I am researching/collecting information about the Camberwell Palace for an eventual publication. I would be very grateful for any material.i.e. posters, programmes and photos you may have. Scanned versions, are fine and you can send them to loughboroughjunction@gmail.com
I would also like to hear your memories of visiting the Camberwell Palace for a show, pantomime or even messing around inside after it was closed.
Thanks very much , John
Part of the Southwark Art Colllection, GA1010.
This painting of Camberwell Palace is by William Keddie Forrester dated 1957. He lived in Dulwich and painted many scenes from the local area.
It was located on the corner of Denmark Hill and Orpheus Street, opposite the Post Office.
It was built in 1898/1899 and closed in 1956 and was demolished shortly after. It was mostly a variety hall and in it’s later days featured girlie shows mixed with variety acts. A sad end to a fine looking theatre.
A shop window poster for Camberwell Palace for week commencing 15th May 1950.
Just for clarification, the Pub shown on the right was the Bulls Head later renamed The Metropole after the Metropole theatre on the corner of Denmark Hill and Coldharbour Lane was built in the 1890s. It was demolished in the 1920s for at first the Bijou picture palace then of course the Post Office. More on the Bulls head here
For almost all my near 50 years living in Loughborough Junction, we had to survive without coffee shops. You could have takeaway coffee if you used Johnnies, Sem Cafe or Joel’s Barney Cafe but they were mostly for all day eating. Johnnies & Sem still survive but Barney’s has long gone.
Tawakal Internet cafe, at 204 Coldharbour Lane was our 1st arrival, between Flaxman Road and the Train station, probably around 2007, my memory might be faulty on this and closed in 2023. I never used it so have little detail. Older folks might remember it as the location for Standivan Radio & TV shop, later called Milkwood Radio & TV.
In 2013, Blue Turtle cafe arrived at 210 Coldharbour Lane, Google AI calls it a quirky, well-loved independent, photo by Kake, Sept 2017. It is now home to Visualise it First, Art cafe and events and studio space.
Four Boroughs opened their second cafe in Coldharbour Works, corner of Coldharbour Lane and Shakespeare Road in February 2021. Photo by John, January 2026.
Next to arrive in 2023 is The Travel Caffe at 228 Coldharbour Lane, next to the Loughborough Road railway bridge, previous home to Fikal Fabrics and Superdry Cleaners. Photo taken from their instagram page.
In April, 2024, saw the arrival of Viv’s Coffee at 198 Coldharbour Lane. My regular coffee visit with great coffee and great people. Photo, unknown.
Also in 2024, Frsssh juice bar opened up also serving coffee and cake in the corner of 184 Coldharbour Lane, next to Pomfret Road. Photo by John.
Two new arrivals in 2026.
Firstly in one of the new units on Hinton Road opposite the Green Man, Stoop Coffee, opened in January2026. Serving coffee and sandwichs. they are part of the Arcade Coffee group which has other shops in Herne Hill Station and Brockley Station. Photo by John.
And currently under fitting out is LJ Grind at 204 Coldharbour Lane taking on a space which has long been empty. Photo by John.
You can also grab a coffee at Perks and White on the platform at Loughborough Junction Station, it’s not always open. They also have outlets at Herne Hill Station both in the Station and on the platform and in Tulse Hill. Photo by John, apologies for the closed photo.
Two other places to mention are the brand new Carnegie Cafe and Community Lounge in the Carnegie Library on Herne Hill Road and The Platform Cafe on Loughborough Road, a community kitchen and event space. Part of the Loughborough Junction Action Group. Lovely vegetarian food and I am a regular visitor.
Finally to mention Old Spike Roastery in LJ Works, on Loughborough Road, a social enterprise, they roast coffee here to supply their seven cafes across London.
Also NISA have a coffee machine in their store for those that want.
I forgot to include Bad Brew Inc at 86 Coldharbour Lane. Photo from their instagram.
And last but by no means least, The Ruskin Park Cafe which opened in 2012, which is located between the children’s paddling pool and the play area at the Northway Road entrance to the park.. It’s mostly opened through the warmer months and during the winter at weekends. Photo from the Friends of Ruskin Park website.
Two paintings by Alan Harris, both have the same subject. The first is called The Cat Alley, and features the walkway between Barrington Road and Ridgeway Road. Sometimes known as Orphan Alley, as it was next to The Brixton Orphanage for Fatherless Girls which closed in 1936.
Keith Coventry is a well established artist , who graduated from the Chelsea School of Art in 1982. Amongst his many works, is this painting of the Thorland Estate sign, part of a series of Southwark based Estate signs. Later repeated in 1996 with an East London series.
The Thorland Estate runs down one side of Denmark Road, along Carew Street and part of Lilford Road, south of the railway line.
Two pieces of Art pasted to Street furniture in Loughborough Junction. The first on Loughborough Road shows the Railway line and station and the second on Wellfit Road portrays five persons descending from the railway line. Not signed as far as I could see. But clearly from the same hand.
Possibly a reference to the taggers who lost their lives in 2019.
A postcard view titled Coldharbour Lane Loughborough Junction, Published by Charles Martin, 39 Aldermanbury, London E.C. card number 1536. It is undated but was post franked 20th November 1906.
It look like, and it was a relatively prosperous area with many shops and services available for local shopping. To the immediate left is Loughborough Road and on the right Hinton Road.
On the left you have at number 224 the chemist shop owned by Henry Isaac Stephens, operating from at least 1880 to 1906. It was a chemist both before with Frederick Matthews in 1876 and after Mr Stephens right up to David Andrew Rees. Unfortunately destroyed during WW11, it is rather apt that in the new build of shops and apartments a relocated Junction Pharmacy now inhabits the same ground.
Behind Stephens the chemists we had at 222 Wybrow & Son, undertakers and at 220 Home and Colonial Stores, at 218 James Clark ran a fishmongers and Ranstead & Cornwell were butchers at number 216. Station Avenue was off to the left just after the butchers, also with many shops and a cafe.
After Station Avenue you can see the sign for Frederick Robert Ohlson who ran a pawnbrokers in what older locals may remember as the dentists (that’s another story) and what is now the launderette at number 214. And at number 210 James Clark ran a fried fish bar.
Plum centre of our postcard is , of course the platform of Loughborough Junction railway station. On the far side of the Railway bridge on the right hand side you can just make out the tower of the Loughborough Park Congregational Church.
On our way back from the railway bridge we have at number 209 The Imperial Stores run by Robert Harrison, then George Lambert a confectioner at number 211.
Then at 213 Ernest Gibbs & Co who were Estate Agents, the Miss Mary Jane Clegg who ran the Oil Shop succeeding her mother Mrs E Clegg who in turn ran the business after the death of her husband Samuel, who opened the shop in 1872. At 217 Benjamin Hockaday ran an Ironmongers with as you can see in the postcard a very prominent shop sign. Miss Elizabeth Hubbard had a fancy stores shop at 219 and the Reed Brothers ran a butchers shop at 221. And finally on the corner of Coldharbour Lane and Hinton Road at number 223 was AW Davies The Bakers, Andrew Davies had another shop in Herne Hill.
Here is a postcard showing the Herne Hill shop, just at the right hand edge of the card with am impressive hand cart parked outside.
Brian Haw was a Peace campaigner who lived in a Peace Camp outside Parliament from 2001. He was involved in the anti war campaigns against both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. He died in 2011.
Loughborough Junction 