Dulwich is that London rarity, a true village. An island in the South London sprawl, 'the village' boasts duck pond and cottages, finger-post road signs, a working tollgate, and is set in a wide-open sweep of green. The secret of this is that Dulwich proper was, and still is, one large estate. It owes it's history and it's character to Edward Alleyn, renowned actor-contempory of Shakespeare. He spent his money on the manor of Dulwich, leaving the 1500 acre estate as an endowment for a school. For now the whole area relies on trains for commuting, with stations all round the outskirts although a tube station is under discussion.