Follow us on Twitter @DulwichSociety
The Dulwich Village Streets for People report on the permanent layout at Dulwich Village/Calton Avenue/Court Lane is now available here. The deadline for the online survey for phase 2 is 20 November, you can complete it here. You can comment on the recycled street furniture, recently installed by Southwark Council, which came as a surprise to both the Society and the Estate.
Our next Dulwich local history talk is online at 8pm on Tuesday 1 November 2022 with Brian Green.
Farming in Dulwich, which had provided income for the Priory of Bermondsey for 400 years and for almost as long for Alleyn’s College of God’s Gift, was virtually over by the outbreak of WW1. Its decline was slow and its demise was finally brought about by the new giant dairy companies which sprang up with the introduction of bottling plants, homogenised milk and the use of milk trains for nationwide distribution. Local historian Brian Green shows us how Dulwich farms became the sports fields of today. Brian has lived in Dulwich since he was four years old and runs the family business, the Art Stationers and toy shop in Dulwich Village. He has been researching Dulwich’s history and leading walks, talks and classes for many years and is the author of a number of books on Dulwich. He also edits the Dulwich Society Journal.
Join us for this online talk - tickets are £5 here. All proceeds go to London Wildlife Trust Sydenham Hill Wood path project. Please email
This year the Charter School North Dulwich's Christmas Fair, kindly sponsored by Hamptons, is on Thursday 1 December, 5.30pm-8.30pm. Entry is £1 for adults and children go free. There will be craft stalls and tombolas with prizes generously donated by local businesses including Canopy, Cherry Tree, Cook!, Crown & Greyhound, Dr Boo, Duo Dance, ED Flowers, ED Picturehouse, Elsewhere, Fison Fitness, Flo’s, Half Moon pub, Herne Hill Books, Glistering Nails, Gusto Italiano, Hot Pod Yoga, I love Lowie, JAGS, Jarr Market, Jo’s House, Ken’s Fish & Chips, Mac & Miller, Moxon's, Myla & Davis, Oddono's, Oliver Bonas, PoachED, Pizza Express, Real Greek, Saray, Tomlinson, Umana Yana, Village Tandoori, Whitehall Clothiers, Wild & Lees, William Rose and Willow. There will be festive food and drink (BBQ, pancakes, popcorn, bar, mulled wine and mince pies, cake stall) and musical entertainment will be provided by the school students.
The new defibrillator, funded by the Society, is now set up in the old telephone kiosk outside the shops in Dulwich Village. It needs no training to use as the machine guides you with simple instructions and tells you out loud what to do. You can’t deliver a shock accidentally, the defibrillator will not shock the patient unless it is needed so it is not possible to hurt someone. A short film by the London Ambulance Service shows you how to use it. Society volunteers will check regularly to ensure it is charged and ready for action but we hope it will never be used.
A map and a list of defibrillators in Dulwich is available here. The map is not intended for use in an emergency but to locate defibrillators. Please always dial 999 for urgent medical assistance.
A new wine bar and shop has opened in Dulwich at 1-3 Melbourne Grove. It offers a large selection of wines by the glass or carafe and small plates of cheeses, charcuterie, empanadas and desserts. There is also a library of 200 wines from small producers for sale (and delivery) or to drink in the adjoining wine bar for a corkage fee. Drop Dulwich is owned by Hayley Try Carreira, who has worked at The Ledbury and originally hails from Australia.
A new house on Rock Hill, off Sydenham Hill in Dulwich, has featured on Channel Four's Grand Designs programme. The wedge-shaped house was added to the end of a terrace of Mid Century Modern houses which themselves were designed by Austin Vernon & Partners and built by Wates on the site of Hitherwood, a grand Victorian house that was demolished in 1959. You can watch the episode here.
The Society and the Dulwich Park Friends today unveiled a plaque to Francis Peek who was instrumental in establishing Dulwich Park. Emily Montague of the Park Friends explained how there would be no park without him while Chris Corrin, his great great grandson, told us a little of his life. The event was also attended by James Thompson, our Chair, Sue Badman, our Vice Chair, Dulwich Village councillors Margy Newens and Richard Leeming, Julia Honess of the Copleston Centre which is based in a church built by Francis Peek, Jonty Corrin, his 3x great grandson, Sharon O'Connor and Gavin Bowyer of the Society's Local History group, and members of the public. After the ceremony the attendees adjourned to the Peek Centre to enjoy tea, coffee and delicious biscuits baked by Emily Montague.
Find out more about Francis Peek here.
Photo from left: Emily Montague, Chris Corrin and James Thompson.
The Dulwich Diverter, a free local newspaper, interviewed James Thompson, Chair, and Sue Badman, Vice Chair, about the Society’s activities in September 2022. There is also an interview with Village Books owner Hazel Broadfoot and a look at the shops on Rosendale Rd. The Dulwich Diverter is free and copies can be found at local shops and other locations here. Photo by Julia Hawkins.
Dulwich gardener Helen Tu featured in an edition of BBC's Gardeners’ World in September 2022. Together with her mother-in-law, she grows an abundance of Asian fruit and vegetables in her Grange Lane allotment in Dulwich. You can view the programme here.
The Dulwich Society and Dulwich College Archives have made available hi-res images, Latin transcripts and English translations of the Dulwich court rolls covering 1333-1672; rolls up to 1908 will be uploaded on an ongoing basis. This long chronological range makes them a valuable historical source.
The court rolls deal with issues such as tenancies, disputes and minor criminal acts; the lord of the manor presided but Dulwich inhabitants had some control over their own affairs. The rolls can sound humorous:
Read more: Dulwich manorial court rolls 1333-1672 now freely available
Beautifully restored vintage London buses, including Routemasters, ran on the No. 37 route through Dulwich for one day only on Saturday 1 October 2022 as part of the London Bus Museum's programme of bringing heritage buses to the roads of London. The buses, from 1939-1954, ran from Peckham to Putney via Dulwich. The rides were free and volunteer conductors gave out replica paper tickets and answered questions about the bus’s history. This photo in East Dulwich Grove might have been from the 1940s except for the tell tale recycling bin on a doorstep which marks it as 2022. It was taken by local musician, photographer and artist William L. Find him on YouTube
Non-members can get a taste of the advantages of being a member of the Dulwich Society. Sign up here for three free monthly editions of the eNews which will keep you up to date with the latest news and events in Dulwich. If you decide to become a member you will continue to receive the digital eNews together with our celebrated quarterly printed Journal plus an annual ‘Dulwich Gardens open for Charity’ booklet. We also maintain this website, three Twitter accounts and an Instagram account and we offer talks, walks and tours. Just £10 per household per year, join here.