Time Walk
A Street Built Twice
A Victorian school and a 1930s council terrace share the same short road. Walking it today, you pass the long run of Christ Church C.E. Primary School, then a listed early-Victorian terrace, then rows of plainer inter-war housing. The mix tells you how the street grew.
Beneath it lies an older layer: this was once part of the Holland Town estate, lengthened only in the 1930s to reach Elliot Road. That explains why the oldest and newest buildings here sit so close together — and why the name itself still needs explaining.
Name Origin
An Unexplained Name
The sources consulted for this page do not explain where the name Cancell Road comes from. What can be said with confidence is where the road stood: it formed part of the original Holland Town estate in Brixton.
History
From Church Land to Council Terraces
The road's earliest datable history belongs to its school. In 1860 the Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord John Russell and the Duke of Devonshire freely granted a site here to the minister and chapelwardens of the district chapelry of Christ Church, Brixton Road, and Henry Currey designed the school buildings raised that same year.
The school grew in stages over the following decades. An infants' school was designed in 1876 and rebuilt in 1904, and the original building was remodelled again in 1909. It suffered damage by enemy action during the war of 1939–45.
The road itself changed shape in the 1930s, when it was extended to link with Elliot Road. London County Council built terraced houses along the new stretch, adding a layer of inter-war housing to a road that had started as church land on the old Holland Town estate.
Nos. 6, 8 and 10 Cancell Road are officially listed under the address "Camberwell Road SW9" in the National Heritage List, despite standing on Cancell Road itself.
People
The Architect Behind the School
Henry Currey designed the school buildings on Cancell Road.
Today
A Listed Terrace Among the Rest
Nos. 6, 8 and 10 still stand as a listed early-mid 19th century terrace, two storeys high with three windows each, built in brick under slated roofs, with sash windows and plain four-panel doors. They have been Grade II listed since 1981.
On the Map
Cancell Road Then & Now
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called Cancell Road?
The sources used for this page do not explain the origin of the name. The road formed part of the original Holland Town estate in Brixton.
What is Cancell Road known for?
It is known for Christ Church C.E. Primary School, founded on a site granted in 1860, and for a Grade II listed early-Victorian terrace at Nos. 6, 8 and 10, standing alongside 1930s London County Council terraced housing.
When was Cancell Road extended?
The road was extended in the 1930s to link it with Elliot Road, and London County Council terraced houses were built along the new stretch.