Action, protest, campaigns, demos and issues magazine features, photos, articles, stories photos of London, New York, Wales, England and photography features music, parties, clubs, events, records, releases drug information, harm reduction, no-nonsense guide punch a celebrity football, features, issues, cardiff city games, useless games and diversions technical info, web authoring, reviews and features site news, updates and urban75 blog urban75 community news and events urban75 bulletin boards join the chatroom search urban75 back to urban75 homepage
London features, photos, history, articles New York features, photos, history, articles Brixton features, photos, history, articles panoramas, 360 degree vistas, London, New York, Wales, England Offline London club night festival reports, photos, features and articles urban75 sitemap and page listing about us, info, FAQs, copyright join our mailing list for updates and news contact urban75
Camberwell Submarine, Vent shaft for boiler room, Akerman Road, Brixton, London SW9
urban75 London magazine - articles and features London photos London panoramas
follow urban75 on Twitter

A trip inside the Camberwell Submarine
An oddity in Akerman Road, SW9
(Photos/words © urban75, April/Aug 2007)

Stuck in a small island on a little strip of dual carriageway in Akerman Road, SW9 is this curious building.

Known locally as the 'Camberwell Submarine' on account of its nautical lines, the structure has baffled people for years.

Some people thought it was a ventilation shaft for the tube (even though the nearest line is a mile and a half away), while others suspected it could be some forgotten defence relic from the Cold War era.

Camberwell Submarine, Vent shaft for boiler room, Akerman Road, Brixton, London SW9
The Camberwell Submarine in all its nuclear sub-esque glory.

Camberwell Submarine, Vent shaft for boiler room, Akerman Road, Brixton, London SW9
There's an entrance at either end - I came in through the door at the northern end.

Camberwell Submarine, Vent shaft for boiler room, Akerman Road, Brixton, London SW9

Camberwell Submarine, Vent shaft for boiler room, Akerman Road, Brixton, London SW9
By chance, a maintenance worker was on site, and he kindly invited me in to take a look around. The mystery of the Camberwell Submarine will be solved!

Camberwell Submarine, Vent shaft for boiler room, Akerman Road, Brixton, London SW9
Stepping through the entrance.

Camberwell Submarine, Vent shaft for boiler room, Akerman Road, Brixton, London SW9
Ground level view by the door. The stairs are to the right.

Camberwell Submarine, Vent shaft for boiler room, Akerman Road, Brixton, London SW9
Concrete stairs lead two floors down to the subterranean boiler room.

Camberwell Submarine, Vent shaft for boiler room, Akerman Road, Brixton, London SW9
The electronics control panel.

Camberwell Submarine, Vent shaft for boiler room, Akerman Road, Brixton, London SW9
Cables and amp meters for controlling the cooling fans.


top

Camberwell Submarine, Vent shaft for boiler room, Akerman Road, Brixton, London SW9
The boiler room is fairly substantial.

Camberwell Submarine, Vent shaft for boiler room, Akerman Road, Brixton, London SW9
The high pressure gas boilers are used to heat two council estates nearby.

Camberwell Submarine, Vent shaft for boiler room, Akerman Road, Brixton, London SW9
Gubbins.

top

Camberwell Submarine, Vent shaft for boiler room, Akerman Road, Brixton, London SW9
Lots of valves and cool dials for monitoring important things.

Camberwell Submarine, Vent shaft for boiler room, Akerman Road, Brixton, London SW9
Boilers.

Camberwell Submarine, Akerman Road, Brixton, London SW9
The main boiler room from the far end. In the background is the door and windows of the control room (where I came in).

Camberwell Submarine, Vent shaft for boiler room, Akerman Road, Brixton, London SW9
Looking up the stairs from the boiler room floor.

Camberwell Submarine, Vent shaft for boiler room, Akerman Road, Brixton, London SW9
Back on the surface. The concrete structure acts as ventilation shafts for the boilers lurking deep below ground.

Camberwell Submarine, Vent shaft for boiler room, Akerman Road, Brixton, London SW9

Camberwell Submarine, Vent shaft for boiler room, Akerman Road, Brixton, London SW9

top Get there quick!

Described elsewhere as looking like a, "a nuclear submarine, with a model of the mountain from Close Encounters on each end" the future for this unusual structure looks in doubt.

A recent Lambeth Planning statement proposed removing one side of the dual carriageway and removing the "submarine vent shaft."

Camberwell Submarine, Vent shaft for boiler room, Akerman Road, Brixton, London SW9
A last look at the Submarine. Mystery solved!

top

UPDATED PICS: AUGUST 2007

Camberwell Submarine, Vent shaft for boiler room, Akerman Road, Brixton, London SW9

Camberwell Submarine, Vent shaft for boiler room, Akerman Road, Brixton, London SW9

Camberwell Submarine, Vent shaft for boiler room, Akerman Road, Brixton, London SW9

See also: The Onion Shed, Camberwell

top

« back to homepage


» London features
» Brixton guide
» New York guide

APR 2007 PHOTOS
Camberwell Sub
» Brockwell Park
» Ruskin Park
« Myatt's Fields
« South Bank walk
« Kite Day

« London home

RELATED FEATURES:
» London photos

EXTERNAL LINKS:
Map location

post up your opinion on the bulletin boards!

write to usWrite to us
post on the bulletin boardsPost on the boards

copyright infoCopyright
informationCamera: Ricoh GX100

Post to Facebook Post to Twitter

urban75 - community - action - mag - photos - tech - music - drugs - punch - football - offline club - brixton - london - new york - useless - boards - help/FAQs - © - design - contact - sitemap - search