The High, Streatham High Road (1)

Image: © Stephen Richards Taken: Unknown

The magnum opus of R. Toms and Partners, at least on the High Road. A huge development of street-level shops, above which are five blocks of flats each of five storeys, with more set back from the road. It opened in 1937. The flats have Crittall windows, but overall the buildings are plain with the only decoration being coloured brickwork at the angles, and the canopy above the shops which sweeps distinctively along this stretch of the road. It is within the Streatham High Road and Streatham Hill Conservation Area. The course of Streatham High Road has been a major highway between London and Sussex since Roman times. Its current appearance is largely attributable to two major spells of development. The first was during the late C19th following the opening of Streatham Hill station in 1856, and the second was after 1911 when the line to Victoria was electrified. Though much-maligned and undoubtedly blighted by heavy traffic, closer examination reveals that the road is lined with a number of interesting buildings, some of which reflect the period between the wars when Streatham was a fashionable centre of entertainment. Information from Lambeth Council (http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/NR/exeres/CE4B5CE1-0387-40ED-B5A9-273A5160C34A.htm ).

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