London Borough of Southwark

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Geography
London Borough of Southwark
Shown within Greater London
Status	London borough
Area — Total	Ranked 340th 28.85 km²
ONS code	00BE
Admin HQ	Peckham Road, Camberwell
Demographics
Population — Total (2005 est.) — Density	Ranked 32nd (of 354) 257,700 8,932 / km²
Ethnicity	63.0% White 25.9% African-Caribbean 5.0% Mixed Race 4.1% South Asian 1.8% Chinese
Politics
Leadership	Leader & Cabinet
Mayor	—(non-political)
Executive	Liberal Democrats / Conservative
MPs	Harriet Harman Simon Hughes Tessa Jowell
London Assembly — Member	Lambeth and Southwark Valerie Shawcross
Coat of Arms

Official website	http://www.southwark.gov.uk/

The London Borough of Southwark is a London borough in London, England. It is located directly south of the River Thames and forms part of Inner London.

[edit] History

Further information: Southwark

Southwark got its "Southwark" name in the 9th century but was first settled in the Roman period. Southwark is pronounced [ˈsʌðək] or [ˈsʌvək].

The London Borough of Southwark was formed in 1965 from the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Southwark, the Metropolitan Borough of Camberwell, and the Metropolitan Borough of Bermondsey.

[edit] Geography

The borough borders the City of London and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets to the north, the London Borough of Lambeth to the west and the London Borough of Lewisham to the east. To the south is the London Borough of Bromley and the London Borough of Croydon.

[edit] Demographics

The 2001 census gives Southwark a population of 244,866. Southwark is ethnically 63% white, 16% black African and 8% black Caribbean. 31% of householders are owner–occupiers.

[edit] Landmarks

Borough Market, circa 1860

Borough Market, Borough High Street entrance

Butler's Wharf, Shad Thames

Southwark has a number of old churches, most notably Charles Spurgeon's Metropolitan Tabernacle, Southwark Cathedral and St Thomas Church. The Salvation Army maintains the William Booth Memorial College near Denmark Hill railway station. London's Norwegian Church and Finnish Church are both located in Rotherhithe. On the other hand, it is also famous for a number of historic public houses, starting with the site of The Tabard inn featured in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. The George Inn and the the White Hart inn are also notable.

The old theatre district of Southwark leaves the remains of the old Rose Theatre and the rebuilt Globe Theatre. Art galleries include the oldest public gallery in Britain, Dulwich Picture Gallery and one of the most modern, the Tate Modern, situated in the shell of the 1930s Bankside Power Station. In the centre of the borough is Camberwell College of Arts and south, in Dulwich has been a centre for public schooling for centuries, containing Alleyn's School and the Charles Barry designed Dulwich College.

There are many museums, including the Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret, Britain's Imperial War Museum built on the site of the Bethlem Royal Hospital, The Clink and Livesey Museum for Children. The site of the medieval Winchester Palace can be seen.

Some of the old industrial and wharfside heritage can be seen at the now defunct Surrey Commercial Docks including Greenland Dock. Near Tower Bridge old warehouses have been converted at to new uses at Butler's Wharf and Hay's Wharf. Similarly, the Oxo Tower now hosts restaurants shops and housing. Visitors are allowed on board at HMS Belfast moored nearby.

Southwark is the home to the Greater London Authority at City Hall and contains Guy's Hospital with its roots in the middle ages. Peckham Library, designed by Will Alsop has won architecture awards. For shopping, Borough Market near London Bridge is probably London's most famous general food market.

The planned Pilar Piano Tower will be London's tallest building when completed.

City Hall, taken from the high walkway on Tower Bridge

[edit] Civic affairs

The rebuilt Globe Theatre

[edit] Mayor

The Mayor of Southwark for 2006 is Cllr Paul Kyriacou (South Bermondsey ward). At 33 he is the youngest ever Mayor of Southwark and the first Greek Cypriot to be mayor.

[edit] Executive

The council is run by a Leader and Cabinet Executive, chaired by council leader Nick Stanton. Following the election in 2006 the Executive is a coalition, with Liberal Democrat councillors holding 8 seats on the Executive and Conservative councillors holding 2.

[edit] Coat of arms

The two supporters on the coat of arms are an Elizabethan player dressed to play Hamlet to the left, indicating the theatrical heritage of the area, and the youth on the right side is the Esquire from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. The well in the centre of the shield is a 'canting' reference to Camberwell, while the ship on the top left refers to the maritime history of Bermondsey and the rose on the right is for St Mary Newington.

[edit] Twinning

Southwark is twinned with Langenhagen in Germany and Clichy in France.

[edit] Politics

[edit] Southwark London Borough Council

Main article: Southwark local elections

Summary of council election results:

	Overall control	Labour	Lib Dem	Conservative	Others
2006	No overall control	28	28	6	1
2002	No overall control	28	30	5	-
1998	Labour	31	27	4	2
1994	Labour	-	-	-	-
1990	Labour	-	-	-	-
1986	Labour	-	-	-	-
1982	Labour	-	-	-	-
1978	Labour	-	-	-	-
1974	Labour	-	-	-	-
1971	Labour	-	-	-	-
1968	Labour	-	-	-	-
1964	Labour	-	-	-	-