Then and Now: Brixton Station Road market
Photographic comparisons of old and modern views of Lambeth



c. 1921 The stairs up to the old railway station dominate this view of Brixton Market (looking towards Brixton Road). The overhead platforms provided a direct rail link to Peckham, although the service was closed by the London & South Western Railway as early as 1916 (rumour is that they used the First World War as an excuse to terminate the loss-making service). In the distance, you can just make out the corner of the Bon Marché building (to the right of the railway line)
(pic: Lambeth Archives)



26th February 1959 A similar view of the market along Brixton Station Road looking east towards Brixton Road. The station footbridge has gone but you can just see a sign advertising electric lanes to the far left. On the railway above, there's a set of electric signals nearest the camera, followed by a fine set of upper-quadrant semaphore signals. These would have been controlled by the signal box which was bolted onto a building suspended over the rails opposite Bon Marché . You can just see it in the distance.
(pic: Lambeth Archives)



May 2003 Over eighty years on and Station Road still hosts a busy street market. To the right, the monolithic Brixton Recreation Centre has sprung up, while all trace of the old station has disappeared. The Bon Marché building still remains however, spruced up and in use as offices.



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