Forest Hill · Lewisham · Lewisham West and East Dulwich constituency · 51.43315, -0.05946

SE26 4RL— Forest Hill, Lewisham

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

The family fortress

 

Schools 100%Safety 80/100Transport 39/100~5% yield · indicativeOnly 2 sales — thin data

Best for: Families

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

Liveability
63
Safety
80
Schools
90
Transport
39
Environment
56
Investment
51

The bottom line

SE26 4RL offers exceptional schools (100% Good/Outstanding) and low crime — strong value for Families who can accept its trade-offs.

The catch: very high noise — check proximity to rail lines.

Less suited to Car-free commuters.

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Location

SE26 4RL

Area Profile & Benchmarks

Area identity and London comparisons

Area Identity

Suburban
HighEstablished mixed
Buyer fit: ExcellentInvestment outlook: NeutralRisk: Medium

London Benchmarks

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

Deep-dive guides for SE26 4RL

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

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Postcode Personality

🎓 School Smart🌳 Good Parks🔒 Very Safe

“The family fortress”

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How SE26 4RL 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 · 3 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 10 schools within 1.5km

Top 10% — exceptional provision

Childcare

Childcare

Dulwich Wood Nursery School

Not inspected · 18 min walk

6 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

98

Road safety score

2

Accidents (5yr)

1

Serious within 200m

LOW pedestrian risk1 pedestrian casualties (5yr)

Fire risk

LOW

Risk band

0

Incidents (1yr)

0

Incidents (5yr)

Nearest station: Fire Station · 1.5km

Crime is +4% above London average

Property

2 Jul

Prices, sales volume and market trends

Insufficient sales data

Only 2 sales 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)2
New build0.0%
Price per m²£6,186/m²
Price per ft²£575/ft²
Avg floor area53.9 m²

EPC breakdown

C
10%
D
4%
F
1%

Based on 15 properties · Confidence: medium

Street mix

Flat 100%

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£134,750
Rebuild cost per m²£2,500/m²

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

Construction era1967-1975
WallsCavity wall, 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 potentialModerate

Market History

Price trajectory, velocity and distribution

Price Trajectory

1999–2025 · CAGR

+6.4%

Total change

+396%

Market Activity

Price Velocity & Acceleration

Current Velocity

-5.0%

per year

Acceleration

-17.37

change in velocity

Market State

Downturn

Velocity (%)Acceleration

Price Distribution

P25: £50k–£75k · P75: £175k–£200k · 29 sales

Property Type Mix

Total: 29 sales

Flat/maisonette100%

By decade

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Market Cycle

BullCooling bullRisingSteadyRecoveryCorrectionBear

Market Eras

EraPeriodStart priceEnd priceChangeAvg sales/yr
Late-1990s boom1999–2000£65k£73k+12.4%2
Post-dot-com plateau2001–2002£80k£120k+50%1
Pre-crash peak2007–2007£183k£183k+0%2
GFC & correction2010–2011£110k£167k+51.4%1
Help-to-Buy recovery2013–2016£190k£298k+56.6%2.5
Pandemic surge2021–2021£280k£280k+0%2
Rate-rise correction2022–2023£326k£300k-7.9%2.5
Current market2024–2025£337k£320k-5%1

Price Trajectory by Type

Flat/maisonette

Per-type alpha vs district

Best performer

Flat/maisonette

+0% alpha

Flat/maisonette+0% α
Local
7.3%
District
7.3%

CAGR over 23yr data window. Alpha = local CAGR − district CAGR.

Buyer vs Seller Score

Composite market conditions index 0–100

62out of 100SellerBuyer

Market condition

Buyer's Market

Neutral conditions

Higher score = better conditions for buyers

Score breakdown

Price Velocity100
Sales Volume75
Seasonal Timing0
Trend Position75

Transport

1 Jul

Public transport accessibility and links

PTAL 2

Poor

1a
1b
2
3
4
5
6a
6b
Below London average
Sydenham→ London Bridge· 6 tph
20 min

Nearby stations

Sydenham Rail StationWindrush · Southern
9 min walk
SydenhamNational Rail
9 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

33

Walkability score

57

Footpaths (500m)

0

Santander docks (800m)

3.4 km

Nearest cycle dock

Central London commute times

London Bridge ★35 min
Victoria51 min ↑
Waterloo45 min ↑
Canary Wharf37 min ↓
City46 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 park323m
Santander docks (800m)0
Nearest cycle dock3.4 km

Nearby car parks

🅿️
Perry Vale Car Park
679m

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
NoiseVERY HIGH
road
Among London's noisiest areas
Radon riskLOW
0.5% of local properties affected
ULEZ zone · £12.50/dayCCZ: 7.1 km away✗ Not Green Belt✗ Not AONB20% green spaceTree canopy: 10%
More green space than 75% 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 · 1.9 km
Nearest A&EKING'S COLLEGE HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST · 4.6 km
A&E 4hr targetNHS target: 95% · London avg: ~68%59.4%

Amenities

Shops, restaurants, parks and more

46

Parks (1km)

14

Restaurants (800m)

5

Cafes (800m)

2

Pubs (400m)

1

Pharmacies (800m)

2

Gyms (1km)

6

Sports (1km)

3

Convenience

Nearest supermarketForest Hill Supermarket · 805 m
1 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)

971m

Post office

Nearby shops

Tesco Express204 m
IBS Traditional French Bakery224 m
Ram Convenience Store238 m
Wells Park Supermarket422 m

Nearby cafes

The Gym Cafe437 m
Archie Parker571 m
Big Breakfast670 m
Sugahill Cafe680 m

Nearby restaurants

Mystic Burek81 m
Home Taste86 m
Lin Hong Garden88 m
Hibagon Sushi and Grill199 m

Nearby pubs

Bricklayers Arms40 m
The Fox & Hounds Pub242 m
The Talma473 m
The Hill615 m

Nearby gyms

Forest Hill Pools432 m
PureGym663 m
Energie784 m

Nearby pharmacies

Perfucare Pharmacy221 m
Touchwood Pharmacy760 m

Nearby health

London Dental Arts739 m
Bolney Court Dental Practice856 m
Food hygiene (5-star)50% of 74

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

51

Investment score

Moderate

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

Avg monthly rent
£1,425London avg: £1,950/mo
Gross yield
5.2% (good)London avg: 3.8%Strong yield — top 18% of London
Gentrification score17/100
Right-to-buy sales (5yr)Above average for outer London — neighbourhood in transition270
Sales last 12 months0

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

45.6

Price growth score

C
Low

New supply risk

High investment quality

Infrastructure pipeline

Infrastructure score13/100
Bakerloo Extension route2,669m
Crossrail 2 route8,415m

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
139-147, 139-147, Kirkdale, SE26 4QW14 homes
completed
148-168, 148-168, DARTMOUTH ROAD, SE2614 homes
completed
1-7, 1-7, CHURCHLEY VILLAS, WELLS PARK ROAD, SE2613 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

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Key facts for SE26 4RL

Full postcodeSE26 4RL
Postcode districtSE26
BoroughLondon Borough of Lewisham
WardForest Hill
Latitude51.433151
Longitude-0.059460
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