Lewisham Area Guide

Lewisham was known to be a rural village on the outskirts of the city until the rail connection to London opened in 1849 making it a commuter town. The landmark clock tower was completed in 1900 to honour Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee which still stands today. There was a flourishing town centre until it was hit in 1944 by a V1 flying bomb and the rebuild took place in the 1950s . It was in the 1970s that the shopping mall was opened and is still fully functional today with a variety of shops.

Over the last decade Lewisham has been home to numerous regeneration schemes to the tune of hundreds of millions of pounds. These regeneration programmes have Improved schooling, the town centre and other elements that enhanced its residential credentials.

The biggest change is the new lease of life around the station, which makes Lewisham unrecognisable. Weather it’s the Renaissance developments distinguished by the multi coloured Glass Mills leisure centre or Lewisham Gateway a £375m joint venture which when completed will provide shops, restaurants, bars, cafes and a park where the Ravensbourne and Quaggy rivers meets.

Whichever direction you look, this zone 2 location in Lewisham is now firmly on the property map as the council has plans to make Lewisham the Town Centre of choice for locals. Lewisham to many represents modern multicultural suburban living. Its vibrant high-street hasn’t lost it’s buzz and you can still pick up a great barging!

Property

Lewisham is a town that caters for all. Historic Victorian and Edwardian houses, villas and terraces lie in the charming Belmont, St Stephen’s and Blackheath conservation areas around Granville Park. Many of which still have the charming period features, high ceilings and spacious gardens. These are popular with families and local homeowners moving up the ladder.

Both professionals and First Time Buyers are also drawn to the area for both sales and rentals, partly due to the transport network available and the new silk modern apartments with view across the city and beyond. Lewisham has a balanced blend of old and new which makes it popular with many aspiring homeowners.

Where Lewisham meets Brockley, this part of the neighbourhood is a popular with young families, having access to cafés, local independent shops and Hilly Fields. The area offers a range of classic Victorian terrace houses along with good schools, affordable prices and green outdoor spaces making this area a popular choice with Londoners.

Transport Links

The proposed Bakerloo line extension is the talk of the town, especially when you see the sleek modern apartments being erected around the station eta 2029, if funding is in place.

Not to worry Lewisham is still well connected!

Train: Lewisham station offers a mainline service to London Bridge (10minutes), Waterloo East (14minutes) Charing Cross (20minutes), Victoria (28 minutes) in the other directing Orpington (24 minutes)

The station also has a DLR service, which connects with the Jubilee line at Canary Wharf (20 minutes) Bank (30 minutes)

Road: The South Circular and the A2 are on the doorstep of Lewisham making it easily accessible by car

Bus: Lewisham has a vast selection of commuter buses 47 (Shoreditch) N47 (Trafalgar Square 436 (Paddington) 21 (Newington Green via Bank) 108 (24hr Stratford)

Going out

As can be expected in Lewisham there are bars, restaurants and pubs to suit all tastes. Lewisham Shopping Centre sits in the middle of the town centre and has a wide selection of shops. The well-loved market is open daily offering fresh fruit and veg, flowers, fabric and world foods.

Thanks to the team at Street Feast the old Model Market has been transformed into a buzzing street food hub. Serving up mouth-watering street food, craft ales and cocktails.

However, with big changes in the pipeline for the town centre redevelopment you can expect more bars, restaurants and Café in the near future.

Sparrow is a newish independent restaurant in Lewisham that changes its menu along with seasonality and Meze Mangal serves up Traditional Turkish meze dishes but don’t just take our word for it check out their reviews as its adored by the locals!

Dirty South serving arguable one of London’s best fried Chicken Sandwich from Other Side Fried it’s a must try!

Local Amenities

Lewisham library offers all the typical service you would expect, and it’s located at the bottom of the high-street. Glassmill Leisure centre is next to Lewisham station offering a 25-meter Lane pool, gym and health suite on your door step. A hidden gem in Lewisham is the MFA Bowling – it’s great fun for all the family and is located in the town centre.

Lewisham has a variety of local convenience stores including Sainsbury’s, Asda and Tesco. The town centre also has 4 large supermarkets which include Lidl, Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Sainsbury’s.

If you’re a pet lover, the local dog community is thriving and with an abundance of green open spaces you will soon get to know the locals. Hilly Fields and Blackheath are by far the most popular.

Curzon Cinema is known for its specialism in art-house films and having bars, restaurants and cafes at its locations. Curzon will soon transform the Ladywell Playtower into a new cinema and freely accessible public events foyer and complementary café, bar and restaurants.

If you’re looking to buy, sell, rent or let in Lewisham, contact Strickland & Co Estate Agents Lewisham, we are an independent family run estate agent putting honesty, transparency and service at the heart of everything we do.