Southgate: A historic and diverse suburb in the heart of North London

Southgate is a historic and attractive suburban town, which is something of a magnet to many families because of its excellent selection of primary and secondary schools. It also has a wide range of private schools in the area. 

It is located in North London, primarily within the London borough of Enfield, although some of its fringes lie within the boundaries of Barnet.

Southgate is also known for having a generous supply of large green parks in the area, with the most notable one being the 92 acres of Groveland Park.

The area has benefited greatly from some of the different communities that have migrated there over the years and it has a very high concentration of restaurants and cafés.

Here you can find anything from authentic Italian cuisine to East-Asian food. Properties in the area consist predominantly of 1920s and 30s housing estates, with the odd sprinkling of more contemporary buildings here and there.

Its history dates all the way back to the 1300's, but the area wasn't really on the map until 1933, when the Piccadilly Line was extended there.

Just six years after the arrival of the Piccadilly line, a parade of shops and housing estates sprung up, as an increasing number of people moved to the area.

Since then, Southgate has transformed into a thriving London suburb, which has become known for its diversity, its wide variety of restaurants, and excellent schools.

It also has transport links to other parts of the capital. This has helped to draw in City professionals who are attracted by the quick routes into Central London and the facilities that the area offers.

Properties

In the 1930s, streets of large semi-detached houses sprung up across the locality, thanks to the development of transport.

Areas such as Walker, Osidge and Monkfrith are the better known estates within Southgate, which were constructed over the decades.

The area also has a large number of Grade II listed Georgian and Victorian houses, in addition to modern flats and houses which were developed over the last couple of centuries.

Properties in this area of London are fairly expensive, and to buy a home in Southgate, you would pay on average, £652,999 for a two-bedroom home, at the lower end.

A one bed flat on the other hand, would set you back £210,625. The current average value of a three bed terraced home in the area currently stands at £459,182, according to property website Zoopla.

For many, it is more economical to rent in the area. Current rental prices in Southgate are £914 per calendar month on average, although it is considerably less for a one bed house.

The average cost of renting a three bed terrace in the suburb is £1,628 per calendar month. 

Lifestyle

Whether you are into shopping, dining out, sports or music, there is no shortage of facilities in Southgate. It has a plentiful supply of quintessential English pubs in the area - including the Cherry Tree Pub Inn, which dates back to the 18th century.

This is a cosy little pub, with exposed beams, a log fire, fine dining, and cask ales. Other popular venues include, the Woolpack, the Sun, and the White Hart among others.

Sports is another big feature of the area and it has a thriving cricket club, named after its founders - the Walker Brothers.

It also has a football club - with Grovelands park being the training ground of the football team, Romans AFC.

In addition, Southgate has a hockey club and a rugby club.

And if you are not opposed to a little bit of retail therapy - look no further than the Green and the Broadway, which both contain an interesting mix of high street chains, independents retailers and charity shops. 

Some of the most popular stores include Ruby Blue for children’s clothing and Made Man for men’s fashion.

Then there are the usual supermarkets such as Asda, Tesco or Marks & Spencer, if you're a little more upmarket.

If you are into the more highbrow and cultured activities, then Southgate's celebrate Chicken Shed theatre company is a must-see, as they produce many musicals, pantomimes and theatrical performances each year.

Then of course you have the Southgate Symphony Orchestra, which was founded in the 60s, and is run by a group of local enthusiastic musicians.

It was initially attached to Southgate College until 2005, before breaking off into its own separate group. An amateur orchestra, it has previously done performances of Beethoven, Dvo?ák, and Weber.

Education

The schools in the area are perhaps among the most attractive features for families moving into Southgate.

There are around ten primary schools in the locality, and Walker and Monkfrith have both been rated as 'excellent' by Ofsted.

Then you have the two secondary schools - Southgate Secondary School and Ashmole - which have also received an 'Outstanding' Ofsted rating.

Published 6th May, 2014

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