History In 1863 a busy market sprung up around the newly-built Clapham Junction station. At the same time a few stalls established themselves on Northcote Road. After the market was evicted from St John's Road in 1910 they all moved their stalls to Northcote Road. The market started to decline in the late 1990s, but investment and regeneration initiatives turned the situation around and the market adapted to the changing population of the area. The thriving market now also includes craft stalls, while also doing good business in fruit and vegetables, olives and bread. Other businesses which lined the road also underwent many changes. There was a time when butchers shops dominated the road, and in the 1980s there were many estate agents who disappeared during the property crash but have now returned. Clapham Junction was once home to a great many music halls and cinemas, but as cinema-going declined they changed use and the Century Cinema on Northcote Road became a Tesco supermarket, and then Somerfield. Over the past two decades restaurants and cafes also changed character. One restaurant much frequented by the many students then living in the area is now the equally-popular Boiled Egg and Soldiers. |