It opened on 13 August 1866 with the South London Line, and was originally named Rotherhithe.

On 1 December 1869 it was renamed South Bermondsey; Rotherhithe railway station less than a mile away opened six days later.

[6] The 1928 station is on an embankment, and its platforms and buildings are of wooden construction; the current passenger access to the station from Rotherhithe New Road and Ilderton Road is by a footpath partly constructed on the embankment previously occupied by the line to Bricklayers Arms and Willow Walk Goods Depots.

In 1993, football club Millwall opened their ground The Den adjacent to the station.

A direct footpath was built from the station to the North Stand (away section) of the ground, this is used on match days only.