Unusual history behind the fences on South London estates dating back to the war – My London

You can find aspects of Londons rich history dotted around the city in even the most simple and seemingly unremarkable of places.

Many walk past one particular piece of hidden history everyday, unaware that the simple objects that line some London streets have an incredible link to the past.

The black steel and mesh railings, mostly found in the estates of South London, are actually made out of old World War 2 stretchers.

These interesting fences can be found in Peckham, Brixton, Deptford, Oval and in parts of East London too.

The curved metal on the corners of the panels of the railings is not simply a design choice, but instead a reminder of their first life and initial purpose.

As London faced a barrage of bombings from German forces in WW2, hundreds of thousands of stretchers were produced to carry the wounded.

The emergency stretchers were used by Air Raid Protection officers who would bravely carry those injured during the Blitz to safety.

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When the war ended there was no longer such a demand for these items.

However, there was a need to replace metal fencing which had been lost during the war and manufactured into weaponry.

With a large amount of stretchers suddenly free, the London City Council decided to have the stretchers welded vertically together, fixed onto poles, and used to replace this missing fencing.

Now The Stretcher Railing Society works for the promotion, protection and preservation of London's stretcher railings.

Have you ever spotted the interesting railings around London? Let us know in the comment section here.

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Unusual history behind the fences on South London estates dating back to the war - My London