A series of free events including guided history walks are being held in Dulwich to celebrate the centenary of “homes for heroes”, writes Kit Heren…
The UK faced a major housing shortage after the First World War. Then-Prime Minister David Lloyd George said that the government would build “habitations fit for the heroes who have won the war”. The phrase that eventually stuck was “homes for heroes”.
The 1919 Housing Act gave local authorities government subsidies to build hundreds of thousands of new houses over three years. Camberwell was among the councils to take advantage, building the Casino and Sunray cottage estates in Herne Hill and Dulwich.
An exhibition celebrating Southwark’s social housing will be on display in Dulwich’s Bell House throughout selected dates in March, and the Dulwich Society is hosting free guided walks on Sunday, March 22, at 2pm and 3.30pm. A talk on the history of the two estates will be held on Sunday, March 29, at 2.30pm.
For more information and to register your place, visit www.bellhouse.co.uk