Elephant and Castle : A great base for the capital

Elephant and Castle is turning into a truly exciting location for Londoners, with significant funding helping to regenerate the area and provide a host of new opportunities for locals.

The area is close to a number of the capital’s top attractions, including Westminster, the West End and the city centre. Its beneficial location has led to substantial gentrification in recent years, resulting in a master-planned redevelopment budgeted at £1.5 billion. 

Location and transport

As already mentioned, Elephant and Castle occupies a favourable spot on the London map, neatly nestled in the Southwark borough of Greater London and close to two Underground stations, along with a National Rail station and a Thameslink Railway. 

For road users, the area is close to the A2 with connections to New Kent Road and Old Kent and is near to the A3 with connections to the West End through St George’s Road. To reach the City of London, drivers will need to travel through London Road and Newington Causeway at the northern junction.

For those looking to cycle into the city, new cycle lanes and pedestrian crossings were introduced in 2010. If you are new to the city, or simply wanting to move to an area with more accessibility, Elephant and Castle ticks all the right boxes.

Southwark Council was recently awarded the Transport Borough of the Year accolade at the London Transport Awards, with the borough praised for its investment in infrastructure, which will double for the next four years to more than £8 billion a year.

History 

Elephant and Castle is listed in the Domesday Day book as being owned by the Archbishop of Canterbury and rose to become a metropolitan hub in the 1700s following the development of Westminster Bridge.

It then grew into a key shopping area for South London, with several cinemas also being built in the area. However, the area was a target for the German forces in World War 2, which led to a long period of reconstruction, leading to a significant revamp of the area. 

St George’s Cathedral is arguably the most historic landmark in the area. After opening in 1848, the structure has remained one of the most popular in the city. Generally serving the local population, a host of choirs and other performances. 

The building was bombed during World War 2, but it was successfully rebuilt to its old specifications, ensuring that the cathedral’s history and rich heritage was maintained. 

Amenities 

In Elephant and Castle, there is a variety of shops and businesses, with the local shopping centre dominating the local commerce.

Within the complex, there is a Tesco, WHSmith, Boots, Superdrug and a host of other retailers, along with a bowling alley and a bingo hall. 

Much more shops are set to arrive in the area, following the announcement of the Southwark regeneration plan. This will lead to a new pedestrianised town centre, market square and 5,000 new properties. 

On top of this, there will be around 500,000 square feet of retail and leisure space, along with an integrated public transport hub.

Properties

In Elephant and Castle, there are many different types of property available, ranging from flats to large family homes.

In recent years, a large amount of money has been pumped into the area to modernise its facilities and boost the local housing market. This includes the construction of South Gardens, which will offer 360 homes with 22 town-houses and eight apartment buildings. 

A quarter of the housing made in this phase of the regeneration will be affordable, with the first properties set to be finished by 2017.

However, there is no need to wait if you are looking to move to the area now, as there are plenty of apartments and houses in the Falmouth Road area, while there are penthouses, larger terraced properties and a host of other options across the area.

With a storied history and a bright future, there are plenty of reasons to move to Elephant and Castle.

Published 12th May, 2015

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