At just 200 yards or so, Camberwell Church Street makes up the short distance from Camberwell Green to St Giles' Church where it becomes Peckham Road.
Yet this fraction of thoroughfare is a bustling hub heaving with independent shops, restaurants and delis. An assault on the senses, the street has always been one of Laura Willis' favourite places since she first moved to London to attend Camberwell College of Arts.
Laura, an artist and graphic designer who now lives in Peckham, has noticed many of her favourite local stores and restaurants closing down over the years.
To document their place in Camberwell's community and collective memory, Laura has recorded the shopfronts of her favourite places since 2006 - the way she remembers them, often adding a little detail of personality that a photograph might not.
Laura and I took a trip down Camberwell Church Street to walk through some of her Camberwell Designs.
A graphic designer by trade, Laura's love of painting has found an outlet in this shopfront project.
Laura reflected: "I’ve always been interested in art. As a little kid, my mum will tell you when I was thirteen, I was just fascinated by the animation of Disney films - I always knew I would be involved with art."
Lumberjack - a general store, coffee-house and artisanal deli opened in 2016. Laura's work is exhibited on the walls inside.
Initially drawing their outline on A4, Laura keeps all her designs in this uniform size.
Laura uses gouache - a paint with pigment bound in water-soluble gum that's slightly opaquer than watercolour - and finishes her work with coloured pencil to provide texture and grey alcohol pens that offer depth in shade.
The Camberwell Arms - set up by chef director Mike Davies in 2014 on a site that has long housed pubs. Self-described as a "neighbourhood restaurant nestled inside a nineteenth century pub."
On her attachment to Camberwell's stores and delis, Laura said: "Obviously going from Essex to London can be a bit of a shock for the first few weeks, not knowing anyone, so I just started talking to people in the local shops and restaurants."
Silk Road - Xinjiang style Chinese cuisine, similar to Sichuan but with less pork (Xinjiang's Turkic Uighur Muslims are the area's largest minority). Over ten years of wonderful homemade unpretentious cookery in Camberwell.
Caravaggio - Laura usually gives a print of her work to the business owner. Caravaggio have printed their own large scale version, flanked by prints of Caravaggio's works.
Cruson - a grocery store that used to be run by Aris and his family but the store was sold on in 2019.
Laura said: "The distinctive sweet and aromatic smell of Cruson followed by a cheery wave from Aris will be something I always associate with living in Camberwell."
Sophocles Bakery - a cypriot bakery close to Laura's heart.
Hermit's Cave - Camberwell is covered by the parish of St. Giles - a hermit who lived in a cave near Nimes, France.
As the story goes, St. Giles was struck with a hunter's arrow that was intended for his companion - a doe a deer - and refused to treat the infection believing it would focus his mind on prayer.
Historians have also associated the Camberwell area with illness, for some believe that the settlement was established by those expelled in the 11th Century from London for having diseases such as leprosy.
The ancient wells and generous churches in Camberwell were sought upon for their healing properties.
The desire to capture these shopfronts as they are now is born both out of love and worry.
Laura said: "The real sad thing is I think that businesses are not able to afford the rent anymore."
Scarred from lockdown and eyeing the tide of gentrification with its four horsemen of supermarkets, multinational fast food chains, pickled veg and brunch, there has never been a more pertinent time to support long-serving local, independent and specialised establishments.
Prints of Laura's work are available on her website Camberwell Designs.
Map used: National Library of Scotland, Ordnance Survey National Grid maps, 1944-1972
Photos taken by Sam Montgomery and artwork supplied by Laura Willis
Built with Shorthand