CLAPHAM SOCIETY GREEN PLAQUES
Our Green Plaques
In 2011 we initiated a scheme to commemorate with green plaques interesting buildings in Clapham which have changed their use since they were built. The first plaque was unveiled in August 2011 on Sycamore House, 4 Old Town, SW4 0JY, a house built in 1787 which was the home of the Sycamore Laundry from 1898 to 1994, and has now been returned to residential use. The plaque was unveiled in August 2011 by the late Dame Vivienne Westwood, who lived close to Sycamore House until her death in 2022.
The second plaque was unveiled by Lord Hankey on December 2011 on the surviving wing of Eagle House, 2b Narbonne Avenue, SW4 9JS. The original mansion, which faced on to Clapham Common South Side was built in 1773 on land owned by the Hankey family, who still have connections with the area. When the mansion was demolished in 1889 and the site redeveloped this wing, once the billiard room, survived and was put to various uses over the years before being restored to residential use in 2008.
On 4 December 2012, the Society’s third plaque was unveiled on the former Odeon Cinema at Clapham South (10-12 Balham Hill, SW12 9EA) by Martin Humphries, co-founder and Director of the Cinema Museum.
On 5 June 2013 the Society’s fourth plaque was unveiled on the former Clapham Fire Station at 33 The Pavement by Professor Andrew Saint, General Editor of The Survey of London.
On 23 May 2014 the Society’s fifth plaque was unveiled on 35 Macaulay Road, the building that was the former Parochial School by its owner – Frederique van der Vorm – who generously donated the plaque.
On 31 October 2014 the Society’s sixth plaque was unveiled by the actress Geraldine James on the former Clapham Library at 1 Clapham Common North Side, now converted to Omnibus Theatre.
On 16 April 2015 the seventh plaque was unveiled on the former Baptist Chapel now Oddfellows Hall in Belmont Road by Edmund Bird, Heritage advisor to the Mayor of London and former Lambeth Conservation Officer.
On 5 October 2015 the eighth plaque was unveiled on the former chapel of Ingleton House Boys’ Home, now Clapham Pottery by local celebrity chef Michel Roux Junior.
On 7 March 2017 our ninth plaque was unveiled on the former Union of Post Office Workers Headquarters in Crescent Lane, now converted to apartments by Galliard Homes, by Rt. Hon. Alan Johnson MP who had worked there when he was General Secretary of the Union.
On 4 July 2017 the tenth Green Plaque was unveiled on the former Coroner’s Court and LCC Weights and Measures Office at 43 Netherford Road, now a private residence, by the owners Axel Maier and Allison Clark.
On 6 September 2017 our eleventh Green Plaque was unveiled on the former Plough Brewery in Wandsworth Road, now converted to office units, by Anya Hindmarch the handbag designer, whose headquarters are in the building.
On 15 June 2018 our twelfth green plaque was unveiled on Clapham Common Deep Shelter, now the base of Growing Underground, by co-founder of the company, Richard Ballard
Green Plaque Design
The plaques are surface-mounted made of aluminium with raised white writing on a dark green, high gloss ground. They are rectangular, with a raised border simulating a frame, which is specifically designed to indicate that the plaque celebrates a building, and not a person. There can, therefore, be no confusion with English Heritage blue ceramic plaques. The distinctive design was specially commissioned from bespoke furniture designer and member of the Society, Tim Gosling. Information on the plaque is kept to a minimum and some further details about each building, together with some illustrations, will be shown on this website.
For an article about the Green Plaques in The Residents Journal in May 2015 click here
Details of new plaques added from time to time will be listed here.
Please click on the name to view.