Deptford is a suburb of Lewisham in London. Located on the banks of the River Thames, it was a mostly industrial area that was vastly redeveloped following World War II.
Following the London Blitz during World War II, 2,132 houses were utterly destroyed and thousands more suffered damage in Deptford. It was said that not one home escaped damage. Many families were made homeless and by 1948 Deptford Council had received over 9,000 applications to register as in need of housing. The council implemented a programme of replacing the housing stock through the use of 'temporary bungalows' or prefabs, new build and requisitioning existing housing stock. The first blocks of flats to be built by Deptford Council were Beech House and Larch House on the Edward Street Estate in 1947.
In 1949 Deptford had 89 acres of land that was either vacant, war damaged or had temporary buildings. In 1945, Deptford Council had 276 properties for Council tenants and Lewisham 2,456. By 1955 Deptford had built another 838.
Figures from the 1951 Census show that 30% of Deptford households shared or had no piped water, 42% of households shared or had no 'water closet' and 75% shared or had no bath. Only 21% of Deptford households had piped water, a cooking stove, kitchen sink, water closet and fitted bath. It was estimated in the slum clearance proposals of the 1954 Housing Act that Deptford had 614 unfit houses.
The area borders Rotherhithe to the north, Bermondsey to the northwest, New Cross to the west, St John's to the south, Greenwich to the southeast and the River Thames forming most of the northeast and eastern border.
Housing estates[]
- 22-150 Giffin Street
- Alverton Street Estate
- Crossfields Estate
- Deptford Park Estate
- Edward Street Estate
- Evelyn Estate
- Evelyn Street Estate
- Haddonfield Estate
- Idonia Street Estate
- Pepys Estate
- Plough Estate
- Sayes Court Estate
- Trinity Estate
- Woodpecker Estate
Tower blocks[]
Tower blocks that are not attributed to any wider housing estates are: