Now lost beneath the Moorlands Estate development of the 1970s, Geneva Road once ran south from Coldharbour Lane, and consisted of an unbroken terrace of solid three-storey Victorian buildings with basements.
The former junction with Coldharbour Lane is now buried under Southwyck House (aka the Barrier Block), and while no trace of the original road remains, the name lives on in the nearby Geneva Drive.
Built around the 1870s, Geneva Road fell into a slow decline after the war, and by the fifties were housing a large West Indian community.
A contemporary report from March 1955 observed life in the area:
About 3,000 West Indians are living in the Borough of Lambeth, in South London. Most have taken homes in Brixton, packing themselves into Geneva Road and Somerleyton Road, where the houses are large and high and dowdy.
To judge from the number of windows which at night are lit up, with the shadow of a dressing-table mirror thrown onto faded, pinned curtains, a lot of the houses have been divided into flats and bed-sitting rooms. ‘For Sale–8 Lots Without Reserve’ reads a notice outside one dusty looking residence. Is this, one wonders, the work of some rogue landlord
On a wall in one these roads someone has whitewashed the slogan ‘Keep Brixton White’ The whitewash has been partly covered by brown paint and the weather has taken off some of the remainder.
But the cool, menacing words are still just discernible and it is faintly sickening to read them in the lamplight. Yet from the evidence of a number of visits to Brixton, one would say that on the whole the Jamaicans are quite unobjectionable; as sober and as responsible in their behaviour and as modest in their bearing as anyone could wish.
Here’s an 1870 Ordnance Survey map of the area, showing large parts of Brixton still undeveloped.
Read more about Geneva Road and see more photos and maps here.
Related posts:
A walk around the snowy streets of Brixton, south London, Feb 2012
Lost scenes of Brixton – the coal depot at Pope’s Road
A look around the big Coldharbour Lane development, central Brixton
Lost Brixton: Brixton Station Road market and John’s Cafe
Brixton’s lost Eel And Pie House, Coldharbour Lane SW9
A walk around the snowy streets of Brixton, January 2013
Bam! Skip lorry smashes into rail bridge on Barrington Road, Brixton
Massive Brixton police chase: Coldharbour Lane/Moorlands Road
Great days,my nickname was Boot,does any body remember me.,Us Waglands lived at number 88.
I remember the wagland family. We lived at no. 38. The Lewis family. Does anyone remember us?
Well I remember you boot, but then I would. !!! Pasty lacey’s daughter Jackie.
Boot so glad you managed to get on this site, you will love it, must try and get our sister Sally on, thanks Jackie I love it.xx
Jackie did you get your pie and mash today lol.xx
Boot ask Amon about your old friend Tommy Kelly.xxx
hi boot & patsy & Jackie about my brother tommy he passed away aged 58 4 years ago his wife said that he was allways talking about his mate booty & and some guy named eddy sears ??
hi all on this site if given the chance to pull down the barrier block would you vote to demolish it and replace it with a park
The Barrier Block is one of the last bits of council housing left in Brixton and is very much appreciated by the families that live there.
A park would look so much better, it’s a eye sore
A park wouldn’t look so nice to the hundreds of long term residents who would have to be evicted and moist likely rehoused miles away from their community (if they get rehoused at all).
The long term residents of Geneva road , as it was , did not want to be evicted. And the street and beautiful houses looked so much better than the tower block it was replaced with.
Amon I am so sorry to hear about your brother passing at a young age, Boot will be pleased to know he was not forgotten but sad that Tommy has passed, Eddie was the son of the removal people Charlie and Dolly, they were mentioned in earlier posts, hope your well, lovely to hear from you.xx
I agree with the park replacing the barrier block, it’s an eyesore, such a shame to lose all those great homes that was once Geneva rd, I was born and brought up there as was most of my family.
patsy thank you for your kind words re eddie yes I remember now Charlie & dolly I remember that on weekends they would leave the back of the lorry open and all the kids would play inside great days great history its sad that children today are shoved into boxes to live
I saw plans for the homes to be built on the somerleyton road it looks very nice low rise with lots of space and greenery have the planners seen sense I think it would only be fair that the tenants of the barrier block be given first choice of the homes if they want to move there
re the somerleyton site prodject none of the properties should be sold all the flats & houses must be let to tenants at fair rents the council must get this one right for the folk of Brixton no matter what the cost good luck to all who are fighting this cause
dear editor there have been no hits to this site for some time very strange is there a problem
hi amon I remember most of the names mentioned here I lived at no 8 sussex grove with my mum and
dad mary and jim Anderson and brothers jimmy alan and terry really interesting reading this
regards cliff anderson
Hello I know this is a long shot, but I have just come across an old post card in my mums things, and it is from Jimmy Anderson, to his grandmother in Yorkshire, Mrs J hardy. I looked for the street on internet, and saw this comment of yours. This was my great grandmother. The address on the postcard was 22Langton Road, Brixton, London SW9. Can you throw any light on this, I look forward to hearing from you. my email is hartleyjn@aol.com thank you in anticipation.
hi cliff I do recall your family the houses were smaller than ours but still had large basements like ours do you remember a lad called alex he was slightly tanned we was good mates his parents were very strict he lived about 4/5 houses from you do you remember the bomb site at the end of Geneva terrace and the bomb sites in Loughborough park great scrummping pears the size of footballs and apples etc great days
Hi my husband Reg O’Flaherty lived at 66 Geneva Road most of his early life when we married we lived there from 1963 -till they pulled it down then moved to the other side of the road for 3years Pat And Mark Horsley Pat formerly Lacey lived in the basement flat of 66 when we were there Pat had a baby Jackie and I also had a baby girl Suzanne and still very close to Jackie, sadly Patsy died 6 years ago. Recognise lots of other names on here Sears booty Waglands.
hi niolette its great to hear from a former resident of the great late Geneva rd you have told me something I never knew that one side of Geneva was pulled down the the other side was not demolished till 3 years later of course Lambeth council will hide under there desks because they know what they did to our homes was almost criminal but sadly I am unable to recall your family you say you remember the waglands what a lovely family we lived opposite them
hi all folk of the great late Geneva rd I thought you might like to hear this storey this morning I was watching homes under the hammer and a house came up that was only 5 mins walk from Geneva rd 2 bed no front garden no basement new owner refurbished it sold for 1.2 million what would our old houses fetch today if the idiots who ordered there destruction
Omg. But what lovely house’s in Geneva road. Wish I could afford one just like them.
Anyone remember Medora Road (sp)?
hi just read in the south London press about electric avenue about one million pounds to be spent bringing it back to its glory days the buildings are truly the best of its time and must be saved unlike the fate of Geneva /somerleyton /sussex rd well done Lambeth council
HI all I am still looking for folk that lived in the late Geneva road to hear there stories I recently heard that a lot of folk moved up to tulse hill a big estate of council flats I emailed Lambeth council but all they would tell me was that 52 families were resettled there into cramped flats far from there beloved Brixton market and pubs etc if any one has any info please let this site know TA
HI all did any one see BACK IN TIME for Brixton bbc 2 I was lucky enough to tape it and saw the late great Geneva rd ill boarded up and Geneva terrace bulldozed I real y had tears in my eyes to see this road in its last dying days I cant believe Lambeth council do not regret what they did so bloody sad
HI to all the folk of the late great Geneva road wishing you all a very happy new year amon
High Guys. Just reading all your comments brought back mems. I was born in Geneva road 1952 and lived there till we were moved up to brixton hill. Knew the Waglands . Billy was in the gang where we played on the bomb site up by th coldharbour lane. Went to school at sussex road then effra parade. Nice to see some of us are still around. LOL Bob Williams No. 50 Geneva road
Hi Bob. We must have been neighbours! We lived at number 48 between 1962-1967, but can’t seem to remember you, sorry….unless you moved out before then?
We too used to play in that bomb site…remember the train carriage there? We used to climb on the roof and jump onto an old mattress salvaged from the dump! No health and safety then!
Regardless, Geneva Road was a teriffic place to grow up in as a kid…great memories
HI Andy nice to hear from a resident of the late great Geneva road I remember that old carriage amon
Hi Andy, lived at no. 50 from 1952 1967. Cant remember you but think the railway carriage was in moorland road. Bomb site in geneva road was called wallas. Round the corner from Robinsons the fruit and veg shop. All gang members (lol) were richard andrew billy franky and of course me. We had great fun playing on bomb sites. No electronic games in them days. Nice to to hear from you though.
HI bob yes the fruit & veg is where you say in fact my sister and her children lived above that shop I remember the out side loo bloody freezing in winter do you remember the bomb site at the top of Geneva terrace cut through to sussex rd to that creepy old shop on the corner a old lady use to own it would you prefer to go back to Geneva rd to live or move into a flat on the barrier block if given the chance amon
Hi amon, yes remember the bombsite at geneva terrace bur cant remember the shop. I remember Reeds the sweet shop next to the Angel pub. Id rather have stayed in Geneva road were all my friends lived. But times change, sometimes not for the better. We ended up at Brixton Hill opposite the Telegraph.
HI Robert yes I remember reeds but there use to be a shop opposite then corner of sussex rd if those houses were still standing I think they would be fetching about £1,5 million today a flat on the barrier block about £ 100.000 that’s if you could find a mug to buy it great days growing up in the late great Geneva rd
HI Robert looking at all the replies it seems that a lot of folk from Geneva road all got dumped at Brixton hill I recall a large council estate on water lane I had a friend who lived there long before Geneva was destroyed by john major and he said there was noise above below and on his left and on his right no escape from it then the druggies moved in well that’s progress for you do you miss your garden and space in the late great Geneva road