Brixton is a district within the London Borough of Lambeth, and the southern terminus of the Victoria underground line. It is bordered by Stockwell to the north, Clapham to the west, Tulse Hill to the south and Herne Hill to the east. Although its original name appears to be Brixiges Stan, it was referred to in the Domesday Book of 1086 as the hundred (district) of Brixiestan.
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.
The population of the area saw a considerable increase in the early 1800s as the new bridges were raised over the Thames. For the first time, the idea that you could work in London but live in the country became feasible. The building of Vauxhall Bridge in particular, in 1816, resulted in a spate of new and comfortably proportioned houses appearing along Acre Lane.
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.
The shops kept pace with the rising population, and Brixton witnessed the opening of the UK's first department store: Bon March'e. Electric Avenue, an elegant shopping street with glazed canopies, became one of the first thoroughfares to enjoy electrical illumination. By the early twentieth century, Brixton was said to offer the best shopping experience in South London.
The early years of the twentieth century saw the departure of many middle class families to suburbs even further afield. The lower cost of land and improved transport links meant that they could afford larger properties and still travel into work each day.
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.
In 1948, the Empire Windrush brought the first wave of immigrants over from Jamaica. They were temporarily housed in the deep-level air raid shelter beneath Clapham Common tube station, but soon discovered that nearby Brixton offered both accommodation and a labour exchange. The Mayor of Brixton extended to them the warmest of welcomes, and many remained in the area to form the basis of a vibrant new community.
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.
The population of the area saw a considerable increase in the early 1800s as the new bridges were raised over the Thames. For the first time, the idea that you could work in London but live in the country became feasible. The building of Vauxhall Bridge in particular, in 1816, resulted in a spate of new and comfortably proportioned houses appearing along Acre Lane.
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.
The shops kept pace with the rising population, and Brixton witnessed the opening of the UK's first department store: Bon March'e. Electric Avenue, an elegant shopping street with glazed canopies, became one of the first thoroughfares to enjoy electrical illumination. By the early twentieth century, Brixton was said to offer the best shopping experience in South London.
The early years of the twentieth century saw the departure of many middle class families to suburbs even further afield. The lower cost of land and improved transport links meant that they could afford larger properties and still travel into work each day.
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.
In 1948, the Empire Windrush brought the first wave of immigrants over from Jamaica. They were temporarily housed in the deep-level air raid shelter beneath Clapham Common tube station, but soon discovered that nearby Brixton offered both accommodation and a labour exchange. The Mayor of Brixton extended to them the warmest of welcomes, and many remained in the area to form the basis of a vibrant new community.
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