History @ The Old Bank
Dentistry @ The Old Bank is the new premises
of the old surgery from 112 Dulwich Village.
The Dental Practice In Dulwich Village had a long history within the centre of Dulwich, providing a high quality personal dental service to the local community. We saw a heavy roll call of local residents, from the very young to the young-at-heart and all ages in between.
In recent times we have notably remained working, offering emergency services even during the lockdown period, and continuing to work whilst other local practices remained closed during 2020 and 2021.
The Osbornes
1975 – 1990
Originally Mr Cyril Hagger, a much respected Consultant Dental Surgeon who worked part-time at Guy’s Hospital, had a dental practice in his house at 1 Dulwich Village. Between 1975 and 1977, Mrs Christine Osborne, another Guy’s graduate and lecturer worked there with him.
Sadly Cyril Hagger died suddenly around 1977, and his practice therefore closed, so Christine opened a practice at 112 Dulwich Village, in her house, having inherited her father’s surgery equipment (he was a dentist in Chislehurst) in 1978. The surgery continued to see many of Dr Hagger’s patients, and flourished at the new site.
From 1987 – 1990 the Osborne family were posted abroad to Malawi by the Foreign Office, as Mr Denis Osborne became the High Commissioner in Blantyre.
Fortunately, another local dentist Mrs Heather Rankine (who was also later to become Chairman of the Dulwich Estates) and Mr David Robinson, also a Consultant Surgeon at Guy’s, were responsible for the practice for that period.
2004 – present
Christine and Heather continued to work together, retiring in 2004 and 2008 respectively.
The surgery underwent a full refurbishment in 2010, including new digital Xray technology, lighting and ventilation systems (which came in handy during the COVID period ten years later!)
The Dental Practice in Dulwich Village was always been staffed by local residents, something that we are very proud of.
Long before the idea of working from home was made fashionable by COVID, we realised that keeping the distance short between work and home was a good idea.
Our nursing staff lived as close as Pickwick Road (literally round the corner about 50 metres away) further along Dulwich Village by the shops (approximately 200 metres), Dekker Road (about 400 metres), and one dentist as far away as Court Lane!
Our current practice manager lived on Turney Road until fairly recently, and still has children at local schools so that tradition has continued.
Our Building
The site of the existing group of buildings 117-119 Dulwich & 1 College Road, was occupied from the first half of the 18th century by 3 tenements (later altered to become shops) and an inn named originally The Bricklayers Arms but which was renamed The French Horn.
From 1741 the inn shared the premises with the Reading Schools (Free School) founded by the Master of the College, James Allen. When the lease expired in 1814 the building was extensively altered to give the school exclusive use and a school house for the teacher was added to the north end.
When the old school was finally evacuated of pupils the Estates Governors decided to demolish the building and also redevelop the three adjacent shops – a stationers & booksellers occupied by Arthur Bartlett, a confectioner and tobacconist and premises occupied by a male servant and his wife employed at the College. The demolition of the old schoolhouse took place in 1889 and the shops shortly after.
117 Dulwich Village (then named the High Street) was built and occupied by the London & South Western Bank (amalgamated with Barclays Bank in 1918). The 1891 census shows the manager as Prior Redman. He remained manager in 1901 according to the census.
119 Dulwich Village was leased and occupied by Arthur Bartlett, previously the occupier of one of the three shops, and a member of a long-established family in the village. Arthur Bartlett remained until after World War 1. Both 117 & 119 extended southwards to occupy the schoolmaster’s house site and third shop/dwelling.
Marten & Carnaby Estate Agents who already had an office at West Dulwich Station acquired the lease. It was subsequently acquired initially by Messrs Wates estate agents and then by Pedder Property.
Shows the three shops prior to redevelopment and the old schoolhouse to their right (indistinctly).
Shows the previous layout of the site.
Shows the 3 shops and the old school and the attached schoolmaster’s house during 1870.
Shows the site as redeveloped as a bank, shop premises and a vacant plot (formerly the old school) during 1890.
