Spike History and Pictures
The first known occupiers of the land where The Spike stands were the Sisters of the Christian Retreat. In 1848 a group of seven Sisters were to leave Les Fontenelles for London. As they left they were told by Fr Jerome Magnam: "leave dear Sisters for the land once known as the island of saints and scholars, carry with you the zeal for your rule, plant the Retreat in that house in London. Form the people that God will send you in the spirit of your vocation".
On 16th December 1848 they arrived at their new home, which they called Nazareth House, the base from which they were to help the poor people of Peckham. However, they were not there long, driven out by the noise and grime of the new Chatham and Dover railway, but it seems they carried out their instruction.
In 1850 they left and on the site of their convent up sprang "perhaps Britain's greatest single landmark of Christian charity" (Brian Deer, The Sunday Times, 1985). The Camberwell Resettlement Unit (or "Spike") put a roof over more than a million homeless men during its 100 year history. In return for chores, the homeless would get a wash, some food, assistance with finding work as well as a bed for the night in one of the eight vast, dirty and often dangerous dormitories. It closed in 1985 as part of a national plan to hand over their functions to local government and charities. Deer notes that "the paradox of the Spike is that, for all its poor conditions" some people "much prefer life in a big institution"… "pools of urine in the dormitories are of less importance than the right to be left alone". Indeed, there are many very fond testimonies from people who knew Spike at this time.
1985 saw the first Save the Spike campaign when the Council was considering bulldozing the lot. The local people tried to persuade the Council to turn it into a mixture of flats, studios, workshops, community gardens and a theatre in the Chapel. They desperately tried to raise funds but the Council sold off the majority of the site in 1990 to a housing association. The campaign did manage to save a portion though and the Children's Scrap Scheme moved into the former administrative buildings of the Resettlement Unit. It was forced to close in the late 1990s when the Scheme lost its funding.
Then the Council abandoned the site allowing it to get illegally fly-tipped, dilapidated and vandalised. A group of local people worked hard to repair it and open up the site to those in need in the community. After 10 years the Council decided to sell off the land and on 16th December 2008 they won a possession order forcing the grassroots community centre, known as Spike Surplus Scheme, to close. However, it will continue its good work in the hearts and minds of all those fortunate enough to find it.
| The Spike as a poor house |
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| The Spike abandoned, as it was found |
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| The Spike Surplus Scheme today |
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