Brixton is a district of some 64,000 people in the London Borough of Lambeth. South of the River Thames, it is still within four miles of the centre of London with good transport links. Although known originally as Brixiges Stan, it is referred to in the Domesday Book as Brixiestan. As stan is the old English word for stone, it is reasonable to assume that it relates to some sort of marker.
The old hundred (or district) of Brixiestan was a much larger area than the Brixton of today, incorporating what we now know as the London Boroughs of Southwark, Lambeth and Wandsworth, as well as parts of Merton and Richmond. The village of Brixton didn't come into being until the end of the eighteenth century when much of the woodland was cleared to make way for agriculture.
As the Industrial Revolution reached its peak, the bridges which had started to appear over the River Thames became the means by which wealthier Londoners could flee the grime and chaos of the city at the end of each working day. Residential developments grew up on the south bank of the Thames, and the opening in 1816 of Vauxhall Bridge resulted in a number of new houses being built around Acre Lane. Two other constructions of note were Ashby's Windmill on Brixton Hill (1816) and the Surrey House of Correction (1820). Both are still in existence today.
Brixton thrived during the latter years of the Industrial Revolution. There was another building boom in the 1850s, which saw the development of Angell Town to the east of Brixton Road. This desirable estate of Italianate villas and sweeping crescents changed the face of the area, as did the bridges and viaducts that supported the recently installed railway and tram lines.
As more people moved into the area, shops sprang up to serve the rapidly growing population. The first purpose built department store in the country, Bon March'e, opened its doors in 1877, whilst in the 1880s the famous shopping street Electric Avenue was built. In 1888 it became one of the first to be lit by electricity. By the 1920s, Brixton was considered to have the finest shopping facilities in South London.
Nevertheless, the early twentieth century saw many families moving out of London to leafier suburbs, where they could afford to buy larger houses. The ever improving transport system meant that they could still get to work relatively easily from the Home Counties. Furthermore, the 99 year leaseholds on many properties were coming up for renewal, making tenure a risky proposition.
The empty properties that they left behind were often converted into flats and boarding houses as the local demographic changed. Some were just left to fall into disrepair and this, together with the heavy bombing of World War II, led to many buildings being cleared to make way for social housing.
The first of the African-Caribbean immigrants, who had been invited to the UK to strengthen its labour force, arrived in 1948 on the Empire Windrush. Their first, temporary home was the air raid shelter below Clapham Common tube station. Nearby Brixton, however, offered permanent accommodation and the opportunity to find work, so many decided to remain in the area, changing its dynamic once again.
The old hundred (or district) of Brixiestan was a much larger area than the Brixton of today, incorporating what we now know as the London Boroughs of Southwark, Lambeth and Wandsworth, as well as parts of Merton and Richmond. The village of Brixton didn't come into being until the end of the eighteenth century when much of the woodland was cleared to make way for agriculture.
As the Industrial Revolution reached its peak, the bridges which had started to appear over the River Thames became the means by which wealthier Londoners could flee the grime and chaos of the city at the end of each working day. Residential developments grew up on the south bank of the Thames, and the opening in 1816 of Vauxhall Bridge resulted in a number of new houses being built around Acre Lane. Two other constructions of note were Ashby's Windmill on Brixton Hill (1816) and the Surrey House of Correction (1820). Both are still in existence today.
Brixton thrived during the latter years of the Industrial Revolution. There was another building boom in the 1850s, which saw the development of Angell Town to the east of Brixton Road. This desirable estate of Italianate villas and sweeping crescents changed the face of the area, as did the bridges and viaducts that supported the recently installed railway and tram lines.
As more people moved into the area, shops sprang up to serve the rapidly growing population. The first purpose built department store in the country, Bon March'e, opened its doors in 1877, whilst in the 1880s the famous shopping street Electric Avenue was built. In 1888 it became one of the first to be lit by electricity. By the 1920s, Brixton was considered to have the finest shopping facilities in South London.
Nevertheless, the early twentieth century saw many families moving out of London to leafier suburbs, where they could afford to buy larger houses. The ever improving transport system meant that they could still get to work relatively easily from the Home Counties. Furthermore, the 99 year leaseholds on many properties were coming up for renewal, making tenure a risky proposition.
The empty properties that they left behind were often converted into flats and boarding houses as the local demographic changed. Some were just left to fall into disrepair and this, together with the heavy bombing of World War II, led to many buildings being cleared to make way for social housing.
The first of the African-Caribbean immigrants, who had been invited to the UK to strengthen its labour force, arrived in 1948 on the Empire Windrush. Their first, temporary home was the air raid shelter below Clapham Common tube station. Nearby Brixton, however, offered permanent accommodation and the opportunity to find work, so many decided to remain in the area, changing its dynamic once again.
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