In this road, as well as the roads leading off it, all the houses, shops and pubs are small and homely and recall a past age. Some homes have been refurbished. Those which are new harmonise perfectly. The road is better seen than described. At the first bend in the road are a few shops on the left and on the right is the back of the prison. At the end of the prison buildings go through a small and inconspicuous open gate into what is the other end of Jebb Avenue which you saw from Brixton Hill. From here you can see more of the prison.

Carry on down Lyham Road which continues to wind. There are charming little houses, old and new, on both sides of the road. A few doors past the small Red Lion on the right look through the waterworks gateway for a view of the windmill tower and sails against the sky.

WINDMILL

About 20 yards after the last house (no. 143) on the right turn round to admire the windmill mural on the side wall of the house. To the left of it you have another view of the real thing. Walk on, and a few yards before the Duke of Cornwall turn right, passing a row of shops, and go forward along the broad walk through the low rise Blenheim Gardens Estate until you see the windmill again on your right. Follow a path straight into Windmill Gardens.

This is the nearest windmill to central London. The mill was built for John Ashby in 1817 and remained in the Ashby family till the end. First driven by wind, it was later powered by gas. Milling ceased in 1934. It has been refitted with sails and machinery for a wind driven mill and makes an interesting study. The windmill is maintained by Lambeth.

BRIXTON HILL AGAIN

On leaving the windmill enclosure through the iron gates turn right, follow the road (Blenheim Gardens) and turn left into Brixton Hill. If you walk a few yards up the next turning on the left you can see on the opposite side of Brixton Hill the red pantiled roof and the top part of no. 95, mentioned earlier, and a better view of the front of the ex-cinema at no. 101.

WHITE HORSE

Continue down Brixton Hill. The large Victorian White Horse on your left replaced an earlier White Horse inn which provided accommodation and stabling for travellers on the Brighton road over at least a century.

The big red church at the corner of Trent Road - Corpus Christi (1886 - 1904) - is really the eastern part (chancel and transepts) of what was intended to be a much larger building but which was never completed. Its architect was J.F.Bentley who later built Westminster Cathedral.

RUSH COMMON AGAIN

Crossing Brixton Hill and going left you can enjoy a walk over another tract of Rush Common. This one is well wooded. Some of the bigger trees were formerly in gardens of large houses which backed onto St. Matthew's Road before St. Matthew's Estate was built. Here is a mixture of mature trees, mostly of native origin. They include yew, sycamore, hawthorn, ash and the evergreen holm oak. Opposite Hayter Road you can see a Lombardy poplar, a bay tree and several locust trees. Further on you may spot a weeping holm-oak, a weeping ash and (conveniently) a handkerchief tree. This area has now been signposted as a tree trail.

The end of this section of Rush Common brings you almost back to the one-way system where this trail ends with a good view of St. Matthew's Church. It is of interest that after the 1806 Act another Act of Parliament was needed in 1821 for the church to be built on Rush Common land.

NOTES:
Please record comments, additional points of interest you have noted, or changes which have recently taken place. Please forward any comments to the Brixton Society Secretary: Alan Piper

 

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