The famous cricket ground was created in 1845 when local players lost the right to play on Kennington Common. Having secured the ground, the club decided to think big and reformed themselves as the Surrey County Cricket Club and soon they were thinking at international level, hosting the very first test match between England and Australia in 1880 (England won by five wickets).
The other notable landmark is St Mark's church in Kennington Road, built in 1822, which looks like an ancient Greek temple with a tower sticking up through the roof. In the 1880s the vicar was Rev Henry Montgomery, whose son Bernard was born in the vicarage in 1887. He grew up to be a rather famous field marshal.
Something For Everyone
The area is notable for a huge variety of home types from modern apartments to large family houses. Hanover Gardens is an attractive Georgian square. Fentiman Road and Richborne Terrace contain huge family homes.
Food And Drink
The Oval Lounge close to Oval station is a bar and kitchen serving homemade food at reasonable prices. Local landmark for Italophiles, De Lieto Bakery, closed for a while when the original owner retired but it has now reopened under the management of two of his sons (the other runs Italo in Bonnington Square in Vauxhall). Nearby, the Fentiman Arms is a great gastropub for lunch, especially if the weather is fine when you can dine in the lovely garden.
Schools
There are six primary schools within the Oval area: Archbishop Sumner School (Church of England); Henry Fawcett Primary School; St. Anne's Primary School (Roman Catholic); St. Mark's Primary School (Church of England); Vauxhall Primary and Walnut Tree Walk Primary School. There are two secondary schools within the Oval area: Archbishop Tenison's School (admits boys aged 11 – 19; admits girls into the Sixth Form), and Lilian Baylis Technology School (admits boys and girls aged 11 – 16)
Transport Links
The Northern Line from Oval station goes to both the West End and the City, the line dividing at Waterloo, making Oval a much-requested location for commuters. The area is crossed by many bus routes going to all parts of the capital. Cyclists are catered for by an expanding network of bike routes, and hire points for 'Boris bikes' are distributed widely. The A3 passes through the area, bringing easy access to the M25 and the national motorway network.
