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Catford History
Catford is an ancient place name, which goes back in documents as far as the reign of Edward I, and is the name of an old manor dating back to the 13 th century. It may also owe its name to a ford over the River Ravensbourne, and some sources say there were wild cats around the area. Catford as the name of a particular suburban district crossed by the South Circular Road is of more recent origin. It may date no earlier than the building in 1875 of the offices of the Lewisham Board of Works (which in 1900 became the Town Hall), or from the building of the original parish church of Catford in 1887. During its early years, Catford was mostly a scattered hamlet, wooded and waterlogged with some farming. Much of the parish would have been liable to inundation from the River Ravensbourne whenever there were heavy rains. At Catford was one of the many mills on the Ravensbourne, probably one of the eleven recorded in Domesday, and known in the 13 th and 14 th centuries as Fordmill. It stood on the western side of the river, on the left hand side of the road going towards Catford Hill. The large manor house, known as Place House, stood near the junction of Catford Hill and Perry Vale. Queen Elizabeth is said to have stayed here in Tudor times. Catford Bridge station on the Mid Kent Line opened in 1857, and Catford Station on the Catford Loop Line opened in 1892. It was the latter which encouraged the massive expansion of residential streets of Catford. As such, housing in Catford is predominantly Edwardian in character. Horse and electric trams were found on Rushey Green around the turn of the 20 th century. The Black Horse and Harrow pub, on Rushey Green, is one of Lewisham's oldest pubs. It was founded before 1700, rebuilt early in the nineteenth century, and again in 1897. The pub has been renamed the Goose in recent years.
Catford Broadway begins from the East with two carved terraces of shops, originally of the 1880s. There is a street market here on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
The Broadway Theatre - known previously as Lewisham Theatre, and Lewisham Concert Hall - was built in 1932 by Bradshaw Gass and Hope, as an addition to the old Town Hall of 1875. The theatre is a curved stone building with a cupola, stone carvings and gargoyles at the rear. The interior is Art Deco style, with a great iron-spanned roof, curved proscenium, exotic lanterns and extraordinary detail. Lewisham Town Hall was demolished and replaced with the existing town hall in 1958, later adjoined by the Civic Suite in 1971. Laurence House, the extension to the town hall, stands on the site of the original St Laurence Church which was demolished in 1968, and now occupies a site on Bromley Road . The Central Hall cinema – later the ABC cinema - was designed by E.A. Stone of the Catford estate agents and surveyors Norfolk & Prior, and built by James Watt in 1913. Today the cinema sits empty, without the original pepper-pot towers which were lost to modernisation in 1961. The old Lewisham Hippodrome on the corner of Brownhill Road, and the adjoining Gaumont cinema were demolished in 1960, and have been replaced by Eros House. Its designer, Owen Luder, was awarded a medal for its design by the Royal Institution of British Architects, despite local criticism on account of its rather stark appearance.
The Catford shopping centre was built by Owen Luder in 1974, incorporating the Catford Mews and Milford Tower housing estate. A large black and white cat is draped over the entrance sign on Rushey Green.
Catford Today Catford's rich history has fed into the vibrant diverse town centre that it is today. The area is bordered by Downham, Forest Hill, Lewisham and Lee. Catford town centre is a busy shopping centre, with indoor and outdoor markets, selling everything from fruit and vegetables to clothing and plants. Catford is the civic heart of Lewisham borough and so is frequented by many visitors. The Broadway theatre can be found in the heart of the town centre, an important centre for cultural entertainment in south east London, pulling in international and local talent. There is a wide choice of restaurants, cafes and bars, with several featured in Time Out. The town centre is also close to Mountsfield and Ladywell parks and the Ladywell running track.
Regeneration and Development There are many exciting opportunities planned for the Catford area. Under new planning laws an Area Action Plan will be used as a key tool for regenerating Catford town centre. The Catford Town Centre Area Action Plan will set out a comprehensive set of policies and proposals for the ongoing redevelopment and regeneration of Catford Town Centre. It will provide for major redevelopment opportunities including significant housing development and traffic/transport infrastructure changes. The closure of the famous greyhound stadium in 2003 will be developed into housing and mixed use development, including social and affordable housing. Lewisham Borough's famous residents, past and present Danny Baker (Broadcaster) For more information For more information on Catford and its history please refer to the following publications, all available at Lewisham Local Studies Centre in Lewisham Library: The Changing face of Lewisham by Stephen Byrne (1965) Lewisham Borough Council: London Images of London : Lewisham by John Coulter and Barry Olley (2003) Tempus Publishing Ltd: London Lewisham Past and Present by John Coulter (2001) Sutton Publishing: Swindon Discover Sydenham and Catford by Darrell Spurgeon (1999) Greenwich Guide Books: London |
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