Editing Kennington (section)

==Landmarks==

===Kennington Park===
{{Main|Kennington Park}}
[[File:Kennington Park - geograph.org.uk - 1009312.jpg|thumb|Kennington Park]]

[[Kennington Park]], laid out by Victorian architect [[James Pennethorne]], and St Mark's Churchyard now cover the site of Kennington Common. The Park was originally designated one of the [[Royal Parks of London]] (today, management of the Park is undertaken by Lambeth Council).

The Park, historically, was a place for executions, a Speakers' Corner for public gatherings for political and religious purposes, and a place for entertainment and sporting events.

In the 1730s, [[Methodists]] [[John Wesley]] and [[George Whitefield]] preached to thousands on Kennington Common.  In 1746 the Surrey County Gallows at the southern end of the Common was used for the execution of nine leaders of the [[Jacobite rebellion of 1745]].  The Common was also where the [[Chartism|Chartists]] gathered for their biggest demonstration in 1848.  "[[The Gymnastic Society]]" met regularly at Kennington Common during the second half of the eighteenth century to play football.<ref>Harvey, Adrian (2005) ''Football, the First Hundred Years: the untold story'' Routledge; p. 54</ref> The Society&nbsp;– sometimes claimed to be the world's first football club&nbsp;– consisted of London-based natives of [[Cumberland]] and [[Westmorland]].

[[File:Gathering for a rally in Kennington Park - geograph.org.uk - 1039082.jpg|thumb|left|People gather for a rally in Kennington Park]]

The tradition of political gathering at Kennington Park in advance of marches upon [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]] returned in the 1970s. In 1986, the Park was the location for the [[Gay Pride]] march of that year, and for several years thereafter. On 31 March 1990, some 200,000 people amassed at Kennington Park to march upon [[Trafalgar Square]], in protest against the [[Poll tax (Great Britain)|Community Charge]]. This, during the course of the day, escalated into mass disturbances: the [[Poll Tax Riots]]. In April 1997, a march organised by [[Reclaim the Streets]] set off from the Park for central London; and in May 2004, the Park was the starting point for a march to the Cannabis Festival at [[Brockwell Park]]. In March 2007, the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] preached at Kennington Park to mark the passing of the [[Slave Trade Act 1807]]. The Park had been a significant location for important anti-slave trade rallies. In March 2011, the Park was the South London starting point for a feeder march to the [[2011 anti-cuts protest in London]]. In November 2012, the Park was the location of the "Demo 2012" student rally against higher tuition fees.

===Kennington Oval (The Oval)===
{{Main|The Oval}}

[[File:The Oval Pavilion.jpg|thumb|Play at the Oval]]

The Oval, officially currently rebranded as "The Kia Oval", is the home ground for [[Surrey County Cricket Club]] and hosts the final [[Test cricket|Test match]] of the English summer season. The Oval was the first ground in the United Kingdom to host Test cricket, was the location for the [[England v Scotland representative matches (1870–1872)|England v Scotland representative matches]], the first ever international football match, the first [[FA Cup]] final in 1872, and held the second ever [[rugby union]] international match between England and Scotland in 1872. England's unfortunate performance against Australia here in 1882 gave rise to [[The Ashes]]. The Oval has been labelled with the sobriquet "the Grand Old Lady" in recognition of the significant role the ground has played in the development of modern sport.

The presence of the Oval as a large green space available for cricket is down to an unrealised street plan. For many years prior to its use as a cricket ground, this area was used as a cabbage garden.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=45285 |title=Stockwell and Kennington &#124; Old and New London: Volume 6 (pp. 327–341) |publisher=British-history.ac.uk |date=22 June 2003 |access-date=15 August 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917093245/http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=45285 |archive-date=17 September 2013  }}</ref>

===Stane Street===
Kennington Park Road, which continues beyond Kennington as  Clapham Road, is a long and straight stretch of road because it follows the old Roman [[Stane Street (Chichester)|Stane Street]]. This ran down from the Roman [[London Bridge]] to Chichester via the gap in the [[North Downs]] at [[Box Hill, Surrey|Box Hill]] near [[Dorking]]. Another Roman road branched off opposite Kennington Road and went through what is now Kennington Park and down the Brixton Road. It carried on through the North Downs near Caterham to Hassocks, just north of the [[South Downs]].