Culture and Identity
The name derives from the place where cattle crossed the River Ravensbourne in Saxon times.
Catford's most prominent landmark is the Catford Cat, a giant fibreglass sculpture of a black cat above the entrance to the Catford Centre. This is a small shopping centre, housing Tesco and Iceland supermarkets as well as some independent shops in the punningly-named Catford Mews. There is a street market on Catford Broadway. Catford has several pubs and a variety of non-chain restaurants and cafes. Catford's oldest pub is the Black Horse and Harrow (now called the Goose on the Green) and Karl Marx is reputed to have been an occasional patron. The pub has existed since at least 1700 though the present building dates from 1897. Between 1932 and 2003, Catford Stadium was a successful greyhound racing track, but was demolished a few years ago to make way for a new housing development. As of April 2009, the site of Catford Greyhound Stadium remains vacant and overgrown.
Catford was historically part of Kent until 1889, when it was absorbed into the new London County Council, along with the majority of the present day London Borough of Lewisham. Catford covers most of SE6 postcode district. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.
Other than the shows at the Broadway Theatre the main cultural events are Lewisham Peoples day held in Mountsfield Park. The yearly beer festival organised by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), was held at the theatre until 2008. The Catford Beer Festival was one of the largest in southern England.
In recent years Catford has been satirised in The Chap magazine series called 'A year in Catford' after Peter Mayle's bestseller A Year in Provence. The magazine poked fun at Catford's mundanity.
Catford had one of the first British curry houses, which opened in 1824.
The Catford Mews which was open for many years has now shut down to make way for a poundland.
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