Forest Hill · Lewisham · Lewisham West and East Dulwich constituency · 51.43230, -0.06524

SE26 6AR— Forest Hill, Lewisham

Location and area intelligence for SE26 6AR, Forest Hill, Lewisham

The family fortress

 

Schools 100%Safety 83/100Transport 31/100Yield 4.19%

Best for: Families

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

Liveability
54
Safety
83
Schools
90
Transport
31
Environment
60
Investment
45

The bottom line

SE26 6AR offers exceptional schools (100% Good/Outstanding) and low crime at £408,000 median — a strong choice for Families.

Less suited to Car-free commuters.

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Location

SE26 6AR

Area Profile & Benchmarks

Area identity and London comparisons

Area Identity

Suburban
Very highMixed
Buyer fit: ExcellentInvestment outlook: NeutralRisk: Low

London Benchmarks

vs London avg price-21.5% vs London avg
vs London income+9.3% vs London avg
vs London crime-23.0% vs London avg

Deep-dive guides for SE26 6AR

🛡️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 6AR 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 · 6 min walk

P8: +0.16A8: 51.4

100% of local schools rated Good or Outstanding · based on 7 schools within 1.5km

Top 10% — exceptional provision

Childcare

Childcare

Dulwich Wood Nursery School

Not inspected · 13 min walk

4 primaries · 1 secondaries · 0 childcare — within 1km

Safety

13 Jul

Crime rates and local incidents

Low crime

49.8 incidents per 1,000 residents

Better than 63% of London
→ Stable

-34% vs borough

Crime by type

Violence & sexual offences27%
Anti-social behaviour19%
Other19%
Vehicle crime18%
Burglary6%
Drug offences4%
Robbery4%
Theft1%

Road safety

100

Road safety score

0

Accidents (5yr)

Fire risk

LOW

Risk band

0

Incidents (1yr)

0

Incidents (5yr)

Nearest station: Fire Station · 1.8km

Crime is 23% below London average

Property

2 Jul

Prices, sales volume and market trends

Low transaction volume — only 5 sales in 24 months. Price figures may not reflect the wider area. Treat with caution.

£408,000

Median sale price

22% below London median

£408,000 is 22% below the London median (£520,000)

+9.7%

This year

Flat

Dominant type

Price history

5-year change
+3.3%
Sales (24 months)5
New build0.0%
Avg semi-detached£620,000
Avg flat£402,750
Price per m²£6,053/m²
Price per ft²£562/ft²
Avg floor area69.2 m²

EPC breakdown

C
8%
D
25%
E
6%
F
2%

Based on 41 properties · Confidence: high

Street mix

Semi 6%Terraced 10%Flat 79%Other 4%

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

Stamp duty

Standard buyer£7,900
First-time buyerFTB
£0
Additional propertyBTL/2nd
£20,140

England & NI rates 2025/26. Additional property rate adds 3% on each band.

Current mortgage rates

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

Bank of England (monthly average)

Affordability

8.9×

Price-to-income

£2,041/mo

Est. mortgage

Low

Market activity

100d

Days to sell

Rising

Market momentum

Energy & construction

Solar yield851 kWh/kWp/yr
Heat pump suitableNo
EPC upgrade costMinimal
Rebuild cost estimate£173,000
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 BAnnual charge £1,472
Price growth potentialModerate

Market History

Price trajectory, velocity and distribution

Price Trajectory

1996–2026 · CAGR

+6.4%

Total change

+550%

Market Activity

Price Velocity & Acceleration

Current Velocity

+9.8%

per year

Acceleration

+16.09

change in velocity

Market State

Steady growth

Velocity (%)Acceleration

Price Distribution

P25: £200k–£250k · P75: £75k–£100k · 56 sales

Property Type Mix

Total: 56 sales

Semi-detached7.1%
Terraced10.7%
Flat/maisonette82.1%

By decade

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Market Cycle

BullCooling bullRisingSteadyRecoveryCorrectionBear

Market Eras

EraPeriodStart priceEnd priceChangeAvg sales/yr
Late-1990s boom1996–2000£68k£91k+34.6%2.2
Post-dot-com plateau2001–2004£111k£155k+39.6%2.2
Pre-crash peak2005–2007£167k£177k+6.5%2.3
GFC & correction2009–2011£175k£192k+9.6%1.3
Help-to-Buy recovery2013–2016£229k£383k+67.4%2.3
Brexit uncertainty2017–2019£388k£456k+17.5%2
Pandemic surge2020–2021£340k£395k+16.2%2.5
Rate-rise correction2023–2023£430k£430k+0%2
Current market2025–2026£403k£442k+9.7%2.5

Price Trajectory by Type

Flat/maisonette

Per-type alpha vs district

Best performer

Flat/maisonette

+0% alpha

Flat/maisonette+0% α
Local
7.4%
District
7.4%

CAGR over 26yr data window. Alpha = local CAGR − district CAGR.

Buyer vs Seller Score

Composite market conditions index 0–100

22out of 100SellerBuyer

Market condition

Strong Seller's Market

Favours sellers

Higher score = better conditions for buyers

Score breakdown

Price Velocity0
Sales Volume15
Seasonal Timing0
Trend Position75

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
12 min walk
SydenhamNational Rail
12 min walk
Forest Hill Rail StationSouthern · Windrush
14 min walk
Crystal Palace Rail StationWindrush · Southern
21 min walk
Penge West Rail StationWindrush · Southern
21 min walk
No bus stops within 400m

16

Walkability score

92

Footpaths (500m)

0

Santander docks (800m)

3.1 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

1

Car parks (800m)

2

EV chargers (800m)

Nearest car park410m
Santander docks (800m)0
Nearest cycle dock3.1 km

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: 6.9 km away✗ Not Green Belt✗ Not AONB33% green spaceTree canopy: 70%
More green space than 88% of London

Nearest SSSI: Croham Hurst SSSI — 9.0 km

Energy

Solar: 851 kWh/kWp/yrHeat pump: Not suitableEPC upgrade: Minimal

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
Heat pump suitableNo
EPC upgrade costMinimal

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

91%

Recommend GP

91%

Overall GP experience

0

GPs within 1km

0

Dentists within 1km

1

Care homes (1km)

Nearest hospital · 1.6 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

43

Parks (1km)

4

Restaurants (800m)

0

Cafes (800m)

1

Pubs (400m)

1

Pharmacies (800m)

0

Gyms (1km)

3

Sports (1km)

1

Convenience

Nearest supermarketEndora House Food & Wine · 1.1 km
2 tennis courts1 sports halls

Nightlife (500m)

0

Nightclubs

1

Late-night venues

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

0

Libraries (1km)

0

Cinemas (2km)

1.1km

Post office

Nearby shops

Wells Park Supermarket166 m
IBS Traditional French Bakery387 m
Tesco Express395 m
Ram Convenience Store423 m

Nearby cafes

The Gym Cafe816 m
Sugahill Cafe826 m
Uncle Tibo’s838 m
Cobb’s Corner Cafe894 m

Nearby restaurants

Lin Hong Garden349 m
Hibagon Sushi and Grill362 m
Home Taste370 m
Mystic Burek374 m

Nearby pubs

The Talma170 m
The Fox & Hounds Pub399 m
Bricklayers Arms438 m
The Wood House520 m

Nearby gyms

Forest Hill Pools795 m
PureGym820 m
Camber Lawn Tennis Club1.2 km

Nearby pharmacies

Perfucare Pharmacy382 m

Nearby health

Bolney Court Dental Practice948 m
Food hygiene (5-star)53% of 40

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

E

High street health

Investment

Investment grade, yield and market outlook

45

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
4.2% (average)London avg: 3.8%Above average yield
Gentrification score15/100
Right-to-buy sales (5yr)Above average for outer London — neighbourhood in transition270
Sales last 12 months2

Rental market

Medium

Demand

Medium

Void risk

Mixed owner / renter

Tenant profile

+8.4%

Rent growth (1yr)

Market liquidity

Low

Market activity

100d

Est. days to sell

17/100

Velocity score

Future outlook

45.4

Price growth score

C
Low

New supply risk

High investment qualityConfirmed 5yr price momentum

Infrastructure pipeline

Infrastructure score0/100
Bakerloo Extension route3,064m
Crossrail 2 route8,103m

Demographics

16 Jun

Population, deprivation and income

Decile 4/10

More deprived than average

Index of Multiple Deprivation

More deprived than average

Rank: 10,355 nationally

1,547

Est. population

16,481/km²

57%

Employed

42%

Degree educated

£45,900

Median income

9.8%

Claimant rate

SuburbanVery high densityMixed

41

Community stability

Age profile

28%
25%
21%
18%
Under 1828%
18–3425%
35–4921%
50–6418%
65+8%

Tenure

19%
18%
54%
Own outright10%
Own (mortgage)19%
Private rent18%
Social rent54%
Shared ownership1%
Rent free0%

Ethnicity

28%
39%
White British28%
White Other9%
Asian7%
Black40%
Mixed7%
Other9%

Employment & lifestyle

Managerial / professional29%
Routine / semi-routine23%
No car household46%
Unemployed7%
No qualifications17%

Housing tenure (Census 2021)

Social rent54%
Private rent18%

vs. London

Income vs London+9.3%
Price vs London-21.5%

Planning

Conservation areas and development

Conservation area
No
Article 4 area
Yes
Listed buildings (800m)
20
Planning apps (12 months)
1
Planning apps (3 years)
4
Local approval rate
100%
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)

The Duke Public House, 104, The Duke Public House, 104, Wells Park Road, SE269 homes
completed
18, 18, LONGTON AVENUE, SE26 6QZ7 homes
completed
11 WELLS PARK ROAD, LONDON, SE26 6JQ3 homes
completed
32a, 32a, Panmure Road, SE26 6NA2 homes
completed
100, 100, KIRKDALE, SE26 4BG2 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

Stamp Duty & Affordability Calculator

Stamp duty on median price (£408,000)

£7,900

Standard buyer

£0

First-time buyer

Save £7,900

Affordability check — your annual salary

£

Deposit

Affordability uses 4.5× single income and 4.75% indicative rate over 25 years. Not financial advice.

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Key facts for SE26 6AR

Full postcodeSE26 6AR
Postcode districtSE26
BoroughLondon Borough of Lewisham
WardForest Hill
Latitude51.432302
Longitude-0.065236
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