Peckham Rye

Peckham Rye is an open space and road in the London Borough of Southwark in London, England.

The roughly triangular open space, managed by Southwark Council, consists of two congruent areas, with Peckham Rye Common to the north and Peckham Rye Park to the south. The road Peckham Rye forms the western and eastern perimeter of the open space.

Peckham Rye railway station on Rye Lane is a short distance north of the open space in Peckham. To the east is Nunhead, to the south is Honor Oak and to the west is East Dulwich.

Peckham Rye is a ward in Southwark, forming part of the Camberwell and Peckham constituency. There are several key roads that lead to the park including Barry road and Friern road. Barry Road connects the Rye with Dulwich library while Friern Road is named after a friary that once existed.

It was on the Rye in the 1760s that the artist William Blake claimed to have seen visions, including one of "a tree filled with angels, bright angelic wings bespangling every bough like stars." The novel "Ballad of Peckham Rye" by Muriel Spark is based around this area. The park in the 50's - 70s was the site for a yearly fair.

Peckham Rye is also Cockney rhyming slang for tie (necktie).

News updates about the Peckham Rye area can be found at http://peckhamryelabour.blogspot.com/