Clapham

Clapham is thought to derive from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘Clappa’s farm’, and began to be developed in the late 1600s. The wealthier merchant classes of London built there, and many expensive homes sprang up around the Clapham Common. By the 1900s, though, the rail line connecting Clapham to London meant Clapham became more working class and the upper classes began to desert it.

Lately, however, property prices have risen and the area is yet again becoming popular with affluent white collar workers. As such, many of the pubs have gotten quite costly (and competitive, meaning great live acts and pricey beer), and the prep schools are now feeders for Eton and Harrow.

The Clapham Sect was a group of Anglicans, active from 1790 to 1830, who gathered for social reform – the liberation of slaves, prison reform and other burning issues. They were rewarded in 1833 with the Slavery Abolition Act. The members included colonial governors, clergy, chairman of directors, mathematicians, bankers and parliamentarians.