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From Wikitravel

Lambeth is a district of inner southwest London.

[edit] Understand

Lambeth was traditionally a largely deprived area of Inner London with very dense housing. However, than began to cvhange in the 1990s as the inevitable gentrification that was so apparent in just about all of inner London also manifested itself here.

Brixton is a colourful, unique urban area that is like nowhere else in London. Brixton has a mix of residents, ranging from people that have lived in the district for generations to new residents that have moved prompted by a new trendy image that it has gained. It is a multi-ethnic community, with around 24 percent of the population being of African and/or Caribbean descent, giving rise to Brixton being called the unofficial capital of the British African-Caribbean community in London.

The diverse population originates from the 1940s and 50s, when Britain invited large numbers from the West Indies to fill the job gaps. It still has an edgy reputation left over from the race riots in the 80 and 90s and the easy availability of drugs.

There is a thriving scene for clubbing and live music. There are also several markets stretching across the town where you can pick up all manner of exotic foods, textiles and jewellery. It also well known for its nightlife, particularly Brixton Academy and the Fridge along with many other interesting bars, pubs and clubs to explore which easily takes you through to dawn.

Herne Hill is a tiny village-type area on the corner of Brockwell Park.

Kennington is a mixed class residential area, and is the location of the The Oval, the well-known cricket stadium. Kennington appears in Domesday Book of 1086 as Chenintune. It was held by Teodric (Theodoric) the Goldsmith. It rendered: 1 hide and 3 virgates; 3 ploughs, 4 acres (16,000 m2) of meadow. It rendered £3. Edward III gave the manor of Kennington to his oldest son Edward "the Black Prince" in 1337, and the prince then built a large royal palace between what is now Black Prince Road and Sancroft Street. Geoffrey Chaucer was employed at Kennington as Clerk of Works in 1389. He was paid 2 shillings. Much of this area of Kennington continues to be owned by the current monarch's elder son to the present day.

Kennington Park (laid out by Victorian architect James Pennethorne) and St Mark's Churchyard now cover the site of Kennington Common. In 1746 the Surrey County Gallows at the southern end of the common was used for the execution of nine leaders of the Jacobite rebellion of 1745. The Common was also where the Chartists gathered for their biggest demonstration in 1848. "The Gymnastic Society" met regularly at Kennington Common during the second half of the eighteenth century to play football. The Society - arguably the world's first Football club - consisted of London-based natives of Cumberland and Westmoreland.

Kennington Park Road and Clapham Road is a long and straight stretch of road because it follows the old Roman Stane Street. This ran down from the Roman London Bridge to Chichester via the gap in the North Downs at Box Hill near Dorking. Another Roman road branched off opposite Kennington Road and went down through what is now Kennington Park and down the Brixton Road. It carried on through the North Downs near Caterham to Hassocks, just north of the South Downs.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By tube

The district is serviced by the following tube stations:

• Brixton (Victoria line)
• Stockwell (Victoria line)
• Lambeth North (Bakerloo line)
• Vauxhall (Victoria line)
• Elephant and Castle (Bakerloo and Northern lines)
• Kennington (Northern line)
• Oval (Northern line)
• Clapham North (Northern line)

[edit] By train

Brixton station (a three minute walk from the Tube station) Herne Hill station Vauxhall station

[edit] By bus

• 2 (Marble Arch - Brixton - West Norwood)
• 3 (Oxford Circus - Brixton - Crystal Palace)
• 196 (Vauxhall - Brixton - South Norwood)
• 109 (Croydon - Streatham - Brixton)
• 159 (Marble Arch - Brixton - Streatham)

There are also several Night Buses serving Lambeth including:

• N3 (Oxford Circus - Brixton - Crystal Palace - Bromley North)
• N159 (Oxford Circus - Streatham - New Addington)

[edit][add listing] See

• Brockwell Park, Herne Hill (From town walk up Effra Rd, take a left into Brixton Water Ln, and look out for entrance on the right), [1]. Daily. A large hilly green park, 10-minute walk from the centre of Brixton. Has the following facilities: Brockwell Lido, children's play area, paddling pool, café, flower gardens, sports facilities, toilets and several ponds. Brockwell Park also has a BMX track, but it will not be used for the Olympics 2012 BMX Racing as a dedicated track is being built in the Olympic Village. Free.  edit

• Charles Chaplin plaque, 287 Kennington Rd. Charles Chaplin lived with his mother in various addresses in and around Kennington Rd in Lambeth, including 3 Pownall Terrace, Chester St and 39 Methley St and briefly lived with his father and his mistress, Louise, at 287 Kennington Rd where a plaque now commemorates the fact. After Chaplin's mother was admitted to the Cane Hill Asylum, her son was left in the workhouse at Renfrew Rd in Kennington.  edit

• Lambeth Palace, Lambeth Palace SE1 7JU (tube: Lambeth North), [2]. Library Exhibition only: May-July, M-S 10AM-5PM.. The palace hs been the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury since the 13th century. Guided tours of Lambeth Palace are incredibly popular and there has been a substantial waiting list for some years . However, the Treasures of Lambeth Palace Library exhibition will be open to the general public in 2010 and will show some remarkable treasures including an original Gutenburg Bible and the 9th century MacDurnan Gospels. £8 for the Libray Exhibition.  edit

• Kennington Park, Kennington Park Rd, SE11 4BE (tube: Oval), [3]. Small London park with some lovely tended gardens.  edit

• Museum of Garden History, Lambeth Palace Rd SE1 7LB (tube:Lambeth North), ☎ +44 20 7401 8865 (info@gardenmuseum.org.uk), [4]. Daily 10.30AM-5PM. In an old chrch which is also hosted the tomb of Captain Bligh of The Bounty mutiny fame. THe museum charts the history of garden design and gardening. £6, under 16s free..  edit

[edit][add listing] Do

• Brixton Academy, 211 Stockwell Rd, [5]. Live music venue for audiences as large as 4,000 in a beautiful Art Deco building.  edit

• Brixton Tours, [6]. Specialises in one hour tours of Brixton, taking in the history, culture and local attractions of this part of London. £10 for group tours. £20 for one to one tours.  edit

• Brixton Audio Tour, [7]. Alex Wheatle, the Brixton Bard, takes you on a personal journey through the vibrant streets of Brixton that have been his inspiration.  edit

• Brockwell Lido, [8].  edit

• Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road SE1 6HZ, ☎ +44 20 7416 5320 (mail@iwm.org.uk), [9]. An afternoon's worth of British military history. The same institution owns the Central London HMS Belfast (South Bank, a WWII cruiser, now a floating museum extensive enough to satisfy the most warlike husband or son), Cabinet War Rooms and Duxford Air Museum (Cambridgeshire) (an airbase a day trip from London with five hangars of historic aircraft). Free except some temporary exhibitions.  edit

• The Oval (The Britoval, Kennington Oval), Kennington SE11 5SS (tube: Oval), ☎ 08712 461100 (enquiries@surreycricket.com), [10]. The second home of English cricket in London after Lords. You will find getting a ticket to a match involving England very difficult but Surrey play their home games here and tickets are nearly always available for those.  edit

• Stockwell Skate Park, Stockwell Park Walk. Also ironically named Brixton Beach, this free skate park was originally built in 1970s. Both skateboarders and BMXers can regularly be seen riding or simply hanging out on the edges.  edit

[edit][add listing] Buy

• Brixton Markets. M Tu, Th-Sa 8AM-6PM, W 8AM-5PM. Brixton Market consists of several different parts. The main section is Electric Avenue, selling mainly fruit, vegetables and meat, which also has a very good Chinese supermarket. On Pope's Road you will find clothes and bric-a-brac. You will find more indoor markets around the area such as: Brixton Village (between Pope's Road and Coldharbour Lane), Reliance Arcade (between Brixton Road and Electric Lane) and Granville Arcade (running between Electric Lane and Atlantic Road). These sell everything from wigs, clothes, pets, exotic foods and coffee.  edit

• Nubian Natural Retail Store & Therapy Centre, 1&3 Vining St, ☎ +44 20 7733 8277. M-Sa 11AM-6:30PM. A stylish boutique store selling natural body care, unusual jewellery, books and natural supplements. Offers a great service in a classy environment. Body care range has reputation for being effective and good value for money. Recently opened a therapy centre offering beauty treatments and massage therapies.  edit

• The Kennington Bookshop, [11].  edit

[edit][add listing] Eat

There are many different types of food available in Brixton, from Caribbean to Eritrean and fish and chips to noodles. You will find most of the restaurants on Coldharbour Ln and Atlantic Rd. Here are few noted establishments. Clapham High St has a good selection of restaurants.

• Asmara, 386 Coldharbour Lane (Facing the Dogstar), ☎ +44 20 7737 4144. 5:30PM-12:30AM. Small friendly restaurant serving interesting Eritrean food.  edit

• Bruno's (formerly Cafe Pushkar), 424 Coldharbour Ln, ☎ +44 20 7738 6161. A vegetarian and organic licenced cafe right in the centre of Brixton.  edit

• Eco Pizza (formerly Pizzeria Franco), 4 Market Row Electric Ln, ☎ +44 20 7738 3021, [12]. Until 5PM. Tasty reasonable priced pizzas, calzones and sandwiches using fresh ingredients.  edit

• Fujiyama, 7 Vining St, ☎ +44 20 7737 2369, [13]. M-Sa noon-1AM, Su noon-midnight. As a Japanese noodle bar, the food is similar to Wagamama's but this is a much smaller and friendlier place. It is very good value for money, for about £6 you get a plate of noodles that will fill up any big appetite. They have ramen, bento boxes, don buri, miso soups, pan fried noodles and various curry and rice dishes. They also do some freshly squeezed juices along with the usual beers, wines and sake.  edit

• Ichiban Sushi, 58a Atlantic Rd. M-Sa noon-10:30PM. Great freshly prepared sushi and tofu dishes.  edit

• Negril, 132 Brixton Hill. M-W 10AM-6PM, Th-Sa 10AM-10PM,Su 10AM-6PM. Jamaican restaurant that serves traditional Jerk chicken and Caribbean curries. Most of the food is organic and they make their own fresh fruit juice. Reasonable priced and has lovely patio area.  edit

• Number 22, 22 Half Moon Lane (tube: Herne Hill, next to Brockwell Park). M-F 5PM-11PM, Sa-Su noon-11PM. Spanish cuisine and cocktails in a small and comfortable setting and even has a courtyard in the back. Great paella!  edit

• El Panzon, Dog Star, 389 Coldharbour Ln, ☎ +44 20 7924 9888, [14]. For some of the tastiest Mexican food in London. Specialising in tacos and burritos, they also offer a selection of authentic Mexican dishes. Very cheap eating!  edit

• Pizza Express, [15].  edit

• Satay Bar, 447 Coldharbour Ln (tube: Brixton), ☎ +44 20 7326 5001. M-Th noon-11PM, F noon-1AM, Sa 1PM-1AM, Su 5PM-1AM. Brixton's longest running restaurant, specialising in Indonesian, Malaysian, Thai cuisine. Also has a cocktail bar and lounge with extensive cocktail list and premium drinks menu. Located next to the Ritzy Cinema. Probably Brixton's busiest restaurant. Run's many specials including lunch special at £4.95.  edit

• Wang Fa, 208 Coldharbour Ln (Next to Loughborough Junction Railway Station), [16]. M-Sa noon-10:30PM. Authentic Chinese and Japanese cuisine. Bento boxes, pad Thai, mizo, spare ribs.  edit

[edit][add listing] Drink

Brixton has the advantage that every night you can stay out drinking later than almost anywhere else in London. Even on a Sunday, there are plenty of bars open until 2AM if you really do not want the weekend to end. The more interesting and local bars are dotted down backstreets.

[edit] Pubs

• Duke Of Edinburgh, Ferndale Rd. Only really worth going if the weather is sunny, as the pub itself is nothing to write home about. Step out through the back and you will find a massive beer garden, and the only thing waking you to the reality that you are still in Brixton is the trains that clatter by every 15 minutes or so.  edit

• The Effra, 38a Kellett Rd, ☎ +44 20 7274 4180. A winning combination of great Guinness, a friendly mixed crowd and superb live jazz on weekdays and Sundays.  edit

• The Grovenor, 17 Sidney St. Fabulous old school boozer with two bars and a pool table. There is large function room at the back with a growing reputation for putting on interesting rock, reggae and punk acts.  edit

• Mango Landin, 40 St Matthews Rd, ☎ +44 20 7737 3044. This place is far more successful than its former Russian incarnation, Babushka's. It manages to balance nightlife and families quite well. It is packed out on the weekends, with varied DJs and occasional Tango lessons on a weekdays. There is a organic veg stall on the weekend, and seems to be very family friendly (there is always kids tearing around on the weekend). Overall a nice little pub, no attitude, no bouncers, no charge to get in, and little eccentricity.  edit

• Marquis of Lorne, 36 49a Dalyell Rd, ☎ +44 20 7274 1638. Sporting an immaculate and beautifully preserved exterior, this quiet pub deserves to be much better known.  edit

• Prince Albert, 416 Coldharbour Ln. A local favourite that still stubbornly remains a simple pub, without succumbing to standard London bar makeover. Good atmosphere with plenty of places to sit down inside plus a tiny outside beer garden, which is nice in the summer. Opens for normal pub hours.  edit

• Prince of Wales/Dex, 469 Coldharbour Ln, ☎ +44 20 7501 9061. The downstairs pub has a late licence while the exquisitely restored upstairs Dex Club is a members only affair and well worth a visit. There is also a boutique hotel on the top floor. In the boozer, there's free wi-fi with any bar purchase, making it a good place for daytime meetings.  edit

• Windmill, 22 Blenheim Gardens (Off Brixton Hill), ☎ +44 20 8671 0700, [17]. A bit of a trek from the Brixton tube (about 15 minutes walk), but it's a gem worth discovering. This small pub regularly hosts live music from up and coming bands, in the past seeing Bloc Party before they hit big time. Sunday nights they have DJs. Usually only about £3 to get in.  edit

[edit] Bars and clubs

• Babalou (Formerly Bug Bar), (Under St. Matthew's Church, Brixton Hill), ☎ +44 20 7738 3184. Until 2AM (3AM on Sa). Plays a mixture of jazz/hip-hop/funk and house in this cosy underground venue. Has regular guest DJs and special nights. Admission is charged on the weekends, and expect big queues after 9pm. In the summer there is outside seating, but make sure you get a stamp on weekends, so you get back in free.  edit

• Brixtonian Havana, Beehive Pl (By the Brixton Recreation Centre). One of the few late, free bars on the weekend. It is famous for its bewildering selection of rums, and you will probably exit with a lighter wallet and head than when you walked in. It can get very busy on the weekends.  edit

• Dogstar, 389 Coldharbour Ln, ☎ +44 20 7733 7515, [18]. Su-Th till 2AM, F Sa till 4AM. One of Brixton's long time favourites and worth a visit for a night out. It still runs an eclectic mix of dance music, covering hip-hop, reggae, r&b, ska and house. Has dance floor, big old sofas and screen for sports matches. Upstairs there is Moca (Caribbean restaurant) and a third floor to hire out for private parties. Admission free weekdays, charges on weekends.  edit

• Fridge Bar, 1 Town Hall Parade, Brixton Hill (Next to the Fridge nightclub), ☎ +44 20 7326 5100. Until 2AM weekdays and until 11AM on weekends. This has a very stylish bar upstairs, with a chilled out atmosphere, downstairs however is the gloomy, sleazy dance floor which depending on your mood you may love or hate. Music selection is a mix of R&B, soul and hip-hop. Admission is charged on the weekends. Credit cards are not accepted. Security, while friendly, is tight. You will be searched upon entering the bar.  edit

• Tongue and Groove, 50 Atlantic Rd, ☎ +44 20 7274 8600. W-Su 7PM-3AM. A long slender bar flanked with comfy leather seating, for slumping on after a long day. The cocktail bar is good, but very expensive (including bottled beers). It charges on the weekends, it is best to make the most of the quieter times in the week. Has one of the swankiest toilets in this part of town.  edit

• White Horse, 94 Brixton Hill, Brixton. Until 3AM on weekends. Typical London pub with outdoor area and pool table. Serves food. DJs usually play Funk music on the dance floor (although you should expect it to be crowded on Fri and Sat after 11). No entry fee.  edit

[edit] Gay and Lesbian

• The Royal Vauxhall Tavern, [19]. A landmark. Features the Dame Edna Experience on Sundays.  edit

[edit][add listing] Sleep

Surprisingly, Brixton has very little in the way of accommodation, and you are more likely to be staying in Victoria (10-15 minutes on tube or train).

• Belgrave Hotel, 13 Clapham Rd, ☎ +44 20 7793 0142. Nice little economy hotel with friendly staff. Very simple clean rooms.  edit

• Chelsea Guest House, 13 Clapham Rd, ☎ +44 20 7793 0142. Nice little economy hotel with friendly staff. Very simple clean rooms.  edit

• Church Street Hotel, 29 Camberwell Church St (Two miles from the Brixton tube station, bus goes from Brixton Academy to right by the hotel), ☎ +44 20 7703 5984. Small beautifully decorated boutique hotel.  edit

• London Hotel, 411 Coldharbour Ln, ☎ +44 20 7737 0837. Small budget hotel.  edit

• No 7 Guesthouse, 7 Josephine Avenue (A ten minute walk from Brixton tube). A bed and breakfast run by a friendly gay couple.  edit

[edit] Contact

• Aa's Communication Internet Cafe, 248 Kennington Park Road, ☎ +44 20 7820 8946.  edit

• Apollo Home Entertainment, 400-402 Brixton Road, ☎ +44 20 7733 8330. A video/DVD hire shop which has branched out into providing internet access.  edit

• Internet Exchange, Brixton Library, Brixton Oval (Next to Ritzy Cinema), ☎ +44 20 7926 1056, [20]. M 1PM-8PM, Tu Th 10AM-8PM, W F 10AM-6PM, Sa 9AM-5PM, Su noon-5PM. Free use of computers for internet and word processing, although you may have to queue. No food or drink.  edit

[edit] Stay safe

There are many drug dealers (marijuana, cocaine) that will approached visitors as soon as they get off the tube at Brixton. Buying from them will likely get you arrested, ripped off or scammed (for example oregano instead of pot). It's highly recommended that you don't deal with these individuals.

At night, stick to well-lit, busy areas if possible. Brixton is generally quite safe but wandering down any poorly lit backstreets in London is always a risk.

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!