Excalibur Prefab Estate Catford

English Heritage & The DCMS

16^th March 2009

Culture minister Barbara Follett,Has just listed 6 prefabs on the Excalibur Prefab Estate.

This is great news as it recognises the historic importance of all the prefabs on the Excalibur estate.

Although, we are sure that this will not be the end of the greedy grab for land by Lewisham council.

They are like a mad dog that has got its teeth stuck in to a bone and wont let go,

We can only hope that they see sense and designate the remaining part of the estate a Conservation area.

But, even that will probably be forced upon them by a massive NO vote, that is if the residents ever get to ballot.

Or more likely, an intervention by the DCMS if they continue to proceed Blindly onwards to demolish this Historic Estate.

The prefabs were expected to last ten to fifteen years but 60+ years on they are still standing. 158 prefabs are rented from Lewisham council, and 29 have been bought freehold from the authority.

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St Marks St Marks Church, The church is situated on the corner of Baudwin road & Castillon road, Catford SE6.

My name is Jim Blackender I am a tenant on the Excalibur Prefab Estate Catford SE6 1RP, a very unique Historic Estate, as tenants we are trying to highlight the difficulties we are having trying to save our Historic Estate from the Bulldozers.

For more up to date information, go to the update page

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Lord Forster

The land that the prefabs are situated on was given to the then LCC by Lord Forster (Governor General of Australia) in 1934. As part of a contract of sale on adjoining land. This section of land was put under the control of the parks department.

The 187 prefabs on the Excalibur Estate in Downham were erected in 1946-47 by German and Italian prisoners of war as an interim solution to the housing shortage after the Second World War.

All the roads on the estate were named after the Knights of the Round Table, as were many of the roads on the north Downham estate.

The Excalibur prefab estate has been featured on countless TV programs including, legacy of war, disappearing London, London tonight, and many more, over 40 articles appearing in local national and international press . All because this is a very special Historical place to live.

There are 187 prefabs on the Excalibur estate

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My Home ---------------------------------------------------------------------------The Decent Homes Standard

My wife and I have lived on the Excalibur estate for the past 17 years, we have been involved in the campaign to save this historic estate, almost since the day we moved in

There have been many attempts over the past 60 years to redevelop the site but due to the strong community all so far have failed. Then along came the decent homes standard.

The Decent Homes Standard has given councils the golden opportunity to write off vast amounts of housing stock as non decent and transfer their stocks to housing associations who build in its place high density housing estates.

Some of the prefabs are in need of repair but the vast majority are in surprisingly good condition, and on the surface would need little funds to make them fit the decent homes standards.

The Excalibur Prefab Estate Catford

Below a short film with text explaining our situation

TELL A FRIEND, SOMETHINGS ARE WORTH SAVING