Our guide to Deptford: from art galleries to jazz nights, food markets to riverside walks
Five centuries ago, the modest fishing village known as Deptford gave way to Henry VIII’s royal dockyard for the building and repairing of his ships. While signs and signals of its history remain, such as the landmark anchor, Deptford has since said goodbye to both of its former pastimes. Instead, this culturally diverse area of south-east London has become a creative scene for emerging artists and musicians. Lined with independent galleries and studios, and with a day to itself in the London Gallery Weekend programme, Deptford has well and truly been put on the cultural map.
Although it’s a greenhouse for the contemporary, tradition still remains here. Deptford’s weekly flea market is thought to be one of the oldest in London and its close proximity to the water gives the area some brilliant Thameside views. Of course, there are ample old-school boozers along the way too, not to mention the only Sam Smith pub for miles. Our guide to the area includes a round-up of the best eateries, an award-winning dance centre and local evenings for a spot of jazz.
This natural narrow waterway, one of the UK’s last natural creeks, flows into the Thames and is a haven for myriad fresh and saltwater plants and animals. Such a scene makes for an abundance of inspiration and thankfully, there are plenty of artists nearby to make the most of it. In fact, the next three creative projects in this section, situated on Creekside, back on to this very stretch of streaming water.
Cockpit is a site for extraordinary craft and design. The renowned studio collective houses artists and artisans – from fine jewellers and shoemakers to weavers, potters and musical-instrument makers – working with both contemporary and traditional techniques. With a twin site in Holborn, Cockpit offers bespoke studios and craft-specific machinery, along with a business-support programme to get up-and-coming creatives off the ground. Two of its alumni, for instance, are finalists in the prestigious Loewe Craft Prize 2022. Cockpit’s biannual open studios are fantastic events for seeing and sourcing beautiful objects and meeting some of the faces who work here.
Walk a little further along Creekside and you’ll come across the Laban Conservatoire. Serving as Trinity College’s faculty of dance, the iridescent RIBA Award-winning building was designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron (better known for their redevelopment of Tate Modern) in collaboration with visual artist Michael Craig Martin. Used for training, rehearsals and performances, the centre has an open-air auditorium for summer shows and an eco-roof that serves as a nesting site for rare birds, including black redstarts. Come evening time, the pastel-coloured building glows beautifully like a lantern.
APT (Art in Perpetuity Trust) is an artist-led, community-focused charity providing studio and exhibition space to its members. It was founded in 1995 by a collective of artists in the same old textile warehouse thst it sits in today. The gallery space creates opportunities for young curators and artists and includes 42 secure studios and an outside sculpture yard for bigger projects. It also hosts open-studio events that allow visits to tour the creative hub.
The recently opened Goldsmiths CCA (Centre for Contemporary Arts) is a public art gallery housed within a Grade II-listed former Victorian bathhouse, with iron-lined water tanks and all. The brains behind the design? None other than the Turner Prize-winning collective Assemble, who have created its seven new gallery spaces, a café, curators’ studio and event space. The institution is located on the Goldsmiths University campus but it’s open to all, with the ambition of developing a programme of contemporary exhibitions, projects, screenings and talks, catering to emergent and established artists, international and local.
Marcella is a simple, easy-going Italian from the same team behind Peckham trattoria Artusi. While its menu of homemade fresh pasta and delicious small plates is created using the best British produce, it’s inspired by classic Italian recipes and accompanied by a strictly Italian wine list. Highlights include poached quince and pheasant tagliatelle, and beetroot and chicory pesto casarecce. Book yourself a table to avoid disappointment as it’s a busy local favourite. For an unconventional Sunday lunch idea, try Marcella’s three-course set menu, served between 12 and 4pm.
The newly regenerated Deptford Market Yard, which comprises 14 arches filled with independent businesses, seven shops, two restaurants and a market, has all the hustle and energy of a thriving town square. And, when it comes to food, there’s something for everyone. Go to Dirty Apron for a cheese toastie (particularly good on a lazy Saturday morning), Lomond for a coffee and a St. John’s donut, and Taproom SE8 for a local bev and a sourdough pizza. Given its convenient location at the bottom of Deptford station, it’s a great meeting point for an afternoon aperetivo or an early-evening drink if you’re waiting for a nearby dinner table.
It might be tucked away at the far end of Deptford High Street, but you won’t miss The Watergate with its pretty dusty-coral exterior. It’s a brilliant spot for a glass of natural wine and a cocktail or two, with a polished yet laid-back atmosphere. It has an unfussy brunch menu, featuring deliciously simple dishes such as poached egg and avocado on toast, and for dinner it serves small plates, including monkfish alongside clams, lobster croquettes and slow-cooked pork belly with kimchi.
Stockton is The Watergate’s older sibling, a fact made visually obvious by their matching bespoke terrazzo countertops. Similarly, the café/late-night bar offers classic cocktails with the occasional twist (try The Bee’s Knees, a dry gin-based drink with honey, lemon and orange blossom), alongside a refined but rotating sharing menu. Thursdays, however, are not to be missed: come for the £5 plates and cocktails served until 11pm; stay for the live music, part of their new DJ series, Stockton Sounds.
Nothing beats an old-school pie-and-mash shop – and Manze’s is as proper as they come. While the culinary tradition dates back to the hungry folk of the post-Victorian East End, this particular eatery has been in the same family for over more than years. Back when it opened, eel was the filling of choice, an ingredient that could be fished straight from the Thames or picked up easily and cheaply from Billingsgate. While jellied eel is still around, a meat filling is arguably today’s favourite – pair that Manze’s famously fluffy mashed potato and parsley and liquor, and you can’t go wrong. Pies are baked fresh every day and are, as the Manzes put it, ‘a meal in a moment’.
If you’re up for a proper car boot-style rummage, get yourself down to Deptford Market. To score the best finds arrive early on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings from 9am, as many traders pack up just after lunch. Expect the unexpected: it’s a jumble brocante, so come without a list and see what delights take your fancy. That might include a pair of vintage shoes, a kitchen table, trinkets by the dozen or a mishmash box of records and CDs.
Part of Deptford Market Yard, iyouall is a creative showroom and concept store from the design studio iya. A well-curated edit of contemporary furniture and interior objects is on display, featuring ceramics from local artists and candles from nearby studios, Japanese stationery and soft furnishings from the likes of Hay and Ferm Living. To tour the space and say hello, book an appointment via its website.
The River Thames lies on Deptford’s doorstep. What better way to spend a Sunday than a waterside stroll? Depending on which way you turn, the Thames trail connects some fantastic London landmarks and sites, whether you head towards London Bridge and Borough Market through Rotherhithe and Bermondsey, or towards Greenwich past the wonderful Cutty Sark and Royal Naval College. There are plenty of pubs along the way too, which could well come in handy: The Angel, The Royal George, The Dog & Bell and The Mayflower, to name a few.
There’s something of a British jazz renaissance happening and Deptford is at its heart, thanks in part to Trinity College, whose alumni include Ezra Collective and Nubia Garcia. Deptford has a number of brilliant spots for weekly jams full of rhythm. Steam Down is a south London-based collective that connects composers and musicians, that has turned into a weekly event on Wednesday evenings at Matchstick. Elsewhere, The Royal Albert hosts a jazz evening every Sunday from 8pm, booking London’s top names from the scene.
The Albany Theatre is a community-focussed space for poets, performers and musicians based in the heart of Deptford. It has ample resources for locals to express and nurture creativity in many forms, including rehearsal rooms, engaging youth programmes and even a gardening club. Meanwhile, performances include live music shows, theatre productions and spoken-word nights.
