Mural depicting the History of Old Kent Road

A large ceramic mural consisting of three panels depicting the history of the Old Kent Road, created in 1965 by Adam Kossowski.

The mural is made from textured and moulded ceramic tiles in a variety of colours with selective glazes. It presents a chronological narrative of the road from the Roman period to the 1960s.

The first panel, approximately 5 metres wide and 3 metres tall, is attached to the north end of the east elevation of an adjacent building, positioned beneath the shallow projection of its first storey. It illustrates the Roman period with images of classical buildings featuring terracotta tile roofs and proportioned designs. Military iconography appears through legionary standards, including one topped with the letters 'SPQR'. Citizens and soldiers are depicted gathered within the buildings, seemingly discussing the conquest of Britain. The panel also conveys Rome's civilising influence, showing a horseman bidding farewell to his family before travelling along a newly-paved road. At the corner where this panel meets the next stand ten moulded butterflies representing the Camberwell Beauty, a rare species first spotted in this area in 1798 but not native to Britain.

The second panel, of similar dimensions, stands on the principal north elevation of the building towards the east end, beneath a deep overhang. It displays scenes from the Canterbury Tales, incorporating a lengthy quotation from Chaucer's text about the pilgrims' journey to St Thomas's Watering-Place. The centre features a large cathedral with its entrance door guarded by a ghostly white knight, possibly alluding to the murder of Thomas Becket at Canterbury in 1170. A subsequent section depicts Henry V and his army, commemorating their regular passage en route to battles in France during the Hundred Years War. The final section displays the Camberwell coat of arms with the text 'ALLS WELL', a pun on the two water well symbols that compose the Camberwell insignia.

The third panel, approximately 10 metres wide, also stands on the north elevation to the west end. The imagery opens with a diorama of the Jack Cade rebellion of 1450, which arose from grievances concerning corruption in Henry VI's regime and debts accumulated through prolonged warfare against France. Jack Cade and his Kent-based followers marched on London demanding reform. The conflict escalated into looting and rioting once in London, culminating in a bloody battle on London Bridge. Cade fled but was later killed in a skirmish. This was the largest popular uprising in England during the 15th century. The next section represents Charles II's triumphant return to England in 1660 following nine years of exile, with contemporary reports indicating that his entourage took seven days to pass by. The final section depicts the 20th-century East End of London, featuring a policeman, factories, transport, and high-rise buildings. At the centre, a family dressed in traditional Pearly King and Queen costume (a tradition made popular by Henry Croft, a late-19th-century orphan street sweeper) uses a road crossing. The artist's signature and the date 1965 appear in the top right-hand corner.