Camberwell was included in the Domesday Book and was the birthplace of the poet Robert Browning, and the politician Joseph Chamberlain. It was also home to authors John Ruskin and Muriel Spark. Mendolssohn was inspired to write his Spring Song, originally entitled Camberwell Green, while staying at Denmark Hill where Ruskin Park is today. The Camberwell Beauty butterfly was first recorded in England in 1748 near rural Camberwell. Windmills and the Grand Surrey Canal no longer exist but photographs in this well illustrated book show many changes that have happened since the nineteenth century. Camberwell is an important part of the London Borough of Southwark, London's most historic borough. This vibrant part of South London is full of fascinating history.
