Grove Park: An urban beauty in the heart of Lewisham

Grove Park is an ideal locality to live in if you have a real appreciation of nature and green spaces. 

This area of Lewisham is surrounded by meadows, woodlands and parks. It also has a long and colourful history, and was previously home to a number of different settlements.

It also has plenty of good transport links that connect you to other parts of the city. You will also find plenty of amenities, social clubs, nightlife and pubs.

As a borough, Lewisham residents have been ranked as being among the healthiest in the country. Data from the UK consensus showed that 49.9 per cent of those living in the borough rated their health as very good, compared to 47.17 per cent for the rest of England.

Those living in this part of London have also been rated as among the happiest and contented in the country.

The area is also a fantastic place to rent property, with the vast majority of people forgoing mortgages in favour of renting.

Grove Park in particular has a mix of council and private housing separated by the railway line from the Downham estate to the south-??west.

History

For many centuries, a number of Celtic settlements existed in what is now known as Grove Park. 

It is also an area that was predominantly comprised of woodlands and farms until the turn of the 18th century. 
However, at this point in time many trees were cut or burned down and after that, only a few farm labourers and their family remained. 

In the early 19th century, a large housing estate was built by the Metropolitan borough of Lewisham, and a workhouse was also located there, which was predominantly used by the Army.

The workhouse later became Grove Park hospital, and has now been transformed into a residential area. 

In the mid 19th century, a number of large homes were built, and more land was dug up.

This attracted many wealthy professionals, and business owners, which resulted in further housing developments, although many farms remained.

The building of the railway station also bought more workers into the area and facilitated further redevelopment.

Education

The area is served by two main primary schools, namely Coopers Lane School, and Marvels Lane, which is also home to a children's centre.

A secondary called Knights academy is also based in Grove Park. Official statistics from the UK Consensus revealed that the locality has one of the lowest levels of residents with no qualifications in the UK.

It also has a very low number of people with one or more GCSE at grade D or below.

The figures also suggest that those living in the district are among the most well-educated in the UK.

According to the data, the area also has a relatively large proportion of people with a higher education qualification.

Property

Most of the properties in Grove Park consist of terraces, 19th-century family houses, flats and semi-detached homes.

The proportion of people who own their own homes is lower than the national average, with many choosing to rent instead. Just 14.9 per cent of people in Grove Park own their homes, compared to 30.6 per cent nationally.

However, 23 per cent of people choose to rent privately, compared to 15.4 per cent across the UK.

It also has a high number of people in socially rented accommodation, with 15.6 per cent in this type of housing, compared to 9.4 per cent nationally.

Rental properties in the locality are very affordable and starts from as little as £300 per week for two-bedroomed houses.

Published 31st October, 2014

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