A walk along Streatham High Road, London SW16 Street photos along a south London thoroughfare, March 2010
(photos by urban75)
Once thought of as the 'west end' of South London, Streatham High Road's fall from grace has been dramatic, with a 2002 poll by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment declaring it to be Britain's 'worst high street.'
It's also the longest continuous High Street in Britain - and quite possibly Europe too - running for two miles south of Streatham Hill railway station into Norbury where the A23 becomes London Road.
This will see Tesco building a new leisure centre with a replacement ice rink. Once constructed, the existing ice rink and pool will be demolished and the land used by Tesco to build themselves a supermarket and some flats.
The derelict United Reform Church Sunday School on Streatham High Road, due to be demolished as part of the Streatham Hub Scheme.
The broken windows on the front of the Sunday School.
Foundation stone.
Isolated nearby in an ugly sea of tarmac is the Streatham United Reformed Church.
Thankfully, this fine piece of Edwardian architecture will survive the Streatham Hub scheme.
The gaudily painted Streatham Ice Rink, soon to be flattened under the Tesco scheme.
Britain's second oldest ice skating rink, it's been been producing British, European and world ice-dance and ice-skating champions since the 1930s.
The side of the building is in very poor condition.
Looking up at the Ice Rink building.
Detail from the building. You can see the original fine glass mosaic strips on the right hand window have been replaced by standard glass panes.
Sky Three 'Disappearing London' documentary on Streatham Ice Rink.
Mediterranean Bakery at 157 Streatham High Road.
A rather worryingly large crack lurks above the bakery which - clearly - used to be an Opticians.
Charmingly rustic gates at the entrance to St. Leonard's Church.
A church has stood here for over 1,000 years, with the parish originally covering a far wider area, taking in Balham, the northern part of Streatham up to Brixton Hill and east up to Crown Point.
Aother view of the large church, showing its mediaeval tower.
Samuel Johnson, who was a devout Anglican, regularly attended St Leonard�s church between 1765 and 1781.
Grand old grave looking a little worse for wear. A large crow dramatically flapped by as I took this picture.
View of Streatham High Road.
Delightful art deco frontage of The Goose pub on Streatham High Road.
Originally known as the Astoria Cinema, and seen here on its opening day on 30th June 1930, the building was designed by A. E. Stone, and boasted a neo-Egyptian styled interior.
The stage was larger than that of Drury Lane and the auditorium housed no less than 3000 people.
I thought they'd all but disappeared from London, but here's a Wimpy bar surviving in Streatham High Road.
The brand was created in the 1950s, with its name being inspired by the character of J. Wellington Wimpy from the Popeye cartoon.
We wish there was a Wimpy in Brixton and they're the only major fast food chain in the UK that offers Quorn burgers.
Streatham photos
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