Information AboutCatford |
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Catford is an area in the London Borough Of Lewisham , England . It is located 6.3 miles (10.1 km) south east of Charing Cross and covers most of SE6 postcode. The name derives from the place where Wildcats crossed the River Ravensbourne in Saxon times. Catford's most prominent landmark is the Catford Cat, a giant fibreglass sculpture of a black cat above the entrance to the Catford Centre. This is a small Shopping Centre , housing Tesco and Iceland Supermarkets as well as some independent shops in the punningly-named Catford Mews. There is a street market on Catford Broadway. Catford has several Pub s and a variety of non-chain restaurants and cafes. Catford's oldest pub is the Black Horse and Harrow which existed at least as early as 1700, though the present building dates from 1897 (at which Karl Marx was a patron). Between 1932 and 2003, Catford Stadium was a successful Greyhound Racing track, but it is now closed. ARCHITECTURE The 1960s and 70s had a considerable impact on the architecture of Catford. The old Town Hall, 'the Catford Cathedral' of 1875 was replaced by the current Civic Suite in 1968, soon after the merger of the metropolitan boroughs of Lewisham and Deptford . Laurence House where many of the borough's offices are housed is on the site of St Laurence's Church. The Brutalist Eros House, which replaced the Lewisham Hippodrome (Catford's Music Hall designed by the famous theatre architect Frank Matcham ) in 1960, is now Grade II listed. Ian Nairn ,however, thought Eros House to be worthy of note, he wrote: ''A monster sat down in Catford, and just what the place needed. No offence meant: this southward extension of Lewisham High Street badly wanted stiffening. Now there is a punchy concrete focus (`you know, that funny new building') both close to and at a distance, from the desolate heights of the Downham Estate, where it stands straight to the afternoon sun. Rough concrete is put through all its paces, front convex eaves on Sainsbury's to a staircase tower which is either afflicted with an astounding set of visual distortions or is actually leaning. Again, no offence meant. Unlike many other avant-garde buildings, particularly in the universities, this one is done from real conviction, not from a desire for self-advertisement. The gaunt honesty of those projecting concrete frames carrying boxed-out bow windows persists. It is not done at you, and it transforms the surroundings instead of despising them. This most craggy and uncompromising of London buildings turns out to be full of firm gentlenes'' Nairn's London 1966 In Rushey Green outside Eros House, the old village hand-pump from the 1850s survives. In 1974 the Catford shopping centre was built by the brutalist architect Owen Luder . Broadway Theatre, Catford which is a fine Art Deco building adjoins the town hall. This is a curved stone structure decorated with shields and heraldic emblems and topped with an attractive copper-green spire. It was opened in 1932 as the Concert Hall and is now a Grade II listed building. The interior is in art deco style. The last cinema in the borough stood opposite the theatre until its closure in 2002 . Catford also boasts a Territorial Army center and a large gothic Police Station (despite the largest police station in Europe being just down the road in Lewisham ). In 2006, a large blue pipe scultpure was opened outside Eros House. CULTURE Other than the shows at the Broadway Theatre the main cultural events are Lewisham Peoples day held in Mountsfield Park and the yearly beer festival organised by the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA), which is held at the theatre. The Catford Beer Festival is one of the largest in Southern England . In recent years it has been satirised in The Chap Magazine series called 'A year in Catford' after Peter Mayle's bestseller 'A Year in Provence'. The magazine poked fun at Catford's mundanity. The Catford and Downham area is traditionally the South End of London however, the term is rarely used if at all in comparison to the West End or East End Of London . Nonetheless, some older maps and A-Z 's still list the area as Southend . Catford had one of the first British curry houses, when it opened in 1824. CHURCHES Essentially a Protestant town, but with Roman Catholic churches and numerous non-conformist causes. These include Plymouth Brethren , Baptists , Methodist , various Pentecostals as well as Seventh Day Adventists and a Unitarian meeting house. The Plymouth Brethren at Wildfell Hall, Wildfell Road have conducted the world-famous ''Catford Lectures'' for over 50 years. The original gothic C Of E St. Lawrence church was located where Lawrence House is today, but as part of the urban renweal of Catford in he '60's, the church is now housed in a more modern style building 200 metres down London Road. There is a Muslim community with a mosque as well as a Sikh , Buddisht and Hara Krishna temples. FAMOUS CATFORDIANS
SPORT Catford Stadium was one of the most famous greyhound racing venues in the UK until its closure in 2005 . It also hosted boxing and several other sporting events. Catford Southend F.C. were a once successful non-league side who groundshared with Charlton Athletic at The Mount Stadium and nearly merged with. However, the deal was scuppered and Charton went onto Football League success while Catford Southend fell into obscurity. The most promnient Sunday League side now in Catford is Catford Strollers F.C. Catford also boast a large 5-a-side center with many teams. The Catford Cycling Club was founded in 1886 and rose to European promience. In 1894 they built their own track south of Brownhill Road complete with a magnificient Pagoda Grandstand . However, by the 1950s the majority of the track had been built over yet the club still flourishes to this day. {Link without Title} Cricket , Bowls and Tennis is represented in Catford in the form of Catford Wanderers Sports Club. Catford also has a skating club. Kent County Cricket Club have played at Catford several times in the past. TRANSPORT LINKS Catford is well connected for public transport, with two adjacent stations where railway lines cross (but do not and out towards Bromley . Nearest railway stations
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