Much of north Southwark was owned by the Church of England, originally part of the Bishop of Winchester's estate and later to be administered by the Church Commissioners.

Much of the housing on their land was of poor quality. In the late 19th century Octavia Hill assumed responsibility for designing new properties. In 1887 she built the Red Cross Way cottages, probably her best know work.

In defiance of the need for high density housing and the inevitably utilitarian design, she built for quality. Her tenants were also subject to demanding and strictly enforced tenancy agreements. Her other development s were in White Cross Cottages and in Ayres Street, but her greatest achievement was in her influence in housing design and landlord / tenant relations, rather than in the amount of housing she managed to provide.

At the time of this photograph in 1971, north Southwark's population was at its lowest. It had been falling from a peak reached a century earlier. Most of the housing in the area was provided by institutions such as Southwark Borough Council, the Greater London Council, the Corporation of London and the Church Commissioners.