Catford
Encyclopedia
Catford is a district in south
London
, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham
. It is situated 6.3 miles (10.1 km) south-east of Charing Cross
. The area is identified in the London Plan
as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.
The 1960s and 70s had a considerable impact on the architecture of Catford. The old Town Hall, 'the Catford Cathedral' of 1875, was replaced by the current Civic Suite in 1968, soon after the merger of the metropolitan boroughs of Lewisham
and Deptford
. Laurence House, where many of the borough's offices are housed, is on the site of old St Laurence's Church (aka the Catford Cathedral). The brutalist
Eros House, which replaced the Lewisham Hippodrome (Catford's music hall
designed by the famous theatre architect Frank Matcham
) in 1960, is now Grade II listed. Architecture critic Ian Nairn
praised Eros House as:
In Rushey Green outside Eros House, the old village hand-pump from the 1850s survives. In 1974 the Catford shopping centre was built by the brutalist architect Owen Luder
.
Broadway Theatre, Catford
, which is a fine art deco
building, adjoins the town hall. This is a curved stone structure decorated with shields and heraldic emblems and topped with an attractive copper-green spire. It was opened in 1932 as the Concert Hall and is now a Grade II listed building. The interior is in art deco style. The last cinema in the borough stood opposite the theatre until its closure in 2002. Catford also boasts a Territorial Army centre and a large Gothic police station
(despite the largest police station in Europe being just down the road in Lewisham
). In 2006, a large blue pipe sculpture was unveiled outside Eros House. In November 2010, there was a riot against student fees increase at the town hall which ended up making national news.
Catford was also damaged in the rioting that took place on Aug 8th 2011. Argos, JD Sports, KA Rowland optician, and Blockbuster video were all destroyed and looted by rioters.
in Saxon times.
The first cat seen in London was from Catford
Catford's most prominent landmark is the Catford Cat, a giant fibreglass sculpture of a black cat above the entrance to the Catford Centre. This is a small shopping centre
, housing Tesco
and Iceland
supermarkets as well as some independent shops in the punningly-named Catford Mews. There is a street market on Catford Broadway. Catford has several pub
s and a variety of non-chain restaurants and cafes. Catford's oldest pub is the Black Horse and Harrow (now called the Goose on the Green) and Karl Marx is reputed to have been an occasional patron. The pub has existed since at least 1700 though the present building dates from 1897. Between 1932 and 2003, Catford Stadium
was a successful greyhound racing
track, but was demolished a few years back to make way for a new housing development. As of April 2009, the site of Catford Greyhound Stadium remains vacant and overgrown.
Catford was historically part of Kent
until 1889, when it was absorbed into the new London County Council
, along with the majority of the present day London Borough of Lewisham
. Catford covers most of SE6 postcode district
. The area is identified in the London Plan
as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.
Other than the shows at the Broadway Theatre
the main cultural events are Lewisham Peoples day held in Mountsfield Park and the yearly beer festival organised by the Campaign for Real Ale
(CAMRA), which is held at the theatre. The Catford Beer Festival is one of the largest in southern England.
In recent years Catford has been satirised in The Chap
magazine series called 'A year in Catford' after Peter Mayle
's bestseller A Year in Provence. The magazine poked fun at Catford's mundanity.
Catford had one of the first British curry houses, which opened in 1824.
, Baptists, Methodist, The Salvation Army
various Pentecostals as well as Seventh-day Adventists
and a Unitarian
meeting house. The Plymouth Brethren at Wildfell Hall, Wildfell Road have conducted the world-famous Catford Lectures for over 50 years. The original gothic C of E
St. Laurence church was located where Laurence House is today (known as the Catford Cathedral), but as part of the urban renewal of Catford in the 1960s, the church is now housed in a more modern style building 200 metres down Bromley Road. This church follows a traditional Anglican Mass and has their own choir.
There is a large Muslim
community served by the Lewisham Islamic Centre, which also serves the needs of Muslims from all over Lewisham.
There are also Sikh
, Buddhist and Hare Krishna
temples. Atheists are also known to live in the area, and the Lewisham Humanist Group meet on the 3rd Thursday each month at The Goose, Rushey Green.
was one of the most famous greyhound racing venues in the UK until its closure in 2005. It also hosted boxing and several other sporting events. The site of the Stadium has now been demolished and there are plans to build 500 apartments and community facilities including new shops and a doctors surgery.
Catford Southend F.C. were a once successful non-league side who groundshared with Charlton Athletic F.C.
at The Mount stadium and nearly merged with. However, the deal was scuppered and Charton went onto Football League success while Catford Southend fell into obscurity. The most prominent Sunday League
side now in Catford is Catford Strollers F.C. Catford also boast a large 5-a-side center with many teams. Catford Saints were a professional baseball side playing in the London Major Baseball League in the early 20th century.
The Catford Cycling Club was founded in 1886 and rose to European promience. In 1894 they built their own track south of Brownhill Road complete with a magnificent Pagoda
grandstand
. However, by the 1950s the majority of the track had been built over yet the club still flourishes to this day.
Cricket
, bowls
and tennis
are represented in Catford in the form of Catford Wanderers
and Catford and Cyphers sports clubs. Catford also has a skating club. Kent County Cricket Club
have played at Catford several times in the past.
). Catford railway station is on the route between Blackfriars station
and Sevenoaks
via Bromley South
, while Catford Bridge railway station
is on the Mid-Kent line to Hayes
from Charing Cross
and Cannon Street stations. As well as the railway stations there is Catford bus garage, providing many routes towards Central London and out towards Bromley
.
Nearest railway stations
Bus routes
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham
London Borough of Lewisham
The London Borough of Lewisham is a London borough in south-east London, England and forms part of Inner London. The principal settlement of the borough is Lewisham...
. It is situated 6.3 miles (10.1 km) south-east of Charing Cross
Charing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
. The area is identified in the London Plan
London Plan
The London Plan is a planning document written by the Mayor of London, England in the United Kingdom and published by the Greater London Authority. The plan was first published in final form on 10 February 2004 and has since been amended. The current version was published in February 2008...
as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.
Architecture
Lewisham
Lewisham is a district in South London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
and Deptford
Deptford
Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...
. Laurence House, where many of the borough's offices are housed, is on the site of old St Laurence's Church (aka the Catford Cathedral). The brutalist
Brutalist architecture
Brutalist architecture is a style of architecture which flourished from the 1950s to the mid 1970s, spawned from the modernist architectural movement.-The term "brutalism":...
Eros House, which replaced the Lewisham Hippodrome (Catford's music hall
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
designed by the famous theatre architect Frank Matcham
Frank Matcham
Frank Matcham was a famous English theatrical architect. He is buried in Highgate Cemetery.-Early career:...
) in 1960, is now Grade II listed. Architecture critic Ian Nairn
Ian Nairn
Ian Nairn was a British architectural critic and topographer.He had no formal architecture qualifications; he was a mathematics graduate and a Royal Air Force pilot...
praised Eros House as:
- A monster sat down in Catford and just what the place needed. No offence meant: this southward extension of Lewisham High Street badly wanted stiffening. Now there is a punchy concrete focus (`you know, that funny new building') both close to and at a distance, from the desolate heights of the Downham Estate, where it stands straight to the afternoon sun. Rough concrete is put through all its paces, front convex eaves on Sainsbury's to a staircase tower which is either afflicted with an astounding set of visual distortions or is actually leaning. Again, no offence meant. Unlike many other avant-garde buildings, particularly in the universities, this one is done from real conviction, not from a desire for self-advertisement. The gaunt honesty of those projecting concrete frames carrying boxed-out bow windows persists. It is not done at you and it transforms the surroundings instead of despising them. This most craggy and uncompromising of London buildings turns out to be full of firm gentleness.
Owen Luder
Owen Luder, CBE is a British architect who designed a number of notable and sometimes controversial buildings in the United Kingdom in the 1960s and 1970s...
.
Broadway Theatre, Catford
Broadway Theatre, Catford
The Broadway Theatre, Catford is a theatre on Rushey Green, Catford in the London Borough of Lewisham. A grade II* listed building, the theatre was built in 1932 and is an outstanding example of Art Deco design...
, which is a fine art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
building, adjoins the town hall. This is a curved stone structure decorated with shields and heraldic emblems and topped with an attractive copper-green spire. It was opened in 1932 as the Concert Hall and is now a Grade II listed building. The interior is in art deco style. The last cinema in the borough stood opposite the theatre until its closure in 2002. Catford also boasts a Territorial Army centre and a large Gothic police station
Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
(despite the largest police station in Europe being just down the road in Lewisham
Lewisham
Lewisham is a district in South London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
). In 2006, a large blue pipe sculpture was unveiled outside Eros House. In November 2010, there was a riot against student fees increase at the town hall which ended up making national news.
Catford was also damaged in the rioting that took place on Aug 8th 2011. Argos, JD Sports, KA Rowland optician, and Blockbuster video were all destroyed and looted by rioters.
Culture and identity
The name derives from the place where cattle crossed the River RavensbourneRiver Ravensbourne
The River Ravensbourne is a tributary of the River Thames in South London, England. It flows into the River Thames on the Tideway at Deptford, where its tidal reach is known as Deptford Creek.- Geography :...
in Saxon times.
The first cat seen in London was from Catford
Catford's most prominent landmark is the Catford Cat, a giant fibreglass sculpture of a black cat above the entrance to the Catford Centre. This is a small shopping centre
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
, housing Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
and Iceland
Iceland (supermarket)
Iceland is a supermarket chain in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Iceland's primary product lines include frozen foods, such as frozen prepared meals and frozen vegetables - hence the name of the company...
supermarkets as well as some independent shops in the punningly-named Catford Mews. There is a street market on Catford Broadway. Catford has several pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s and a variety of non-chain restaurants and cafes. Catford's oldest pub is the Black Horse and Harrow (now called the Goose on the Green) and Karl Marx is reputed to have been an occasional patron. The pub has existed since at least 1700 though the present building dates from 1897. Between 1932 and 2003, Catford Stadium
Catford Stadium
Catford Stadium was a historic greyhound track in Catford, a suburb of London. It was open between 1932 and 2003, when it was closed by its commercial operator Wembley . The local amateur side, Catford Wanderers, were mooted to move into the stadium, though this dream was never realised...
was a successful greyhound racing
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
track, but was demolished a few years back to make way for a new housing development. As of April 2009, the site of Catford Greyhound Stadium remains vacant and overgrown.
Catford was historically part of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
until 1889, when it was absorbed into the new London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
, along with the majority of the present day London Borough of Lewisham
London Borough of Lewisham
The London Borough of Lewisham is a London borough in south-east London, England and forms part of Inner London. The principal settlement of the borough is Lewisham...
. Catford covers most of SE6 postcode district
SE postcode area
The SE postcode area, also known as the London SE postcode area, is the part of the London post town covering part of south east London, England...
. The area is identified in the London Plan
London Plan
The London Plan is a planning document written by the Mayor of London, England in the United Kingdom and published by the Greater London Authority. The plan was first published in final form on 10 February 2004 and has since been amended. The current version was published in February 2008...
as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.
Other than the shows at the Broadway Theatre
Broadway Theatre, Catford
The Broadway Theatre, Catford is a theatre on Rushey Green, Catford in the London Borough of Lewisham. A grade II* listed building, the theatre was built in 1932 and is an outstanding example of Art Deco design...
the main cultural events are Lewisham Peoples day held in Mountsfield Park and the yearly beer festival organised by the Campaign for Real Ale
Campaign for Real Ale
The Campaign for Real Ale is an independent voluntary consumer organisation based in St Albans, England, whose main aims are promoting real ale, real cider and the traditional British pub...
(CAMRA), which is held at the theatre. The Catford Beer Festival is one of the largest in southern England.
The Chap
The Chap is a British magazine published six times a year and related books edited by Gustav Temple, proposing a return to a dandified way of life, involving tweed, pipe smoking, brogues and finely pressed trousers. The magazine has featured such noted Chaps and Chapettes as Stephen Fry, Leslie...
magazine series called 'A year in Catford' after Peter Mayle
Peter Mayle
Peter Mayle is a British author famous for his series of books detailing life in Provence, France. He spent fifteen years in the advertising industry before leaving the business in 1975 to write educational books, including a series on sex education for children and young people...
's bestseller A Year in Provence. The magazine poked fun at Catford's mundanity.
Catford had one of the first British curry houses, which opened in 1824.
Places of worship
Catford has Protestant and Roman Catholic churches. Non-conformist churches include Plymouth BrethrenPlymouth Brethren
The Plymouth Brethren is a conservative, Evangelical Christian movement, whose history can be traced to Dublin, Ireland, in the late 1820s. Although the group is notable for not taking any official "church name" to itself, and not having an official clergy or liturgy, the title "The Brethren," is...
, Baptists, Methodist, The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
various Pentecostals as well as Seventh-day Adventists
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
and a Unitarian
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
meeting house. The Plymouth Brethren at Wildfell Hall, Wildfell Road have conducted the world-famous Catford Lectures for over 50 years. The original gothic C of E
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
St. Laurence church was located where Laurence House is today (known as the Catford Cathedral), but as part of the urban renewal of Catford in the 1960s, the church is now housed in a more modern style building 200 metres down Bromley Road. This church follows a traditional Anglican Mass and has their own choir.
There is a large Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
community served by the Lewisham Islamic Centre, which also serves the needs of Muslims from all over Lewisham.
There are also Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
, Buddhist and Hare Krishna
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
temples. Atheists are also known to live in the area, and the Lewisham Humanist Group meet on the 3rd Thursday each month at The Goose, Rushey Green.
Notable locals
- Sir Henry CooperHenry CooperHenry Cooper may refer to:*Sir Henry Cooper , British Heavyweight boxer*Henry Cooper from Tennessee*Henry Cooper , English recipient of the Victoria Cross...
, British heavyweight boxer came from the area. - Spike MilliganSpike MilliganTerence Alan Patrick Seán "Spike" Milligan Hon. KBE was a comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright, soldier and actor. His early life was spent in India, where he was born, but the majority of his working life was spent in the United Kingdom. He became an Irish citizen in 1962 after the...
(1918–2002) the comedian and writer went to school at Catford's Brownhill Boys School and often visited the suburb where his aunt and uncle lived. He claimed to have lived in Catford and wrote about the area in his books and sketches. In reality he lived in nearby Honor OakHonor OakHonor Oak is an inner suburban area principally of the London Borough of Lewisham, with part in The London Borough of Southwark. The name originates from Oak of Honor Hill, or One Tree Hill. The legend is that on 1 May 1602, Elizabeth I picnicked with Sir Richard Bulkeley of Beaumaris in the...
. - Ben EltonBen EltonBenjamin Charles "Ben" Elton is an English comedian, author, playwright and director. He was a leading figure in the British alternative comedy movement of the 1980s, as a writer on such cult series as The Young Ones and Blackadder, as well as also a successful stand-up comedian on stage and TV....
the comedian and writer was born in Catford in 1959. - Leslie DwyerLeslie DwyerLeslie Dwyer was an English character actor of film and television. He was born in Catford, the son of the popular music hall comedian Johnny Dwyer and acted from the age of ten and appeared in his first film in 1921...
actor, was born in Catford . - Ernest Christopher Dowson Poet and decadent lived and died in Catford. Dowson introduced the phrases 'Days of wine and roses' and 'Gone with the wind'.
- Anthony JonesAnthony Jones (photographer)For another photographer named Anthony Jones, see Tony Ray-Jones Anthony Jones is an English photographer known for his black and white photos of the urban environment....
the art photographer lives in the area. - Andy McNabAndy McNabSergeant ‘Andy McNab’ DCM MM is the pseudonym of an English novelist and former SAS operative and soldier.McNab came into public prominence in 1993, when he published his account of the failed Special Air Service patrol, Bravo Two Zero for which he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal in...
Former S.A.S serviceman and writer was born in Catford - Maxwell Confait, Colin Lattimore, Ronal Leighton and Ahmet Salih. See The Murder of Maxwell Confait.
- Ethel Le Neve.
- Frank PullenFrank PullenFrancis Henry "Frank" Pullen was an English businessperson and racehorse owner.-Early life:He was born, the youngest of four children, as Francis Henry Pullen to Arthur and Alice Pullen at Catford, South London...
, the property developer and racehorse owner was born in Catford and opened the first of his shops on Catford Broadway. - Cat StevensCat StevensYusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
lived in a flat above a Catford furniture shop in the early sixties - Jem KaracanJem KaracanJem Paul Karacan is an English-born Turkish footballer who plays for Reading as a midfielder. He has played internationally for the Turkish youth team, and has captained the U-21 side.-Early life:...
, Turkish international footballer - Robin TrowerRobin TrowerRobin Leonard Trower , known professionally as Robin Trower, is an English rock guitarist who achieved success with Procol Harum during the 1960s, and then again as the bandleader of his own power trio.-Biography:...
, Guitarist, Procol Harum, and extensive solo career. - Lucy Mangan columnist for The Guardian newspaper claims to have lived in Catford for thirty years.
- Jack PercivalJack PercivalRonald Frederick John "Jack" Percival was a professional footballer, who played for Huddersfield Town, Chesterfield and Cambridge United. He was born in Norwood Green, Ealing, Greater London and started his career in 1947 playing for Tunbridge Wells in the Kent Amateur League before signing for...
, professional footballer - Jak AirportJak AirportJak Airport was the guitarist of 1970s punk band X-Ray Spex and New Wave band Classix Nouveaux, before retiring from music and working for the BBC....
, guitarist of punk band X-Ray SpexX-Ray SpexX-Ray Spex were an English punk band from London that formed in 1976.During their first incarnation , X-Ray Spex were “deliberate underachievers” and only managed to release five singles and one album...
and New WaveNew Wave musicNew Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band Classix NouveauxClassix NouveauxClassix Nouveaux were an English 1980s new wave band. They had number one hits in Poland, Portugal, the former Yugoslavia, Israel, Iceland, and other countries...
, was born and raised there. - Jacqui McSheeJacqui McSheethumb|300px|right|Jacqui McShee performing with [[Pentangle]] at the 2007 [[BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards]]Jacqueline 'Jacqui' McShee is an English singer. Since 1966 she has performed with Pentangle, a jazz influenced folk rock band.-Biography:McShee's musical career began as a soloist in British folk...
, folk singer and co-founder of PentanglePentanglePentangle may refer to:*another word for a pentagram, a five-pointed star drawn with five straight strokes*Pentangle , a British folk-rock band*The Pentangle, the 1968 album by the band Pentangle...
.
Sport
Catford StadiumCatford Stadium
Catford Stadium was a historic greyhound track in Catford, a suburb of London. It was open between 1932 and 2003, when it was closed by its commercial operator Wembley . The local amateur side, Catford Wanderers, were mooted to move into the stadium, though this dream was never realised...
was one of the most famous greyhound racing venues in the UK until its closure in 2005. It also hosted boxing and several other sporting events. The site of the Stadium has now been demolished and there are plans to build 500 apartments and community facilities including new shops and a doctors surgery.
Catford Southend F.C. were a once successful non-league side who groundshared with Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
at The Mount stadium and nearly merged with. However, the deal was scuppered and Charton went onto Football League success while Catford Southend fell into obscurity. The most prominent Sunday League
Sunday League
Sunday League may refer to:*Sunday league football, amateur football played on Sundays in the United Kingdom.*The Sunday League, the precursor tournament to the National League in English cricket....
side now in Catford is Catford Strollers F.C. Catford also boast a large 5-a-side center with many teams. Catford Saints were a professional baseball side playing in the London Major Baseball League in the early 20th century.
The Catford Cycling Club was founded in 1886 and rose to European promience. In 1894 they built their own track south of Brownhill Road complete with a magnificent Pagoda
Pagoda
A pagoda is the general term in the English language for a tiered tower with multiple eaves common in Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and other parts of Asia. Some pagodas are used as Taoist houses of worship. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most commonly Buddhist,...
grandstand
Grandstand
A grandstand is a large and normally permanent structure for seating spectators, most often at a racetrack. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap all or most of the way...
. However, by the 1950s the majority of the track had been built over yet the club still flourishes to this day.
Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, bowls
Bowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
are represented in Catford in the form of Catford Wanderers
Catford Wanderers
Catford Wanderers Sports Club is on Beckenham Hill Road, behind the large Homebase. It consists of 3 sport sections, Cricket, Tennis and Badminton.- Catford Wanderers Cricket Club :...
and Catford and Cyphers sports clubs. Catford also has a skating club. Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
have played at Catford several times in the past.
Transport links
Catford is well connected for public transport, with two adjacent stations where railway lines cross (but do not interchangeInterchange station
An interchange station or a transfer station is a train station for more than one railway route in a public transport system, and allows passengers to change from one route to another. Transfer may occur within the same mode, or between rail modes, or to buses...
). Catford railway station is on the route between Blackfriars station
Blackfriars station
Blackfriars station, also known as London Blackfriars, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the City of London, England. Its platforms will eventually span the River Thames a short distance downstream from Blackfriars Bridge. The current entrance is located on the...
and Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks is a commuter town situated on the London fringe of west Kent, England, some 20 miles south-east of Charing Cross, on one of the principal commuter rail lines from the capital...
via Bromley South
Bromley South railway station
Bromley South railway station is a major interchange and station in Bromley town centre within the London Borough of Bromley in southeast London. It is in Travelcard Zone 5, and the station and all trains are operated by Southeastern...
, while Catford Bridge railway station
Catford Bridge railway station
Catford Bridge railway station is on the Mid-Kent Line, serving Hayes line trains from Charing Cross to Hayes. It lies between Ladywell and Lower Sydenham stations, in Travelcard Zone 3. It is next to, and on a lower level than, Catford railway station on the Catford Loop line...
is on the Mid-Kent line to Hayes
Hayes, Bromley
Hayes is a place in the London Borough of Bromley, south-east London, England. It has two main areas of activity: the ancient village and suburban Hayes.-The ancient village of Nimrods :...
from Charing Cross
Charing Cross railway station
Charing Cross railway station, also known as London Charing Cross, is a central London railway terminus in the City of Westminster, England. It is one of 18 stations managed by Network Rail, and trains serving it are operated by Southeastern...
and Cannon Street stations. As well as the railway stations there is Catford bus garage, providing many routes towards Central London and out towards Bromley
Bromley
Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
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Nearest railway stations
- Catford railway stationCatford railway stationCatford railway station serves the London suburb of Catford. Mainly used by commuters, it is on the line from mostly Kentish Town to Sevenoaks, between and in Travelcard Zone 3. Connections to London Victoria and are available at Peckham Rye....
- Catford Bridge railway stationCatford Bridge railway stationCatford Bridge railway station is on the Mid-Kent Line, serving Hayes line trains from Charing Cross to Hayes. It lies between Ladywell and Lower Sydenham stations, in Travelcard Zone 3. It is next to, and on a lower level than, Catford railway station on the Catford Loop line...
- Ladywell railway stationLadywell railway stationLadywell railway station is in Ladywell, in the London Borough of Lewisham in south east London, in Travelcard Zone 3. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southeastern...
- Hither Green railway stationHither Green railway stationHither Green is a railway station located in Hither Green in the London Borough of Lewisham, in southeast London, United Kingdom. Hither Green is a busy commuter station with services to several London termini and destinations to the southeast Hither Green is a railway station located in Hither...
- Lee railway stationLee railway stationLee station is a suburban railway station on Burnt Ash Hill in Lee in south-east London, England, between Hither Green and Mottingham on the Dartford loop . It was opened by the South Eastern Railway in 1866...
- Brockley railway stationBrockley railway stationBrockley railway station is on the main railway line between and .The station is operated by London Overground, with London Overground and Southern trains serving the station. First Capital Connect and some Southern services pass through the station. It is in Travelcard Zone 2.-History:The line...
Bus routes
- 47 Catford Garage - Shoreditch via Lewisham
- 54 Elmers End - Woolwich via Blackheath
- 75 Croydon Town Centre - Lewisham via Sydenham
- 124 Eltham - Catford (St. Dunstans College) via Mottingham, Grove Park and Torridon Road
- 136 Grove Park - Peckham via Goldsmith's College
- 160 Catford Bridge Station - Sidcup via Brownhill Road and Eltham.
- 171 Catford Garage - Holborn Station via Brockley, Peckham and Waterloo
- 181 Grove Park - Lewisham via Downham
- 185 Lewisham - Victoria via Dulwich
- 199 Catford Garage - Canada Water/Surrey Quays via Greenwich
- 202 Crystal Palace - Blackheath
- 208 Lewisham - Orpington via Catford and Bromley
- 284 Lewisham - Grove Park via Crofton Park and Verdant Lane
- 320 Catford - Biggin Hill Valley via Bromley
- 336 Catford - Locks Bottom via Bromley
- N136 Oxford Circus - Chislehurst via Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Victoria, Vauxhall, Kennington, Peckham, Lewisham, Catford and Downham, Grove Park
- N47 Trafalgar Square - St Mary Cray via Aldwych, Ludgate Circus, Bank, Cannon Street, Monument, London Bridge, Surrey Quays, Deptford, Lewisham, Catford, Downham, Bromley, Petts Wood and Orpington
- N171 Tottenham Court Road - Hither Green via Aldwych, Peckham, Brockley and Crofton Park
Nearest towns
- BellinghamBellingham, LondonBellingham is a neighbourhood and electoral ward in the London Borough of Lewisham, and consists mainly of social/council housing built in the 1920s on what was then farm land. Many houses have been bought by the tenants under the Right to Buy Scheme. However, the majority are still rented out to...
- BrockleyBrockleyBrockley is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross.It is covered by the London postcode districts SE4 and SE14.-History:...
- Crofton ParkCrofton ParkCrofton Park is a vibrant, mainly residential suburb and electoral ward in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is the original site of the former agricultural hamlet of Brockley. It is located 5.3 miles south east of Charing Cross, and is south of Brockley and north of Honor Oak...
- Forest HillForest Hill, LondonForest Hill is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It situated between Dulwich and Sydenham. The area has enjoyed extensive investment since plans to extend the East London Line to Forest Hill were unveiled in 2004....
- Hither GreenHither GreenHither Green is a district in south east London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated 6.6 miles south east of Charing Cross, and on the Prime Meridian....
- Grove Park
- LadywellLadywellLadywell is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham.-History:The name Ladywell was in use by the 15th century, and maps dating to this period show the site of the original Ladywell, in front of the area later to be occupied by the Freemason's Arms and...
- LeeLee, LondonLee is a district of south London, England, located mostly in the London Borough of Lewisham and partly in the London Borough of Greenwich. The district lies to the east of Lewisham, one mile west of Eltham, and one mile south of Blackheath village...
- LewishamLewishamLewisham is a district in South London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
- SydenhamSydenhamSydenham is an area and electoral ward in the London Borough of Lewisham; although some streets towards Crystal Palace Park, Forest Hill and Penge are outside the ward and in the London Borough of Bromley, and some streets off Sydenham Hill are in the London Borough of Southwark. Sydenham was in...
- DownhamDownhamDownham is a district located in south-east London, occupying much of the boundary between the London Borough of Lewisham and the London Borough of Bromley; it is the name of an electoral ward covering much of the area on the Lewisham side...
- BromleyBromleyBromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
External links
- Catford from the OpenStreetMapOpenStreetMapOpenStreetMap is a collaborative project to create a free editable map of the world. Two major driving forces behind the establishment and growth of OSM have been restrictions on use or availability of map information across much of the world and the advent of inexpensive portable GPS devices.The...
- Catford - a short history from Ideal Homes website
- History of Catford from The South London Guide
- Catford Dog Track from Derelict London website
- Catford's 'Lewisham Hippodrome' (now demolished) from Ideal Homes website
- Parish church of the part of Catford south of Catford bridge
- Catford community portal and information web site