Tulse Hill
Encyclopedia
Tulse Hill is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth
in South London
, England. It lies to the south of Brixton
, east of Brixton Hill, north of West Norwood
and west of West Dulwich
.
or Manors of Bodley, Upgroves and Scarlettes whose precise boundaries are now uncertain. The name of the area comes from the Tulse family who came into ownership of farmland in the area during the period of the Commonwealth
in the 1650s. Sir Henry Tulse
was Lord Mayor of London
in 1683 and his daughter Elizabeth married the Richard Onslow, 1st Baron Onslow
. The land remained in Onslow ownership until 1789 when most of it was purchased by William Cole. The estate was further divided on Cole's death in 1807.
The western part was left to "Mercy Cressingham, spinster" (now commemorated by the Cressingham Gardens estate in the area) and the eastern part -now mostly occupied by Brockwell Park
- was left to Richard Ogbourne who promptly sold it on to John Blades.
In 1810 Tulse Hill Farm was the only building in western part of the area. The enclosure of land in the parish of Lambeth
in 1811 led to the construction of Effra Road in the area immediately to the north. Together with improvements to Brixton Road by the local turnpike trust
this greatly improved road communications with central London, and the value of the local landholdings.
The heiress Miss Cressingham did not remain a spinster for long. Her husband Dr Thomas Edwards, took the initiative in buying extra land to make an access from Brixton Hill
in 1814 and laying out two new roads Lower Tulse Hill Road (now known simply as Tulse Hill) and Upper Tulse Hill Road (now Upper Tulse Hill) before 1821. A plan of 1821 in the RIBA
Library shows a proposed speculative development of both the Edwards estate and the adjacent Blades estate with large detached villas, although only the former actually came to fruition. The new roads were adopted by the parish in 1822.
An 1832 map shows that Tulse Hill still had only a few buildings on the new roads in contrast to nearby recently developed areas in Brixton
and Norwood
and the longer established hamlet of Dulwich
. However, by 1843, there was a continuous line of houses, predominantly detached and usually with separate coach houses along the full length of Lower Tulse Hill Road from Brixton to the top of the hill.
Development of the area to the east of this road commenced in 1845 when Trinity Rise was built to connect Upper Tulse Hill with Norwood Road. Holy Trinity Church on Trinity Rise was built in 1855-6 and is now grade II listed.
Major development of the area further east did not come until the opening of Tulse Hill railway station
in 1868.
Most of the original villas with large gardens on the original Edwards-Cressingham landholding have been redeveloped at much higher densities for council housing since the 1930s.
The most prominent survival of 19th century Tulse Hill is Berry House, later called Silwood Hall, and now forming the front part of St Martin-In-The-Fields High School for Girls
, a Church of England
secondary school which has outlasted the nearby 1950s schools.
The redevelopment of Tulse Hill after World War II
by the London County Council
had included the construction of two large secondary schools - Tulse Hill School
(at Upper Tulse Hill, originally for boys, where Ken Livingstone
went to school) and Dick Sheppard School
(originally for girls only). Both schools have now closed, and their sites have been redeveloped for housing of very contrasting types. The Dick Sheppard School site was redeveloped in a gated Regency style with houses and apartments overlooking Brockwell Park.
The site of Tulse Hill school was redeveloped as affordable housing. It appeared on the news on 22 July 2005 after a police surveillance operation on a blocks of flats in Scotia Road within the new development. Following the 21 July 2005 London bombings
, the terrorist suspect Osman Hussain
was linked to a flat in the block. Brazilian electrician Jean Charles de Menezes
was a resident of the same block and was fatally shot at Stockwell tube station
by the police who had been tracking Hussain.
(South Circular) and the A215
(Norwood Road).
, 68
, 196
, 201, 432, 415, 332, 468
and P13 and route 3
goes along Effra Road and Dulwich Road to the north of Tulse Hill before passing through West Dulwich along the Croxted Road east of the Hill.
's "London Fields" goes to Tulse Hill to buy drugs.
Jason Strugnell, a fictional poet in Wendy Cope
's "Making Cocoa For Kingsley Amis", lives in Tulse Hill and mentions it a couple of times in "his" poems.
The "Tulse Hill Parliament", a socialist club, features in PG Wodehouse's comic novel Psmith in the City. The great writer was educated up the road at Dulwich College.
London Borough of Lambeth
The London Borough of Lambeth is a London borough in south London, England and forms part of Inner London. The local authority is Lambeth London Borough Council.-Origins:...
in South London
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...
, England. It lies to the south of Brixton
Brixton
Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, east of Brixton Hill, north of West Norwood
West Norwood
West Norwood is a place in the London Borough of Lambeth.It is primarily a residential suburb of south London but with some light industry near Knights Hill in the south....
and west of West Dulwich
West Dulwich
West Dulwich is an area in southeast London, England, that straddles the London Borough of Lambeth and the London Borough of Southwark. Croxted Road and South Croxted Road mark the boundary between London Borough of Southwark on the east and London Borough of Lambeth to the west...
.
History
The area known as Tulse Hill is part of the former ManorManorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
or Manors of Bodley, Upgroves and Scarlettes whose precise boundaries are now uncertain. The name of the area comes from the Tulse family who came into ownership of farmland in the area during the period of the Commonwealth
Commonwealth of England
The Commonwealth of England was the republic which ruled first England, and then Ireland and Scotland from 1649 to 1660. Between 1653–1659 it was known as the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland...
in the 1650s. Sir Henry Tulse
Henry Tulse (Lord Mayor)
Sir Henry Tulse was an alderman of the City of London and was Lord Mayor of London in 1684.Tulse was elected alderman for Bread Street Ward in the City of London in 1673. He was knighted at the Guildhall on 18 October 1673. In 1674 he was Sheriff of London. He became Lord Mayor in 1684.Tulse...
was Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
in 1683 and his daughter Elizabeth married the Richard Onslow, 1st Baron Onslow
Richard Onslow, 1st Baron Onslow
Richard Onslow, 1st Baron Onslow PC was a British Whig Member of Parliament, known as Sir Richard Onslow, 2nd Baronet from 1688 until 1716. He served as the Speaker of the House of Commons from 1708 until 1710 and as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1714 until 1715...
. The land remained in Onslow ownership until 1789 when most of it was purchased by William Cole. The estate was further divided on Cole's death in 1807.
The western part was left to "Mercy Cressingham, spinster" (now commemorated by the Cressingham Gardens estate in the area) and the eastern part -now mostly occupied by Brockwell Park
Brockwell Park
Brockwell Park is a 50.8 hectare park located between Brixton, Herne Hill and Tulse Hill, bordered by Brixton Water Lane, Norwood Road, Tulse Hill , and Dulwich Road in South London....
- was left to Richard Ogbourne who promptly sold it on to John Blades.
In 1810 Tulse Hill Farm was the only building in western part of the area. The enclosure of land in the parish of Lambeth
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
in 1811 led to the construction of Effra Road in the area immediately to the north. Together with improvements to Brixton Road by the local turnpike trust
Turnpike trust
Turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were bodies set up by individual Acts of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the principal highways in Britain from the 17th but especially during the 18th and 19th centuries...
this greatly improved road communications with central London, and the value of the local landholdings.
The heiress Miss Cressingham did not remain a spinster for long. Her husband Dr Thomas Edwards, took the initiative in buying extra land to make an access from Brixton Hill
Brixton Hill
Brixton Hill is the name given to a 1 km section of road between Brixton and Streatham Hill in south London, England. It slopes downhill towards central London.Brixton Hill and Streatham Hill form part of the traditional main London to Brighton road...
in 1814 and laying out two new roads Lower Tulse Hill Road (now known simply as Tulse Hill) and Upper Tulse Hill Road (now Upper Tulse Hill) before 1821. A plan of 1821 in the RIBA
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
Library shows a proposed speculative development of both the Edwards estate and the adjacent Blades estate with large detached villas, although only the former actually came to fruition. The new roads were adopted by the parish in 1822.
An 1832 map shows that Tulse Hill still had only a few buildings on the new roads in contrast to nearby recently developed areas in Brixton
Brixton
Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
and Norwood
West Norwood
West Norwood is a place in the London Borough of Lambeth.It is primarily a residential suburb of south London but with some light industry near Knights Hill in the south....
and the longer established hamlet of Dulwich
Dulwich
Dulwich is an area of South London, England. The settlement is mostly in the London Borough of Southwark with parts in the London Borough of Lambeth...
. However, by 1843, there was a continuous line of houses, predominantly detached and usually with separate coach houses along the full length of Lower Tulse Hill Road from Brixton to the top of the hill.
Development of the area to the east of this road commenced in 1845 when Trinity Rise was built to connect Upper Tulse Hill with Norwood Road. Holy Trinity Church on Trinity Rise was built in 1855-6 and is now grade II listed.
Major development of the area further east did not come until the opening of Tulse Hill railway station
Tulse Hill railway station
Tulse Hill railway station is in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, between railway bridges over the A205, South Circular Road and the A215, Norwood Road...
in 1868.
Most of the original villas with large gardens on the original Edwards-Cressingham landholding have been redeveloped at much higher densities for council housing since the 1930s.
The most prominent survival of 19th century Tulse Hill is Berry House, later called Silwood Hall, and now forming the front part of St Martin-In-The-Fields High School for Girls
St Martin-In-The-Fields High School for Girls
St Martin-in-the-Fields High School for Girls is one of the oldest schools for girls in Britain. It was established in 1699 as a charitable enterprise by the parish of St Martin-in-the-Fields. Its popularity and growth led to its relocation in 1928 on a larger site in Tulse Hill, in the South...
, a Church of England
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...
secondary school which has outlasted the nearby 1950s schools.
The redevelopment of Tulse Hill after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
by the 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...
had included the construction of two large secondary schools - Tulse Hill School
Tulse Hill School
Tulse Hill School was a large comprehensive school for boys in Upper Tulse Hill, in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. The school spanned eight floors and had almost two thousand pupils. It opened in 1956 and closed in 1990. Notable alumni included Ken Livingstone, ex London...
(at Upper Tulse Hill, originally for boys, where Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
went to school) and Dick Sheppard School
Dick Sheppard School
Dick Sheppard School was a large school, originally for girls, at Tulse Hill in the South London borough of Lambeth. It was founded as the sister establishment to Tulse Hill School for boys and as the Comprehensive alternative to St Martin-In-The-Fields High School for Girls...
(originally for girls only). Both schools have now closed, and their sites have been redeveloped for housing of very contrasting types. The Dick Sheppard School site was redeveloped in a gated Regency style with houses and apartments overlooking Brockwell Park.
The site of Tulse Hill school was redeveloped as affordable housing. It appeared on the news on 22 July 2005 after a police surveillance operation on a blocks of flats in Scotia Road within the new development. Following the 21 July 2005 London bombings
21 July 2005 London bombings
On 21 July 2005, four attempted bomb attacks disrupted part of London's public transport system two weeks after the 7 July 2005 London bombings. The explosions occurred around midday at Shepherd's Bush, Warren Street and Oval stations on London Underground, and on a bus in Shoreditch...
, the terrorist suspect Osman Hussain
Osman Hussain
Osman Hussain was found guilty of having placed an explosive at the Shepherd's Bush tube station during the failed 21 July 2005 London bombings...
was linked to a flat in the block. Brazilian electrician Jean Charles de Menezes
Jean Charles de Menezes
Jean Charles de Menezes was a Brazilian man shot in the head seven times at Stockwell tube station on the London Underground by the London Metropolitan police, after he was misidentified as one of the fugitives involved in the previous day's failed bombing attempts...
was a resident of the same block and was fatally shot at Stockwell tube station
Stockwell tube station
Stockwell tube station is a London Underground station in Stockwell, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is located on the Northern Line between Oval and Clapham North, and on the Victoria Line between Brixton and Vauxhall. It is the southernmost station on the London Undergound that serves more...
by the police who had been tracking Hussain.
Roads
At the southern end of Tulse Hill is a major road junction between the A204 (Tulse Hill), A205A205 road
The A205 or South Circular Road is a direct route which crosses South London, UK, running from Woolwich in the east to the junction of the A406 , the M4 and the A4 at Gunnersbury in the west....
(South Circular) and the A215
A215 road
The A215 is an A road in South London, from Elephant and Castle to Shirley. It runs through the London Boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark and Croydon....
(Norwood Road).
Buses
The area is served by London Buses routes 2London Buses route 2
London Buses route 2 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. The service is currently contracted to Arriva London.-History:Route 2 was the last West End bus route that was operated by step-entrance buses other than Routemasters...
, 68
London Buses route 68
London Buses route 68 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London.-History:...
, 196
London Buses route 196
London Buses route 196 is a Transport for London-contracted bus route in London, U.K. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London.-Service:...
, 201, 432, 415, 332, 468
London Buses route 468
London Buses route 468 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London.-History:...
and P13 and route 3
London Buses route 3
London Buses route 3 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Abellio London.-History:...
goes along Effra Road and Dulwich Road to the north of Tulse Hill before passing through West Dulwich along the Croxted Road east of the Hill.
Nearest railway stations
- BrixtonBrixton railway stationBrixton Railway Station is a commuter railway station in the centre of Brixton, inSouth London, UK. It is on the Chatham Main Line which runs from London Victoria to Orpington. Trains are operated by Southeastern. The typical service is one train every 15 minutes in both directions.Brixton Railway...
- Herne HillHerne Hill railway stationHerne Hill railway station is in Herne Hill, a location in the London Borough of Lambeth, South London, England. Its location is .The station is above road level near the junction of five main roads, between Railton Road and Milkwood Road. There is no entrance in Milkwood Road, but there is a...
- Tulse HillTulse Hill railway stationTulse Hill railway station is in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, between railway bridges over the A205, South Circular Road and the A215, Norwood Road...
- West DulwichWest Dulwich railway stationWest Dulwich railway station is in the London Borough of Southwark in West Dulwich south London. It is in Fare Zone 3, and the station and all trains are operated by Southeastern...
- West NorwoodWest Norwood railway stationWest Norwood railway station is in the London Borough of Lambeth in West Norwood, south London. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southern, and it is in Travelcard Zone 3. Services from Platform 1 go to London Victoria and London Bridge via Tulse Hill...
Prominent buildings
- The former St Cuthbert's Presbyterian Church of England on Thurlow Park Road (technically this is in West DulwichWest DulwichWest Dulwich is an area in southeast London, England, that straddles the London Borough of Lambeth and the London Borough of Southwark. Croxted Road and South Croxted Road mark the boundary between London Borough of Southwark on the east and London Borough of Lambeth to the west...
because it has an SE21 postcode) - The church, recognisable by its Green steeple, was built in 1902 and is located a few minutes walk from Tulse Hill stationTulse Hill railway stationTulse Hill railway station is in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, between railway bridges over the A205, South Circular Road and the A215, Norwood Road...
. The building is now used for educational purposes and forms part of Rosemead Preparatory School. - Holy Trinity Church on Trinity Rise - built 1855-6, grade II listed.
- All Saints' Church - An astonishing Victorian GothicGothic architectureGothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
building in West DulwichWest DulwichWest Dulwich is an area in southeast London, England, that straddles the London Borough of Lambeth and the London Borough of Southwark. Croxted Road and South Croxted Road mark the boundary between London Borough of Southwark on the east and London Borough of Lambeth to the west...
, originally intended to be the cathedral for south London. The church was built between 1888 and 1897 and designed by George Fellowes PrynneGeorge Fellowes PrynneGeorge Halford Fellowes Prynne was born on 2 April 1853 at Wyndham Square, Plymouth, Devon. He died on 7 May 1927.He was the designer of many parish churches in England, mostly in the southeast and southwest, and almost always on a grand scale of high-church Gothic revival...
, a pupil of George Edmund StreetGeorge Edmund StreetGeorge Edmund Street was an English architect, born at Woodford in Essex.- Life :Street was the third son of Thomas Street, solicitor, by his second wife, Mary Anne Millington. George went to school at Mitcham in about 1830, and later to the Camberwell collegiate school, which he left in 1839...
. Although plans were scaled down it was still a huge building and is a Grade I listed building. Unfortunately it was gutted by a huge fireFireFire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
on 9 June 2000, the cause remains unknown. The building reopened in April 2006 after a three-year restoration project. - Tulse Hill Hotel - Landmark public house at the main Tulse Hill junction with Norwood Road. The pub was built in 1840 on Norwood Lane as it was then known, which was a muddy track leading to Herne Hill.
Famous residents
- Sir William Henry HarrisWilliam Henry HarrisSir William Henry Harris was an English organist and composer, affectionately nicknamed 'Doc H' by his choristers.Harris was born in Fulham, London and died in Petersfield. He was a chorister of Holy Trinity, Tulse Hill...
was a chorister at Holy Trinity Church towards the end of the 19th Century. - The astronomers Sir William HugginsWilliam HugginsSir William Huggins, OM, KCB, FRS was an English amateur astronomer best known for his pioneering work in astronomical spectroscopy.-Biography:...
and his wife Margaret Lindsay, Lady Huggins, had a home and observatory known as Huggins' Observatory from about 1850 until 1915 at 90 Upper Tulse Hill. It no longer stands but was at the approximate location of today's Vibart Gardens. - The Ionides family lived there between 1838-64. Alexander Constantine IonidesAlexander Constantine IonidesAlexander Constantine Ionides was a British art patron and art collector and patron of Greek ancestry.-Life:...
was Greek consul, art patron and donor. His son Constantine Alexander IonidesConstantine Alexander IonidesConstantine Alexander Ionides was a major 19th century British art patron and collector of Greek ancestry, the son of the collector Alexander Constantine Ionides. He is best known for his bequest of 82 oil paintings to the Victoria and Albert Museum. He is buried in Hove.-External links:...
left his collection of Old Masters to the Victoria and Albert MuseumVictoria and Albert MuseumThe Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
. - John SentamuJohn SentamuJohn Tucker Mugabi Sentamu is the 97th Archbishop of York, Metropolitan of the province of York, and Primate of England. He is the second most senior cleric in the Church of England, after the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.-Life and career:...
, current Archbishop of YorkArchbishop of YorkThe Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
, was vicar of Holy Trinity Church for 13 years. - Julian CopeJulian CopeJulian Cope is a British rock musician, author, antiquary, musicologist, poet and cultural commentator...
, lead singer of band Teardrop Explodes, lived at 149a Tulse Hill during the late 1980s where, the Guardian newspaper says, he had 40 ft Scalextrix track and a huge collection of Dinky cars. - Euan UglowEuan Uglow-Biography:Euan Uglow was born 10 March 1932 in London and as a child lived in Tulse Hill in south London. His father was an accountant, and Uglow went to the local grammar school in Tulse Hill, called Strand School. Afterwards he studied at Camberwell School of Art from 1948 to 1950...
, artist
Nearby attractions
- Brockwell ParkBrockwell ParkBrockwell Park is a 50.8 hectare park located between Brixton, Herne Hill and Tulse Hill, bordered by Brixton Water Lane, Norwood Road, Tulse Hill , and Dulwich Road in South London....
- Brockwell LidoBrockwell LidoBrockwell Lido is a large lido in Brockwell Park, Herne Hill, London. It opened in July 1937, closed in 1990 and after a local campaign was re-opened in 1994.- History :...
- The River EffraRiver EffraThe River Effra is a river in south London, England. It is now mainly underground. The name cannot be traced back much earlier than 1840 , so speculation that it came from a Celtic word for torrent is unwarranted...
at Belair in DulwichDulwichDulwich is an area of South London, England. The settlement is mostly in the London Borough of Southwark with parts in the London Borough of Lambeth...
Mentions in popular music
- 24 minutes to Tulse Hill by Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine, from the album 101 Damnations101 Damnations (album)101 Damnations may refer to:*101 Dam-Nations, a 1982 single by Scarlet Party*101 Damnations , a 1989 album by Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine*101 Damnations , a 2002 book edited by Michael J. Rosen...
- Escape from Tulse Hell by Ott, from the album BlumenkraftBlumenkraftBlumenkraft is Ott's first album. It was released in May 2003 on Twisted Records. The title of the album is a loose German translation of the phrase "flower power". However, this translation was used already in 1990 as the title of an album by the Swedish band Lolita Pop Blumenkraft is Ott's first...
Mentions in literature
Samson Young, protagonist in Martin AmisMartin Amis
Martin Louis Amis is a British novelist, the author of many novels including Money and London Fields . He is currently Professor of Creative Writing at the Centre for New Writing at the University of Manchester, but will step down at the end of the 2010/11 academic year...
's "London Fields" goes to Tulse Hill to buy drugs.
Jason Strugnell, a fictional poet in Wendy Cope
Wendy Cope
Wendy Cope, OBE is an award-winning contemporary English poet. She read history at St Hilda's College, Oxford. She now lives in Ely with the poet Lachlan Mackinnon.-Biography:...
's "Making Cocoa For Kingsley Amis", lives in Tulse Hill and mentions it a couple of times in "his" poems.
The "Tulse Hill Parliament", a socialist club, features in PG Wodehouse's comic novel Psmith in the City. The great writer was educated up the road at Dulwich College.