On a cold and grey day, 7 Poly Ramblers met at Herne Hill station to explore Brockwell Park and Brixton. We entered the park and followed the now invisible Effra River and the miniature railway, passing the Art Deco grade II listed Brockwell Lido and the ponds. We went in the JJ Sexby designed walled garden and walked up to the Tritton Tower Clock gifted to celebrated Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee, finally reaching Brockwell Hall. The hall is being refurbished and the café is shut – for hire if anybody is interested – so we could not go in to warm up.
We continued the walk through a1930-40s housing estate, Victorian and 1960-70s housing where we met a lovely cat called Spartacus. One of the neighbours who looks after him explained that he left home and decided to become an outdoor cat because he did not get on with the five children in his house. He is being looked after by the community, has an outdoor nest with a heated pad and knows where to go to get his food and treats. After crossing Brixton Hill, we went to Brixton Windmill; built in 1816 and leased to the Ashby family, it closed for business in 1934. After years of neglect, it was restored and is now London’s last working windmill. In the grounds are an education centre and a garden.
We returned to Brixton Hill and continued along Rush Common, passing a community orchard and reaching St Matthew’s Church (grade II listed) which was the first established place of worship to have electric lighting in 1883. On our left were the Electric Brixton Concert Hall and Lambeth Council Hall. Brixton was at some point the home of (among others) Vincent Van Gogh, Violette Szabo and David Bowie whose mural is on the side of Morley’s department store. After passing the Budd Family Mausoleum built in 1825, we crossed to Windrush Square (AKA Windswept Square) where the Black Cultural Archives and Brixton Library (funded by Sir Henry Tate of Tate & Lyle and Tate Britain) are situated. We crossed Coldharbour Lane and went into Electric Avenue which is the first shopping street to be lit by electricity and now a market with many fruit stalls, fishmongers and butchers. Five of us had a late lunch in Lala Café in Brixton Station Road before using the Victoria Line to go home.

Dominique.  Photos by Ida