Moving away from the high street we come to a newish Deptford icon situated on the Broadway, the Deptford Marbles, a giant mural created by local artists the Artmongers in 2007. It’s a trompe l’oeil mural of grand proportions and not the first the Artmongers have created for the area – look out for the Fresian cow dustbins and a pearls and tie mural (above) on the side of a house up the High Street. In fact, keep your eyes peeled – there’s always a cute bit of graffiti lurking somewhere and there’s even a very faded Banksy, see left, in Brookmill Park (more on the park later) and, famously, the little girl in a diver’s helmet graffiti which appeared on the Blur ThinkTank album cover was “removed” from Creekside where she happily lived… Fairly certain that’s a slab of concrete residing in some rich collectors home now. Tsk.
Behind the Deptford Marbles mural is Tanners Hill, where a row of timber frame buildings still exist (numbers 21-31); these shops are grade II listed and are some of the few London timber framed structures to survive from the 1750s.
Head up Brookmill Road and past my favourite street name in London and possibly the world and you’ll see the Stephen Lawrence Centre at the start of Brookmill Park. The centre boasts a beautiful piece of public art by Chris Ofili – the huge glazed windows covered in a moiré pattern. Beyond the centre is the delightful Brookmill Park; home to the muddy Ravensbourne river and a rose garden, duck pond, the aforementioned Banksy and several winding little paths that eventually bring you out to the DLR of Elverson Road.
By this time you might be in need of a drink; and, unless you are our irate commenter (see top of piece) you might like Little Nan’s. Don’t be put off by the grubby doorway with old Tory party logo on it; be brave and wander in to find a tiny bar in what appears to be someone’s front room circa 1982. A nifty bit of retro marketing sees cocktails served in teacups (£4 each) or teapots (£12) and having sampled a few my favourite is definitely the Paddy Ashdown. Take a few friends though: it’s cosy to the point of surreal.
I’d love to say “and that’s your lot” but it really isn’t. I could wax lyrical for far longer, but this is just the start – so make the most of a weekend and come and explore. We may be a bit litter-strewn and rough around the edges but we’ve got a fish shop called the Codfather and a fair few bewildered yanks wandering around.
Words and images (except where specified) by Abi Zakarian
13 thoughts on “Free Weekend? Explore Deptford”
Deptford is a shithole. If the best thing you have to say about it is a market where people sell old broken shit on the street, a tarted up old tube carriage, and a pie and mash shop, then your area is fucked. “Rough round the edges” doesn’t cover it. Dilapidated shithole is far closer to the mark. Let’s be honest, none of you would live there if it wasn’t so cheap. And the reason it is so cheap is because no fucker wants to live there. And I can’t blame them.
I have lived in the area for 10 years. When I was studying at Goldsmiths my studio was in Deptford and I was constantly thrilled by the sights and sounds, and the amazing junk market.
There may be more soon, http://www.buildthelenox.org
Julie Burchill mentioned Deptford in an article in ‘Prospect’ magazine back in 2009. Here’s my response:
‘According to today’s Guardian Diary Julie Burchill writes in this month’s Prospect that ‘There is a higher quota of drunkards, drug addicts and mentally deficient dullards in Debrett’s than there is in Deptford’. I don’t agree with Julie all that often, but this time I’m sure she’s absolutely right.
My problem is that, like far too many journalists, she uses ‘Deptford’ as if the place is some kind of Dickensian slum. It may no longer be the cradle of the English Navy or home to Trinity House; but there are still corners that Samuel Pepys, John Evelyn and Grinling Gibbons would recognise as their old haunts. And we’ve got more artists and musicians than you can shake a stick at. Even the New York Times thinks Deptford’s hip.
Today’s Deptford may have its share of drunkards, drug addicts, and mentally deficient dullards. About the same as Brighton, I suspect. Next time you want to casually slag somewhere off, Julie, try using somewhere you know about…’
She never got back to me, obviously, but Prospect did publish my letter…
It’s not a f*cking tube carriage!
Do elaborate… we don’t understand!
Apologies – it’s: a 35 tonne 1960’s South East Trains carriage.
Celebrate the shithole…à la Verlaine and Rimbaud
I LOVE Deptford!!!!!!! x
I also HEART Deptford
Deptfords magn7f
Depfords brilliant, the dog an bells up there with the best boozer in town and the wairing room does the best coffee.
Deptford kicks ass, no question…but for how long? gentrification is the new thang for developpers and politicians. Example? Deptford project’s gone. What will it be instead? Not a bohemian squat, for sure. It’s in between the (new) station and the (new) school and library…perfect for city boys…….Bohemia dies in New Cross
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