One The Elephant, an Overview

Situated at what is essentially the gateway to Elephant and Castle proper; One The Elephant can boast close proximity to everything that Elephant and Castle and Central London has to offer.

One the Elephant is built in two distinct parts; a modern, slender tower housing the majority of the apartments offering fantastic views of London taking in the London skyline, which includes the houses of Parliament, the London Eye and Canary Wharf. Wrapped nurturingly around the tower is a four-storey pavilion. Consisting of just 30 homes, the pavilion’s ground floor is reserved for commercial and retail premises.

Built with the everyday Londoners life in mind, One The Elephant, recognises that a local economy requires a mix of people from young professionals wanting fresh bread and good coffee, families requiring great schools and plentiful activities and elderly residents needing easily accessed local amenities. Therefore, One The Elephant very provides a variety of apartments from studios through to three bedroom residences with a range of facilities, outdoor spaces and floorplans that will appeal to a broad spectrum of property purchasers, landlords and tenants.

But as any Londoner knows, Elephant and Castle has a history that is well worth exploring and reading more about…

A History of One The Elephant

With a multi-billion pound regeneration scheme well underway, the Elephant and Castle with its distinctive emblem of an Elephant carrying a Castle on its back can trumpet a new beginning for this Central London district. However, this is not the first time Elephant and Castle has been rebuilt from the ground up.

Known in mediaeval times as Newington Butts or ‘the Butts’ the area that we now know locally as ‘the Elephant’ was once believed to be a practise area for archers, (hence ‘the Butts’), as in the middle ages it was law for every 15 -60 year old to own a bow and to practise shooting it every Sunday!

However by the mid-1700’s such land all over London had become small villages and a tavern called the Elephant and Castle soon became the point of reference for many people in the area and beyond.

The name ‘Elephant and Castle’ stuck, and is testament to the longevity of oral history, it being mentioned in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, thereby being remarkable enough to be understood by theatregoers.

By the late 1800’s the Metropolitan Tabernacle, was a famous local landmark for followers of Baptist preacher, Charles Spurgeon and boasted over 5000 members. Still today, it is a popular place of worship though only the buildings original façade survives.

The arrival of the Bakerloo train-line in 1904 saw increasing development to the area and a bustling high street; with department stores, two cinemas, a local millinery industry, tailors and more, helped the Elephant and Castle to become known as the ‘Piccadilly of South London’.

During the Second World War, the Elephant and Castle was badly bombed and so post war much of the area needed to be rebuilt. A love of brutal, modernist concrete structures in the 1950’s and 60’s saw the Elephant become a monument to local authorities lacking of understanding Corbusier’s modernist utopia. They meant well but the plans were ultimately flawed.

Thankfully now, Elephant and Castle once again promises to be a vibrant neighbourhood, with regeneration, recreation and renewal all being an integral part to its revitalisation. One The Elephant is very much a beacon of that and is sure to see this fantastically Central London hotspot become a global success story.

Living & Investing In One The Elephant

Developers Lend Lease describe One The Elephant as being designed to encourage interaction with ones neighbours and to this end One the Elephant includes a growing garden for residents to grow their own produce, a large open-plan entrance lobby with sofa’s, meeting area and library, residents gardens and young children’s play area.

Such green credentials do not mean that style and quality are compromised. Architects, Squire & Partners enlisted internationally renowned Interior design firm, Tara Bernerd & Partners to add the wow factor to One The Elephant. Tara’s previous projects include private apartments in Trump Tower International, Yachts in Monaco, and Aspinalls gentleman’s club in Mayfair. Prospective purchasers will be stunned at the level of detail and luxury in such affordable apartments.

Indeed, Elephant and Castle is possibly the only area left in zone one London to offer property available at such fantastic prices. Frankly any investor, first time buyer or wannabe landlord would be foolish to miss out on purchasing in Elephant and Castle right now!

While the One The Elephant is a large development of around 300 homes, Intimacy is not lost and privacy remains a key feature. Each apartment boasts a private terrace and every flat in the main tower faces outwards so as not to overlook ones neighbours while maximising the cityscape views and natural light.

With the Westminster, The City, Canary Wharf and Eurostar all being within a 15 minute commute One The Elephant should appeal to civil servants, financiers and an international workforce. Yet with its genuine local vibe, two universities, nearby hospitals and existing local economy, One The Elephant is not a lights out at the weekend development as it attracts a great mix of residents.

Amenities include 24hr concierge, grow gardens and function suite. A newly-built gym next door to One The Elephant boasts a 25m short course swimming pool, four sports courts and exercise studios. The development itself also provides bike space for every apartment encouraging an active lifestyle.

One The Elephant & Beyond

With an underground tube station, over-ground train station and a number of bus routes, One the Elephant’s key boast is connectivity. Yet while one may commute for work purposes, the Elephant and Castle also has a lot to offer locally with many parks, green spaces, cultural venues and city ‘gems’.

Dragon Castle, the well-established Cantonese restaurant must be one of those gems. It fast became a destination restaurant when Fay Maschler declared it one of her favourite restaurants of 2006 and is as popular as ever today.

More prosaically, local boozer, the Prince of Wales on St George’s Road is a wonderful mix of ‘sarf London geezers’ and wealthy foreign students enjoying a pint of lager or real ale in its hidden garden.

Round the corner from the pub is the beautiful, Georgian period, West Square. Waterloo is also close by which is home to the impressive Imperial War Museum.

Culturally, Southwark as a borough has so much to offer, and from One The Elephant much of it is within walking distance. The dance studios of world famous choreographer, Siobhan Davies, are located just a few minutes’ walk away and offer classes and exhibitions. The renowned Southbank; home to the Royal Festival Hall, National Film theatre and Tate Morden is also close enough for a Sunday afternoon stroll.

For those seeking a taste of South London’s past, the Cuming Museum on the Walworth Road holds a quirky collection of exhibits. Further down the road, on the East Street Market, the distinctive South London accent can be heard as traders sell fresh fish, meat, haberdashery and ‘cheap as chips’ electrical goods.

In short, One The Elephant has got a lot to offer, Now it is up to you to take advantage of it.