What's it like to live in Southwark?

The London borough of Southwark

The London borough of Southwark is one of the 33 boroughs that make up Greater London, it is located south of the river Thames and is a pretty central location. It is located next to the Royal Borough of Greenwich, and Lambeth. An iconic borough with a rich history, it is home to London's oldest theatres such as the Globe made famous by Shakespeare, along with being home to the iconic Tate Modern. For the foodies out there, Southwark is also home to Borough Market, the finest food market in all of London.

The many neighbourhoods of Southwark include the up and coming areas of Bermondsey, Camberwell, Peckham, Elephant &Castle and more leafy affluent areas such as Herne Hill and Dulwich.

The different areas of Southwark are:

• Bankside - This is a mainly commercial  area that is incredibly popular with both tourists and Londoners. It is home to London's South Bank with countless tourist attractions and  top restaurants situated along the bank of the river Thames.
• Bermondsey - A really central location that is quickly becoming a very affluent place.
• Borough/Southwark - Again, like Bermondsey this is a really central location and is home to London Bridge, Tower Bridge and Borough Market.
• Camberwell - Camberwell is truly an up and coming area which is popular with artists and students giving the area an arty vibe. Not as expensive as other central areas but get in there quick as house prices are set to soar.
• Crystal Palace - The Sunday Times recently claimed Crystal Palace as one of the best areas to live in London. It is a good area for families with its parks, good schools and good transport links.
• Deptford-  This is an area that is a little rough round the edges but is set to become popular with young people getting priced out of other inner city areas of London.
• Dulwich - A very green area considering it's close proximity to central London. This is a very affluent area but prices are more reasonable in West Dulwich.
• Dulwich Village - It is a very sought after and affluent area due to it's village type feel and lots of green space.
• East Dulwich - A very green area considering it's close proximity to central London. This is a very affluent area but prices are more reasonable in West Dulwich
• Elephant and Castle - Home to the iconic club, Ministry of Sound, Elephant and Castle is an south eastern inner city suburb. It is an area currently undergoing development with the building of tram routes, library and more open spaces.
• Herne Hill- This is an area popular with families due to its large Victorian style houses and many, many parks. It is located between Brixton and Dulwich.
• Honor Oak - A more reasonably priced area of Southwark, one that is very popular with families due to its suburbs feel.
• Kennington- Best known for being home to the famous Oval cricket ground and Charlie Chaplin. Kennington is a very leafy area despite its short distance to central London and has more of a town feel than inner city suburb.
• Newington - Located in close proximity to the river Thames it is home to London South Bank University and has great transport links. It is an up and coming area.
• Nunhead - Located in very close proximity to Peckham it is a very leafy area and is home to Peckham Rye Common. It is an area that is quickly becoming popular with artists who will soon transform the area into a very trendy area to live.
• Peckham - An eclectic area of London with great transport links. An area that has long been associated with gangs and rude boys it is now becoming a very trendy area with its quirky bars and restaurants.
• Peckhan Rye - An eclectic area of London with great transport links. An area that has long been associated with gangs and rude boys it is now becoming a very trendy area with its quirky bars and restaurants.
• Rotherhithe - Situated alongside the river Thames, Rotherhithe is an area currently undergoing major re-development.
• Surrey Quays - A mainly residential area in very close proximity to Rotherhithe and is home to the largest marina in London. Like Rotherhithe it is an area undergoing some major redevelopment, so watch this space!
• Walworth - An area currently undergoing regeneration and gentrification. A much lesser known area of London, it is very close to Camberwell and Elephant & Castle.
• West Dulwich - A slightly more affordable area of affluent leafy Dulwich.

Quirky facts about Southwark

• The name Southwark dates back to 900 ad and was once a Roman settlement.
• The borough of London was only formed in 1965 and incorporated the older metropolitan boroughs of Bermondsey, Camberwell and Southwark.
• Southwark borough is located entirely in the SE postcode area.
• Over 100 languages are spoken in Southwark's schools.
• Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare and Charlie Chaplin have all lived in Southwark.
• Southwark is home to the Globe theatre made famous by William Shakespeare

Transport in Southwark

Underground Stations

• Bermondsey
• Borough
• Canada Water
• Elephant & Castle
• Kennington
• London Bridge
• Southwark

London Overground Stations

• Surrey Quays
• Rotherhithe
• Canada Water
• Denmark Hill
• Peckham Rye
• Queens Road Peckham

Railway Stations

• Gypsy Hill
• Denmark Hill
• East Dulwich
• West Dulwich
• London Bridge
• North Dulwich
• Nunhead
• Peckham Rye
• Queens Road Peckham
• Sydenham Hill
• South Bermondsey

Here's the statistical bit

Property prices for Southwark are slightly lower then the London average but expect these to rise soon with its many up and coming areas. The average cost of a detached family home is around £1m, a semi detached property can easily sell for £940k,  a terraced house will set you back £830k, and a flat comes in at £450k.

Properties for rent in Southwark

If you would like to search for properties to rent in Southwark you can use our free and easy to use search engine, simply enter a postcode or type in an area. If you're still not sure of where to live you can fill out our free questionnaire which will do the searching for you.

Properties for sale in Southwark

 If you would like to search for properties for sale in Southwark you can use our free and easy to use search engine, simply enter a postcode or type in an area. If you're still not sure of where to live you can fill out our free questionnaire which will do the searching for you.