Summer 2020 New Pics
Ladywell Baths (aka Ladywell Playtower) 2020
Welcome to the Derelict London Summer 2020 updates page.
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Join the mailing list HERE to find out about Derelict London guided walks as soon as tickets are released plus news on my latest books and website updates. My latest book London's Lost Music Venues is out now and more information can be found at www.londonslostmusicvenues.com.
Thornton Heath
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South Norwood
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LADYWELL SE13 - A return to the Ladywell Baths aka The Playtower
The First Class Swimming Pool hall - Ladywell Baths (aka Ladywell Playtower) 2020
This site was originally covered in the first Derelict London book back in 2008, and then I posted some updated pictures in 2019 and here is a selection of new ones from June 2020. I took advantage of an opening which has likely already been sealed up. Also, I must point out that there are various dangers of entering these sites, like dodgy floors, and to quote the BBC 'we do not recommend that you copy the activities of Paul Talling'
This unusual red-brick gothic building just outside Lewisham opened in 1885 and was called Ladywell Baths. They are one of the earliest surviving public baths in the capital.The Ladywell Baths were built on a site procured by the vicar of the adjacent St Mary's Church. At the time, a local paper commented on the juxtaposition of church and baths that 'cleanliness was next to Godliness'.
It had two public swimming-pools – one for first-class and one for second-class users. The charges for use were originally 6d for the first class pool and 2d for the second class. The building had live in accommodation for the buildings wardens who would stoke the boilers to heat the premises. The red-brick cylindrical tower originally had a conical roof, but this was removed in 1907. In 1941, the Baths suffered minor bomb damage.
The swimming baths were closed in 1965 and the pools were floored over. A gym was opened in the second-class hall and a children's play centre (and subsequently the building became known as the Playtower) in the first-class hall. The building was last occupied by Ladywell Gymnastics Club who left in 2004. Plans to demolish the building and construct a secondary school on the site came to nothing, and the baths were then awarded grade II-listed status in 2006. A fire in 2008 badly damaged the second-class pool hall and the area is now roofless and largely overgrown with piles of debris on top of the decaying (and dangerous) floor over the old pool.
The London Borough of Lewisham, whom own the building, appointed Guildmore and Curzon Cinema to bring forward proposals for the restoration of Ladywell Playtower. These proposals include a cinema, café & bar with two new blocks of housing within the grounds.
This unusual red-brick gothic building just outside Lewisham opened in 1885 and was called Ladywell Baths. They are one of the earliest surviving public baths in the capital.The Ladywell Baths were built on a site procured by the vicar of the adjacent St Mary's Church. At the time, a local paper commented on the juxtaposition of church and baths that 'cleanliness was next to Godliness'.
It had two public swimming-pools – one for first-class and one for second-class users. The charges for use were originally 6d for the first class pool and 2d for the second class. The building had live in accommodation for the buildings wardens who would stoke the boilers to heat the premises. The red-brick cylindrical tower originally had a conical roof, but this was removed in 1907. In 1941, the Baths suffered minor bomb damage.
The swimming baths were closed in 1965 and the pools were floored over. A gym was opened in the second-class hall and a children's play centre (and subsequently the building became known as the Playtower) in the first-class hall. The building was last occupied by Ladywell Gymnastics Club who left in 2004. Plans to demolish the building and construct a secondary school on the site came to nothing, and the baths were then awarded grade II-listed status in 2006. A fire in 2008 badly damaged the second-class pool hall and the area is now roofless and largely overgrown with piles of debris on top of the decaying (and dangerous) floor over the old pool.
The London Borough of Lewisham, whom own the building, appointed Guildmore and Curzon Cinema to bring forward proposals for the restoration of Ladywell Playtower. These proposals include a cinema, café & bar with two new blocks of housing within the grounds.
Ladywell Play Tower 2019
Walworth, SE17 - Church Army Houses
Walworth, SE17 - Church Army Houses
These two terraces dating from 1925 run parallel with each other on Horsley Street and Queen's Row with a courtyard in the middle. The houses were boarded up for years after being sold off by the Church Army Housing but in 2012 the new owners (a developer) gave a 5-year lease of the properties to Westminster Housing Co-op. That lease is now owner and the properties are boarded up again.
Soho W1 - Gay Hussar
The Gay Hussar was a famous Greek Street restaurant that opened in 1953. It was named in honour of the elite Hussars of the Hungarian army associated with the name of a popular Hungarian operetta, The Gay Hussars.
Diners over the years included T. S. Eliot, Aneurin Bevan, Barbara Castle, Gordon Brown and Ian Mikardo. Michael Foot celebrated his 90th birthday there. In recent years a group of journalists, politicians and lawyers formed the "Goulash Co-operative Ltd" to raise money to secure the lease, but its bid was rejected by the owners The restaurant closed in June 2018.
Diners over the years included T. S. Eliot, Aneurin Bevan, Barbara Castle, Gordon Brown and Ian Mikardo. Michael Foot celebrated his 90th birthday there. In recent years a group of journalists, politicians and lawyers formed the "Goulash Co-operative Ltd" to raise money to secure the lease, but its bid was rejected by the owners The restaurant closed in June 2018.
Deptford, SE8 - Lord Palmerston
Deptford, SE8 - Lord Palmerston
This pub closed in 2013 and once served employees of adjacent Stone's foundry (all gone now) which had nearly 700 employees. Stone & Co was a British marine and railway engineering company for the manufacture of nails and rivets. The Deptford factory closed in 1969, but production continues to operate in Charlton though are due to close down soon after selling off their land to developers for the building of 1500 flats.
A Deptford warehouse was used in the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall and Daniel Craig was seen drinking at the Lord Palmerston and playing darts with the locals.
Planning permission to convert the premises into flats was refused, and the intention is for it to return to being a pub but lets see...
A Deptford warehouse was used in the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall and Daniel Craig was seen drinking at the Lord Palmerston and playing darts with the locals.
Planning permission to convert the premises into flats was refused, and the intention is for it to return to being a pub but lets see...
Croydon CR0 - Zodiac House
Croydon CR0 - Zodiac House
Zodiac House was built as offices built in the 1960s and has been long-term derelict. The development also incorporates Zodiac Court, an 8-storey block of flats above it which is still occupied. The block's claim to fame is that TV sitcom Peep Show starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb was filmed on location for the first two series in one of the flats. It is said that they only stopped filming in Zodiac Court when the landlords banned them because they thought it was harming the building’s reputation....
Zodiac House was offices for various companies over the years including Abbey Life. Since the late 1980s it has been empty with plans at one point for converting it into a hotel though in 2017 permission was granted to convert it into flats though no progress appears to have been made yet. The ground floor facing London Road (with the green canopy) was a car showroom for many years and is currently a restaurant.
Zodiac House was offices for various companies over the years including Abbey Life. Since the late 1980s it has been empty with plans at one point for converting it into a hotel though in 2017 permission was granted to convert it into flats though no progress appears to have been made yet. The ground floor facing London Road (with the green canopy) was a car showroom for many years and is currently a restaurant.
Peckham SE15 - Solomons Passage
Peckham SE15 - Solomons Passage. Modern Derelicts...
These blocks of flats built in 2010 were already featured on Derelict London back in 2017 and some of you who have been on my River Peck walking tour may remember me pointing them out to you across Peckham Rye Common.
The standout issue here is that these examples of modern craftsmanship had such a short life. The four blocks, owned by a housing association, with 85 homes were built by a company which went into administration shortly after construction. The local MP described the development as an “unprecedented construction failure” after serious faults were identified such as water damage to the timber framework, inadequate fire protection, defects to roof, basement car park flooding, defective balconies, poor drainage and so on. As a result, two blocks are to be refurbished and the other two (including the one photographed above) are to be demolished. 72 households have now moved to a permanent home elsewhere and the remaining 13 households will return to the redeveloped Solomon’s Passage whenever that might be.
Here are my latest photographs of Solomons Passage now that the residents have moved out and the place looks even more sorry for itself.
The standout issue here is that these examples of modern craftsmanship had such a short life. The four blocks, owned by a housing association, with 85 homes were built by a company which went into administration shortly after construction. The local MP described the development as an “unprecedented construction failure” after serious faults were identified such as water damage to the timber framework, inadequate fire protection, defects to roof, basement car park flooding, defective balconies, poor drainage and so on. As a result, two blocks are to be refurbished and the other two (including the one photographed above) are to be demolished. 72 households have now moved to a permanent home elsewhere and the remaining 13 households will return to the redeveloped Solomon’s Passage whenever that might be.
Here are my latest photographs of Solomons Passage now that the residents have moved out and the place looks even more sorry for itself.
Richmond, TW10 - J. Clarke & Sons' Dairies
Thankfully not derelict, just vacant. This Grade 2 listed shop on Hill Rise was constructed in the early 18th century and was originally the Sudbrook Farm Dairy dating back to 1852 and taken over by Josiah Clarke whose family business gradually expanded into a local chain of shops. Their decorative tiles can still be seen inside the shop. In 1917, they merged with rivals F & H E Hornby to became Hornby Clarke Ltd who traded until 1960 when they were taken over by Express Dairies.
The shop has been a succession of businesses over the recent years including a hairdressers, a fabric retailer, an Italian coffee shop and a desert shop specialising in tiramisu. Hopefully, the next business will be a long-running as the old dairy.
The shop has been a succession of businesses over the recent years including a hairdressers, a fabric retailer, an Italian coffee shop and a desert shop specialising in tiramisu. Hopefully, the next business will be a long-running as the old dairy.
