Things you didn't know about... Elephant & Castle

Elephant & Castle was the birthplace of a cinema legend
In 1889 Charles Chaplin was born on East Street in Elephant & Castle. He attended Kennington Road school as a child and spent many years in the area before moving to the US and becoming international movie star Charlie Chaplin.

Debate rages about how Elephant & Castle got its name
Elephant & Castle actually used to be known as Newington, but there are still misunderstandings about how the area came by its new name. Many have said that it is a corruption of "La Infanta de Castile"—a reference to Spanish princesses throughout English history who have passed through the area. It is now more widely believed that the area simply took on the name of a pub called, obviously, the Elephant & Castle.

Elephant & Castle keeps the Northern Line going
The northern roundabout in Elephant & Castle contains an electrical substation for London Underground's Northern Line. Without it, getting south of the river would be a whole lot trickier.

The Elephant & Castle shopping centre has been famous for all the wrong reasons
In 2005 the Elephant & Castle shopping centre was voted the ugliest structure in London. But those who voted in the poll needn't worry—the area is now undergoing massive regeneration and will look dramatically different before long.

Elephant & Castle has magnetic connections
The renowned 19th-century scientist Michael Faraday, most famous for his work with electricity and magnetism, was born in Elephant & Castle. The large stainless steel box on the northern roundabout was built to honour him—his name is not inscribed on the structure, but on the ground nearby.

Elephant & Castle played a part in creating the Michael Caine we know and love
The young Michael Caine lived in Urlwin Street (near where Charlie Chaplin grew up). He has admitted to being scared of the "spivs" who populated the area at the time, largely because they used to sew razor blades into the brims of their hats.

Elephant & Castle used to compete with Piccadilly
On account of its convenient location, Elephant & Castle has always been a bustling thoroughfare, but it actually used to be known as "The Piccadilly of south London". Key stores included William Tarn & Co, a department store, and the shoe shop Rabbits. Most of these were destroyed during the Blitz.