Dulwich, fashionable residential neighbourhood in the Greater London borough of Southwark, part of the historic county of Surrey. It lies in the southern part of the borough and is centred on Dulwich College.
The name Dilwihs (Dulwich), meaning “Marshy Meadow Where Dill Grows,” was first recorded in 967 ce. The manor of Dulwich was owned by Bermondsey Abbey from 1127 to 1538. Edward Alleyn, a successful Shakespearean actor, bought the manor in 1605 and founded the College of God’s Gift to provide education for “12 poor scholars” and almshouses for “6 poor brethren and 6 poor sisters.” The foundation, reconstituted in 1857 and again in 1882, now comprises three schools: Dulwich College, Alleyn’s School, and James Allen’s Girls’ School. The main buildings of Dulwich College were built in 1866–70 to designs of Charles Barry (the younger). Dulwich Picture Gallery (1814), fully restored after World War II, is a leading art gallery.
The College Estates Governors have contained development and preserved the area’s rural character. Dulwich Village is noted for its historic houses such as the 18th-century Belair (rebuilt 1965) and the 19th-century Kingswood, which are now used as community centres. Notable residents of the area have included the 19th-century writer and artist John Ruskin and the former prime minister (1979–90) Margaret Thatcher.