A Brief History of Peckham
Pecheham 500
In the Domesday Book, the first Norman charter of England written in the late 1080s, chroniclers mention Peckham as “Pecheham.” Pecheham is believed to be an Anglo-Saxon word; “peche” meaning hill, and “ham” meaning village (we get the word ‘hamlet’ from this). The fact that Peckham sits at the base of Telegraph Hill supports this interpretation. Throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern period, Peckham remained true to this name, maintaining a tiny population of around 500 villagers until the late 17th century. During this time, Peckham hosted markets at which farmers sold fresh produce, such as melons, figs, and herbs, to buyers from the City of London.
Inspiration for the Arts
For centuries, Peckham has been an inspiration for the arts, stirring the imagination of musicians, painters, poets, writers, and more.
The first notable figure, born in 1572, was the cleric, politician, and poet John Donne, who is known as “the first poet in the world in some things.” He studied at Oxford and Cambridge University and is credited with the famous quote, “No man is an island. No one is self-sufficient; everyone relies on others.” An admirer of the delights associated with Peckham as a peaceful and rural village, Donne visited regularly and is thought to have penned many poems here. John Donne Primary School in East Peckham pays homage to the preeminent poet.
In the 18th century, one of the most popular novels was The Vicar of Wakefield, which was thought to have been written in Peckham by local Irish resident playwright Oliver Goldsmith. Goldsmith was once described by his closest friend, Dr. Samuel Johnson, as a “curious odd pedantic fellow with some genius.” It is thanks to Johnson that The Vicar of Wakefield ever saw the light of day:
One morning, there was an urgent message from Oliver Goldsmith to Samuel Johnson soliciting his urgent help. The message proclaimed that Goldsmith could not come to Johnson, but Johnson must come to him—and quickly. Johnson quickly got dressed and rushed to Goldsmith and found him drunk, uncontrollably angry, and in a bit of bother with his landlady. He owed money for rent, and his landlady had arrested him with the aid of a bailiff. Samuel Johnson tried to calm the situation, and Goldsmith frantically explained that he didn’t have any money but did have a fully written novel, which he thought was rather good. The landlady, unimpressed, did not agree and did not want to accept the novel as rent payment.
In Samuel Johnson’s words: “I looked into it (the novel) and saw its merit; told the landlady I should soon return; and, having gone to a bookseller, sold it for sixty pounds. I brought Goldsmith the money, and he discharged his rent, not without rating his landlady in a high tone for having used him so ill.” £60 in the 1700s is approximately £6,000 today. The Vicar of Wakefield became one of the most widely read publications in the Victorian era.

Samuel Johnson first reading The Vicar of Wakefield
Today, Peckham is home to a primary school bearing Goldsmith’s name, located on Peckham Road, Oliver Goldsmith Primary School, which began its operations in 1990. The fact that Goldsmith now has a school bearing his name is ironic, as Goldsmith is known to have hated studying and teaching in school.
During this time, another dramatic occurrence happened in Peckham. A young boy walking through what is now Peckham Rye Park claimed to have had a vision of Ezekiel crouched under a tree. Ezekiel is the main character in the Book of Ezekiel featured in the Old Testament. A few years later, in the exact same spot, the same boy saw another vision. This time, it was a glistening chorus of angels perched on an oak tree. This young boy was painter and poet William Blake.
Visions were a source of inspiration throughout William Blake’s life, including when he lived in Peckham. These visions are thought to have inspired a lot of his art and writings. Famous paintings of Blake’s include The Ancient of Days, Satan, and Ezekiel’s Wheels—most doubtlessly inspired by his walk through Peckham Rye Park. Blake also wrote several seminal works of poetry, many of which are thought to have been penned in Peckham, such as The Songs of Innocence and Experience. While the original tree in Peckham Rye Park on which Blake’s angels sat is not there today, the Blake Society planted an oak tree sapling at the site in 2011 to commemorate Blake’s vision.

Ezekiel’s Wheels
The Victorian Era
As the English economy and population grew at near-exponential rates in the 1800s, the rural character of Peckham began to alter, changing drastically by the end of the Victorian period. One of the most impressive structures built in Peckham at this time was Caroline Gardens.
Built in the 1820s by the Licensed Victuallers’ Benevolent Institution, Caroline Gardens was a retirement sanctuary for “victuallers,” or people who were licensed to sell alcohol. Spanning six acres, it once housed 205 people in 176 separate units and includes a gorgeous, now part-ruined, Grade II Chapel.

The now derelict Asylum Chapel
Another impressive Victorian project was Nunhead Cemetery. Established in 1840 on the border of Peckham, it is the second-largest cemetery in London, covering 52 acres and having close to 300,000 people buried there. It is home to a magnificent Neo-Gothic Anglican chapel, yet one of the most striking features of the cemetery is that the majority of tomb markers are extravagant Victorian-style works of architecture, not necessarily small headstones.
The cemetery is the final resting spot for famous academics, authors, explorers, many young men who lost their lives in The Great War and WWII, a U.S. Civil War veteran, and most notably, nine scouts. These young boys, aged 11 to 14, from a scout troop in South London were on a summer camp in Kent when tragedy struck. While sailing during a storm, the boys were thrown out of their boat, lost, and the coastguard could not reach them in time. One of the victims was William Beckham, aged 12, who is the great-great uncle of David Beckham.
First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill organised for a destroyer to ship the bodies back to the capital. Public bereavement was to such an extent that almost one million people watched the funeral procession from Walworth to Nunhead Cemetery.

Nunhead Cemetery
Peckham Rye Park opened to the public in 1894, after being purchased by Parliament, which intended to make the beautiful green space open to the public. Before Peckham Rye was a park, a few families lived there. One such family was the Taylors, who, in 1858, had Elizabeth Mary Taylor. Later, Elizabeth went on to marry George Cadbury, founder of the major chocolate brand that is enjoyed by millions to this day.
The Heroes of Peckham
One of the most notable people ever born in Peckham is First World War hero Jack “The Lad” Harvey. He enlisted as a private in 1914 and fought in Ypres, the Battle of the Somme, and the Battle of Passchendaele on the Western Front.
During the Battle of Passchendaele, he and his regiment were held up and trapped by excessive machine gun fire. Running out of options, Harvey sprinted forward alone for 50 meters toward the machine gun fire in the face of flying bullets. He sprang into the enemy trench, shot two Germans, bayoneted another, and killed all three. He then destroyed the machine gun and proceeded along inside the enemy trench by himself. He kept going until he found a dugout packed with German soldiers—37 soldiers in total. Rushing in with great daring and determination, he made all 37 Germans put down their weapons and surrender.
This act of bravery saved his regiment and helped with the success of the overall mission. For his valor on the 8th of March 1919, King George V awarded Jack “The Lad” Harvey the highest award of the British honors system, the Victoria Cross.
Two of the most famous individuals from Peckham are known all over the UK and beyond: fictional characters Derek and Rodney Trotter. From 1981 to 1991, John Sullivan’s popular BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses, featured such episodes as “The Miracle of Peckham” and “Sleepless in Peckham.” One of the season’s trailers was called “It’s All Kicking Off in Peckham,” and almost every episode was based in Peckham.
In one episode, Terrance Boyce told a fictitious story about the Earl of Peckham, who resided in Peckham Castle during the 15th century. Peckham never had an Earl, nor did it ever have a castle above its medieval farmyards. However, one particular plotline did have a prophetic effect on the real world. In the early 2000s, when consumers accused the bottled water company Dasani of filling bottles with common tap water and not with water from a natural spring, as the Dasani label led many to believe, fans of Only Fools and Horses pleasantly remembered the episode when Del Boy peddled bottles of water filled from the tap in his kitchen, marketing the product to consumers as “Peckham Spring.”

Trotters Independent Trading Co Reliant parked in Peckham today
Peckham Today
Today, Peckham is a vibrant, multicultural community that continues to inspire artists and creatives. With its rich history and unique character, Peckham is a fantastic place to live and work. If you’re looking for a trusted partner to let and manage HMOs in Peckham, we offer professional services tailored to your needs. Contact us to find out how we can assist you in making the most of your property.