Derelict house on Marsden Road

[Cuthbert Dibble]

On Marsden Road SE15, by the entrance to the Wildlife Garden Centre (which is great by the way, apart from the lack of wildlife) there is a house which looks, in my expert opinion, totally f....d. It's been like that for years, pigeons were flying in and out of the windows the other day, and round the back there is an emormous crack that looks somewhat terrifying.

Does anyone know anything about it? Are there plans for it to be sold/demolished etc? It must be a nightmare for the neighbours - get the Beaney round there pronto I say.

[snorky]

Cuth.

There is indeed a plan to demolish and rebuild of late coincidentally . Its been bad for a long time and is irreparable - even the floorboards have been removed to stop anyone getting in and getting into trouble.

Now then, the problem is not with the building, but with the underground stream that runs under it , through the wildlife centre and across the abck of the gardens to Grove vale - this is why the streets here have such long gardens on a back to back basis. If you stand with your back to the crumbling house, and look directly across the road, but slightly left, you can see further a crumbling and misshapen house that has been jazzed up somewhat, but is a sick puppy.This is the original line of the stream

I would suggest that any development on the site om the crumbling houise should be on a floating concrete platform,. othwerwise it too will begin to twist on its axis with the changes in ground water levels and content each season.

[Cuthbert Dibble]

Wow, that answer is far more comprehensive than I could have hoped.

Do you know how far in the "other" direction the stream flows? - (ie away from Grove Vale, towards Adys Road)? Is it the same stream that flows through Peckham Rye park to your knowledge?

The local historian in me is beginning to get very, very excited. This might get messy - I need to get out more.

[snorky]

I think you had better speak to John Beasley about that.......

but if you have any of the the Blashford-Snell about you, then Im sure you could shin over a few back garden fences and map the likely course of the hidden stream with a GPS system and a OS map.Look for the slumping buildings and you cant go too far wrong

[Cuthbert Dibble]

That's my Saturday night sorted

[snorky]

BTW, the bottom of the Gardens that back onto each other along form tyhe Wildlife centre to Goose green school - oglander road ? - are a quagmire after heavy wather, due to the rise in the level of water along the stream path. During WW2, many people boult anterson shelters in this are - as far away from their house as possible - only to find the shelters several inches or feet deep in ground water

[snorky]

and my tyuping is shite as well

[Muttley]

Isn't there a stream running along Oakhurst Grove, too? I seem to remember being told that years ago.

[Peckham native]

Tried looking at some old maps (which I love) to see if a stream was marked. Seems to be a field edge in the 1869 map. Also possible to waste many hours looking at how East Dulwich used to be!http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1620/996800/16459547/252788422.jpg[/img]

[mockney piers]

Do you have the link to this too? love to see it in greater resolution if it can be. I love old maps too.

[Ant]

Mmmm, geeky fun. :)

[snorky]

As I mentioend, John D. beasley is the man who will know