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Wooden Bridge Terrace, Canterbury Grove, LONDON, SE27 0NR

As seen from Image This line leads from Tulse Hill towards West Norwood and onwards to Crystal Palace. On the right is Mount Villas (road) partially over the line. In the background is a footbridge between two sections of Canterbury Grove.

This road leads from Norwood Road towards Royal Circus. It passes over the railway between West Norwood and Tulse Hill.

On a grey day it resembles offices of the Stasi, but this ugly duckling will transform itself into West Norwood's (swan-like?) leisure centre, housing a swimming pool, gym, dance studio, meeting rooms and GP surgery. It is being built on what was open space next to Norwood Hall, a nondescript, derelict post-war building (and itself a community hall) which has now been demolished. Between Bloom Grove, from where this photo was taken, and the leisure centre runs the railway. Swan phase: Image

The road descends towards Norwood Road, although it is interrupted by the railway which is crossed only by a footbridge. The distant woods might be near Dulwich golf course.

Having walked past these buildings countless times thinking that I should take a photo just in case they are demolished, I finally turned up just as the first steps in that process were being taken. Some of the metal windows had been removed. There are some nice little Art Deco-ish details on these otherwise modest industrial buildings. However, having lain empty for at least 3-4 years, the site is being cleared for a mixed residential-commercial development, and soon these buildings will be history.

Now that it's finished - the centre opened in August 2014 - it looks a lot less Stasi-like (Image]), which is a relief. It's actually not a bad building, low and layered, partially built into a sloping site. Built at a cost of £14 million by Lambeth Council and Lambeth Primary Care Trust to house a 25 metre swimming pool, gym, dance studios, meeting rooms, GP and dental practice. Designed by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris.

As seen from Image Two railway lines converge here. A line from Tulse Hill (or Streatham Hill) heads towards West Norwood. In the background, is Lansdowne Hill road bridge.

Running from the high ground north-east towards Norwood Road at the bottom, Lancaster Avenue the continuation beyond.

Bath and Edinburgh may have better known examples, but their charms are obvious whereas West Norwood's requires an exercise of the imagination to fully appreciate its (potential) splendour. Standing on high ground, it should have been the circular hub of a prestigious early Victorian development from which villa-lined roads would radiate, but it flopped and the surrounding houses are routine Victorian and early C20th fare. Behind the wooden fence is Tonge House, originally a "home for ladies", almshouses established by Bertha Portal, the present building also early C20th by the looks of it.

A small loop off Knight's Hill currently comprising a mixture of residential, retail and light industrial uses. The building at the end appears to be in the process of conversion into offices. It would be interesting to know the original uses of these buildings. The road is named after Frederick Nettlefold, local philanthropist, who lived at Norwood Grove, and industrialist whose company cornered the market in wood screws.