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History of Streatham
Streatham means the Hamlet on the Street i.e. Street Ham. Wealthy merchants moved to the area and built grand houses in the 18th century, enjoying living in a rural area while remaining close to London. Streatham grew in popularity when a Spa was opened in the late 17th century and continued to attract residents looking for a quieter and less polluted area well into the 19th century, even when Spas were no longer fashionable as advances in modern medicine were made.
The A23 leading to Brighton, around which much of the development of Streatham sprang from, was a road originally built by the Romans. St Leonard’s church, a landmark in the area dates back to medieval times although the tower is the only remaining original part of the church.
A large Georgian house (now demolished) called Streatham Park was at one point leased by the Prime Minister Lord Shelburne and was the place where the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783. Park Hill, a grand house built by the Leaf family in the 19th century still stands and was later the residence of Sir Henry Tate benefactor of many libraries and Tate Britain.
As most areas around London, urbanisation progressed rapidly with the building of railways as the British economy thrived in the 19th century and population increased dramatically.
Today, Streatham has a very diverse community, with many communities. It has strong afro-Caribbean and Indian communities. More recently, there has been a strong influx of asylum seekers and polish nationals. This makes it a place of contrasts as it also has many families living in more affordable large houses which abound in the area from Victorian to 30s houses. There are also many ex-council properties and conversions in some of the large period properties. In 2002, Streatham High street was voted the worst street in London (partially due to the amount of traffic) which has prompted Lambeth to organise a large regeneration programme of the area. Naomi Campbell grew up in Streatham and Cynthia Payne ran her brothel in the area! Generally, the area has very good transport links, a good choice of shops with more specialists shops opening regularly. With its green spaces and many garden properties, it remains an attractive area at more affordable prices.
Transport Links – Visit Transport for London for more information
Streatham – Rail
Streatham Common – Rail
Streatham Hill – Rail
Local Authority
Wandsworth – http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/
Lambeth – http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/
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