Time Walk
A Street Renamed for Martyrs
A street built for ordinary Georgian living was later renamed to remember people burned for their faith. Walk it today and you pass a small Victorian church and a stretch of open ground where terraces once stood, the legacy of slum clearance after the Second World War.
Beneath that open space lies a street laid out in 1786 under a plainer name, East Street, on land belonging to Lambeth Manor. That earlier identity is where its story really begins.
Name Origin
From East Street to the Lollards
The street was first known as East Street, built in 1786 on land belonging to Lambeth Manor.
At some later point it was renamed Lollard Street, to commemorate the persecution of the Lollards, followers of the 14th-century religious reformer John Wyclif. They were believed to have been imprisoned in Lollard's Tower, part of nearby Lambeth Palace.
History
Wells, a Church, and a Bomb
The land here had entertainment on its doorstep before the street itself took shape. Lambeth Wells, a place of music and dancing, had opened nearby in the late 17th century, close to what is now the junction of Lambeth Walk and Lollard Street, on a lane then called Three Coney Walk. The Wells fell into decline in the 1730s, decades before East Street was built.
Almost a century after the street was built, in 1869, the parish of Emmanuel Church was formed, and its small brick church was raised on Lollard Street.
The street's fortunes turned sharply during the Second World War. On 11 May 1941, William Alfred Abbott, a 44-year-old London Ambulance Service driver, was killed at No. 9 Lollard Street, likely while attending the scene of a bomb that had struck Lollard Street School. After the war, slum clearance opened up ground along the street that had previously been built up.
The same pub changed its address from East Street to Lollard Street between 1842 and 1895, without moving an inch — pinning down roughly when the renaming happened.
Culture
A Small Church with a Square Turret
A short way south, Ethelred Street ran parallel to Lollard Street, part of the same close-knit grid of Victorian terraces.
Trade along the street is marked by the Rose & Crown, which held addresses under both the old and new street names as the area shifted from East Street to Lollard Street.
People
An Ambulance Driver's Last Call
William Alfred Abbott drove ambulances for London during the Blitz. On 11 May 1941, at the age of 44, he was killed at No. 9 Lollard Street, most likely while responding to the bombing of nearby Lollard Street School.
On the Map
Lollard Street Then & Now
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called Lollard Street?
It was renamed to commemorate the persecution of the Lollards, followers of John Wyclif, who were believed to have been imprisoned in Lollard's Tower at nearby Lambeth Palace. It was originally called East Street when built in 1786.
What is Lollard Street known for?
It is known for Emmanuel Church, built after its parish was formed in 1869, and for open space created by post-war slum clearance. It was also the site of a wartime death during the Blitz.
When was Lollard Street built?
It was erected in 1786, on land belonging to Lambeth Manor, under the earlier name East Street.
Was Lollard Street always called that?
No. It was first known as East Street. The Rose & Crown pub's address shows the change had happened by 1895, having still been "East Street" in 1842.