New Cross
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| New Cross | |
| <tr><td colspan="2">
</div></div> </div> </div> </td></tr> | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference: | TQ365765 |
| Latitude: | 51.470929° |
| Longitude: | -0.033758° |
| Administration | |
| London borough: | Lewisham |
| County level: | Greater London |
| Region: | London |
| Constituent country: | England |
| Sovereign state: | United Kingdom |
| Other | |
| Ceremonial county: | Greater London |
| Historic county: | Kent |
| Services | |
| Police force: | Metropolitan Police |
| Fire brigade: | London Fire Brigade |
| Ambulance service: | London Ambulance |
| Post office and telephone | |
| Post town: | LONDON |
| Postal district: | SE14 |
| Dialling code: | 020 |
| Politics | |
| UK Parliament: | |
| London Assembly: | Greenwich and Lewisham |
| European Parliament: | London |
| London | List of places in London | |
New Cross is a district on the north tip of the London Borough of Lewisham. New Cross is covered by London postal district SE14.
It is home to Goldsmiths College, Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College, Addey and Stanhope School and was once the home of Millwall F.C. for 83 years (they now play in Bermondsey SE16, in the London Borough of Southwark).
The area is served by two stations, New Cross station and New Cross Gate station. Both are on the East London Line of the London Underground network as well as being suburban railway stations.
New Cross was originally known as Hatcham (the name persists in the title of the Anglican parish of St. James, Hatcham, and its school). The earliest reference to it is in the 11th century, in the Domesday Book, in which it is described as as a manor of six acres, with nine villagers and two smallholders. The manor was bought in the 17th century by the Haberdashers' Company, a wealthy livery company that was instrumental in the area's development in the 19th century. Until the creation of the London County Council in 1889, New Cross was a part of the county of Kent.
New Cross is near St John's, Nunhead, Peckham, Brockley, Deptford and Greenwich. Its proximity to the latter two, both of which have strong maritime connections, led to the establishment of the Royal Naval School in New Cross in 1843 (designed by architect John Shaw Jr, 1803-1870) to house "the sons of impecunious naval officers". The school relocated further south-east to Mottingham in 1889, and the former school building subsequently (from 1891) housed Goldsmiths College.
On 25 November 1944, a V-2 Rocket exploded at the Woolworth’s store in New Cross Road, on the site later occupied by the Iceland store. 168 people were killed, ranging in age from Michael Glover, aged 1 month, to William Frank, aged 80.
In January 1981, 13 young black people were killed in the New Cross Fire at a party at 439 New Cross Road. Suspicions that the fire was caused by a racist attack, and official indifference to the death[citation needed], led to the largest ever political mobilisation of black people seen in Britain.[citation needed]
The Jehovah's Witness Hall was formerly a synagogue. For a time during the 1980s this was squatted and used by local influential performance artists, including Peri Mackintosh's Proj-X and Test Department, as a rehearsal venue.
During this time, the Goldsmiths Tavern hosted what was then known as "alternative cabaret nights". These were organised by Nikky Smedley (later a Teletubby) into the Parrot Cafe. This played host to fledgling acts including Peri Mackintosh, The Cholmondelys, Julian Clary and Vic Reeves Big Night Out.
Recently the area has become something of a property hot-spot on account of the so-called arts boom in neighbouring Deptford and the New Cross scene that has benefited local nightlife, although housing remains amongst the cheapest in Inner London.
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[edit] Famous residents
- Broadcaster and commentator Danny Baker was born in Deptford
- British hip hop legend Blade did most of his recording in the area, selling his records personally on the streets there and often name checking it in his songs.
- Poet Robert Browning lived in Telegraph Cottage near New Cross Road during the 1840s
- Musician Danger Mouse of the group Gnarls Barkley lived in New Cross while working at a pub in London Bridge during the early 2000s.
- Playwright and author Terence Frisby of the 60's play and movie "There's a Girl in My Soup" was born in New Cross in 1932 but spent the majority of his childhood in Welling.
- 1970s glam rocker Steve Harley grew up in Fairlawn Mansions, New Cross, going to Edmund Waller and Haberdashers' Aske's schools.
- Chartist George Julian Harney lived in Deptford
- Politician Sir Isaac Hayward, leader of the London County Council, represented the Deptford division
- Music hall star Marie Lloyd lived in Lewisham Way from 1887 to 1893
- Actor Gary Oldman was born and raised in New Cross. His film Nil By Mouth is loosely based on his life growing up in South East London.
- Tsar Peter the Great lived in Deptford, learning about shipbuilding before he succeeded to the throne of Russia.
- Fr. Arthur Tooth SSC, an Anglican priest, was the Vicar of St. James', Hatcham in the 1870s and, whilst he was there, was prosecuted for ritualist practices — an event which became nationally famous at the time.
- Sir Barnes Wallis educated at Haberdashers' Aske's School(blue plaque, on building on corner of New Cross Road and Nettleton Road)
- Artist Edward Henry Windred lived at 352 New Cross Road during the 1930s.
[edit] Places Nearby
- Brockley
- Deptford
- Lewisham
- New Cross Gate (Part of New Cross)
- Peckham
- Telegraph Hill (Close to New Cross)
[edit] In song
- Carter USM wrote a song called The Only Living Boy in New Cross (1992) (the title being a play on that of Simon and Garfunkel's song The only living boy in New York).
[edit] Reference
- Gordon-Orr, Neil (2004). Deptford Fun City: a ramble through the history and music of New Cross and Deptford. London: Past Tense Publications.
[edit] Related Links
- New Cross Photographs
- New Cross Online (includes history)
- New Cross scene
- New Cross Guide (includes history)
