Place Name
The site of the former Camberwell New Road Station, one of the first stations to be opened by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway Company as part of the company’s ambitious plans to run services between Kent and London. Their line from Herne Hill to Elephant and Castle opened in 1862 and in 1864, was extended to run from Blackfriars through West Dulwich to Sydenham. As with many other London stations during World War I, wartime restraints forced it to close to passenger traffic in 1916. It takes its name from the area of Camberwell, first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Cambrewelle. Later versions include Cambyrwell in 1154, Camerewelle in 1199, and Camberwelle in 1241. Its meaning is obscure. The second part refers to a stream or spring, the area around Denmark Hill being famous for its medicinal waters since early times, however there is much speculation as to the first part of the name. It has been suggested that it comes from the Latin word camera and refers to an early building overlooking the spring; alternatively, it is an Old English word for wildfowl, or a personal name, literally Cantbeohrt’s spring. Others say it is the old word Cumber which was used to refer to Welsh people, perhaps in reference to the area being populated by Celts during Anglo-Saxon times. On John Rocque’s 1741 map of Camberwell the land on which the street was laid out was the site of gravel quarry pits. The area remained largely undeveloped up until the late 18thCentury.
