136 Streatham High Road

Image: © Stephen Richards Taken: Unknown

Until quite recently the Post Office, and before that the telephone exchange, this is a fine neo-Georgian building of red brick with stone dressings. The windows facing the High Road have stone surrounds and pronounced keystones, and there is a gable topped by an obelisk (the bird is not a permanent feature). It was built in 1909. 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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