London Photo Gallery - Elephant & Castle

South of the Thames at the border between zones 1 and 2, Elephant & Castle's history goes back to Roman times when roads passsed through here on the way to Londinium. In 1765, an inn called Elephant and Castle was established to cater for coach passengers passing through, although it was possible there was an earlier tavern here. It was home to 2 villages, Walworth and Newington. The boom started in the late 19th century when various entertainment options opened in the area with theatres and department stores. The railways arrived in the 1860s while the Northern Line opened in 1890. Extensively damaged during World War II, the area was redeveloped into a high-density residential district. In 2002, the London Plan noted this area to be a key growth zone, with the masterplan resulting in more redevelopments around the town centre. Elephant Park will have about 3000 new homes with a new central park. The Walworth Town Hall was built in 1865 and is in the final stages of restoration following a fire in 2013 caused by minor repair works but had spread and damaged the entire building. The town centre is also being redeveloped with about 1000 new homes for rent. Demolition started in October 2020 and a new town centre shopping mall is expected to open by 2026. Alongside the regeneration theme, Mercato Metropolitano opened their first food hall here in 2016 by repurposing an abandoned pper factory site. Besides the many food options, there is even a micro-brewery on the site.