London/Lambeth

Lambeth is a borough of inner south-west London. Here is the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace, St. Thomas's Hospital and County Hall. Lambeth includes the districts of Kennington (the location of the Imperial War Museum and The Oval Cricket Ground) and Brixton, known for its Black British culture and nightlife.

Although the London Borough of Lambeth extends all the way to the Thames, the most northerly section is covered by a separate article on Wikivoyage, London/South Bank

Understand
This destination covers most of the borough of Lambeth, except for a chunk around Waterloo station that is covered under South Bank. Lambeth was historically a largely deprived area of Inner London with very dense housing. However, this began to change in the 1990s as the gentrification that was apparent in just about all of inner London also manifested itself here.

Brixton is a colourful, unique urban area that is like nowhere else in London. Brixton has a mix of residents, ranging from people who have lived in the district for generations to new residents who have moved prompted by a new trendy image that it has gained. It is a multi-ethnic community, with around 24 percent of the population being of African and/or Caribbean descent, giving rise to Brixton being called the unofficial capital of the British African-Caribbean community in London.

The diverse population originates from the 1940s and '50s, when Britain invited large numbers of immigrants from the West Indies to fill the job gaps.

There is a thriving scene for clubbing and live music, especially reggae/ska and rock. There are also several trendy markets stretching across the district where you can buy all manner of exotic foods, textiles and jewellery. It is well known for its nightlife, particularly the Brixton Academy, along with many other interesting bars, pubs and clubs to explore. Electric Avenue (of Eddy Grant song-fame) was the first electric-lit street in the UK; even if it is in a rather obscure location, it's worth checking out for the thriving, competing halal butchers.

Herne Hill is a village-type area on the corner of Brockwell Park, which includes a historic velodrome.

Kennington is a residential district with a rich history. The area is characterised by late Georgian and early Victorian roads and squares. It is dominated by two London landmarks: The Oval, an international cricket stadium, and the Imperial War Museum, a national museum. Kennington appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Chenintune", which may mean "place of the King". Edward III gave the manor of Kennington to his oldest son Edward, "the Black Prince", in 1337, and the prince built a large royal palace between what is now Black Prince Road and Sancroft Street. Geoffrey Chaucer was employed at Kennington as Clerk of Works in 1389. Kennington remains a Royal manor, and the Duchy of Cornwall has a substantial property portfolio within the district. A large number of Members of Parliament have London residences in Kennington; the district falls within the Division Bell Zone, because it is geographically close to the Houses of Parliament.

Kennington Park (south London's oldest public park, laid out by Victorian architect James Pennethorne) and St Mark's Churchyard now cover the site of Kennington Common, which was a place for executions, entertainment and demonstrations. In 1746 the Surrey County Gallows at the southern end of the common was used for the execution of nine leaders of the Jacobite rebellion of 1745. The Common was also where the Chartists gathered for their biggest demonstration in 1848. "The Gymnastic Society" met regularly at Kennington Common during the second half of the eighteenth century to play football. The society - which could lay a claim to being the world's first football club - consisted of London-based natives of Cumberland and Westmorland. The tradition of crowds gathering at Kennington Park in advance of marches upon Parliament continues today.

Vauxhall, dominated by its gyratory system, is best known to many Londoners for its gay scene and as a transport interchange (its bus station is the second-busiest in London; there is also a railway station served by South West Trains, and the Victoria line stops there) - but it is experiencing rapid gentrification along its Thames frontage. Vauxhall is the location of the offices of MI6 (famous from James Bond films), and will be the site for the new American Embassy.

The history of Vauxhall is tied to industry: it was there that Vauxhall Motors was founded, and Royal Doulton had a factory. Before that, the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, created in 1661, attracted visitors. The largest green space in Vauxhall today is its small Park, which came about in 1890 through the campaigning of Octavia Hill (co-founder of the National Trust) for "More Air for London". In the 1990s, Vauxhall became a prominent feature on London's gay scene; a number of clubs, bars and pubs have placed it as an alternative to Soho. Bonnington Square, close to The Oval, where Vauxhall meets Kennington, developed from a squat, threatened with demolition, into an artists' community, with carefully tended gardens and community spaces.

By Tube
Lambeth is served by the following Tube stations on the Northern and Victoria  lines:
 * Brixton (Zone 2)
 * Clapham Common (Zone 2)
 * Clapham North (Zone 2)
 * Kennington (Zone 2)
 * Nine Elms (Zone 1)
 * Oval (Zone 2)
 * Stockwell (Zone 2)
 * Vauxhall (Zone 1 & 2)

By train
The district is served by the following National Rail stations:


 * Brixton (a three-minute walk from the Tube station)
 * Clapham High Street
 * Herne Hill
 * Loughborough Junction
 * Streatham
 * Streatham Common
 * Streatham Hill
 * Tulse Hill
 * Vauxhall
 * Wandsworth Road
 * West Norwood

By bus


There are also several Night Buses serving Lambeth including:

See




Do



 * Cricket:
 * Cricket:
 * Cricket:
 * Cricket:
 * Cricket:
 * Cricket:

Eat
There are many different types of food available in Lambeth, from Caribbean to Eritrean and fish and chips to noodles. You will find most of the restaurants on Coldharbour Ln and Atlantic Rd. Here are a few noted establishments. Clapham High St has a good selection of restaurants.



Drink
Brixton has the advantage that every night you can stay out drinking later than almost anywhere else in London. Even on a Sunday, there are plenty of bars open until 2AM if you really do not want the weekend to end. The more interesting and local bars are dotted down backstreets.

Stay safe
Most of Lambeth is as safe as the rest of London. The South Bank is a major tourist area, so do watch out for coats and bags, as opportunist theft is not unknown.

In the 1980s Brixton had a reputation for crime and, even until a few years ago, it was almost impossible to leave Brixton tube station in the evenings without being offered drugs. While the situation has improved a lot, it's still sensible to take some precautions in Brixton and the nearby areas at night. Stick to well-lit, busy areas and you have little to worry about. Some South London housing estates have a poor reputation for violent crime; while these are rarely places tourists would have much reason to go, visitors should avoid spending too much time passing through housing estates at night, at least until they have got to know the area. The same goes for the open space of Clapham Common; fashionable during the day, at night it has something of a reputation for sexual activity and muggings.