SYDENHAM

“It's a vibrant and thriving area with lots of green open spaces and good transport links into the City”

spirit Independent KFH opened their new Sydenham office in 2021, so we caught up with those in the know to find out why the area offers something special

T

he past couple of years has seen an influx of central Londoners looking to move out to Sydenham, but this migration is nothing new. The Crystal Palace was a truly stunning construction first erected in Hyde Park in 1851 to house the Great Exhibition, a rather elaborate international showcase of artwork from across the globe. Within three years, it had been painstakingly reconstructed on Sydenham Hill, remaining there until a devastating fire in 1936 completely destroyed the building. Even today, looking at photographs of the structure up in flames brings a lump to the throat.

Just as that building dominated any aerial shots of Sydenham at that time, Crystal Palace the area has generally been seen by property hunters as the more desirable place to set up home rather than Sydenham down the hill. But something has been stirring in SE26: schools are being widely praised by Ofsted, the independents have moved in, there’s a wide variety of properties on offer, and to cap it off, KFH opened a sparkling new office back in September 2021.

The time is right

“KFH have been market leaders in Crystal Palace, Beckenham and Forest Hill for over a decade now,” explains Julian Peak, KFH’s Sales Director for South East London. “Whilst we have enjoyed some success in SE26, we needed an office there to complete the puzzle.”

Having been active in the area already, Peak is well placed to break down how and why Sydenham has suddenly become a property hotspot. “There has been significant investment in local shops, schools and transport in this area of south east London for a number of years, but Sydenham has always lagged behind its more progressive Crystal Palace, Beckenham and East Dulwich neighbours. Over the last three years, though, buyers have seen Sydenham as representing better value for money with direct trains to Victoria in 15 minutes, some excellent shops, and great cafés, restaurants and bars.”

“It’s a vibrant and thriving area with lots of green open spaces and good transport links into the City, and there’s also a good selection of schools to choose from,” adds Sarah Mitchell, KFH’s Lettings Director for South East London. “One of the biggest attractions is the wide range of different property types on offer – there is something for everyone.”

Peak agrees. “In Sydenham, you will see a wide selection of one and two bedroom conversion and purpose built apartments, with many period cottages and family houses – but don’t be surprised to see some very imposing period mansions that have preserved much of their original charm, character and features.”

Changing face

To explain the housing stock and its variety, a look into Sydenham’s past certainly sheds plenty of light on how the area has evolved. For a place that throws up some intriguing fi nds off the beaten track, it’s rather apt that Hidden London off er up a concise overview of its history.

The area was known as Chipeham in 1206, probably the farmstead of a man called Cippa, and the name evolved in stages over several centuries. The last change, when the ‘p’ became a ‘d’, did not occur until the late 17th century.

By this time two distinct settlements had evolved: one around Bell Green in present-day Lower Sydenham and the other in what is now Sydenham Wells Park, where the presence of springs with alleged medicinal qualities was drawing visitors. These two halves of Sydenham were subsequently divided by the Croydon Canal, which was constructed from 1801, and by Westwood Common, which was enclosed in the 1810s. “That’s one of the historical facts I love about the area,” Peak says. “The canal used to stretch from Croydon to London Bridge and went straight through Sydenham and South Norwood. This was the main transport mode for transporting goods and smuggling, but in 1836 it was closed and the railway was built on the old canal bed.”

When the canal company went bankrupt, a railway line was laid along the course of the fi lled-in canal and Sydenham station opened in 1839, after which houses for wealthy Londoners began to appear on the former common.

The aforementioned arrival of The Crystal Palace on the southern ridge of Sydenham Hill in the south-west corner of the district transmuted the fortunes of the extended village. Improvements in communications made Sydenham the best connected place south of the Thames, and hotels and every kind of amenity catered to the needs of the tens of thousands of tourists. Grand houses were built for the new residents in Upper Sydenham and Lawrie Park.

Many of Sydenham’s grandest houses were eventually replaced by homes for the new breed of commuter, while municipal estates were built in several corners, for example at Sheenewood in Lawrie Park, High Level Drive in Upper Sydenham, the Dacres estate in Lower Sydenham, in the Kirkdale area north of Sydenham station, and at Bell Green. On Dartmouth Road, Sydenham School was greatly enlarged to become a comprehensive in 1957. Despite the changes, the hilly terrain and surviving vestiges of its Victorian heyday continue to endow Sydenham with a distinctive character.

Sarah Mitchell Lettings Director, South East London

Julian Peak Sales Director, South East London

Courtney Early Lettings Branch Director, Sydenham

Siobhan Melaugh Sales Branch Director, Sydenham

A new dawn

Kirkdale is where this story hurtles forward to the present day, with Peak explaining it has undergone a complete transformation. “There has been the arrival of a Sainsbury’s Local, Nandos, PureGym, Cobbs Corner Café, and in February 2018 The Greyhound pub underwent a complete refurbishment and is now one of the most popular gastropubs in the south east London area.” And, of course, KFH opened a branch here, too.

Visiting on a cold, grey winter morning, it’s certainly a welcoming respite from the bitter wind outside. Located right next door to The Greyhound, KFH's o ce is well-designed and spacious, and is a hive of activity. Siobhan Melaugh heads up the sales operation here, coming across from the Beckenham o ce and having 12 years’ experience with KFH. “It’s really exciting,” Melaugh says about her role here. “It makes sense to be in Sydenham.”

Cobb's Corner is a popular part of the high street

Despite opening their doors during a pandemic, this hasn’t seemingly translated into any kind of uncertainty in the Sydenham sales market. “It’s really busy,” she nods. “There are houses we are selling within a day or two.”

COVID-19 may have made working operations a little trickier, but it has seemingly had a diff erent impact on those looking to buy. “With more people working from home, it has pushed them into realising they need more space,” Melaugh explains. “I have seen a lot of people move out of London. If they have children, they want to be closer to family for childcare, but to move from Central London to Sydenham you do also get more for your money – and with the transport links, you can still get back into the City quickly.”

One quirky aspect to Sydenham is that you have diff erent pockets in the area: the high street leading to Upper Sydenham and Sydenham Hill, and heading the other way

ON THE MARKET

The local community campaigned to save The Greyhound pub

AVERAGE PRICES

Flats £385,000 Terraced homes £630,000 Semi-detached homes £750,000 Average price all £500,000

AVERAGE RENTS

1 bed flats

£1,000-£1,200 pcm

2 bed flats £1,500-£1,700 pcm 3-4 bed houses £1,800-£2,100 pcm 5 bed houses £2,400-£2,700 pcm

Source: Rightmove.co.uk

to Lower Sydenham. “The bigger properties are in Upper Sydenham and Sydenham Hill,” Melaugh says on the stock. “That’s where you are going to get your detached and bigger Victorian houses. There are a lot of flats in Lower Sydenham, but you can also buy a nice Victorian house for around £550,000. Then you have the Dulwich Estate that has been really popular with buyers, where you have the woodland at the bottom.”

As Julian Peak says, there are a remarkable number of conservation areas in Sydenham. “Sydenham Hill conservation area is one of the largest,” he says. “Cobbs Corner at Kirkdale covers many of the large opulent early Victorian properties, Jews Walk is incredibly popular with its gothic revival style of architecture, but my personal favourite is the Thorpes estate conservation area, where there are just six roads, which all end in ‘-Thorpe Road’, and feature impressive premium Edwardian properties.”

01 02

01 FOXMORE PLACE, SYDENHAM SE26

OIRO £1,175,000

Launching in May 2022, Foxmore Place is a private gated development of five detached houses located off Lawrie Park Road. These luxurious four-bedroom homes, all with private gardens and parking, create a small and exclusive community that strike the perfect balance between metropolitan and suburban living. Foxmore Place is located right across the road from the ever-popular Crystal Palace Park. The area offers a vast selection of cultural spots, local amenities and convenient transport links. It also has some of the best schools south of the river. -

KFH Sydenham 020 3993 5329 sydenham.sales@kfh.co.uk 02 LAWRIE PARK AVENUE, SYDENHAM SE26

OIRO £2,500,000

Available chain free and occupying a large corner plot is this six bedroom gated detached house. Boasting 4,188 sqft, the property features an outdoor bar area with jacuzzi and sauna. This house would be the perfect property to entertain friends and family this summer. It is also located within walking distance to Crystal Palace Park and selection of transport links into central London. There are also four bathrooms, three reception rooms, kitchen/diner, a double garage, and the property has an EPC rating of C. -

KFH Sydenham 020 3993 5329 sydenham.sales@kfh.co.uk

Thurlestone Road, West Norwood SE27 Thurlestone Road, West Norwood SE27

£1,200,000£1,200,000

A stunning five bedroom Victorian semi detached family home which benefits A stunning five bedroom Victorian semi detached family home which benefits from high spec modern finishes alongside original details. from high spec modern finishes alongside original details.

Five bedrooms | Stylish family bathroom | Large kitchen diner | Bay fronted reception room Five bedrooms | Stylish family bathroom | Large kitchen diner | Bay fronted reception room Sunny aspect garden | EPC Rating D | Freehold Sunny aspect garden | EPC Rating D | Freehold

ON THE MARKET

The perfect mix

Courtney Earley heads up the lettings operation at KFH Sydenham and he says that the rental market is also flourishing in the area, highlighting the fact that there’s plenty to attract people to the area. “There are a mixture of properties and cultures too,” he says. “We have got a lot of families looking to rent, but also young professionals. With Sydenham, there’s also a mix when it comes to rental prices. There’s the ex-council properties and the purpose builds as well, which are a little more expensive, and then the new builds and the houses. Location is key too, if the property is close to one of the stations or not. Then you have the greener spaces up Sydenham Hill. Rents in Sydenham in general are quite high at the moment, higher than before lockdown.”

What’s abundantly clear is that now is the perfect time to move to Sydenham, and the arrival of this warm, welcoming KFH office appears to be the icing on the cake. The rise of the independent outlets brings a certain buzz to the area, and the community spirit is clearly alive and well. The schools are well loved, recreationally there’s plenty to burn off energy, and the likes of Sydenham Arts hold a summer festival that is a real draw for culture lovers.

Once The Crystal Palace stood head and shoulders above all else, but now Sydenham is emerging from the shadow of its namesake neighbour. 

KFH Sydenham

313-315 Kirkdale, Sydenham, SE26 4QB Sales: 020 4571 6384 sydenham.sales@kfh.co.uk Lettings: 020 4571 6507 sydenham.lettings@kfh.co.uk 01 02

01 HOMECROFT ROAD, SYDENHAM SE26

£950,00

This is a stunning five bedroom period home, set on a popular road in walking distance to Sydenham and Penge East stations. Excellent local schools and choice of great parks are close by. The owners say of the property: 'It's a happy house, filled with precious memories which we hope will be as wonderful for the next owners. We have added our own stamp to the house room by room, from a new bathroom to new floors and decoration to complement the period charm. The rooms can be so versatile.'

KFH Sydenham 020 3993 5329 sydenham.sales@kfh.co.uk 02 GATESBY COURT, SYDENHAM SE26

£1,800 pcm

A brand new two bedroom, two bathroom apartment to rent within a two minute walk to Lower Sydenham station. It features a bright and airy reception room, which offers great space with a private south facing balcony. The reception room has an open plan well-equipped kitchen, and the master bedroom has a built-in wardrobe with an en-suite bathroom. The development benefits from having an onsite gym, two communal roof terraces, and a private gated underground car park with its own dedicated parking space. -

KFH Sydenham Lettings 020 3993 9694 sydenham.lettings@kfh.co.uk

Highgate Avenue, Highgate N6

£2,750,000

A stunning five bedroom family home located on the beautiful tree lined Highgate Avenue, boasting in excess of 3,000 sq ft of living space.

Five bedrooms | Two bathrooms | Two reception rooms | Utility room Garden | 3,000 sq ft | Great transport links

Queenstown Road, Battersea SW11

£7,800 pcm

A spectacular three bedroom apartment with an impressive private roof terrace offering views over Battersea Park. Set within a modern development with concierge, comprising of a large reception room and open plan kitchen.

Three double bedrooms | Two bathrooms | Wrap around roof terrace | Open plan kitchen Located near to Northern line | Concierge, gym and pool