Lambeth High Street

People are sometimes puzzled by the name of Lambeth High Street, which runs southwards from St Mary's church, Lambeth to join Black Prince Road. It seems so unlike the typical high street scene, and yet a hundred years ago this is exactly what it was especially it was a place for traders connected with the river or with pottery. John Doulton's works opened here in 1815 and later Stiff's pottery, the street being called Back Lane.

Enquiries made in 1978 by Arthur Lefevre gives the following picture of Lambeth High Street in 1887.

Nos 1 and 2. premises of Thos. Lapthorne & Co, builders
No 5. home of Frederick Bond, boilermaker and Elizabeth Bond, shirtmaker
No 9. Mrs Maria Oliver's chandler's shop
No 13. workshop of Matthew Wood, boatsmith
No 14. premises of Daniel Moss, marine stores
No 16. Nathaniel Barton's grocery
No 18. Archbishop Tenison's Girls School (the present building erected 1863 still stands)
No 20. Messrs Leaver and Goulty, oar and scull manufacturers
No 23. Arthur Dunk's grocery
No 28. Doulton & Watts, stone potters - J Stiff and sons, potters
No 44. The Windmill public house (site occupied by an inn since 1454, first licence issued to John Calcot, previous name was 'The Chequers')
No 48. Henry Jones' workshop (engineer)
No 50. Dennis Connor, bootmaker
No 52. John Ball's chandlers shop
No 54. King Henry VIII public house
No 55. George Cook's chandlers shop
No 63. Henry Doulton's drainpipe manufactury
No 68. Octavius Ward, beer retailer
No 69. Thomas Janeway's pottery
Another feature of High Street was, and is, the burial ground, consecrated in 1705 and enlarged in 1815 by demolishing some buildings in High Street and Paradise Street. It became a public open space in 1884 when the gravestones were placed round the edge. Man streets and lanes leading off High Street have disappeared, including Calcot Alley which is reputed to have been the home of Francis Moore, of Almanac fame. The side streets were the sites of potteries mostly bought up by Stiff and Doulton.