Cecil Rhodes House was officially renamed Park View House on Monday 13 September 2021.
The renaming marks a new chapter in our local history, and we would like to thank our residents and everyone involved in making this change happen.
There is no place for racism or discrimination in Camden, and we strive collectively for a more just and equal borough.
Our Tenant Participation team is here to help residents. Please email [email protected] or call 020 7974 5986 if you need support.
You can also come along to our drop-in support sessions on Tuesday 14 September and Saturday 18 September, from 10am to 12pm at Doreen Bazell Hall.
If you are charged for updating your address, we will reimburse you. You must keep all receipts as evidence of your payment to claim – email [email protected] or call 020 7974 5986 for support.
The new Park View House signs will be installed on Monday 13 September.
No, we have updated Royal Mail. As your postcode will stay the same, changing the name of the building should not affect any letters or parcels sent through Royal Mail. Other delivery services such as DHL, Parcelforce etc. also use the Royal Mail address list.
Yes. Any post addressed to Cecil Rhodes House will still be delivered even after the building has been renamed because your postcode and the street name will stay the same.
Yes, we have informed all emergency services. The building’s new name will be updated on their systems on Monday 13 September.
No, your tenancy with the Council will remain the same.
If you have previously applied or are in the process of applying for a UK visa, you may need to update your address as part of your application. This can be done online and there is no cost. If you need any support, please let us know.
No, your address will be automatically updated at midnight on Sunday 12 September. Any letters you receive from the Council after this date will be addressed to Park View House.
No, we will update your electoral registration. However, if you are not yet registered and register to vote after Monday 13 September, please make sure you use Park View House as your address.
We will notify all schools and nurseries in Camden about the name change. If your child attends a school outside of Camden, you will need to notify them about the change before the building is renamed.
We will also contact all early years providers in Camden, but we strongly recommend that you also contact your provider to make sure they have your up-to-date information on their database.
We are updating all our internal databases. We use these databases across all departments, from Council Tax to Parking. There are some databases that are managed on behalf of the council by external organisations and we have notified them about the change.
Yes, you will need to contact your mortgage provider to let them know your address has changed.
We are writing to all estate agents currently advertising properties in the block to let them know about the name change. If you are selling your flat in August or September, please let us know and we will contact the estate agent you have chosen to advertise with.
We have written to all residents living at Park View House including private tenants and homeowners who do not live in the building. However, if you are a landlord, please write to your tenants to sure they are aware of the building’s name change.
Cecil Rhodes (1853-1902) was a central figure in the growth of the British Empire. He was prime minister of the Cape Colony, which is now South Africa.
He created a political system of racism, discrimination and segregation which led to apartheid in South Africa that didn’t end until 1991. The effects of apartheid can still be felt today.
In 2020, Camden Council launched a review into individuals memorialised across the borough. The Council and the local community felt Cecil Rhodes should not be commemorated.
We held a webinar on Monday 14 September 2020 for residents to learn more about Cecil Rhodes and the reasons for renaming the building.
The block was named in 1957 by St Pancras Borough Council, which was the local authority at the time. There was a Rhodes family connection to Somers Town as the family owned a farm in the area, but Cecil Rhodes never lived in Somers Town.
All Cecil Rhodes House residents were invited to take part in a resident ballot in February 2021 - this included council tenants, leaseholders, private tenants and non-resident leaseholders.
Residents could vote from four shortlisted names, two named after individuals and two neutral names. The names were:
In celebration of Noor Inayat Khan, 1914 – 1944
Courageous and trailblazing, Noor Inayat Khan was the first woman spy to be dropped behind enemy lines in France during the Second World War.
Born to an Indian Muslim father and American mother, Noor and her family were living in Bloomsbury when she joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and trained as a radio operator at the start of the Second World War.
In 1942, the Special Operations Executive recruited her as a radio operator and spy. That June, she became the first woman to be dropped behind enemy lines in occupied France.
Although Noor escaped capture and continued to send secret messages back to London for months under the code name Madeleine, she was eventually arrested by German forces and after 10 months in prison, was sent to Dachau concentration camp and executed in September 1944, aged just 30.
After her death, she was awarded both the Croix de Guerre by France and the George Cross by Great Britain – the highest civilian honour for heroism and bravery.
In celebration of Bill Richmond, 1763 – 1829
Famous bare-knuckle prizefighter Bill Richmond was the ‘world’s first Black sports superstar’.
Born into slavery in 1763, Bill was spotted fighting soldiers as a teenager in New York and brought to the UK by Earl Percy, a general fighting with British forces in the American War of Independence. Once in the UK, Bill trained as a carpenter and met his wife Mary in Yorkshire before moving to London in 1795.
He became a boxer aged 41 and was one of London’s best known sportsmen – winning 17 out of his 19 fights and eventually running a boxing academy where he trained other boxers including poet Lord Byron. He was also one of 18 bare knuckle boxers who were ushers at the coronation of King George IV in 1821.
Bill is buried in St James’ burial ground (near Euston station).
The River Fleet is the largest of London’s underground rivers. Starting its journey from Hampstead Ponds, the river runs through Kentish Town, Camden Town and past St Pancras Old Church before flowing down to the River Thames.
From the time of the Romans, the River Fleet was used to transport goods. But as the city’s population increased, local residents and businesses used the river to dump waste and so it was used less and less as a transport route.
Eventually the Fleet was covered in the 17th century and in the 1850s, the well-known engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette incorporated it into the underground sewer system that runs below London today.
Thanks to Bazalgette, the Fleet now plays a vital role moving sewage away from the local area, protecting you and other Londoners from diseases.
Home to a medieval history and famous landmarks, St Pancras Gardens is the park view opposite Goldington Estate.
In the 17th century, the churchyard of St Pancras Old Church and the land surrounding it were used as burial grounds. In 1863, new railway lines were laid on the land which sparked controversy as graves were dug up to make space.
Once the railway station on Euston Road had been built, the gardens were opened to the public in 1877 and were later restored in 2000 by Camden Council, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The gardens are home to famous landmarks including the Hardy Tree and the mausoleum - the mausoleum (pictured above) influenced the design of the iconic red telephone box.
77% of eligible households took part in the ballot to choose a new name for their building.
Park View House won, with nearly two thirds of the votes.
It was important to Camden Council that residents living in the building and the local community had a say in the renaming project. It is only with their help that this change has been made possible – thank you to everyone involved.
Below is a timeline of activities that led to the renaming.
