Sole trader: FC Sopers's family fish shop is envied in neighbouring postcodes
Streets of London: Nunhead Lane, SE15
-
By Jessica Cargill Thompson
Posted: Fri Mar 30 2007 -
Time Out takes a look around this up-and-coming south London neighbourhood, popular with first-time buyers
How we laughed when Nunhead – Nunhead! – hosted its first arts festival in spring last year. It was a fledgling affair, a few open studios, and some face painting on the green, but it spoke volumes about the ambitions of this scrappy little no-man’s land.
Sandwiched between Peckham Rye and Telegraph Hill, pockmarked by low-rise council estates, overshadowed by a dramatic railway viaduct and not on the tube, Nunhead is one of those forgotten pockets of London. Unloved for decades, property is such a mix that there is very little cohesion in its architectural character, which means the intrepid can stumble upon modern flats, interesting light-industrial buildings (ripe for development), and huge Victorian mansions converted into airy flats. Feature continuesAdvertisement
Explore the side streets and there are enough bursts of handsome Victorian terraces among the newer, mainly council, housing to make middle class colonisation inevitable. There’s already a gastropub (The Old Nun’s Head, Nunhead Green), a posh florist (Hello Petal, 118 Evelina Road) and rumours that the old wool shop is earmarked for an organic food shop. The council also plans to inject £14.5 million into the regeneration of Nunhead and East Peckham (albeit with most of the funds going to the area around Queens Road, Peckham). It’s also usefully close to sought-after independent state school Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hatcham College.
Nunhead still feels like a discovery. The main road is stocked with unpretentious places that have been there for ever: newsagent, launderette, butcher, hardware shop, funeral parlour. The big draws, famed throughout neighbouring postcodes, are FC Soper (141 Evelina Road, 020 7639 9729), an old-fashioned fishmonger, and Ayres bakery (131-133 Evelina Road, 0207 639 0648/www.ayresthebakers.com) which opens at 6am selling no-nonsense loaves and pâtisserie such as jam doughnuts, Chelsea buns and ‘totty’ – a chunky sponge slice with icing and coconut.
The focus of the street, where Nunhead Lane becomes Evelina Road, is Nunhead Green. Struggling to feel villagey, the central patch of grass has been cleaned up and the noticeboard advertises a youth club and cat-sitting services.
Again there’s potential; a row of former almshouses adds period charm and the half-timbered Old Nun’s Head pub was recently taken over by the owners of award-winning Peckham pub The Gowlet and is packed with families at the weekend. There’s a charming little library just round the corner on Gordon Road, and the most superbly-named pub in London – The Pyrotechnists Arms.- Add your comment to this feature
More ways to enjoy Time Out
-
Get the latest news from Time Out
Including exclusive offers and tickets
-
Time Out Widgets
|
|
15 comments
be a part of the studio peeps. this is a filmed event that will be made into a programme
artist this week-myself-m-dot rich-trissha irie-soca devettes-masky-shan the poet-masky john the voice miss bailly-lady d film maker and poet in box me to get on the guest list or on the door will cost £10 on the guest list will cost £5. the old nuns head se15 3qq kick off 7pm unless you are attending the poerty work shop @ 5pm the cost £10- break though your fear word power and heal thy self and share what would you like to do with your poetry
The Old Nun's Head
15 Nunhead Green
London
SE15 3QQ
...
020 7639 4007
The Nunshead Pub
Hosts a Pop-Up-Shop on the 1st Saturday of every month
with over 20 diverse traders selling, clothes, pre-loved labels, vintage ceramics, Hand thrown pies, cup cakes, art, photography, felt jewellery, silver, vintage clothes, perspex jewellery and MUCH MORE.
Next event 7th may 11.30 to 5pm
FUTURE DATES 4th June & 2nd July.
Come and shop and the pub serves AMAZING FOOD!
can anyone tell me if francis place is still there and if not when did the road name dissapear /what has replaced it/also what was the area like i 'm going back about a hundread years
To Nunhead Resident,
You're referring to property as 'shelter'. Why don't you try a cave?
Dear sir .Thank . from India I am speaking . London is so much beautifull place.but India is no comper about it , please contract with us .our ngos is women centre action society , please India visit , our ngos , for some day ; fullco-operation to you from our sode. thank
Dear sirs, My mother grew up in a house at 10 Nun head lane or green, she often told erie stories about the pub & a tunnel going from the house to to nuns head pub. she came to America during WW2, Her name is Florence Smith, the last of 16 children. I'm looking for any relatives that may still be in the area. Best regards, Joe Farinaro. > USA
My grandparents,motherand uncles(the Gage family)lived at 49,Evelina Road,Nunhead from about 1906 to 1975 and all except the grandparents attended Hollydale Primary School.I was there from 1946 until 1953, when I moved on to Honor Oak School,Homestall Road where my mother had been in the 1930's.I would love to hear from anyone who may still be living in the area who remembers the family,maybe as a neighbour or from schooldays.When I left Honor Oak in 1960 I went to Goldsmiths'College where I trained as a primary teacher and began my teaching career in 1963 at Torridon Infant School,before moving to Worthing,Sussex in 1965.I married Richard in 1970 and we lived in Twickenham and had two sons,Simon and Tim in 1972 and 1975.In 1985 we returned to Sussex.I still visit "my roots" as Simon has been teaching in Dulwich for several years! I like to visit Ayres and have a little painting of the wool shop at Nunhead Green which I did when it was a hardware shop in the early 1960,s.There were Typhoo Tea adverts at the top of the windows!(J.P.and Z.Matthews)I have vivid memories of Nunhead and would love to share them with others who would like to contact me! Christine
I am sorry SD that you have got such a bad experience with estate agents.I have got a property in Nunhead 1 bed flat which I was trying to rent.I have managed now but I needed to go down with the rent.I had too many people DSS and I will never rent it to them.I am shocked as the estate agents charge so much money I had it with Foxtons and they were not able to rent it as well as they called me all the time to lower the rent.I told them fine but lower your fees.They said that they can not do that.
You realy have to meet every tenant and have a kind of 6 sence to know that whom you take will pay your rent.I prefer to wait 2 to 3 month and get good tenant.
it is very stresfull to wait for people and they never turn up.
If you like you cna contact me and I can manage your properties for you or help to find you tenants for smaller fee then estate agents/
RegardsZuzana
Nunhead is one of those places in London that no one has really heard of but may have passed through on the train sometimes on the way to Victoria.
By far the most interesting part is the cemetery ! Really ! A lovely quiet place that was once a grand burial ground for the rich. Tours last Sunday of each month (2.30 PM)
Ivydale Road (and the roads that branch of it) have the most affordable and spacious Victorian houses. This is the 'grander' end of Nunhead. Either side of the Ivydale Road backs onto open space, a school field one side and the cemetery the other. A rarity in London not to be overlooked in your back garden.
I have lived in Nunhead for 5 years. It is full of young professional families. A great place to meet other mums, there is so much to do. Full of toddler clubs and of course great walks in the beautiful Nunhead cemetery or Peckham Rye park. Nunhead is a hidden gem but definitely on the up
It is an unpretentious, safe 'villiage' with good bus and train links into town.
For anyone looking to move south east, I would say Nunhead is the pace to be in 2009!
To the absent oversea landlord who had problem with Ludlow Thompson, serve you right. Living off the backs of others and exploiting the fundamental human need for shelter, Go back crawl under your stone. We don't want middle class property developers in Nunhead.
I don't know about Ludlow Thompson - but Roy Brooks are completely unprofessional.
I LIVE IN NUNHEAD AND ITS THE BEST. I LIVE ON LINDEN GROVE, A FABULOUS STREET WITH WONDERFUL NEIGHBOURS. I,VE BEEN LVING IN NUNHEAD FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS. HAD NO PROBLEMS WAT SO EVER . I WILL GIVE IT A 10 OUT OF 10
what about that wonderful modern wood and zinc building on the corner next to the old nunshead and gordon road