Description
Sceaux Gardens Estate was one of the first of a series of council estates built in Camberwell in the 1950s, and was designed by the Borough Architect and set in landscaped grounds. The site was once part of the grounds of the Camberwell House Asylum. The estate's two 14-storey slab blocks were among the first tower blocks in London, and the estate also had a number of lower blocks. It was named Sceaux after the Paris suburb with which Camberwell had a Friendship Link, and other names on the estate recall this association, such as Marie Curie who lived in Sceaux and Colbert who rebuilt the chateau at Sceaux under King Louis XIV. The main public open space is largely grass, surrounded in part by low railings, with a number of mature trees and flower beds.
Practical Information
| Site location | Dalwood Street, Peckham |
|---|---|
| Postcode | SE5 |
| What3Words | ///pretty.glad.ears |
| Type of Site | Housing/Estate Landscaping |
| Borough | Southwark |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Rail: Peckham Rye then bus. Tube: Oval (Northern) then bus. Bus: 12, 36, 171, 345. |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The estate has been described as 'Camberwell's showpiece . . pleasantly grouped around mature gardens' (Nikolaus Pevsner). There was once a chapel here, later destroyed in WWII, where John Ruskin had worshipped after his family moved to Denmark Hill in the 1820s, and he had a hand in designing an extension for it.
In 2010 a vast mural was created for the wall of the Marie Curie Block, designed by artist Yinka Shonibare and commissioned by the South London Gallery to mark the opening of its new buildings.
In 2010 a vast mural was created for the wall of the Marie Curie Block, designed by artist Yinka Shonibare and commissioned by the South London Gallery to mark the opening of its new buildings.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ333768 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Southwark |
| Site Management | Housing Dept. |
| Dates | 1955-9 |
| Designers | F.O.Hayes, Camberwell Borough Architect |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Southwark |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Sceaux Gardens |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
The Aged Pilgrims' Friend Society was founded in 1807 and in 1837 the Society built almshouses in what is now Sedgmoor Place, at that time called Westmoreland Place. The land was given by William Peacock who also built Bethel Asylum nearby in Havil Street. Behind the almshouses is a quadrangle that has a memorial to Peacock who was buried in a vault beneath the courtyard when he died in 1844. The Almshouses were modernised in 1961 and are now flats.
Lucas Gardens was originally the grounds of a terrace of 12 Georgian houses known as East Terrace, which were later used as an extension to Camberwell House Lunatic Asylum established in 1846 in a former school building on the north side of Peckham Road. During WWI a Flying Boat was displayed in what is now the public park, probably bought by local subscription as part of the war effort. Lucas Gardens opened as a public park in July 1955 and is on a gently sloping site with winding paths and mature trees. The main gates on Peckham Road were refurbished in the late C20th together with new landscaping that included flower beds, paths, ornamental trees and a water feature in the north of the park.
Development of meadowland here took place from 1847, when Brunswick Square was laid out with an area of private communal garden in the centre. It was named after King George IV's marriage to Caroline, daughter of the Duke of Brunswick. In 1901 Camberwell Borough Council purchased the garden, then divided by a roadway, for a public park, which opened in 1907. Tennis courts and a playground were opened in 1937, and a drinking fountain was donated. The park was refurbished by LB Southwark in 1997-99.