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The Secret History of Our Streets

Documentaries

Factual: History

Series exploring the history of archetypal streets in Britain.

Series exploring the history of archetypal streets in Britain, which reveal the story of a nation.

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Until 03/01/2009 BBC Two Wales (analogue) was known simply as BBC Two Wales. BBC Two Wales (digital) was BBC 2W. From 03/01/2009 BBC Two Wales schedules on both analogue and digital became identical

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The Secret History of Our Streets: Series 1

Steven Mackintosh

Mary Cranitch

Katie Bailiff

The Secret History of Our Streets: Series 1: Episode 2: Camberwell Grove

Camberwell Grove

Episode 2

Episode 2: Camberwell Grove

Series 1

BBC Two - The Secret History of Our Streets, Series 1, Camberwell Grove

Looking at Camberwell Grove, an elegant oddity now set amid the seething inner city.

Series on how London has changed since Charles Booth's social conditions survey in 1886. Camberwell Grove has come full circle to middle-class affluence again.

In 1886 Charles Booth embarked on an ambitious plan to visit every one of London's streets to record the social conditions of residents. His project took him 17 years.  

Once he had finished he had constructed a groundbreaking series of maps which recorded the social class and standing of inhabitants. These maps transformed the way Victorians felt about their capital city. 

This series takes six archetypal London streets as they are now, discovering how they have fared since Booth's day.

Booth colour-coded each street, from yellow for the 'servant keeping classes', down to black for the 'vicious and semi-criminal'. With the aid of maps the series explores why certain streets have been transformed from desperate slums to become some of the most desirable and valuable property in the UK, whilst others have barely changed. 

This landmark series features residents past and present, exploring how what happened on the street in the last 125 years continues to shape the lives of those who live there now.

Today, Camberwell Grove is an elegant oddity - a broad, leafy street of fine Georgian houses set in the seething inner city. 

The street has come full circle, from middle-class prosperity to tight-knit working-class community and back to middle-class affluence again. Through the lively, often passionate accounts of residents past and present the film tells the story of the changing faces of this remarkable street and the people who have lived in and loved its beautiful houses. These stories also reveal how the fate of the Grove was intimately bound up with the monstrous growth of the Victorian city of London and the birth of the modern conservation movement.

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Series looking at how London has changed since Charles Booth's survey in 1886.

Series looking at how London has changed since Charles Booth's survey recording social conditions in 1886, returning to six archetypal London streets.

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The Secret History of Our Streets

Series 1

Episode 2: Camberwell Grove

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