History of Peckham

It's fair to say that Peckham has received it's fair share of criticism due to its reputation as a rundown town with extreme rates of crime and urbanisation, however this doesn't take away the vibrant and elegant place it is today. I'll be finding out the development of Peckham over the centuries.

During the 16th century, Peckham was deemed as a relatively wealthy residential area, home to upper class people such as Sir Thomas Gardyner, owner of Basing Manor located on the corner of Peckham High Street. By the end of the 17th century Peckham was home to around 120 households (round 650 people). Although still officially a hamlet some documents from the time refer to ‘Peckham Town’. This may have been to distinguish Peckham from Peckham Rye, however the term town reflects the increasing urban character of the area. The population continued to grow over the 18th century (1792 recorded 340 households - around 1,850 people).

The area steered more towards a commercial centre in the 18th century, that engrossed industrialists looking to avoid high-priced rent in central London. With the lack of refrigeration, food had to be grown close to its final market and Peckham was ideally situated to allow the large London market on its doorstep. Exotic fruits such as melons, figs and grapes were all grown here. The success of the Peckham farmers is still remembered today in the naming of ‘Melon Road’ just off Peckham High Street.

Although most citizens of Peckham’swere employed on the farm land there was also a brickfield. The clay from this field was used to form bricks. Poverty in this era was extremely common.

Up until around the 19th century, Peckham was deemed as a largely rural area, however the development of the town became noticeable with 'Peckham New Town' district being built in the centre of Peckham Hill Street. Another catastrophic change was down to the vast increase in public transport, allowing railways being fundamental alongside the introduction of horsecars. This encouraged construction of a more modest scale in almost any open space. The increase in accessibility created an influx of young affluent residents, which had a positive knock on effect. Rye Lane became a major shopping street. The bad reputation can

be traced back to the 1970’s when high unemployment and a lack of economic opportunities for residence led to the areas decline with areas In Peckham being one of the most deprived in Western Europe. An increase in gang activity as well as the death of ten year old Damilola Taylor in 2000 also contributed to Peckham’s unfortunate reputation.

Now, after millions being pushed into the town to uplift it, Peckham seems to be on the rise with the unwanted gentrification of London gradually forcing itself out of town. Peckham is now seen as a highly sought-after location in London with the lively Rye Lane in particular being the central hub for the community.