Riverside Community Development Trust.

KENNINGTON, OVAL & VAUXHALL HISTORY

The Black Prince – Kennington Palace - Geoffrey Chaucer – Lambeth Palace - Sir Thomas Moore – preaching and political agitation on Kennington Common –  Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens -  Astley’s Theatre and circus – William Blake - Georgian housing – the Duchy of Cornwall – Chartism – the Chartist Demonstration of 1848 – the Horns – Oval cricket - Kennington Park - Doulton’s Pottery – Mary Seacole’s Benefit Concert - Lambeth School of Art – George Tinworth - Alford House – Frank Briant - Lady Margaret Hall Settlement – Beaufoy Institute - Vauxhall Cars – Charlie Chaplin - the LCC estates –– Doing the Lambeth Walk – Passport to Pimlico - Ethelred Estate – the Battle of St Agnes Place.

These are just a few of the fascinating elements of the history of the Kennington, Oval & Vauxhall area.

There is a keen interest in the area about its history and heritage. Many community groups came into existence to campaign against threats to the built and open space environment which local people value. inc. the Friends of Parks and Open Spaces and Friends of Durning Library.

KOV Area Local History/Heritage Network

Following the success of the local history events in the 2005 Lambeth Riverside Festival, during the planning of the 2006 Lambeth Riverside Festival RCDT and Vauxhall St Peter’s Heritage Centre considered that it would be useful to suggest establishing a KOV Area Local History/Heritage network. There were a number of projects underway on aspects of the local history and heritage. There were a growing number of development proposals which would affect the built environment heritage and the local Conservation Areas, especially Vauxhall Gardens, and Lambeth Walk/China Estate.

The aim was to meet to share information about what local organisations were doing and the challenges to local heritage. They suggested that there could be:

·                     reduction in duplication

·                     sharing of information

·                     co-operation to improve each other’s activities

·                     a richer understanding of local history

·                     improved knowledge and use of the material that has been collected over the years by Vauxhall St Peter’s Heritage Centre

·                     improve the ability of local groups to representations they make on planning development proposals

The first meeting was held on 16 November 2005. It was agreed that quarterly meetings would be helpful to keep everyone informed but that the group should not be a formal one. There should also be an email group. Special meetings would be held for those interested in planning a Local History Fair for the 2006 Festival.

To join the Network email: info@rcdt.org.

Museum of Garden History Local History Permanent Display

The Museum of Garden History opened a permanent display on North Lambeth local history in 2006, and received assistance from Network members. It can be seen every day Tuesdays to Sundays at the Museum on the corner of Lambeth Rd and Lambeth Palace Rd. For further details see Museum of Garden History: www.museumgardenhistory.org/

Bibliography

Jim Nicolson of Vauxhall Society and the Vauxhall St Peter’s Heritage Centre, produced for the Network a bibliography on local history which is accessible via the link in the right hand column.

History and the 2006 Festival

Several history events were organised by different groups for the July 2006 Lambeth Riverside Festival - see the Festival Report accessible via the link on the right hand column. The Network organised the ‘Valuing Our Past’ Local History Fair for the last Saturday. The brochure for this Fair is accessible via the link in right hand column.

John Tradescant’s Rest

As part of the Festival Parabola Trust organised an exhibition about the Tradescants and associated walks from where their house had been to the Museum which is housed in the former St Mary’s Parish where John Tradescant was buried. The Trust published ‘John Tradescant’s Rest’, a Historical Walk Guide by Jon Newman (Lambeth Archives) with funding from RCDT. Details of this publication are accessible through the link in the right hand column. The publication can be purchased from RCDT (£3.30p inc p&p): info@rcdt.org

Abolition of the Slave Trade Anniversary 2007

The Network agreed to explore sponsoring an event about local aspects of the involvement in slavery and the campaign against the slave trade. A discussion paper ‘Slave Trade and Abolition’ can be accessed via the link in the right hand column. An event is likely to be organised for later in the year.

William Blake Anniversary 2007

The Network agreed that it would try and contribute to the anniversary of the visionary poet and artist William Blake in 2007. Blake lived in Hercules Buildings, where Hercules Rd now is.

Area’s Local History on the Web

There are several websites containing notes and images on local history

Kennington Park: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennington_Park

Lambeth Archives: www.lambeth.gov.uk/Services/LeisureCulture/Libraries/Archives.htm

Lambeth Landmark (site with Archive material on it): http://landmark.lambeth.gov.uk/default.asp

Local On-Line Project: http://web.ukonline.co.uk/localonline/index.htm

Vauxhall Society: www.vauxhallsociety.org.uk

Sean Creighton: www.seancreighton.com

Google searching on particular aspects of local history, whether people, organisations,  buildings, streets, etc will also show up material on local history

Page created April 2007