Downham Estate is an example of the programme of building Council housing that occurred in Britain between the First and Second World Wars. Situated on the borders of Lewisham and Bromley boroughs, the estate was developed by the London County Council on what had previously been farmland, and consisted of many houses, and several blocks of flats up to four storeys in height. The first tenants of the estate were mainly former residents of inner city areas, such as Rotherhithe and the accommodation was spacious and luxurious compared to their former dwellings.