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What's it like living here?

Living in Lewisham

What's It Like To Live in Lewisham?

Lewisham is one of London's axles: It has been a time of great transformation for Lewisham and its southern sister Catford. Huge changes have encompassed traffic redirections, new communications, overhauled housing and an all-round clean-up. But none of this has changed the essential character and make-up of a cheery and hectic part of London prepared to accept redevelopment only on its own terms. The long rows of Victorian terraces which stretch south and east of Lewisham centre and toward Lee were long neglected but have undergone restoration and rejuvenation. North of the centre huge changes have been wrought with the arrival of the DLR, and much of the old industry that dominated here has been swept away for new studios and flats. West of the centre has remained a largely untouched enclave, nestled between the River Ravensbourne and Hilly Fields. Some ornate terracotta and plaster details and the lack of rat runs have kept the popularity of these Victorian domiciles high. South of here is Ladywell, now a halfway house between Lewisham and Catford but growing as a centre in its own right and providing a jumble of housing, from new affordable units to inter-war semis and Victorian conversions. Ladywell Road provides an appropriate parade of shops. Crossing east from here over the river and High Street we see the first-hand evidence of the widespread bomb damage suffered in these parts in the form of high rise flats. The High Street was once a fashionable place to reside and the wide distance that survives between the road and the buildings set back from it diminish their impact somewhat.

Facilities

Although it has a full time job as one of London's most important junctions the centrepiece of Lewisham is retail trade. The Riverdale Centre is fully pedestrianised with plenty of room for the market stalls. The street market runs every day but Sunday, and sells a wide array of food and household goods. Looming over the stalls is the revamped Riverdale Shopping Centre, home to many of Britain's best-known retailers and able to attract around 240,000 visitors a week. Occupying 13 acres there are around 85 retail units in the Centre, with the Boutique Hall acting as home to smaller, independent shops. The multi-storey car park can hold up to 800 vehicles. Lewisham Hospital is a sprawling campus of clinics and buildings, complete with round-the-clock accident & emergency facilities, the hospital is well known for its practice in maternity and paediatrics.

Transport Links

You could be forgiven for thinking in Lewisham that you had stumbled across the spiritual home of the London red bus as a double-deckers and single-deckers head to all corners of the capital from the bus depot. The A20 heads east to Eltham and Kent and the A21 to the south takes you to Catford and Bromley. The big change in Lewisham of late was the arrival of the Docklands Light Railway. Placed next to the train station, it has brought this working-class part of the capital within the ambit of the Isle of Dogs and all the regeneration that has gone on there; it has also relieved the intense bottleneck of travel to London Bridge. The DLR has not dented the strong impression that the railways make on the area. Hither Green station remains an important junction for the commuter. Coming out from central London the line splits east here to Dartford and the north Kent coast and south to Orpington, Sevenoaks and the Channel Ports.On a separate line altogether are Lewisham and Ladywell stations. These are on a line that comes from the south at Hayes terminus, via New Beckenham/Beckenham Junction, before heading into London Bridge.