Archives on Show: London County Council Housing

Our Archives on Show events are a chance for us to show you the sheer range of material we hold at The London Archives. In these sessions we will present a display of material for you to browse at your own pace, where staff will be on hand to answer questions. Whether you are new to archives and curious to see what we hold or you are an experienced researcher that wants to learn more, these relaxed events offer a chance for you to explore our collections by theme and format.

2025 marks the 60th anniversary of the end of the London County Council. The council, which existed between 1889 and 1965, is remembered for many achievements, but one of its greatest was the provision of hundreds of thousands of homes for Londoners.

From their first development, the famous Boundary Street estate in Bethnal Green, to the world’s largest council housing development at Becontree in Essex, the Council pioneered mass housing and responded to the needs of the time – particularly in the period after the Second World War. In this session we will show you architectural plans, ephemera, photographs and other records that can be used to explore this history.

You can book for a drop-in session at 13:00 or 14:00.