Forest Hill · Lewisham · Lewisham West and East Dulwich constituency · 51.43288, -0.06080

SE26 4BL— Forest Hill, Lewisham

Location and area intelligence for SE26 4BL, Forest Hill, Lewisham

The family fortress

 

Schools 100%Safety 80/100Transport 33/100~1% yield · indicativeOnly 1 sales — thin data

Best for: Families

Compare areas

Strong schools, limited transport — ideal for car-owning families

Liveability
59
Safety
80
Schools
90
Transport
33
Environment
59
Investment
28

The bottom line

SE26 4BL offers exceptional schools (100% Good/Outstanding) and low crime — a strong choice for Families.

Less suited to Car-free commuters.

Check your dealbreakers

Toggle the things that matter to you — see how SE26 4BL scores on each.

Do you commute into central London daily?
Do you have or plan to have school-age children?
Do you work from home?
Do you cycle regularly?
Is noise a dealbreaker for you?

Toggle a question above to see how SE26 4BL meets your needs.

Location

SE26 4BL

Area Profile & Benchmarks

Area identity and London comparisons

Area Identity

Suburban
HighEstablished mixed
Buyer fit: ExcellentInvestment outlook: CautiousRisk: Low

London Benchmarks

vs London income+9.3% vs London avg
vs London crime+4.0% vs London avg

Deep-dive guides for SE26 4BL

🛡️Crime & SafetyCrime rate, trends & breakdown by type🎓SchoolsOfsted ratings, exam scores & distances🏠Rental MarketAverage rents, demand & void risk

✨ Get your personal match score

Tell us what matters — safety, schools, transport — and we'll score every postcode for you.

Compare SE26 4BL with:

Postcode Personality

🎓 School Smart🌳 Good Parks🔒 Very Safe

“The family fortress”

Share:WhatsAppShare on X

How SE26 4BL has changed

Schools

18 Apr

Nearest schools and Ofsted ratings

90

Education score

Excellent for families
★ Top school within 1km
★★

Primary

Kelvin Grove Primary School

Good · Inspected Jun 2023 · 2 min walk

KS2: 104.2

—

Secondary

Sydenham School

Not yet inspected · 2 min walk

P8: +0.16A8: 51.4

100% of local schools rated Good or Outstanding · based on 9 schools within 1.5km

Top 10% — exceptional provision

Childcare

Childcare

Dulwich Wood Nursery School

Not inspected · 17 min walk

5 primaries · 2 secondaries · 0 childcare — within 1km

Safety

13 Jul

Crime rates and local incidents

Low crime

67.9 incidents per 1,000 residents

Higher crime than 52% of London
→ Stable

-11% vs borough

Crime by type

Anti-social behaviour25%
Violence & sexual offences25%
Other20%
Vehicle crime13%
Robbery5%
Burglary5%
Drug offences4%
Theft3%

Road safety

94

Road safety score

2

Accidents (5yr)

1

KSI (5yr)

1

Serious within 200m

MEDIUM pedestrian risk1 pedestrian casualties (5yr)

Fire risk

LOW

Risk band

0

Incidents (1yr)

0

Incidents (5yr)

Nearest station: Fire Station · 1.6km

Crime is +4% above London average

Property

2 Jul

Prices, sales volume and market trends

Insufficient sales data

Only 1 sale recorded in the last 24 months — too few for a reliable median price. Price figures have been withheld to avoid misleading comparisons.

Price history

Sales (24 months)1
New build0.0%
Price per m²£20,833/m²
Price per ft²£1,935/ft²
Avg floor area87.5 m²

EPC breakdown

C
2%
D
13%
E
4%

Based on 19 properties · Confidence: medium

Street mix

Semi 14%Terraced 22%Flat 50%Other 14%

LHA rates — Inner South East London

Shared room£650/mo
1 bedroom£1296/mo
2 bedrooms£1550/mo
3 bedrooms£1950/mo
4 bedrooms£2625/mo

Current mortgage rates

2-year fixed4.58%
5-year fixed4.32%
SVR7.25%

Bank of England (monthly average)

Affordability

Low

Market activity

100d

Days to sell

Energy & construction

Solar yield851 kWh/kWp/yr
Rebuild cost estimate£218,750
Rebuild cost per m²£2,500/m²

BCIS London average 2024. Excludes land value. Use for building insurance sum insured guidance only.

Construction era1900-1929
WallsSolid brick, as built, no insulation (assumed)
Roof(another dwelling above)
Heating fuelmains gas (not community)
GlazingFully double glazed
Council tax band Band CAnnual charge £1,682
Price growth potentialLow

Market History

Price trajectory, velocity and distribution

Price Trajectory

1996–2026 · CAGR

+11.1%

Total change

+2231%

Market Activity

Price Velocity & Acceleration

Current Velocity

+188.0%

per year

Acceleration

+103.67

change in velocity

Market State

Strong growth

Velocity (%)Acceleration

Price Distribution

P25: £600k–£700k · P75: £700k+ · 26 sales

Property Type Mix

Total: 26 sales

Semi-detached15.4%
Terraced30.8%
Flat/maisonette53.8%

By decade

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Market Cycle

BullCooling bullRisingSteadyRecoveryCorrectionBear

Market Eras

EraPeriodStart priceEnd priceChangeAvg sales/yr
Late-1990s boom1996–2000£74k£77k+4.7%1.3
Post-dot-com plateau2001–2002£85k£125k+47.9%1.5
Pre-crash peak2005–2007£182k£285k+57%1.3
GFC & correction2008–2008£182k£182k+0%1
Help-to-Buy recovery2013–2016£900k£350k-61.1%1.5
Brexit uncertainty2018–2019£358k£250k-30.2%1
Pandemic surge2020–2020£325k£325k+0%3
Rate-rise correction2022–2022£599k£599k+0%2
Current market2026–2026£1.73m£1.73m+0%1

Price Trajectory by Type

Flat/maisonette

Per-type alpha vs district

Best performer

Flat/maisonette

+0% alpha

Flat/maisonette+0% α
Local
8.2%
District
8.2%

CAGR over 13yr data window. Alpha = local CAGR − district CAGR.

Buyer vs Seller Score

Composite market conditions index 0–100

5out of 100SellerBuyer

Market condition

Strong Seller's Market

Favours sellers

Higher score = better conditions for buyers

Score breakdown

Price Velocity0
Seasonal Timing5
Trend Position10

Transport

1 Jul

Public transport accessibility and links

PTAL 2

Poor

1a
1b
2
3
4
5
6a
6b
Bottom 25% — limited connections
Sydenham→ London Bridge· 6 tph
20 min

Nearby stations

Sydenham Rail StationWindrush · Southern
10 min walk
SydenhamNational Rail
10 min walk
Forest Hill Rail StationSouthern · Windrush
11 min walk
Penge West Rail StationWindrush · Southern
21 min walk
Crystal Palace Rail StationWindrush · Southern
23 min walk
No bus stops within 400m

32

Walkability score

76

Footpaths (500m)

0

Santander docks (800m)

3.4 km

Nearest cycle dock

Central London commute times

London Bridge ★44 min
Victoria44 min ↑
Waterloo52 min ↑
Canary Wharf44 min ↓
City55 min ↑

▎ marker = outer-London average per hub. ↓ green = below average. ↑ orange = above average. ≈ grey = at average. · Source: TfL Journey Planner (sampled)

Find areas within a set commute time of your workplace →

Parking & EV

Car parks, spaces and charging points

3

Car parks (800m)

2

EV chargers (800m)

Nearest car park289m
Santander docks (800m)0
Nearest cycle dock3.4 km

Nearby car parks

🅿️
Perry Vale Car Park
765m

Environment

2 Jul

Flood risk, air quality and noise

Flood riskLOW
Low
Minimal flood risk
Surface waterMEDIUM
Medium
Air qualityLOW
NO₂: 30.0 µg/m³ · PM2.5: 15.0 µg/m³
Better than 75% of London
NoiseLOW
none
Quieter than 70% of London
Radon riskLOW
0.5% of local properties affected
ULEZ zone · £12.50/dayCCZ: 7.0 km away✗ Not Green Belt✗ Not AONB30% green spaceTree canopy: 55%
More green space than 85% of London

Nearest SSSI: Croham Hurst SSSI — 9.1 km

Energy

Solar: 851 kWh/kWp/yr

Ground stability

Geology: SAND AND GRAVEL

Subsidence risk: Low

Shrink-swell: Low

Running sand risk: Medium

Landslide records (2km): 3

Landslide susceptibility: Medium

Insurance risk

Standard

Cost band

Low

Flood risk

Low

Subsidence risk

0.5%

Flood claim prob.

Climate

Local weather conditions and energy potential

1,520 hrs/yr

Sunshine

608 mm/yr

Rainfall

22.5°C

Summer avg

3.2°C

Winter avg

Solar yield851.1 kWh/kWp/yr

Source: Met Office UK Climate Averages 1991-2020

Health

GP, dental and hospital access

ST JAMES' PRACTICE

138 CROYDON ROAD, BR3 4DG

49 min walk

0

GPs within 1km

2

Dentists within 1km

2

Care homes (1km)

Nearest hospital · 1.8 km
Nearest A&EKING'S COLLEGE HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST · 4.5 km
A&E 4hr targetNHS target: 95% · London avg: ~68%59.4%

Amenities

Shops, restaurants, parks and more

49

Parks (1km)

7

Restaurants (800m)

3

Cafes (800m)

2

Pubs (400m)

1

Pharmacies (800m)

2

Gyms (1km)

7

Sports (1km)

3

Convenience

Nearest supermarketForest Hill Supermarket · 886 m
2 tennis courts2 swimming pools1 sports halls

Nightlife (500m)

0

Nightclubs

2

Late-night venues

D
866 licensed premises in borough229 late-night refreshment licencesHome Office 2023/24

1

Libraries (1km)

0

Cinemas (2km)

1.0km

Post office

Nearby shops

Tesco Express186 m
IBS Traditional French Bakery199 m
Ram Convenience Store226 m
Wells Park Supermarket331 m

Nearby cafes

The Gym Cafe526 m
Archie Parker654 m
Sugahill Cafe687 m
Uncle Tibo’s692 m

Nearby restaurants

Lin Hong Garden55 m
Home Taste79 m
Mystic Burek79 m
Hibagon Sushi and Grill166 m

Nearby pubs

Bricklayers Arms124 m
The Fox & Hounds Pub219 m
The Talma380 m
The Hill696 m

Nearby gyms

Forest Hill Pools516 m
PureGym673 m
Energie853 m
Sydenham Tennis, Squash and Croquet Club1.2 km

Nearby pharmacies

Perfucare Pharmacy194 m
Touchwood Pharmacy769 m

Nearby health

London Dental Arts814 m
Bolney Court Dental Practice852 m
Food hygiene (5-star)49% of 57

Business

Local businesses registered here

Active businesses
0
New (last 12 months)
0
Dissolved (last 12 months)
0
Industry diversity
0
3yr survival rate
100.0%
Right-to-buy sales (5yr)
270

High street

A

High street health

Investment

Investment grade, yield and market outlook

28

Investment score

Weak

Score reflects rental yield, demand & liquidity — not capital appreciation. See Price growth potential below.

Low gross yield (1.0%) makes this better for owner-occupiers than buy-to-let investors. Capital growth outlook is low.

Avg monthly rent
£1,425London avg: £1,950/mo
Gross yield
1.0% (low)London avg: 3.8%Low yield — bottom 25% of London
Gentrification score15/100
Right-to-buy sales (5yr)Above average for outer London — neighbourhood in transition270
Sales last 12 months1

Rental market

Medium

Demand

Medium

Void risk

Mixed / transient

Tenant profile

+8.4%

Rent growth (1yr)

Market liquidity

Low

Market activity

100d

Est. days to sell

8/100

Velocity score

Future outlook

26.3

Price growth score

D
Low

New supply risk

Infrastructure pipeline

Infrastructure score13/100
Bakerloo Extension route2,760m
Crossrail 2 route8,347m

Demographics

16 Jun

Population, deprivation and income

Decile 4/10

More deprived than average

Index of Multiple Deprivation

More deprived than average

Rank: 13,242 nationally

1,753

Est. population

10,542/km²

70%

Employed

58%

Degree educated

£45,900

Median income

6.3%

Claimant rate

SuburbanHigh densityEstablished mixed

43

Community stability

Age profile

24%
23%
27%
17%
Under 1824%
18–3423%
35–4927%
50–6417%
65+9%

Tenure

18%
35%
30%
16%
Own outright18%
Own (mortgage)35%
Private rent30%
Social rent16%
Shared ownership2%
Rent free0%

Ethnicity

45%
18%
16%
White British45%
White Other18%
Asian8%
Black16%
Mixed9%
Other4%

Employment & lifestyle

Managerial / professional50%
Routine / semi-routine13%
No car household47%
Unemployed4%
No qualifications12%

Housing tenure (Census 2021)

Private rent30%
Social rent16%

vs. London

Income vs London+9.3%

Planning

Conservation areas and development

Conservation area
No
Article 4 area
Yes
Listed buildings (800m)
24
Planning apps (3 years)
1
Borough approval rate
61%
Opportunity area
No
CIL rate (residential)
£150/m²
Coal mining risk area
No
Japanese knotweed sites (400m)
0

Housing pipeline (800m)

Homes approved
0
Under construction
0
Completed (3yr)
12
Largest scheme
33 homes · 179, 179, DARTMOUTH ROAD, SE26 4RN
Pipeline pressure
NONE

Named schemes (500m)

179, 179, DARTMOUTH ROAD, SE26 4RN33 homes
completed
REAR OF, 3-33, REAR OF, 3-33, SYDENHAM PARK, SE2624 homes
completed
139-147, 139-147, Kirkdale, SE26 4QW14 homes
completed
148-168, 148-168, DARTMOUTH ROAD, SE2614 homes
completed
Site of garage rear of 189A and land rear of 181-191, Site of garage rear of 189A and land rear of 181-191, Kirkdale, SE26 4QH13 homes
completed

Politics

Local councillors and MP

Ward majority
Labour and Co-operative Party
Ward majority vote
20.5%
Election year
2022
MP
Ellie Reeves (Labour)
MP majority
18,397
Constituency
Lewisham West and East Dulwich

Councillors

Sophie DavisLabour and Co-operative Party
Peter BernardsLabour and Co-operative Party
Billy HardingLabour and Co-operative Party

Live in SE26 4BL? Rate your area

Help future residents make better decisions. Takes 30 seconds.

★★★★★

Resident Reviews

Be the first to review this area

🏘️

No reviews yet for SE26 4BL.
Help others by sharing your experience.

Reviews are from real residents. No account required. Inappropriate content is removed automatically.

Compare Lewisham with nearby boroughs:

Lewisham vs SouthwarkLewisham vs GreenwichLewisham vs BexleyLewisham vs Hackney

Similar postcodes

Frequently asked questions

📍 Track SE26 4BL

Get a free monthly update when crime, prices or school ratings change in this area.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Key facts for SE26 4BL

Full postcodeSE26 4BL
Postcode districtSE26
BoroughLondon Borough of Lewisham
WardForest Hill
Latitude51.432876
Longitude-0.060795
Parliamentary constituencyLewisham West and East Dulwich
CountryEngland
RegionGreater London

Trusted official data sources

Office for
National Statistics
LONDONDATASTORE
Ofsted
HM LAND
REGISTRY
Environment
Agency
DATA.POLICE.UK
GOV.UK
TfL
Transport
for London
NHS
Digital
Companies
House
Royal
Mail
Food Standards
Agency
Ofcom
Met
Office
Ordnance
Survey