The south-east London district of Peckham owes its name to the Saxon meaning of the village of the River Peck, which was a small stream that ran until 1823 until it was enclosed. The area is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Pecheham, and was an affluent residential area by the sixteenth century.
Peckham Rye railway station opened in 1865, and became accessible to those working in the city and the docks, while Rye Lane became a major shopping street. The area is now one of the most ethnically diverse areas of the UK, and is well known as the setting of the hit TV series Only Fools and Horses during the 1980s and 90s citing the escapades of two market trader brothers.
More recently, the area has developed its role as a provider of fresh, seasonal food with Peckham Farmers’ Market, a covered market which opens every Sunday in Peckham Square and brings together fruit, veg, meat, herbs, wet and shell fish, cheese, jams, and artisan bread and cakes.
Peckham also has a thriving café and restaurant scene including Peckham Refreshment Rooms, a small restaurant and bar in an old Art Deco building, Peckham Bazaar, a Greek restaurant, and traditional pub The Old Nun’s Head.
