434-452 Old Kent Road, Southwark

Oxford Archaeology was commissioned by RSK Environment Ltd to carry out historicbuilding recording to English Heritage level 1 - 2 on a former car dealership and garage at434-452 Old Kent Road, Southwark, London. The main focus of the recording were there mains of of an 1850s villa. The buildings consist of a car showroom and offices facing onto the Old Kent Road as wellas storage space and a large workshop behind. A separate two bay garage is also situated to the rear of the site. The buildings are in the main modern in appearance with the only external visual evidence suggesting an older date being the double pitch mansard roof forming a small second floor to the main dealership building. The remains of the 1850s villa are limited to the first and second floor of the north eastern block of this range ofbuildings. Externally this is visible in the roof line and second floor of the building facing onto Old Kent Road, internally the evidence can be seen in the timber staircase to the second floor, lath and plaster walls and ceilings and the moulded cornicing and door frames. Some opening up revealed a blocked fireplace on the first floor and storage areas and lath and plaster work on the second floor.The buildings at 434-452 Old Kent Road demonstrate the multi use and multi phase activity of this site which was for a long period residential accommodation in the form of terraced houses in the 19th century and then a car dealership/garage in the 20th and early 21st century. The later demolition and rebuilding removed almost all evidence of the former 19th century accommodation, particularly at ground and first floor level.The buildings were photographed with appropriate scale and written notes were taken providing anarchive record of the structure which is to be demolished to make way for new build housing.