Time Walk
A Service Road That Outlasted Its Workshops
This street carries the name of John Bowden, who bought the ground from the Cleavers in 1815. It was later made as a route through to Kennington Lane. Today it is narrow, with very narrow pavements, and still has a workmanlike feel. Walking it, the eye is drawn to a group of former workshops and warehouses now turned into offices and homes, and to an old industrial building that closes the view from neighbouring Methley Street.
Beneath the converted brickwork lies a piece of 1860s estate planning: a landowner's deal with his neighbours that simply needed a road. That story, and the name attached to it, go back further still.
Name Origin
A Landowner Called Bowden
The street is named after a man, not a place. According to Sheila Fairfield's The Streets of London: A Dictionary of the Names and Their Origins (1983), Bowden Street takes its name from John Bowden, who bought the land here from the Cleaver family in 1815. The sources used here say nothing further about Bowden himself.
History
Sir Gilbert East's Road to Kennington Lane
The street was laid out in 1868 as part of a development agreement. Sir Gilbert East, developing the copyhold lands of Kennington, struck a deal with adjoining copyholders to extend Methley Street through to Kennington Lane, and Bowden Street was the result. It now links Cleaver Street and Methley Street.
Today
Workshops Turned Over
The workshops remain, even if their trades have gone. A road made for a landowner's convenience still does the job it was given.
The street's name has nothing to do with Kennington's landscape or landmarks — it simply records the man who bought the ground in 1815, John Bowden.
On the Map
Bowden Street Then & Now
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called Bowden Street?
It is named after John Bowden, who bought the land from the Cleaver family in 1815, according to Sheila Fairfield's The Streets of London (1983).
What is Bowden Street known for?
A narrow Kennington link road built in 1868 to connect Methley Street with Kennington Lane, it still holds a group of former workshops and warehouses now converted to offices and homes.
When was Bowden Street built?
It was created in 1868, as part of Sir Gilbert East's development agreement with adjoining copyholders on the Kennington copyhold lands.