Visit Brixton Places

Welcome to Visit Brixton Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Brixton

  

Brixton Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Brixton

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Brixton history

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Toponymy

The name Brixton is thought to originate from Brixistane, meaning the stone of Brixi, a Saxon lord . The location of the stone is unknown but it is believed to be at the top of Brixton Hill, at a road known as Bristow or Brixton Causeway .

Until the mid-19th century

Brixton marks the rise from the marshes in the north of the ancient parish of Lambeth up to the hills of Upper Norwood and Streatham . The main roads were connected through a network of medieval country lanes, such as Acre Lane, Coldharbour Lane, Brixton Water Lane and Lyham Road, formerly Black Lane .

Victorian expansion

London’s sewerage system was built during the mid-19th century . It incorporated flows from the River Effra into its ‘high-level interceptor sewer’, also known as Effra sewer .

Before World War II

Brixton was the shopping capital of south London in the 1920s . It housed the largest shopping centre in south London at the time, as well as cinemas, pubs and a theatre . Today, Brixton Road is the main shopping area, fusing into Brixton Market .

1948: The Windrush generation

In the 1940s and 1950s, many immigrants, particularly from the West Indies and Ireland, settled in Brixton . In the 1950s and 1960s, Brixton was one of the most popular areas in London .

1980s: Riots after police actions and Scarman Report

Brixton was the scene of riots in April 1981 at a time when Brixton underwent deep social and economic problems . The Metropolitan Police began Operation Swamp 81 at the beginning of April, aimed at reducing street crime . Within five days almost 1,000 people were stopped and searched under this law . The riot resulted in almost 279 injuries to police and 45 injuries to members of the public .

1990s: Nail bombing

John Major’s childhood roots in Brixton were used in a campaign poster leading up to the 1992 election . “What does the Conservative Party offer a working class kid from Brixton? They made him Prime Minister.”

2000s: Regeneration vs Gentrification

Brixton has hosted a regular farmers’ market on Station Road, as well as Pop-up restaurants and pop-up shops . Some believe the area has slowly undergone a process of gentrification since the 1990s . Others argue that the area is undergoing exciting regeneration .

Brixton culture & places

Brixton murals

After the riots in 1981 a series of murals were funded by the council . The surviving murals include the Brixton Academy Mural (Stockwell Park Walk) by Stephen Pusey .

Entertainment

The Ritzy Cinema, Coldharbour Lane, was one of England’s first purpose-built cinemas . The building was designed as the Electric Pavilion in 1910 by E. C. Homer and Lucas .

Media

Brixton is served by two local news blogs – Brixton Blog running since 2010 which also prints a monthly newspaper, and Brixton Buzz running since 2011 .

You can visit Brixton places with Walkfo Brixton to hear history at Brixton’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Brixton has 421 places to visit in our interactive Brixton map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Brixton, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Brixton places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Brixton & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 421 audio facts unique to Brixton places in an interactive Brixton map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Brixton Places Map
421 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Brixton historic spots	Brixton tourist destinations	Brixton plaques	Brixton geographic features
Walkfo Brixton tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Brixton

  

Best Brixton places to visit

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Brixton has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Brixton’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Brixton’s information audio spots:

Mandela Way T-34 Tank The Mandela Way T-34 Tank, nicknamed Stompie, is a decommissioned Soviet-built tank . It is now permanently located on the corner of Mandela Way and Page’s Walk in Bermondsey, London .

Miloco Studios Miloco Studios are a group of recording studios based in London, England . Miloco studios are based in the city of London and London .

Burgess Park Burgess Park is a public park situated in Walworth the London Borough of Southwark . At 56 hectares (140 acres), it is one of the largest parks in South London .

John Smith House (Southwark) John Smith House is the former Labour Party headquarters in south London . The party first occupied the building in 1980, vacating its former headquarters at Transport House .

Browning Hall Browning Hall was a social settlement established in Walworth, London, in 1895 . It was one of a number of such ‘settlements’ arising out of the settlement movement and university extension movement .

Peckham Library Peckham Library is a library and community building in south-east London . It was designed by Alsop and Störmer, engineered by AKT II and won the Stirling Prize for Architecture in 2000 .

The Institute of Optometry Institute of Optometry is a centre for optometry in south London . It was established in 1922 as the London Refraction Hospital, London .

Skipton House Skipton House is a high specification office building in Elephant and Castle, Central London . The building is located in the centre of London’s central London .

Royal Surrey Gardens Royal Surrey Gardens were pleasure gardens in Newington, Surrey, London in the Victorian period . The gardens occupied about 15 acres (6.1 ha) to the east side of Kennington Park Road, east of The Oval . It was the site of Surrey Zoological Gardens and Surrey Music Hall .

South Bank Technopark South Bank Technopark at London South Bank University, England, houses the main administration for the university, including the Vice-Chancellor’s Office, under the leadership of Prof. David Phoenix .

Visit Brixton plaques