Jump to content

Recommended Posts

The tarmac on Pellatt Road has worn away in a few places, revealing a cobbled surface underneath. How many of the roads in East Dulwich used to be cobbled? Could any of them be restored? A couple of cobbled streets would be a nice local feature - hasn't done Edinburgh any harm.
Link to comment
https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/4147-east-dulwichs-cobbled-streets/
Share on other sites

Before Goose Green roundabout was installed the road junction was cobbled. I think this was to accomodate the tram point rails, switchs, and electricity supply conduits.


Other than that I can only remember a few cobbled areas.


The entrance to the Canada Dry factory yard in East Dulwich Road.


A few side streets off the main roads where the only the first 10 yards or so were cobbled. This may have been something to do with horse and carts turning.


A few alley-ways.

As bob says, I reckon you'll find almost all streets in Lndon were cobbled. I noticed a little patch on Herne Hill that was visible about 2 inches down. Would be lovely, although I am from Edinburgh and they are a bitch to ride a bike on and damn slippery in the wet. Sound nice, though.

Can't believe the big roads like Crystal Palace Road were ever cobbled, not least because 'cobbling' must be a far more labour intensive exercise than slapping down some tarmac...or whatever they surfaced the local roads with in late Victorian times.


(Was there a time when you'd bump into a guy in the EDT and he'd tell you he was a cobbler, and you'd have to ask if he was the shoe type or the road type?)

As Asset said ashfelt, tarmac was'nt invented when the roads were put down with cobbs, back in the late fifty's most of all the side roads were cobbs,some with the tarry wooden blocks. Giggirl it would now take a very large shed load of money to get me on a pair of skates ( do they still make them ) where I can assure you in my yoof I did it for the Fun, lot's of knee and elbow damage and the most hilarious site you could ever behold was when a wheel or two came off and they did, as every one I knew had second hand or (hand me downs) as we called them then, you would instantly loose all controle over direction or any form of stopping the unfortunate individule would start to vioently change direction two or three times a second and if you had a good head of speed up this seemed to carry on for many minuets or so it seemed, the inevitable out come was a forgone conclusion, yes inpact, the only veriable was with what, mostly the kerb the next thing was an unprecedented display of acrobatics, as your feet came to an immediate stop the forward momentem of your upper body sent you strait in to base over apex mode once if lucky or two or three times if unlucky but the latter two displays gained huge respect from all the rest of us watching we could then bet on how many broken bones would be sustained one guaranteed normally the upper arm but some time much worse. Health and safety never heard of it.

Bob S !!!!!!Ouch

Cobbled streets are a great idea and very regenerative, widely adopted in urban centres in continental Europe. It also means that there is no need for speed humps (unless you drive a Citroen). Also when the road is dug up it is easier to knit back together again, rather than create yet another ridge or rut in the road. Cobbles are not so great for cyclist nor for disabled people (or users of high heels) but so are ramps and broken pavements in general, not to mention those bumpy bits at pedestrian crossings.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Does anyone know when the next SNT meeting is? I am fed up with my son being mugged on East Dulwich Grove! 
    • The issue must be everywhere at the moment. I was visiting a friend last week in Bermondsey, think we were walking  down Linton Rd & we dodged 7 dog poos. It was disgusting. 
    • Thanks for your message — I actually took the time to look into what CityHive does before posting my original comment, and I’d encourage anyone with questions to do the same. Yes, the Companies House filings are overdue — but from what I’ve gathered, this seems likely to be an accountant or admin issue, not some sign of ill intent. A lot of small, community-based organisations face challenges keeping up with formalities, especially when they’re focused on immediate needs like food distribution. Let’s not forget CityHive is a not-for-profit, volunteer-powered CIC — not a corporate machine. As for the directors, people stepping down or being replaced is often about capacity or commitment — which is completely normal in the voluntary and community sector. New directors are sometimes appointed when others can no longer give the time. It doesn’t automatically mean bad governance — it just means people’s circumstances change. CityHive’s actual work speaks volumes. They buy most of the food they distribute — fresh produce, essential groceries, and shelf-stable items — and then deliver it to food banks, soup kitchens, and community projects across London. The food doesn’t stay with CityHive — it goes out to local food hubs, and from there, directly to people who need it most. And while yes, there may be a few paid staff handling logistics or admin, there’s a huge volunteer effort behind the scenes that often goes unseen. Regular people giving their time to drive vans, sort donations, load pallets, pack food parcels — that’s what keeps things running. And when people don’t volunteer? Those same tasks still need to be done — which means they have to be paid for. Otherwise, the whole thing grinds to a halt. As the need grows, organisations like CityHive will inevitably need more support — both in people and funding. But the bigger issue here isn’t one small CIC trying to make ends meet. The real issue is the society we live in — and a government that isn’t playing its part in eradicating poverty. If it were, organisations like CityHive, The Felix Project, City Harvest, FareShare, and the Trussell Trust wouldn’t need to exist, let alone be thriving. They thrive because the need is growing. That’s not a reflection on them — it’s a reflection on a broken system that allows people to go hungry in one of the richest cities in the world. If you're in doubt about what they’re doing, go check their Instagram: @cityhivemedia. You’ll see the real organisations and people receiving food, sharing thanks, and showing how far the impact reaches. Even Southwark Foodbank has received food from CityHive — that alone should speak volumes. So again — how does any of this harm you personally? Why spend time trying to discredit a group trying to support those who are falling through the cracks? We need more people lifting others up — not adding weight to those already carrying the load.
    • Well, this is very disappointing. Malabar Feast  has changed its menu again. The delicious fish curry with sea bass no longer exists. There is now a fish dish with raw mango, which doesn't appeal. I had dal and spinach instead, which was bland (which I suppose I could/should have predicted). One of my visitors had a "vegetable Biriani" which contained hardly any vegetables. Along with it came two extremely tiny pieces of poppadom in a large paper bag.   This was embarrassing, as I had been singing Malabar's praises and recommending we ordered from there. The other mains and the parathas were OK, but I doubt we will be ordering from there again. My granddaughters wisely opted for Yard Sale pizzas, which were fine. Has anybody else had a similar recent poor (or indeed good!)  experience at Malabar Feast?
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...