St Paul's Church In Deptford

St. Paul's is the Parish Church that serves Deptford Market. It has activities and ministries with people of all ages, including those who are marginalised & vulnerable, and people of other faiths and none. Part of the Anglican Diocese of Southwark, the church follows a liberal catholic tradition. Situated towards Evelyn Street at the north-eastern end of Deptford High Street, the building is a remarkable and important example of English Italianate Baroque, it is dramatically preserved in its spacious and landscaped churchyard which extends between Deptford High Street & Deptford Church Street, along the length of Diamond Way. 

The Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England has referred to the church building as one of London's finest Baroque buildings. Services daily (excluding Monday). "... there is a pearl in the heart of Deptford ..." attr. John Betjeman, Poet Laureate 1967-1984 "... everyone should visit St.Paul's Church in Deptford before they die ..." Richard Morrison - The Times, November 2004

Deptford Market 'Food Court'

I put the 'food court' in inverted commas here because it's a phrase I really don't like. For me it conjures up plastic fixed bucket seats and tables in an airport or shopping centre, with half a dozen piss-poor food concessions dealing out greasy burgers and unattractive slop.
Such an image is a far cry from what I found in Douglas Square yesterday, the first chance I'd had to visit the new foodie part of the market since it launched four weeks ago.
There were about a dozen food stalls arranged into a little square right in the middle of Douglas Square itself. In the centre a chap playing a guitar was being accompanied in an impromptu performance by a fellow wearing a red T-shirt with the words 'God Inspired Me' emblazoned across it. Divine inspiration or not, his repertoire may have been somewhat limited but his style was 100% Deptford. You won't get that kind of entertainment at Brockley Market.

The range of cuisines on offer was encouraging, although the presentation and marketing effort was very variable. As I understand it, the stallholders have had training to help them make a success of their new businesses; it seems one or two may not have been paying attention in class.

Overall, however, the standard of food and presentation was excellent, and I'll definitely be going back for food next weekend. It's not just a great place to get your lunch, there are quite a few options that you can take home with you to heat up for dinner later in the week - a high quality ready-meal, if you will.

Deptford Lounge and Tidemill Academy

In the multi-award-winning Deptford Lounge you can borrow a book, use a computer, play sport, learn a new skill, meet with like-minded people, organise community activities, access council services, have a coffee and a cake and lots more. 

The Lounge is part of a development that also includes a state-of-the-art primary school, occupied by Tidemill Academy, with which the community shares space and facilities, plus Resolution Studios, consisting of 38 affordable apartments with nine studios for local businesses and an exhibition space. 

Deptford Lounge presents a dramatic backdrop to Giffin Square through the use of a gold-coloured perforated copper skin, a translucent envelope which literally wraps together the many co-located facilities.

Tidemill Academy, in contrast, has an intimate cloistered feel, with large oak-framed sliding doors and cladding enclosing the courtyard playspace. Classrooms wrap around a large courtyard garden, and school facilities shared with the community, including a rooftop sports pitch, are located within the adjacent Deptford Lounge building. 

The complex has been designed with separate access points from Deptford Lounge and the school. This enables the school to have sole use of the shared facilities during the school day, while out of school hours the shared facilities form an integral part of the Deptford Lounge and are open to the whole community.

Resolution Studios

These are situated along the north side of the Deptford Lounge/Tidemill School complex, facing onto Resolution Way – and includes 38 affordable 1 and 2 bed homes, nine artist work studios and an art gallery. The homes are being managed by London & Quadrant Group, while the gallery and studios are being managed by local art group TemporaryContemporary. All of the artist studios were let prior to Resolution Studios’ official opening in June 2012.

Deptford Park

An oasis of greenery in a heavily urbanised area of the borough. Bordered by mature plane trees, it makes a pleasant walk around the wide, perimeter pathway. 

The site of Deptford Park, originally a market garden, was sold by the Evelyn family to the London County Council, in 1884, and the park was officially opened to the public on 7 June 1897.

In recent years the park has undergone two phases of improvement works. Phase one works included the installation of new boundary railings, brick pillars and gates. Phase two comprised of the new children's playground, formal paved area and seating.

The Old Brewery - Deptford

An impromptu social gathering last night saw myself, the Geezer and a friend trying out the (confusingly new) Old Brewery which opened recently in Greenwich.

I liked the look of the menu, and so we decided to eat in the restaurant (they also do bar food) after first having a beer in the garden. The bar and garden have got to be the best kept secret in Greenwich, certainly on a Tuesday night and perhaps mainly because word hasn't spread far yet.
There are lots of tables in the walled and gravelled garden at the end of the bar - it's nicely protected from the roar of the one-way system by a bit of distance and a large wall, and it was buzzing but far from crowded when we got there in the early evening.

I was happy to see that as well as a bar's length of taps with Meantime beers on sale, they also had three hand pumps with guest ales, one of which was the reliably tasty Harvey's Sussex Ale, as well as a vast range of bottled beers. I can appreciate the quality of the beers that Meantime Brewery makes, but I've not yet found one that I really like - I know lager drinkers who rate them highly but I don't find any of their ales particularly moreish so I was glad to have the choice of the guest beers.

Before long we went to take our table in the restaurant and my friend cast his critical eye over the interior decor. The vats that line one wall and the 'wave' of empty bottles that hangs over one side of the room were given the seal of approval, along with the colour scheme and furniture. But we were rather spooked by the other end of the room which looked more like a church hall - curtains hanging round the wall and a strange huddle of furniture. Luckily I was seated facing the vats.It was pretty lively even for a Tuesday night, a good level of noise and enough customers to create a good atmosphere.

So what about the food? The menu offered a good mix of British staples and some tasty-sounding puddings. We decided to forgo the starters and go straight into mains. The 'fillets of Dorset plaice with potato & spring onion hash, razor clam, caper & parsley butter' were tasty but I was rather disappointed by the miniscule amount of razor clam. At first I thought they'd forgotten to put it on, then noticed that the half shell of the razor clam that was perched cheekily on the side of the plate was scattered with some tiny slivers of sliced clam. Tasty but all too fleeting. The fish was rather dry, and the potato cake (it was more potato cake than rosti) was ok but nothing special. Hardly any parsley butter had made it to the plate.

The steaks (one medium, one medium rare) were declared very tasty, but again the chips disappointed, looking as if they had come from the chipper next Peter de Wit's cafe (although the Geezer grudgingly admitted that they tasted 'a bit better' than that).

Sides of green beans and roasted squash were poles apart. The beans were very tasty, the squash was anything but. For a start I don't believe it was roasted at all - steamed perhaps, but certainly not roasted. The 'sage butter' again was notable by its absence, the only sign of it being a couple of green specks sticking to the steamed squash. Perhaps they were having a butter crisis in the kitchen?

Luckily the desserts cheered us up and sent us home a bit happier. I can't remember how mine was described and it's not on the menu on the website, but it was basically a piece of moist, gingery caramelly cake with a caramel sauce and some pouring cream. A whole jug of pouring cream, to be precise. I do prefer to pour my own cream on to puddings - and to have a liberal supply so that I can pour my own cream on repeatedly!

But the Geezer's hot chocolate fondant with Jersey ice cream caused a serious case of plate envy among myself and my friend. I'm not crazy about chocolate - I don't mind it but would rather have a hunk of cheese - but this just looked seriously good. And we didn't get offered a taste either, the Geezer managed to hog it all for himself, which says a lot about the quality!

Deptford X - Contemporary Art Festival

Deptford X exists to promote the best contemporary visual art and celebrate that art with the widest possible audience. It is an arts event born of Deptford’s creative community and based on a belief in the limitless potential of the area.

Deptford X is London’s longest running contemporary visual arts festival and has been experienced by over one million people since inception in 1998.

The festival brings together some of the greatest artists from around the globe to Deptford, south-east London and mixes them with some of the most creative talent living in the area.

Deptford X has now been running for a number of years and we strive to help the artists we support gain further exposure within the creative community. 

Website: http://www.deptfordx.org

ONESE8 Development In Deptford

OneSE8 is an award-winning development with its own exclusive 24 metre lap pool and gym, on-site restaurant and convenience store, 24 hour concierge and lifestyle management.

Renowned for its innovation and vision, St James Urban Living has created this fantastic mix of inspired architecture and affordable designer living, offering a unique range of facilities and dedicated services for residents. OneSE8 combines choice, convenience and style. 

With everything on its doorstep, OneSE8 is perfectly positioned to get the best out of London living. The trendy bars and restaurants at Blackheath and Greenwich are just a short ride away.  This is an area steeped in history with the Cutty Sark and the National Maritime Museum open to all. Head for the bright lights of Canary Wharf with all of its shops, waterside bars and restaurants, and the many attractions of Cabot Hall. 

Deptford has reportedly become one of the most vibrant, creative communities in London. With its close proximity to Goldsmiths College, known for its contributions over time to the arts and sciences, Deptford has been home to many recognizable artists.  Artists such as Damien Hurst, Sarah Lucas, and Abigail Lane are alumni of Goldsmiths who began their careers in the Deptford area. 

Living at OneSE8 makes you part of an artistic revival that is taking place in Deptford.  St James strongly believe that stimulating and challenging art should be part of everyone's life.  At OneSE8 it is renowned sculptor Charles Haddock's striking 'Caesura IV', that forms the focal point in the landscaped pocket park along with Matthias Benison's Filament Winding Carbon Bench. 

Deptford Creekside Discovery Centre

Creekside Discovery Centre on Deptford Creek, offers an exciting range of indoor and outdoor activities for all ages. Walk through a wild river, fish for animals in their natural environment and experience the huge diversity of urban wildlife.

As a tidal tributary of the Thames, Deptford Creek is home to hundreds of fresh and saltwater plants and animals. The centre is a purpose built environmental education centre, equipped with waders, engaging and knowledgeable staff and everything you need for some good, clean, muddy fun!

Website for Creekside: http://www.creeksidecentre.org.uk/

Deptford Market

A colourful mix of new and second-hand stuff (all of it cheap), Deptford Market falls neatly into the well-established tradition of London's thriving East End market culture. This is gritty shopping for those fed-up with the chintz and cheese of the capitals more tourist-led outdoor shopping experiences. Music blares out as you rummage through stall after stall of cheap clothes, imported CDs, knock-off electrics, exotic fruits and pile upon pile of second-hand clobber. If youre in the area grab your loose change and rummage away. 

Open: Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays 

Deptford High Street is closed to traffic between 8am and 7pm on market days. The market on Deptford High Street sells a wide variety of goods. Douglas Way market sells new and secondhand goods.

Depford Regeneration Plan

Developers behind a £1 billion plan to regenerate Deptford today said they hoped to turn the run down riverside neighbourhood into a thriving “Shoreditch of south London.”

Ambitious proposals to build 3500 homes, as well as shops and restaurants, on the site of the former historic royal docks where Queen Elizabeth I knighted Sir Francis Drake are due to be submitted to Lewisham council planners within days.

The 40 acre Convoys Wharf wasteland opposite the gleaming towers of the Docklands financial district has lain derelict for 13 years with no public access to the waterfront.

The latest masterplan for drawn up by urban designers Sir Terry Farrell on behalf of developers Hutchison Whampoa would create three new parks and convert the sole surviving historic buildings - the Grade II Victorian Olympia warehouse - into a new  cultural centre for south east London.

There would also be a 270 metre long jetty parallel to the riverbank used as an London’s first “island park” in the Thames that will be served by the Clipper riverboat service.

Sir Terry said: ”This will be a real transformational scheme, I can’t think of any other in London where there will be such a big transforming effect.”

Sir Terry told the Standard the remarkably rich history of Deptford - it is linked with figures such as Sir Walter Raleigh, Christoper Marlowe and Samuel Pepys - and its growing reputation as a “cultural hub” colonised by artisits gave it huge potential.

He said: ”You have got Goldsmiths nearby and there are lots creative people living here. I think this is the equivalent of Hoxton or a Shoreditch of the south.”

Many of the homes at Convoys Wharf will be in three high rise towers of up to 46 storeys with luxury apartments at the top.

Sir Terry said he thought the scheme would attract more “well off” Londoners to live in Deptford but “I don’t see this as an obvious location for selling off-plan overseas.”

The scheme, which will create 2000 new jobs, including 1000 in construction, has proved already controversial locally because of what has been described as it its “extraordinary denmsity” and because only 500 of the homes will be affordable.

Roo Angell, a member of the Deptford Is campaign group said: ”There doesn’t seem to be much balance, is 14 per cent affordable really enough to integrate it into the local area? It is surrounded by a lot of social housing and it could do with more employment space. It should not be just an island with its back turned to Deptford - these proposals do not really feel like part of London.”

But Sir Terry said: ”There are certain areas of London that really need affordable and others that need an influx of more market housing to support the area. This area has a huge amount of social housing, it’s a question of getting the mix right.”

Laban Dance Centre in Deptford

Laban's Deptford location may seem far-flung, but the spacious south-east London spot allowed the venue to call itself the largest purpose-built contemporary dance centre in the world when its new building opened in 2002. Designed by Herzog and de Meuron, the Swiss architects behind Tate Modern, Laban's stunning architecture reflects the challenging contemporary dance the institution advocates. As well as academic courses (BAs and the like), the centre presents an ongoing line-up of experimental, arty shows by its students, as well as visiting companies, in its 350-seat theatre.

Walking in Deptford

Last Saturday was the hottest day of the year, so what better way to spend it than embarking on a three hour, fifteen minute walking tour of Deptford's streets and backwaters? Seriously, I couldn't think of a better way to spend it. 

At Tanners Hill (home to some of the oldest residential dwellings in London, and also, one of the city's finest butchers), we rendezvous with our guide, Sean Patterson. Sean has earned a reputation as one of London's most savvy guides; he traces the footsteps of Victorian philanthropist Charles Booth, who himself documented the poverty levels of London in painstaking detail with colour-coded maps.

As Sean leads us through the jostling fish, meat, veg and hardware stalls of Deptford High Street, he points out how the strip survived relatively unscathed throughout the Second World War, and how Booth would have seen many of the extant buildings erected while he was conducting his famous survey.

Sean's walking tours (he does one in Clerkenwell and is about to debut a Whitechapel walk) are immersive affairs. We pause regularly under arches, by bridges, in graveyards, where he reads out extracts from Booth's magnum opus (there are also entertaining quotes from Booth's many aids and accompanying policemen). 

Although Booth sets the blueprint for the walk, it is not just Victorian Deptford we are enlightened on. Sean stops us by an reproduction painting of the old maritime Deptford to explain how Deptford was always a more vital dock than Greenwich. Every illustrious seafarer from Drake, to cook, to Nelson passed through here at one time or another. 

Remnants of World War II are everywhere in Deptford if you squint hard enough. We're shown a sign slapped onto the side of a building, still pointing in the direction of an air raid shelter. Later on, we realize the fence we're leaning against is fashioned from old stretchers.
It is not just Deptford's distant past that Sean touches on though; this is an immaculately well-rounded walk highlighting what has changed little in centuries, and what is now (or will soon be) beyond all recognition. 

Towards the tail end of our cultural schlep, we're whisked inside the paradisaical St. Nicholas churchyard, where the playwright and spy Christopher Marlowe is buried. The skull and crossbones flanking the graveyard's entrance, reckons Sean, may be what inspired the notorious Jolly Roger. Yet another nugget to stuff into our ballooning brains. 

By this time the sun is beating down furiously, and we retire to the beer garden of the Dog & Bell (Sean's preferred Deptford boozer) for a well-earned refresher, before finishing up in the cool of another graveyard (this one St Paul's) where Sean imparts a final touching story.
Then we all go our separate ways to scribble down extensive notes and shove ice cubes down our tops.

Deptford History

Medieval Deptford was a small settlement consisting of the houses of fishermen, boat-builders and water pilots along the river. Behind the shore area lay fields and woods.
Deptford began to grow into a busy town after 1513, when Henry VIII founded the Royal Naval Dockyard on a site to the west of Deptford Strand. The Dockyard created plenty of jobs and sailors, shipbuilders, carpenters, ropemakers and many others settled in Deptford. By 1544 the Dock had become the most important in England and in the 18th century a Victualling Yard was established alongside, where ships' stores and provisions were assembled.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries Deptford was an important town in its own right, in the same way that Greenwich and Woolwich were. Population expansion in the 1800s led to the development of Deptford New Town. The Royal Dockyard, other shipbuilding yards and maritime industries made Deptford a prosperous place, particularly in time of war. Many fine houses were built, of which some survive in Deptford High Street and Albury Street (Click here to see Places of Interest). As the area became more crowded, different types of housing tended to be grouped into districts. The poorest people lived in the riverside areas bordering the Thames and Deptford Creek, while the wealthy tended to live off the New Cross Road, in Brockley and Hatcham.
London's first railway, from London to Greenwich, was built through Deptford in 1836. The railway was carried on an 878-arch brick viaduct that started from Spa Road, Bermondsey to Deptford. By the end of the century Deptford had become engulfed by London’s suburban development spawned by the growth of the railways.
By 1869 the Dockyard had become outdated and unsuitable to launch ships, and closed permanently that year with the loss of many jobs. It then became a foreign cattle market (until 1913) and now Convoy's Wharf occupies the site. The Victualling Yard remained until 1961 and its site is now occupied by the Pepys Estate, where some 1790 buildings (officers houses and warehouses) remain today.
The history of Deptford in the 20th century is mainly a story of economic decline. Deptford suffered during the depression of the 1930s and during the Second World War when it was bombed. Large swathes were redeveloped in the 1950s and 1960s with modern public housing. The population loss however was mirrored by the decline of the riverside industries. Many of the large firms in Deptford closed down in the late 1960s and early 1970s, resulting in a high level of unemployment in the area. The history of the 21st century will be about economic recovery and urban regeneration.

Living in Deptford

“Deptford is one of the best places in London... It's full of history and heritage (the place where Christopher Marlowe died, the place where the opening scene of Conrad's Heart of Darkness is set). It's really vibrant, with a brilliant market, a great theatre (the Albany), good restaurants (e.g. the Kaya House [Malaysian] and Pure Lake [Vietnamese]), some nice old streets and great river views.” (Word on the Street, November 2002)

“I live in One SE8 overlooking St Johns and Brookmill Park....This has to be one of the best areas in London - at 7 in the morning geese fly past my window, followed by the DLR. The views are fantastic...big sky's and so close to Greenwich and Blacheath” (Word on the Street, April 2003)

“I have lived in Deptford since I was 4 years old... ...and I like the area, so full of friendly people and the market on Wednesdays and Saturdays is a great place to shop - all the people that shop there think so.” (Word on the Street, Nov 2002)

Deptford's Famous People

There are many famous personalities that have links with Deptford:

Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) the 17th century diarist often visited the Dockyard when he was Clerk to the Navy Board.

His friend and fellow-diarist John Evelyn (1620-1706) lived here in Deptford, in the manor house called Sayes Court.

Grinling Gibbons (1648-1720) was a famous wood-carver first discovered by John Evelyn when he was working near Sayes Court. He worked on the royal palaces and St. Paul's Cathedral.

Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) the Elizabethan poet and playwright was murdered in a Deptford tavern in 1593. He was buried at St Nicholas, along with other well-known seafarers and shipbuilders.

In 1698 Peter the Great, Tsar of Russia, spent several months studying shipbuilding in Deptford, where he stayed at Sayes Court which belonged to the Evelyn family.
John Penn II (1805-1878), marine engineer, had factories in Deptford and Greenwich making ships' engines.

The novelist Joyce Cary (1888-1957) lived in Deptford.

Many of the great voyages of Discovery began at Deptford. Drake, Frobisher, Raleigh and much later, in his ship the Endeavour, Captain James Cook sailed from here to Australia and New Zealand in 1768.

Shopping in Deptford

One of south London's busiest, the Deptford market has been in the High Street for centuries. A collection of new and used goods, with a prominence of food stalls spread out on the side streets and pavements, this vibrant market is filled with a hugely diverse range of stallholders.
The market is the kind of place you can buy stylish bargain clothes to go dancing in or fresh vegetables for your evening meal!
The market takes place every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, from around 7am until 4pm, in Deptford High Street, Douglas Way and the junction with Giffin Street.
Other shops

Also look out for A J Kennedy’s old-fashioned butchers, The Cod Father fishmonger for live eels and baby sharks and Champion (39 Deptford Broadway) for imported Japanese car kitsch, a specialist bodykit and accessories shop.