Archbishop’s Park

Posted on June 29, 2020 by Kennington Runoff

The other day we popped over to Archbishop’s Park to see if the frightening 10 storey zip wire had made a return to our storied patch. This was borne not out of a nihilistic desire to see our fellow Kenningtonians endure a near death experience, but rather to see if The Event had closed it down…..Your neighbours will live to see another day because it hasn’t returned.

Perhaps because it isn’t on a main road Archbishop’s Park is, in our humble opinion, a bit of an unsung hero when it comes to local amenities. The park has tennis courts, five asides, cricket nets, netball, ping pong, playgrounds, public sculptures and, amazingly for London,….toilets! (but not right now). It is a delightful way to spend an afternoon working or an evening picnic. And the best part is that it is at least 50% quieter than the ‘Ed Sheeran is about to take the stage’ crowds in Kennington Park.

At the Millenium, 24 interesting plaques were placed in the pathway that winds through the middle of the park commemorating 1000 years of milestones in our area, from Hardicanute to, err.. Ken Livingstone . Did you know that Charlie Chaplin left Kennington Road School (now the Lycee) to join a clog dancing troupe? Well consider yourself enlightened!

The park is next to Lambeth Palace and well with the trek.

The Top Ten Best Lunch Spots in Kennington – no. 6 – i’klectik

Posted on September 13, 2015 by Kennington Runoff

Update: i’klectik remains open as an arts and events space with a bar serving drinks and snacks, but they no longer serve meals from the kitchen

Positives: We love visiting Old Paradise Yard – it’s so peaceful and calm, partly because it’s a little hard to find and not many people know about it yet (it’s on the North side of Archbishop’s Park, yards from St Thomas’s Hospital, at 20 Carlisle Lane). i’klectik is the heart of Old Paradise Yard, with a lovely outside seating area. It’s spacious inside and out.

This is their weekend menu typically, sometimes with two choices of quiche, and their salads are delicious with some of the food grown on site:

They have a, yes, eclectic range of events and exhibitions from hard rock record fairs to exhibitions on sexual violence to the launch party of the next Dark Mountain book, for those interested in literature about the possibly imminent breakdown of industrial civilisation. And how many London venues have not one but two pianos?

On the weekends you can visit the new Oasis urban farm, also at Old Paradise Yard, and on weekdays you can pop in to Gabriel Fine Art Gallery next door (not that we’ve ever found it open).

Negatives: Their name still makes us cringe. The menu is not extensive, and it is vegetarian which we approve of but might put some people off. If you’re not interested in sexual violence or the breakdown of industrial civilisation, well, you can always just have a slice of quiche and sit outside.

Hygiene rating: not rated yet

Address: Old Paradise Yard, 20 Carlisle Lane, London SE1 7LG

Website here but their Facebook page is more up to date

Come back next Sunday to see what’s at no. 5.

Lambeth Palace Gardens

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Kennington Runoff

We finally visited Lambeth Palace Gardens for the North Lambeth Parish Mega-Fete.

This is a garden so big (over ten acres) that you can barely see from one end to the other!

We were promised morris dancing, and we got it:

The North Lambeth Parish Fete was Kennington’s best publicised event since The Great Chartist Meeting of 1848. But if you somehow missed it then don’t despair – there’s another chance to visit the garden today, and the first Wednesday of every month – it’s the Lambeth Palace Garden Open Day from midday to 3pm. It’s £4 or free for children. The entrance is on Lambeth Palace Road. More info here.

This is the oldest continuously cultivated garden in London, having been a private garden since the 12th century. The big question is why isn’t this huge, lovely central London garden open to the public every day? Sort it out Archbishop Welby.

i’klectik Art Lab & Cafe

Posted on May 13, 2015 by Kennington Runoff

Update: i’klectik remains open as an arts and events space with a bar serving drinks and snacks, but they no longer serve meals from the kitchen

At the centre of Old Paradise Yard is i’klectik, an “art lab” and cafe that hosts everything from free jazz to life drawing to visual art shows to DJs, along with tasty vegetarian food. They have a friendly vibe, and a great building, so forgive them their cringeworthy name and get along there.

i'klectik exterior - kenningtonrunoff.com

We went along for the weekend veggie brunch, served from 11am-4pm, accompanied by a DJ playing funk classics:

The menu is short but good, and there are plenty of snacks, teas and beers to choose from, as you can see here:

This is their root veggie, millet and seeds burger with roasted sweet potatoes and coleslaw. Yes, we got overexcited again and started eating before taking the photo:

It wasn’t on the menu when we visited but this veggie rainbow tart they posted on Twitter looks amazing:

It’s a nice bright space with high ceilings, and a diverse clientele:

Some of the food is grown on site and you can taste the freshness:

They’re open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and Saturday and Sunday 10am to 6pm, unless there’s an event on, in which case they stay open until 10.30pm.

Their website is not up to date so head to their Twitter or Facebook for more info.

Old Paradise Yard is at 20 Carlisle Lane, SE1 7LG, on the north side of Archibishop’s Park, yards from St Thomas’s Hospital.

Kennington Runoff

Surreptitiously exploring Kennington, including the suburbs Vauxhall, Oval, Walworth, and Elephant, since 2012

Tag Archives: Archbishop’s Park

Archbishop’s Park

The Top Ten Best Lunch Spots in Kennington – no. 6 – i’klectik

Lambeth Palace Gardens

i’klectik Art Lab & Cafe