Walking with Keilyn: Brixton to West Norwood... and beyond

Saturday April 4, 2026.

Cloudy with sunny spells and light winds, 13°C (55°F).

Keilyn and I decided that we needed to complete our mission to visit all of the 'Magnificent Eight' garden cemeteries, of which six were already completed. As such it was a case of visiting south London, to explore Nunhead and West Norwood cemeteries.

We were up early, dressed and boarding a train, at Watford underground station, by 08:50, heading to Finchley Road. From here we changed to a Jubilee line train to Green Park and, from there, a Victoria line train to Brixton.

My original intention had been to take a bus to Norwood, but Keilyn decided that, as it was pretty much a straight road, we should walk. So, off we set. We headed south along Effra Road and onto Tulse Hill where we decided to enter Brockwell Park, rather than follow the streets to our destination.

A series of three ponds, linked by trickling water courses, were immediately to our right, with an adventure playground to our right. Ahead of us cricket pitches, tennis courts and community greenhouses stretched out before us. Deciding to continue south we explored the ponds before we visited the Walled Garden. 

The Walled Garden was a tranquil place filled with trees, shrubs, herbs, flowers, a pond, and more. At its entrance was, quite possibly, the smallest Model Village that I have ever seen. It consists of around half-a-dozen houses, which were designed by Edgar Wilson, in 1943. The original village was a lot bigger, but the village was relocated to Vauxhall Park in the 1950s.

Continuing onward we made up to the top of the park, near Brockwell Hall, where we stopped to look north at the London skyline, some four-and-a-half miles (seven kilometres) away. We crested the hill and walked down the grass parkland towards the gate at Norwood Road. Towards the bottom of the grassland a young mother and her daughter, all of about three years old, launched a rubber band-propelled glider, that danced through the air, before getting caught in the branches of a tree. 

Model Village, Vauxhall Park

It was while on one of my many walks that I discovered Vauxhall Park and, by extension, this model village. 

There are only about six homes and three smaller buildings, but it is quite a nice thing to discover.

With the other work going on in the park I assumed that this was a new installation, as the buildings looked freshly painted and maintained. It wasn't until I did some research, for this blog post, that I discovered their remarkable history. Enjoy.

In the 1950s this model village was moved from its original home, in Brockwell Park, and placed in Vauxhall Park. The buildings are signed and dated, on the inside, by Edgar Wilson, 1943. Edgar Wilson, who lived in West Norwood, was a retired engineer who took up making model villages, among other things, in his later years. He tinted the concrete and etched the brick, timbers and roof tiles by hand and used lead for the windows and doors. Originally this village was created in the Tudor style, with white walls and black timbers. 

In 2018, the houses were given a 'Suffragette' makeover, using a purple, green and white colour scheme. These colours were chosen as the model village now resides on the Fawcett Garden, which is named for Millicent Garrett Fawcett. 

A small heart-shaped plaque states:

Friends of Vauxhall Park

These model houses were made for Vauxhall Park

In 1949 by Edgar Wilson of Norwood.

He made other sets of houses but only these

And a set in Melbourne, Australia, remain.

These houses were restored in 2001

By local resident and friend of Vauxhall Park,

Mr Nobby Clark.

They were unveiled in June 2001

By local MP for Vauxhall Ms Kate Hoey.

Edgar Wilson made three of these villages.

One village, at Finsbury Park, was vandalised and fell into disrepair, with nothing of the village remaining today.

The village at Brockwell Park decayed due to a lack of care and, but was repaired and restored. Today, it consists of about half-a-dozen houses.

Following World War II, Edgar Wilson had been so touched by food parcels, sent from Australia, that he wrote to them and asked if they would like a model Tudor village for their city. They accepted and so the third village was crated and shipped to Melbourne, Australia, where it was installed in Fitzroy Gardens. It is still there to this day.

Walking alone: Charing Cross to Vauxhall Bridge... and beyond

Thursday November 7, 2024.

After having rested my leg for a few days I was itching to get back to London. So I decided to plan a route, instead of just winging it, as usual, so that I didn't end up walking too far. It was a great idea, but I knew that it didn't stand a chance when I got to London.

My journey began much like most others: a taxi to Watford Underground station from where I caught a train to Baker Street, changed to a Bakerloo line train to Charing Cross and exited beside Trafalgar Square.

My first stop was at the statue of King Charles I, which stands on a small traffic island at the northern end of Whitehall. Before this statue was erected here the space was occupied by the original Queen Eleanor's Cross, a replica of which now stands outside Charing Cross station. It is from this statue of King Charles I that all mileages from London are measured.

From here I headed down Whitehall and onto Parliament Street, where cleaners were busy cleaning paving slabs and curbstones, while others polished the brass on the Women of World War II memorial. Police cars and vans were in abundance as various services were going on, ahead of the Remembrance Day services on Sunday.

I crossed Bridge Street and continued south along Abingdon Street and onto Millbank, before heading west along Horseferry Road. A left down Marsham Road an then right onto Page Street, followed, I spotted a cafe at the corner, but the queue was halfway down Regency Street. So, I turned south down Regency Street and then turned right onto Vincent Street, in search of a fireplace.

As I was taking a photo of said fireplace one of the residents of the private building, next door, stopped to talk to me about it. He explained that the houses along this side of the street had been heavily damaged by bombs, during World War II. The wall containing the fireplace was still sturdy and acted as a support for the nearby properties, so was left standing.He went on to explain that it wasn't the only remaining feature of the old houses and, ushering me through the security gate, proceeded to show me more of the surviving wall and its features. With plenty of photos taken I bade him farewell, thanking him for his time, and continued on my walk.

Heading south, along Vincent Square, I soon found myself on Vauxhall Bridge Road, which I followed east, still in search of a cafe.