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2 Form and character of the conservation area Spatial character Architectural character Areas of distinct character Materials and details Areas of neutral character 2 Form and character of the conservation area The character of the Spatial character conservation area is that There are four wide, tree-lined of a large Victorian suburb roads running from north to for the wealthy middle south through the conservation classes. The area developed area: Wickham, Breakspears, with the older buildings Tressillian and Tyrwhitt Roads, and these contain the grandest to the north and the later houses and villas. ones to the south. This section outlines the spaces Smaller streets with only slightly and layout which underlie more modest housing bisect these Views across rear gardens. the conservation area’s roads. This layout is due to the Rear elevations can be seen where speculative nature of development, streets are bisected by other streets . overall character where not all the land was available for building or land was under different ownership. Some streets can still be seen to follow the edges of land boundaries. Views across Gardens back on to each other or Darling Road rear gardens on to mews. Where roads bisect can be seen the main roads there are views at road junctions across the rear elevations and into verdant gardens. Houses and even terraces have open space between them to the sides allowing views Avon Road through to gardens and beyond. Tyrwhitt Road Road Tyrwhitt Most houses have good sized front Drake Road gardens and long rear gardens A typical street layout 13 Brockley conservation area character appraisal Mews Rear gardens are generally very long. Where the smaller side roads The mews are unmade service bisect the four largest roads, long, roads running behind houses in plain, stock-brick garden walls of some of the larger streets such as roughly 5–6 feet high close off Wickham Road and Breakspears the end gardens. These long, Road. The historic maps show uninterrupted garden walls are a that development in the mews, particularly characteristic feature such as stabling, was never of Brockley conservation area. widespread. Today the mews A handful of garden walls are are leafy lanes containing many A typical umade road with grass, pierced by simple timber gates trees and garages mature trees, single-storey leading to small garages. A survey garages and views to the rear of ‘corner sites’ undertaken in elevations of the tall Victorian October 2003 showed that 40% houses across their long gardens. of houses whose gardens have direct access on to the street have no development in them. Gardens Most Victorian housing in the area has front gardens and rear gardens of good size. Many front gardens display the remains of Modern mews houses in a row of lime trees, probably Breakspears Mews planted when the houses were built. Few original front garden walls remain, but where they do, they are sturdily built of stock brick sometimes with thick carved stone copings. Equally rare are the original York stone paths or the early 20th-century tiled paths to the front door. A historic front boundary treatment 14 Public spaces and vegetation The largest public open space in the conservation area is Hilly Fields. Hilly Fields has a special relationship to the houses surrounding it as these were designed to overlook the park. Hilly Fields Crescent seen from Hilly Fields is the highest point in Hilly Fields the conservation area and gives excellent, wide-ranging views. This large, sloping, grassy park with its mature trees and wide-open feel gives this particular part of the area a distinctly rural appearance. Mature trees in Hilly Fields Small areas of green space also Gardens is a grassy island in a exist at Wickham Gardens off cul-de-sac and not easily seen Wickham Road; the Memorial from Wickham Road. St Margaret’s Gardens, Lewisham Way and St Square is a rectangular sunken A view through Tyrwhitt Road to Hilly Fields (note the vegetation in the Margaret’s Square in front of Nos garden situated in front of a front gardens) 34–50 Adelaide Avenue. Wickham group of houses and was probably originally a private garden for these houses. These green spaces are all protected from development under the London Squares Act 1932. Street trees are prolific in the area and they greatly enhance the leafy suburban feel. Many front gardens are planted with hedges or shrubs and these, along with the rear gardens seen from the side streets, contribute to a spacious and green character. Wickham Gardens 15 Brockley conservation area character appraisal Relationship to surrounding areas and views Hilly Fields gives good views through the conservation area due to its elevated position. Particularly good are views through Tyrwhitt Road to St Johns Church and Canary Wharf; views down Chalsey Road and across to Peckham Rye; and down to Adelaide Avenue. Another excellent view is through Wickham Road which is more than 1km long and absolutely straight. The tall spire of St Andrew’s Church is seen at the southern end and Friendly Street in the adjacent St John’s conservation area can just be discerned at the northern end. The junction of Upper Brockley Road with Vulcan Road also contains a spectacular view towards the former Croydon Canal, with its heavily wooded steep cutting which is now a nature reserve ,and up to Telegraph Hill. Brockley conservation area views View south-west through A typical street view including garden Chalsey Road walls, garden trees and shrubs as well as street trees 16 Architectural character All the historic buildings in the conservation area make a positive contri­ bution to its character. Because of this, they are seen as important and the demolition or unsympathetic alteration Lea House, Lewisham Way of any of them would be detrimental to the St Peter’s Church character and integrity Lea House, Lewisham Way (Grade II) of the conservation area. A continuation of the listed group However, some are above, but now interrupted by undoubtedly of more Marie Lloyd Place. architectural significance than others. These are outlined here. St Peter’s Church, Wickham Road (Grade II). Built in 1866–70 by Frederick 160-186 Lewisham Way Marrable, with octagon at rear by Sir Arthur Blomfield (1890). 160–186 Lewisham Way (Grade II) This is the largest group of listed buildings within the conservation area. They are among the oldest, with No 186 having reputedly been constructed in the late 1840s. 17 Brockley conservation area character appraisal Former Deptford Central Library St Andrew’s church, Brockley Road Prendergast School murals, Eastern Road St Andrew’s Church, Brockley Telephone boxes Road (Grade II) (Grade II) A United Reformed Church built There are three K2 telephone in 1882. Has a 170-foot spire. boxes on the Lewisham way frontage of the conservation area. Former Deptford, Lewisham These are located at the junctions Way Central Library (Grade II) with Wickham Road, Breakspears The library was the gift of John Road and Tyrwhitt Road. There is Carnegie and built by H. Brumwell also one K2 box in Wickham Road Thomas in 1914. Now used as a at the corner of Brockley Road. community arts centre. Prendergast School, Eastern Road (Grade II) Telephone box This was originally the West Kent Grammar School, built in 1884–5 by Charles Evans. It contains murals by Charles Mahoney, Evelyn Dunbar, Mildred Eldridge and Violet Martin dating from 1833–36, which are considered important examples of 20th­ century mural paintings. 18 37 and 37a Rokeby Road Lewisham College, A mid 19th-century three-bay villa, Tressillian Building with two storeys and a basement, Lewisham Way and stucco with a low pitched roof. This was built by by Hiorns There is a loggia at the front with and Forest for London County an ornamental cast iron railing and Council’s Architecture Department hood. Locally listed. in 1927–31. 70 Rokeby Road Deptford War Memorial, 37 and 37a Rokeby Road Early to mid 19th-century two- junction of Lewisham Way storey detached house with a and Upper Brockley Road three bay frontage. Built from Designed and built in 1921 by yellow stock brick with stucco William Richards, the memorial dressings. It has a low pitched takes the form of an obelisk with hipped roof. Locally listed. a life-size soldier and sailor in First World War uniform. The Memorial The Red House, 53 Gardens were bought and named Wickham Road shortly after. An early Arts and Crafts-style detached house. Built for Kersey 70 Rokeby Road & Knight Solictors in 1879. 42 Wickham Road A large detached house with stucco front and parapet roof, c1870. Lewisham College, Breakspears Building, Lewisham College, Breakspears Breakspears Road Building, Breakspears Road The Red House, 53 Wickham Road Brutal concrete architecture. Its form is a simple, flat-roofed concrete block divided by smaller blocks with rounded corners to create the window openings. Lewisham College, Tressilian Building, 42 Wickham Road Lewisham Way 19 Brockley conservation area character appraisal St Peter’s Church Hall 1, 2 and 3 Coulgate Street Cranfield Road These labourers’ cottages were This was constructed in 1879 as built in 1833 and are the oldest the church hall for St Peter’s buildings in the conservation Church. Its construction is brick area. Currently proposed for with stone dressings. local listing. Hilly Fields Stones The Wickham Arms A stone monument erected to 69 Upper Brockley Road mark the year 2000, comprising Imposing building located 12 giant granite boulders from opposite the former Lord Scotland, forming an ellipse. Wolseley. Built mid 19th-century. Can be used as a sundial with the viewer acting as a gnomon.

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