What a difference six years makes: Photographs of regeneration across the capital show how London has shrugged off the recession



Ten-year photography project shows how pockets of London seem untouched by the financial crash and have been regenerated



Average house price in the capital has rocketed past £500,000







These before and after shots from across the capital are a stark reminder of how the London property market operates within its own bubble.

The dilapidated remains of theatres and hospitals, shown here in the boom years prior to the 2008 financial crash are a stark contrast to the regenerated scenes which have sprung-up during the recession.

Investors have breathed new life into some of London's hidden heritage while this week, average house prices in London rocketed past the half a million mark to reach £515,243, according to Rightmove.



This is supported by further government investment in the city. In August 2011, the Greater London Authority announced a total of £120million in funds to further regenerate the city, in the wake of devastating riots.

Before: The Lambeth Hospital, Kennington, pictured in 2008, no longer in use, and after: refurbished in 2013, the water tower of the hospital has now been converted into apartments, while some of the remaining hospital is still used for care services

Before: Looking in a state of disrepair, part of the Lambeth Hospital, in Kennington, South London, was derelict and overgrown in 2008

After: Unrecognisable, the former Lambeth Hospital buildings have been replaced with apartments, pictured this year

In August 2008 - just before the financial crash and around the time of many of these 'before' shots - the average asking price for a house in London was £379,162. Today's prices are a staggering 36 per cent higher. In the 12 months to April 2013 UK house prices increased by 2.6%; annual house price increases in England were driven by a 6.0% rise in London. Excluding London and the South East, however, UK house prices increased by just 1.4% in the 12 months to April 2013.

Before: Brunswick House, a Georgian mansion house in Vauxhall, pictured in 2003, disused, boarded up, covered in graffiti and looking unhappy



After: Restored to its former glory and now surrounded by new developments, the Georgian mansion house is a reminder of bygone years in Vauxhall London's regeneration since the financial crisis is clear from its skyline. The Shard, in London Bridge opened recently to wealthy investors; ten properties within the soaring glass building are expected to fetch between £30million and £50million each. While in the east of the city, the former Olympic Park buildings have been snapped up by businesses, adding value to the local east end area. RELATED ARTICLES Previous

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A recent report by estate agent network London Property Partners revealed as much as 85 per cent of prime London property purchases last year were made with overseas money; just 15 per cent of its sales in the past year were made by UK buyers.

Of the foreign purchases, 80 per cent were from Europe and 20 per cent from Asia, LPP said. Photographer Paul Talling, 45, embarked on the task of capturing images of decaying buildings ahead of their regeneration to give an insight into the less celebrated buildings across the city. Before: A few years ago the Kings Head pub, in Walworth, south London, closed down and became boarded up - pictured in 2009

After: The Kings Head pub, in Walworth, has now been transformed into a William Hills bookies, pictured this year

The ten-year project, called Derelict London, has now amassed a collection of more than 2,500 images which illustrate London - for better and worse.

Paul, from East Dulwich, London, said: 'Around ten years ago as I was walking through London I wished that I had a camera with me to snap a few of London's less celebrated buildings that were unlikely to be around much longer.

'From then on I started wandering around every bit of the city, often walking 15 miles a day just capturing images of decay before regeneration takes place.

Before: Another of London's pubs, The Cundys Tavern, in Silvertown, by Victoria Docks, pictured decaying and boarded up in 2007

After: A distant memory, The Cundys Tavern is no more, replaced by a block of flats, pictured this year

Before: The Red Lion, in Soho, in 2008, looked in need of some love and attention. After: Still a drinking house, the Be At One venue is a well known landmark in central Soho

Before: The Dalston Theatre, once a hive of creative activity, pictured in 2005

After: The east London theatre has gone for good, replaced with a development of 553 new homes, pictured in 2012

'These places all have history not for the picture-postcard hunting tourists but were important to people in their heyday, whether it be their home, factory, local greasy spoon, pub, pool, hospital.

'Sometimes they are restored and converted into alternative use, whilst still retaining some of their former glory whilst others are demolished and replaced by flats and many people move in without being aware of what was on the site beforehand.'

Paul, a former gig promoter, tasked himself with going for long walks without maps or directions to see what interesting subjects he would stumble upon in unlikely places.

From then, he researched the history of the spots in local archives and libraries and got to work.

Before: The Greengate House, in Newham, which cost about £100,000, was opened in 1921 and included a theatre, swimming-bath, gymnasium, and sports ground. It was successful until the wars, and was closed and sold in 1956

After: In the 1970s the building was part used as offices and in 2010, the interior and rear was demolished, the facade restored and modernised, and the rest converted into apartments

Before: The Old Dispensary pub in Camberwell, South London, pictured in 2008 as a sad and closed down former hang-out

After: Recognising it's charm, new owners have spruced and brightened up the building, even retaining its original name - pictured this year

His extraordinary repertoire of images includes decaying houses on the North Circular, the faded glory of the Tidal Basin Tavern in Royal Victoria Dock, Battersea Power Station and the Hoxton Theatre.

The project has been so successful he not only runs guided tours but he has also created a book of his work.

Paul added: 'When I started I wondered if anyone else would ever be interested in dereliction too. I thought everyone considered these places as eyesores.

Before: Ashton Funeral Directors, in Clapham, South London, has been offering its services to bereaved families for 150 years before it eventually closed down

After: There is little to suggest this development, pictured in 2013, was a former funeral directors

'But the response has been amazing. Many people emailed me requesting me to show them around and as a result I run guided tours on most Saturday afternoons. The demand for these walks has been phenomenal.

Before: The London Park Hotel, In South London's Elephant and Castle, looked more of a crumbling eyesore in 2007, than a sign of former evocative times

Bygone years: Empty, boarded and gated up, the former hotel was once a well-known landmark for South London residents

Prominent: The hotel, pictured in 2007, once sat on the junction of a main roundabout in Elephant and Castle

After: Now, nothing remains of the vast hotel which once provided rooms for hundreds of London visitors last century

Prime real estate: The site of the former London Park Hotel now lies empty (pictured in 2012) with just the trees remaining

'Derelict London is more of a living history and something to engage the public - all members of the public including the average person in the street. Judging by mail I receive, it appeals to everybody: shop workers, musicians, footie fans, war vets, vicars , publicans and expats.

'It certainly shows the relationships between humans and their physical and social environments, and the detrimental effects of modern society on the environment.'