With the opening of Vauxhall Bridge in 1816, improved access to Central London led to a process of suburban development. The area remained undeveloped until the beginning of the 19th century, the main settlements being near Stockwell, Brixton Hill and Coldharbour Lane. It was only at the end of the 18th century that villages and settlements formed around Brixton, as the original woodland was gradually reduced until the area was covered in farmland and market gardens known for game and strawberries. The main roads were connected through a network of medieval country lanes, such as Acre Lane, Coldharbour Lane, Brixton Water Lane and Lyham Road, formerly Black Lane.

At Brixton the river was crossed by low bridges for Roman roads to the south coast, now Brixton Road and Clapham Road. At the time the River Effra flowed from its source in Upper Norwood through Herne Hill to Brixton. The location is unknown but is thought to be at the top of Brixton Hill, at a road known at the time as Bristow or Brixton Causeway, long before any settlement in the area.īrixton marks the rise from the marshes in the north of the ancient parish of Lambeth up to the hills of Upper Norwood and Streatham. Brixi is thought to have erected a boundary stone to mark the meeting place of the ancient Brixton hundred court of Surrey. The name Brixton is thought to originate from Brixistane, meaning the stone of Brixi, a Saxon lord. 1.8 2000s: Regeneration vs GentrificationĪ map showing the Brixton ward of Lambeth Metropolitan Borough as it appeared in 1916.1.6 1980s: Riots after police actions and Scarman Report.īrixton is 2.7 mi (4.3 km) south-southeast from the geographical centre of London (measuring to a point near Brixton Underground station on the Victoria Line). The district houses the main offices of Lambeth London Borough Council. It lies within Inner London and is bordered by Stockwell, Clapham, Streatham, Camberwell, Tulse Hill, Balham and Herne Hill.

It is a multi-ethnic community, with a large percentage of its population of Afro-Caribbean descent. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th century as communications with central London improved.īrixton is mainly residential, though includes Brixton Market and a substantial retail sector. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.

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