The Milkwood Tavern was a public house that stood on the corner of Heron Road and Milkwood Road until 1966. A 99 year lease was purchased for 63 Milkwood Road on 24 June 1867 by three men : William Gilbee Habershon, Alfred Pile and James Hewitt. It was built in 1875 by Habershon & Pike and opened in 1876 and the 1st landlord was James Havil.
The next landlord was a T Barrett listed in the Post Office Directory as landlord from 1878. Mr SW Carter took over as landlord, again from the Post Office Directory and is listed through till 1919.
Extract of a newspaper report from Reynold’s Newspaper, 14 October 1900. British Newspaper Archive, British Library.
You can clearly see the Carter name on Pub Fascia in the following postcard view.
This postcard view was printed on or before 1907. Published by AW Smith, I 919
Interesting to see all the houses running down the western side of Milkwood Road where now there are only light Industrial Estates. Milkwood Road and more generally Milkwood Estate was heavily bombed during WW2, the main target being the railway line.
This is the view from today.
Photo: Nick Stevens, April 2015
Here is another postcard view from on or before 1911. No Publisher credit on card.
And the same view from 2015
Photo: Nick Stevens, April 2015
The Pub was closed in 1966 and demolished to make way for the Willowfield School which in turn was demolished in 2005 to make way for the Michael Tippett school which opened in 2008.
The Willowfield School originally shared the same site as Caldecot Primary School on Bessemer Road just in front of Kings College Hospital. Both schools were closed to allow KCH expansion including large car parks.
If you are interested in reading more about the Milkwood Estate development, there is a fantastic book published by the Herne Hill Society in 2009 titled Milkwood Estate The Story of a Lambeth Community. It’s difficult to get hold of a physical copy however it can be read online via this link – http://issuu.com/hernehillsociety/docs/milkwood_estate
Loughborough Junction 
My family lived in Milkwood Road 166 being the last address which was opposite Jessup Road and Neville’s bakery. I grew up there I was born in 1956 and my grandparents lived there too and next door. The house was compulsory purchased by Lambeth Council in 1987 and demolished a very sad day as my father was dying at the time he had lived there man and boy. My husband and myself had to stay in what was a shell of a house so the house could be purchased there was a fear squatters would gain entry. Prior to this the house was subject to a burglary resulting in family history and possessions being taken.
I remember the demolition of Neville’s bakery which I witnessed the telephone box was accidentally hit and after that there was no phone box. My mother worked at Jessup school and attended at Johns church where my grandmother played the organ.
I remember Markham shop along by the Milkwood tavern where sweets were bought as a child.
I have lots more to tell.
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