IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Kingswood Drive, LONDON, SE19 1UU

Grade II listed entrance on the corner of Lyall Avenue and Kingswood Drive. The formal entrance leads towards Kingswood House, now library and community centre.

The gateway is at the head of the old drive to Kingswood House, now at the heart of the 1950s Kingswood Estate. An OS map of 1895 shows a lodge to the south (left) of the gates. Kingswood Drive turned sharply uphill (behind the camera) and joined College Road as at present. Things had changed: on a map of 1875 College Road was Church Road. A short spur off Church Road went down to these gates. The name 'Kingswood' is carved on the right-hand gate pillar Image The church referred to was St Stephen's, up on the hill to the east of Sydenham Hill station. https://www.southwark.gov.uk/events-culture-and-heritage/explore-culture-in-southwark/heritage-and-local-history/historic-southwark/kingswood-house?chapter=2

Passing the listed gates shown in Image The late C19 gates, gateposts and splayed wings (which also have gates) are described at http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1385884&searchtype=mapsearch . The junction beyond is with Lyall Avenue.

Somewhat eroded, the name is on the right-hand gate pillar seen in Image The gates stood at the head of the drive to Kingswood House. The drive is now a path within the 1950s Kingswood Estate. https://www.southwark.gov.uk/events-culture-and-heritage/explore-culture-in-southwark/heritage-and-local-history/historic-southwark/kingswood-house?chapter=2

Three entrances and their associated staircases create a rhythm to this long four-storey frontage.

On the right is Sawyer House; beyond it is Ransford House.

While grass is not a bad surface for a small child to fall on, it gets worn to stones and mud, as here. Rubber crumb surfacing is now very widely used beneath play equipment. Although expensive, it's colourful, free-draining and slightly bouncy on impact and underfoot. In the foreground is a clean and simple brick edging to a tarmac path. Not just for looks, it prevents the tarmac from spreading and cracking.

Telfer House is on the left, Markham House on the right. The angled layout of the blocks forms a semi-enclosed space whose focal point is a group of mature trees. The 1950s estate retained some of the grand old oaks that studded the grounds of Kingswood House. They create a noble and notable setting that is in scale with the blocks of flats. The map of 1958-73 shows a number of individual large trees, though fewer than the map of 1916. https://www.southwark.gov.uk/events-culture-and-heritage/explore-culture-in-southwark/heritage-and-local-history/historic-southwark/kingswood-house?chapter=2

The angled layout of the blocks forms a semi-enclosed space whose focal point is a group of mature trees. The 1950s estate retained some of the grand old oaks that studded the grounds of Kingswood House. They create a noble and notable setting that is in scale with the blocks of flats. The map of 1958-73 shows a number of individual large trees, though fewer than the map of 1916. https://www.southwark.gov.uk/events-culture-and-heritage/explore-culture-in-southwark/heritage-and-local-history/historic-southwark/kingswood-house?chapter=2 Telfer House is on the left, Markham House on the right.