Balham, Wandsworth
An increasingly popular south London suburb situated between Tooting and Clapham
The ground-level interior of Balham station, reflected in a convex mirror
Baelgenham, which probably meant ‘smooth or rounded enclosure’, was established around the eighth century, when woodland still covered much of the area. It remained an insignificant hamlet until the mid-1770s, when the first large houses began to appear on Balham Hill.
Continued growth led to the establishment of shops, with more than 20 businesses operating by the 1820s. More villas followed, often with fine gardens, but these began to be overrun by suburban housebuilding following the arrival of the railway in 1856. A year earlier, Balham had become a parish in its own right, gaining independence from Streatham.
Towards the end of the 19th century the Hyde Farm and Heaver estates completed the build-up. 20th-century construction mainly replaced existing properties, in some cases with blocks of flats.
Fifty-seven per cent of 16 to 74-year-olds in Balham are qualified to degree level or higher.
Balham was famously dubbed ‘Gateway to the South’ in Peter Sellers’ rendition of a sketch by Frank Muir and Denis Norden, and “the ugliest and most abominable of London’s unpleasing suburbs,” by Swallows and Amazons author Arthur Ransome who stayed here briefly.
