60-70 Streatham High Road

Image: © Stephen Richards Taken: Unknown

There's been an inn on the site of the current Horse and Groom for a "very long time", at which travellers could stop en route to Brighton for a drink or two or a spot of cock fighting. The current building dates from c1870, as do those to the left which echo the pronounced gable. These buildings are 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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