Southbank House

What remains of grandeur? That’s a question you might ask yourself as you stand before Southbank House on Black Prince Road. Today, it stands as a lone sentinel, a testament to a time when this area pulsed with the energy of industrial London. This striking five-storey structure, built in 1871, was once part of a sprawling complex owned by the renowned Royal Doulton pottery company. Imagine, if you will, the rhythmic clatter of machinery, the hiss of steam, the fiery glow of kilns – all surrounding this solitary survivor. Southbank House itself wasn’t a factory, though. It held a more refined purpose: housing the pottery’s museum and art school. In essence, it was a showcase for Doulton’s craftsmanship, a “living advertisement” for their sought-after ceramics. Look closely, and you’ll see the evidence of that intention in every ornate detail. The building is a riot of colour and texture, crafted from red brick and adorned with pink and sandy-coloured terracotta dressings. Notice the impressive tympanum relief above the main entrance, created by Doulton’s chief designer, George Tinworth. It depicts the pottery’s proud heritage, a story that began in 1815 just a stone’s throw away in Vauxhall Walk. Sadly, the rest of the Doulton complex, including its iconic 233-foot chimney, a “slim version of the campanile of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence,” was destroyed by bombs during World War II. Only Southbank House, with its intricate details and whispers of a bygone era, remains to tell the tale.