Forest Hill · Lewisham · Lewisham West and East Dulwich constituency · 51.43343, -0.06028

SE26 4RA— Forest Hill, Lewisham

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

The family fortress

 

Schools 100%Safety 80/100Transport 33/100

Best for: Families

Compare areas

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

Liveability
61
Safety
80
Schools
90
Transport
33
Environment
59
Investment
55

The bottom line

SE26 4RA 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 4RA 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 4RA meets your needs.

Location

SE26 4RA

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 4RA

🛡️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 4RA with:

Postcode Personality

🎓 School Smart🌳 Good Parks🔒 Very Safe

“The family fortress”

Share:WhatsAppShare on X

How SE26 4RA 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 · 1 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

100

Road safety score

0

Accidents (5yr)

1

Serious within 200m

Fire risk

LOW

Risk band

0

Incidents (1yr)

0

Incidents (5yr)

Nearest station: Fire Station · 1.5km

Crime is +4% above London average

Property

Prices, sales volume and market trends

Avg floor area66.6 m²

EPC breakdown

C
6%
D
9%
E
5%

Based on 20 properties · Confidence: medium

Street mix

Semi 21%Terraced 10%Detached 15%Flat 54%

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

Energy & construction

Solar yield851 kWh/kWp/yr
Rebuild cost estimate£166,500
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

1996–2023 · CAGR

+5.6%

Total change

+337%

Market Activity

Price Velocity & Acceleration

Current Velocity

+0.0%

per year

Acceleration

+50.58

change in velocity

Market State

Recovery

Velocity (%)Acceleration

Price Distribution

P25: £75k–£100k · P75: £450k–£500k · 36 sales

Property Type Mix

Total: 36 sales

Detached16.7%
Semi-detached22.2%
Terraced11.1%
Flat/maisonette50%

By decade

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Market Cycle

BullCooling bullRisingSteadyRecoveryCorrectionBear

Market Eras

EraPeriodStart priceEnd priceChangeAvg sales/yr
Late-1990s boom1996–2000£73k£65k-11.3%1.3
Post-dot-com plateau2001–2004£124k£212k+69.9%1.8
Pre-crash peak2005–2007£119k£250k+110%3.5
GFC & correction2009–2012£278k£404k+45.5%1.7
Help-to-Buy recovery2013–2016£195k£258k+32.3%1
Brexit uncertainty2018–2019£185k£260k+40.5%1
Pandemic surge2021–2021£648k£648k+0%2
Rate-rise correction2022–2023£320k£320k+0%2.5

Price Trajectory by Type

Flat/maisonette

Per-type alpha vs district

Best performer

Flat/maisonette

+0% alpha

Flat/maisonette+0% α
Local
9.1%
District
9.1%

CAGR over 3yr data window. Alpha = local CAGR − district CAGR.

Buyer vs Seller Score

Composite market conditions index 0–100

60out of 100SellerBuyer

Market condition

Buyer's Market

Neutral conditions

Higher score = better conditions for buyers

Score breakdown

Price Velocity75
Seasonal Timing6
Trend Position100

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
10 min walk
Penge West Rail StationWindrush · Southern
22 min walk
Crystal Palace Rail StationWindrush · Southern
24 min walk
No bus stops within 400m

32

Walkability score

64

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 park348m
Santander docks (800m)0
Nearest cycle dock3.4 km

Nearby car parks

🅿️
Perry Vale Car Park
696m

Environment

2 Jul

Flood risk, air quality and noise

Flood riskLOW
Low
Minimal flood risk
Surface waterNONE
No assessed surface water flood risk
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 AONB29% green spaceTree canopy: 25%
More green space than 84% 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

50 min walk

0

GPs within 1km

2

Dentists within 1km

2

Care homes (1km)

Nearest hospital · 1.9 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

50

Parks (1km)

12

Restaurants (800m)

3

Cafes (800m)

2

Pubs (400m)

1

Pharmacies (800m)

2

Gyms (1km)

7

Sports (1km)

3

Convenience

Nearest supermarketForest Hill Supermarket · 817 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 Express236 m
IBS Traditional French Bakery252 m
Ram Convenience Store274 m
Wells Park Supermarket398 m

Nearby cafes

The Gym Cafe459 m
Archie Parker584 m
Big Breakfast679 m
Ounce10 Coffee699 m

Nearby restaurants

Lin Hong Garden100 m
Mystic Burek111 m
Home Taste114 m
Hibagon Sushi and Grill223 m

Nearby pubs

Bricklayers Arms104 m
The Fox & Hounds Pub272 m
The Talma446 m
The Hill626 m

Nearby gyms

Forest Hill Pools447 m
PureGym712 m
Energie782 m

Nearby pharmacies

Perfucare Pharmacy248 m
Touchwood Pharmacy810 m

Nearby health

London Dental Arts744 m
Bolney Court Dental Practice900 m
Food hygiene (5-star)48% of 60

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

55

Investment score

Good

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

Avg monthly rent
£1,425London avg: £1,950/mo
Gentrification score16/100
Right-to-buy sales (5yr)Above average for outer London — neighbourhood in transition270

Rental market

Medium

Demand

Medium

Void risk

Mixed / transient

Tenant profile

+8.4%

Rent growth (1yr)

Market liquidity

Future outlook

22.4

Price growth score

E
Low

New supply risk

Infrastructure pipeline

Infrastructure score13/100
Bakerloo Extension route2,728m
Crossrail 2 route8,350m

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)
17
Largest scheme
52 homes · All land and buildings at 1-16, All land and buildings at 1-16, Clyde Terrace, Forest Hill, SE23 3JQ
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
NORTHWEST GARAGES, NORTHWEST GARAGES, KNAPDALE CLOSE, LONDON, SE23 3XG17 homes
completed
148-168, 148-168, DARTMOUTH ROAD, SE2614 homes
completed
139-147, 139-147, Kirkdale, SE26 4QW14 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 4RA? 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 4RA.
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 4RA

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

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Key facts for SE26 4RA

Full postcodeSE26 4RA
Postcode districtSE26
BoroughLondon Borough of Lewisham
WardForest Hill
Latitude51.433425
Longitude-0.060283
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