Southend Village |
Lewisham, Greater London |
Brief Outline: Until about 100 years ago Southend Village was not much more than a linear hamlet. It wasn't even big enough for its own church. The coming of the railways and trams however meant Southend became desirable as a commuter location. It was in the interwar period that the housing estates were built either side of Southend and remaining fields were quickly built upon. Now having merged completely with nearby settlements to become part of the London conurbation does Southend retain any of its individuality and charm to make it worth visiting? The centre of the village is hard to distinguish. It retains a fountain to commemorate the 60th year of the Reign of Queen VIctoria and a pond. However despite the size of Southend there feels like a lack of public spaces. Its on your way into Southend that it really sets itself apart. There are a couple of long roads called 'Southend Lane' and 'Southend Road' and Lewisham council have obviously gone for the 'the more the merrier' approach to signage along these roads. At every intersection there is at least one sign. Our researchers found 22 on Southend Lane and 12 on Southend Road for a total of 34 (and it is thought there are more). This is an astounding amount and certainly to be commended. There is some variety in the signs and certainly a variation in their condition. The PIES Executive has written a report on the signage in Southend. Whether the quantity over quality is a good thing is a matter of opinion. Another part of Southend worthy of note is Southend Park, a nicely crafted play park for children with some open areas. Quite far from the traditional centre of Southend, the naming of the park indicates that people still want to feel part of the Southend community and long may that continue. Please note: This Southend comes with an ASDA Board health warning. Do NOT attempt to eat a pie at every sign. Sickness and long term ill health may occur as a result. |
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