Catford, SE6

Catford is an area in the London Borough of Lewisham, England. It is located 6.3 miles (10.1 km) south east of Charing Cross.

The name may either derive from wildcats at a crossing of the River Ravensbourne or, as is more likely, from a cattle ford across the same river. Catford's most prominent landmark is the Catford Cat, a giant fibreglass sculpture of a black cat above the entrance to the Catford Centre. This is a small shopping centre, housing Tesco and Iceland supermarkets as well as some independent shops in the punningly-named Catford Mews. There is a street market on Catford Broadway. Catford has several pubs and a variety of non-chain restaurants and cafes. Catford's oldest pub is the Black Horse and Harrow which existed at least as early as 1700, though the present building dates from 1897. Between 1932 and 2003, Catford Stadium was a successful greyhound racing track, but it is now closed.

The 1960's and 70's had a considerable impact on the architecture of Catford. The old Town Hall, 'the Catford Cathedral' of 1875 was replaced by the current Civic Suite [town hall] in 1968, soon after the merger of the metropolitan boroughs of Lewisham and Deptford. Laurence House where many of the borough's offices are housed is on the site of St Laurence's Church. The brutalist Eros House, which replaced the Lewisham Hippodrome (Catford's music hall designed by the famous theatre architect Frank Matcham) in 1960, is now Grade II listed. Ian Nairn,however, thought Eros House to be worthy of note, he wrote:

A monster sat down in Catford, and just what the place needed. No offence meant: this southward extension of Lewisham High Street badly wanted stiffening. Now there is a punchy concrete focus (`you know, that funny new building') both close to and at a distance, from the desolate heights of the Downham Estate, where it stands straight to the afternoon sun. Rough concrete is put through all its paces, front convex eaves on Sainsbury's to a staircase tower which is either afflicted with an astounding set of visual distortions or is actually leaning. Again, no offence meant. Unlike many other avant-garde buildings, particularly in the universities, this one is done from real conviction, not from a desire for self-advertisement. The gaunt honesty of those projecting concrete frames carrying boxed-out bow windows persists. It is not done at you, and it transforms the surroundings instead of despising them. This most craggy and uncompromising of London buildings turns out to be full of firm gentlenes

Nairn's London 1966

In Rushey Green outside Eros House, the old village hand-pump from the 1850s survives. In 1974 the Catford shopping centre was built by the brutalist architect Owen Luder.

Broadway Theatre, Catford which is a fine art deco[8] building adjoins the town hall. This is a curved stone structure decorated with shields and heraldic emblems and topped with an attractive copper-green spire. It was opened in 1932 as the Concert Hall and is now a Grade II listed building. The interior is in art deco style. The only cinema in the borough stood opposite the theatre until its closure in 2002.

Other than the shows at the Broadway Theatre the main cultural events are Lewisham Peoples day held in Mountsfield Park and the yearly beer festival organised by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), which is held at the theatre.

In recent years it has been satirised in The Chap magazine series called 'A year in Catford' after Peter Mayle's bestseller 'A Year in Provence'. The magazine poked fun at Catford's mundanity.

Useful Links:
Catford Online
London Borough of Lewisham

Public transport links in Catford, SE6

Real estate agents in Catford, SE6

Properties listed on eleflat.co.uk

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