POSTCODE FROM THE EDGE: Lend an ear to Stockwell
For those in the know, Stockwell is as chic as Chelsea and Hampstead. Boasting a lively Spanish quarter and a Grade II-listed bus station, it is also the home of such luminaries as Will Self and Joanna Lumley
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference."I have a room such as I have always longed for," the 20-year-old Vincent Van Gogh wrote to his parents from London in 1873. "I have a delightful home and it is a great pleasure to me." To which area of our magnificent capital was he referring? Hampstead perhaps, or Chelsea, Bayswater or Chiswick? That the answer is Stockwell may surprise a few people, but this ancient and historical area is full of such surprises.
Even its stoutest defender would concede that the secrets of Stockwell take some unearthing, but therein lies the pleasure. A thriving Spanish and Portuguese quarter centres around the tapas bars and restaurants halfway up South Lambeth Road. According to Harden's restaurant guide, the best of these is Rebatos which is "full of atmosphere" and offers "very good value tapas" but there are half-a-dozen others.
Stockwell also boasts the real Albert Square, whose most famous resident is the actress Joanna Lumley. The Royal Albert pub, just around the corner on St Stephen's Terrace, has a beer garden, bar billiards and a spacious pool-room upstairs. Further south, past Will Self's place on Lansdowne Way, is the highly recommended Surprise pub on Larkhall Lane. A short hop from there brings you to Jeffrey's Road, where the band KLF once lived in a squat, while the 1950s elegance of the Grade II-listed Stockwell bus station is worth a moment's appreciation. For those wishing to linger longer, St Monica House is a fine B&B on Clapham Road run by Maltese nuns.
Among significant figures to have been commemorated with a blue heritage plaque are Lilian Baylis, former manager of Sadler's Wells (27 Stockwell Park Road), Violette Szabo, heroine of the French Resistance and subject of the film Carve Her Name With Pride (18 Burnley Road) and, of course, Vincent Van Gogh (87 Hackford Road).
The original settlement of Stockwell formed around Stockwell Green, which is currently a shabby and non-descript residential triangle, but was once a green and pleasant bit of land. The first part of the name derives from "stoc", the Old English word for "wood". "Remarkable fine water" was drawn from wells on the site and breweries thrived. Inns and taverns naturally followed with the Plough (dating back to 1666) and the Swan (circa 1780) being among the oldest. The latter is now an Irish/tribute band pub and features acts like the U2 doppelgangers. It is also allegedly a former thinking spot of the Aldwych bomber.
Van Gogh fell in love in Stockwell - and that's no surprise to those in the know.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments