Balham

Nick Cooper, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Balham is a region situated in the southern part of London, England. A large portion of the area is in the London Borough of Wandsworth, and there is a small section of the area in the adjacent London Borough of Lambeth. People have settled in the region from as early as the Saxon era, and it is called Belgeham in the Domesday Book.

History of Balham

Bal means a circular enclosure, and ham means a river, village, or homestead courtyard. People have occupied the land since the Saxon days. Geoffrey Orlateile controlled it. During Domesday, the properties in the area were eight acres of meadow and 1.5 ploughs which had a total value of 2 pounds. Balham High Road and Balham Him are located near Chichester and Roman Road Stane Streets. Chichester is currently known as A24 road.

Various maps drawn in the 17th century have documented Balham as Balham Manor, Balham Hill, or Ballam. The settlement was located inside the Streatham parish. In the 1700s, numerous country hideaways for the wealthy classes were constructed. Nevertheless, the area developed more following the launching of the Balham railway station in 1856 near Crystal Palace.

Balham is located at the centre of four south London commons, namely Tooting Bec Common on the eastern side, Wandsworth Common on the western side, Clapham Common on the northern side, and Tooting Graveney Common on the southern side. The surrounding towns are Clapham South, Tooting, Battersea, Earlsfield, Brixton, Streatham, and Clapham Park.

Property prices have shot up in Balham over the years and people often prefer to do a loft conversion to acquire more space rather than move. Read about our loft conversion service here.

The Economic Scene and Things to do in Balham

Balham town has a wide range of shops, restaurants, and bars. Even major retail chains operate in the town centre and there are service providers, including brasseries, coffee cafes, and stores. Some of the most popular spots where people go to eat, drink or shop include Lavish Habit, Camden Coffee house, Balham Bowls Club, Blackbird Bakery, Hildreth Street Market, Kerbisher & Malt, The Ginger Pig, The Wheatsheaf, Tooting Bec Lido, The Post Market and Milk. Lost & Found, and the Cyclist are also famous bars in the area. Hagen & Hyde and The Exhibit provide entertainment for the locals. Check out our list of the top Balham pubs.

They also go to Clapham Common and Wandsworth Common parks to relax, Hot Power Yoga, Free Fitness Clapham to exercise and Manifesto Pizzeria to grab a Pizza. The restaurants specialise in different cuisines to meet the needs of a diverse residents. There is Japanese cuisine in The Umi and Italian foods at Ciullosteria.

The town has two car parks. One is outside Waitrose, the second is at the back of Sainsbury’s, and it has over 150 parking spaces.

The Polish Roman Catholic Church of Christ. Photo by Roger W. Haworth, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

The people

Balham’s population is mainly middle class, consisting of professionals in different fields. The people of Polish descent started living in this area during World War II, and their numbers have grown significantly over the last 16 years. The town is one of the community’s centres in London. They have a vibrant community centre called The White Eagle Club, which attracts people from all over London on Saturdays with its traditional night dance. The Polish Roman Catholic Church of Christ is located across the street from the White Eagle. Other communities living in the town are Brazilian, Somali, Irish, Pakistani, and Portuguese.

Schools

This is a great place to live for people with families because it has amazing schools nearby and a community feel. There are several schools in Balham and the surrounding areas like Clapham and Wandsworth. Some of the best schools around are Bonneville Primary, Henry Cavendish Primary School, Emanuel Independent School and Lambeth Academy.

Other schools are Henry Cavendish, Hillbrook, Holy Ghost RC, Saint Anselm’s RC and Telferscot primary schools. The best comprehensive schools in the area include Ark Bolongbroke, Bishop Thomas Grant RC, La Retraite RC and Chestnut Grove. For higher education, there is the St Francis Xavier RC.
During summer, the residents spend a lot of time in the commons where exciting events like annual festivals, picnics and sports take place. Residents also walk their dogs or run there. They provide an open space and a piece of the countryside in each neighbourhood.

Landmarks

During the 1970s and 1980s, the Bedford Hill region in Balham was notorious for street prostitution. Towards the end of 2000, a project was planned that dealt with the issue, and the problem ended.
There is a pub called The Bedford on Bedford Hill, which offers live comedy and music. Famous musicians like Catherine Tate, Eddie Izzard, Omid Djalili, Al Murray, Harry Hill, and Stephen K Amos have performed there. The pub has bagged various accolades, such as the Evening Standard Pub of the Year in 2002 and the Publican Music Pub of the Year in 2002.
The Balham Station and Tooting Bec have been the sites where the first ever intelligent pedestrian crossings in the world have been opened on a trial basis.
There is a leisure centre and a library in Balham.
Balham is home to Oak Lodge School, a deaf children’s secondary school. Deaf students aged between 11 and 19 years old from the whole of London can study in the school.
The first diagonal pedestrian crossing in the UK was launched in Balham at the Balham High Road, Chestnut Grove, and Balham Station Road intersection. The success of the X-crossing led to the opening of the second one in the UK at Oxford Circus.
Impressions of Balham were designed and built by Julia Barton and Christine and mounted in 1991. They consist of four bronze metals erected on a tall stone wall along Balham Station road. They symbolise the local people and regular sights in the area.
Du Cane Court was the biggest block of flats constructed in Europe for businesses instead of residential accommodation in those days. It has 676 apartments which contain studios and even penthouses. Some of its most famous residents include Margaret Rutherford, the actress, and Tommy Trinder, the comedian. Some of Agatha Christie’s Poirot scenes were shot in the flats.

Transport

Presently, the bus routes that serve the town are 355, 155, N 155, 315, and 249.

The Balham Station is where trains from London Underground and National Rail services interchange. The stations link the town to the West End and the City of London.

Balham locals board the Northern line when travelling from Clapham South or Tooting Bec. Balham is in Zone 3 while Clapham South is in Zone 2 and an annual travelcard costs £1,404 and £1,648 respectively.

Balham Group

The first Trotskyist group in Britain, known as the Balham Group, was removed from Great Britain’s Communist party in 1932. It created the Communist League.

Balham, Gateway to the South

Denis Norden and Frank Muir wrote a comedy play dubbed “Balham, Gateway to the South,” which Peter Sellers narrated. The sketch was later adapted into a film in 1981. It made fun of the literature about travel of those years by emphasising the tourist attractions that were said to have existed in Britain’s Balham after the war. For decades, the residents of Balham endured teasing due to this sketch, but the mocking stopped when the property prices skyrocketed.

Famous people who were born in Balham

Several famous people were born in this town, including Alan Knight (a footballer), Percy Fender (cricket captain), Captain Sensible (musician and singer), and Eric Maxon (film actor).

Famous people who have lived, studied, resided, and worked in Balham

Some of the most remarkable people who have stayed in Balham at some point in their lives include the world-famous songwriter and singer Adele. She was a student at Chestnut Grove School, Jack Dee, a producer, actor, comedian and writer, novelist DBD Pierre, fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, comedian Arthur Smith, and singer Gracie Fields.