A215 road
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| Direction | North - South |
| Start | Elephant and Castle |
| Primary destinations |
Walworth, Herne Hill, Tulse Hill, West Norwood, South Norwood, Woodside |
|---|---|
| End | Shirley |
| Roads joined |  A3 road A202 road A2216 road A2214 road A205 road A214 road A212 road A213 road A222 road A232 road |
The A215 is an A road in South London. It runs from Elephant and Castle to Shirley. It crosses 3 London Boroughs these are Lambeth, Southwark and Croydon.
Contents |
[edit] Walworth Road
The A215 begins at its northernmost point at Elephant & Castle in Newington as Walworth Road.
[edit] Camberwell Road
Walworth Road becomes Camberwell Road when the A215 enters Camberwell. The road runs adjacent to the railway between Elephant & Castle tube station and Loughborough Junction railway station.
[edit] Denmark Hill
After the A215 crosses the A202 it becomes Denamrk Hill. The road runs between Royal Kings College Hospital and Maudsley Hospital before going alongside Ruskin Park. Further south the road passes the Denmark Hill Estate.
[edit] Herne Hill
The road continues southwards into Herne Hill. Herne Hill railway station is situated on this street.
[edit] Norwood Road
Norwood Road begins after Herne Hill railway station. It runs alongside Brockwell Park and then south to Tulse Hill. Tulse Hill railway station is located on this road. Norwood Road continues down to West Norwood and the Norwood Triangle.
[edit] Knights Hill
Knights Hill starts in the north at West Norwood in the Norwood Triangle. It ends in the south at a junction with the A214 at Crown Lane and Crown Dale. Knights Hill becomes Beulah Hill at this point. In the north, Knights Hill is home to a large parade of shops including Woolworths. West Norwood railway station is located on this road.
[edit] Beulah Hill
Beulah Hill begins at a crossroads where the A215 crosses the A214 and Knights Hill becomes Beulah Hill. The road makes a sharp turn to the east where it continues through the neighbourhoods of Upper Norwood. Beulah Hill ends at a junction with the A212 (Church Road). From this junction, the A215 is called South Norwood Hill.
In 1966, a dog called Pickles discovered the recently stolen World Cup Jules Rimet Trophy under a bush in Beulah Hill.
[edit] South Norwood Hill
South Norwood Hill descends sharply towards South Norwood. It becomes Portland Road at the crossroads with the A213 road. This section is mainly residential but has Harris City Technology College, a Texaco garage and Stanley Technical High School.
[edit] Portland Road
Portland Road begins at a crossroads where the A215 crosses the A213 on South Norwood High Street and South Norwood Hill becomes Portland Road. The road then travels down a hill with many shops (mainly takeaways, newsagents). It passes South Norwood Leisure Centre, a new leisure centre which includes a creche, cafe, gym, swimming pool etc. Portland Road ends with a left turn to stay on the A215 road at Spring Lane or straight on to change onto the B243, Woodside Green. From June 2010, the road will be the site of a station on the new London Overground rapid transit network.[1]
[edit] Early history
The northern section of the road was historically known as "Cholmerden" or "The Goat House". The Minister's of Bailiffs Account of the Chauntry of St Nicholas show that an annual rent of 33 shillings and four pence was paid on the land between 1442-1483; this is the earliest recorded reference to the area. The road at the time ran through an ancient woodland known as the North Wood (the origin of the modern place name Norwood). The area was cleared for farmland in the 16th and 17th centuries. Industrial development began in the early 19th century following construction of the Grand Surrey Canal, linking the area to Surrey Commercial Docks and the River Thames in 1809. This section of the canal was closed in 1836, with the London and Croydon Railway built along the canal bed; modern housing development began in the mid 19th century following the opening of the railway.[2]
[edit] Jolly-sailor station and the London & Croydon Railway
In 1839 the London and Croydon Railway opened Jolly-sailor station (sic) — listed as "Jolly-sailor near Beulah Spa" on fares lists and timetables — at the north end of the street. The station was renamed Norwood in 1846. The station was immediately adjacent to a level crossing over Portland Road.
In 1844, the London and Croydon Railway was given parliamentary authority to test an experimental pneumatic propulsion system on the railway (referred to at the time as the atmospheric-propulsion system). A pumping station was built on Portland Road; this created a vacuum in a pipe paralleling the railway tracks. A piston extended downwards from the trains into a slit in the pipe, meaning that trains were literally sucked towards the pumping station or blown away from it. The pumping station was built in a Gothic style, with a very tall ornate tower which served both as a chimney and as an exhaust vent for air pumped from the propulsion pipe.
As part of the construction works for the atmospheric-propulsion system, the worlds first railway flyover (overpass) was constructed at the north end of Portland Road, to carry the new atmospheric-propulsion line over the conventional steam line below.[4] In 1847, the atmospheric propulsion experiment was abandoned.
Following construction of new lines, the station was closed on 1 June 1859 and replaced by a new station on the south side of the road, Norwood Junction railway station, which remains open today. The East London Line of the London Underground is currently being extended to the area, with services due to commence to Norwood Junction in June 2010, forming part of the new London Overground rapid transit system.
[edit] Places of interest
One of the earliest cinemas in South London, the Electric Picture Palace, opened on Portland Road in 1910.[5] The cinema was renamed the Central Cinema shortly afterwards, and closed in 1956,[6] and no trace of it now remains.
Portland Road is also home to the unique "Gold Coast", the only Ghanaian pub in London; this is a focal point for London's Ghanaian community and serves Ghanaian beer, wine and food.[7]
Roots, Routes, Roots (also known as the "Portland Road Mosaic"), an 11 metre (36 ft) long mosaic depicting the history of the Norwood area, is situated under the railway bridge. The mosaic was designed by Drostle Projects, and built by children from a number of local schools.[8]
[edit] Spring Lane
Spring Lane is a short road that starts at the junction with Woodside Green. It lies entirely within Woodside. St Luke's Church, Ashburton Park, Ashburton Primary School and Woodside tram stop are on this road.
[edit] Shirley Road
Shirley Road is the final road on the A215. It is home to Ashburton Community School and Trinity School of John Whitgift. It ends in Shirley, Croydon.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ East London Railway. Transport for London. Retrieved on April 5, 2007.
- ^ Moore, Colin; Gerrard, Derek & Hubbard, Sally. History of South Norwood. Metropolitan Police. Retrieved on April 4, 2007.
- ^ 1845, "Jolly-sailor Station", The Pictorial Times
- ^ Connor, J.E. (2006). London's Disused Stations: The London Brighton & South Coast Railway. Colchester: Connor & Butler, 70. ISBN 978 0 947699 39 2.
- ^ 1909, Minutes of Proceedings, Report of the Theatres and Music Halls Committee, London County Council
- ^ Lost Cinemas of South London. The Dark Screens (2006). Retrieved on April 4, 2007.
- ^ The Gold Coast. Fancyapint Ltd (2005-11-12). Retrieved on April 4, 2007.
- ^ Roots, Routes, Roots. Drostle Projects. Retrieved on April 4, 2007.
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A roads in Zone 2 of the Great Britain road numbering scheme |
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|---|---|---|
| A2 | A20 - A21 - A22 - A23 - A24 - A25 - A26 - A27 - A28 - A29 | |
| A201 - A202 - A203 - A205 - A210 - A212 - A214 - A215 - A217 - A219 - A228 - A229 | ||
| A232 - A234 - A240 - A249 - A259 - A264 - A272 - A281 - A282 - A299 | ||
| A2030 - A2216 - A2217 | ||
| List of A roads in Zone 2 | ||
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