First Time in Brixton?
The Jewel of South London
Talk to Londoners about Brixton and the first question that stands out is “how do I get there?” That’s easy because it is in South London, in the borough of Lambeth. The name Brixton itself has very ancient origins, much older than the "Brixtane" recorded by the Normans at the end of the 11th century in the famous Doomsday Book. Brixton was mainly wasteland until the beginning of the nineteenth century, the main areas that were urbanised are near Stockwell, Brixton Hill and Coldharbour Lane. The opening of the Vauxhall Bridge allowed faster access to London and therefore encourages urban development.
Brixton is a very lively area of London and visitors can find many hidden gems in this area – Brixton Market and the ‘Street Murals’ to name but two
You can find Windrush Square which is an open public space. On 22 June 2017, the African and Caribbean War Memorial, the United Kingdom's national memorial dedicated to African and Caribbean servicemen who fought in the First and Second World Wars, was unveiled in Windrush Square.
I walked around Windrush Square, the unofficial heart of Brixton. On the opposite side of the square you can see the great tower of Lambeth Town Hall which is the seat of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a Grade II Classified Monument, and was built of stone and red brick in 1908 .
On the north-east corner of Windrush Square you can find the Ritzy cinema. It is managed by Picturehouse Cinemas, who were bought by Cineworld in 2012. The cinema opened on 11 March 1911 as "the Electric Pavilion". It was built by E.C. Homer and Lucas for Israel Davis, one of a noted family of cinema developers, and was one of England's earliest purpose-built cinemas, seating over 750 seats in the single auditorium. In 1954, it was renovated by noted cinema architect Georges Coles, who installed CinemaScope the cinema was renamed "the Pullman". In 2009, the decor and colour scheme was restored from its original style and a live music venue was added, called Upstairs. There are many other places to see such as Tate Library, statue of Tate, foundation stone, Budd Memorial, St Matthew's, Windmill bar.
Go down and take a look. You might be amazed.
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