Ladywell

Overview

Ladywell has become an attractive area to move to for new parents and young professionals owing to its affordable housing, proximity to schools and plenty of green space.

Most properties in the area are built in the Victorian or Edwardian architectural style.

The Ladywell rail station has frequent trains that will take you to London Bridge, Charing Cross, and St Pancras. The Waterlink Way passing through Ladywell Fields makes it easy for cyclists to connect to other London parks and green spaces.

Let us take a deeper look at Ladywell and what it has to offer.

Interesting Facts

In 1900 a large workhouse for the elderly poor was built on Slagrave Farm. It was later known as Ladywell Lodge. A large part of the workhouse was later demolished but some of the buildings have survived in and beyond Slagrove Place.

The Playtower built in 1884, became one of the first public swimming pools in the country. It attracted thousands of local people, including athlete Eric Liddell, who won a gold medal in the 400m at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris and was later immortalised in the film Chariots of Fire. The Ladywell Playtower was closed in 2004. In 2006, after a serious fire, the building fell into disrepair.

Amenities

Hilly Fields Medical centre on Adelaide Avenue is walking distance from Ladywell while Belmont Hill Surgery in Blackheath is a short bus ride away.

University Hospital Lewisham is a short walk away. The Ladywell mental health unit is based at there as well. The Ladywell unit is part of South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

Attractions

Things to do

• The Ladywell Fields is the gem of the area. The sprawling grassy expanse running along the banks of the river Ravensbourne is filled with playgrounds, tennis courts, a stream, and a cafe. The Adventure Playground features a large sandpit, indoor games, and a play area perfect for little kids. The Ladywell Fields User Group is a useful website about Ladywell Fields and community-oriented events or clean up drives happening at the location.
• Every year there is a volunteer run Christmas market in December.
• There are a lot of local delis and bakeries in the area along with a post office, greengrocers, cafés, pubs, and a local meat shop on the high street.
• Hilly Fields Park which offers various facilities such as an outdoor gym, tennis courts and basketball courts is also nearby.
• The Horniman Musuem and Gardens in Forest Hill, The Broadway Theatre in Catford, The London Theatre in New Cross and The Albany in Deptford are all exciting places to visit nearby.

History

The area gets its name from a spring which was found in the area in 1472 and known as Our Lady’s Well. The spring was believed to have healing powers which attracted a lot of pilgrims. The ‘lady’ refers to St Mary, to whom the local church is dedicated to.

In 1857 the Ladywell station opened on the Mid-Kent Railway and as more people started to reside in the area, Lady Well was covered over to make way for terraced housing on the Ladywell Road.

In 1890s the cottages in Ladywell Road were demolished and the land redeveloped with shops and houses.

After each of the world wars, council housing was built in the area but some former meadows at the time were left untouched. These now make up the Ladywell Fields.

In 2013 Ladywell Village and Ladywell Road was refurbished with £800,000 of Transport for London funding. The pavements were widened, short stay bays were created to improve the main shopping area and trees were added.

Developments

Construction of the RUSS community housing project in Church Grove started at the end of 2021. 36 new homes will be built as part of the development on a site located alongside the Ravensbourne River, between Ladywell Road and the Wearside Depot. The flats will be a mix of varied sizes and tenures, including single rooms in a shared flat to 4-bedroom family flats available through shared ownership, with three flats specifically designed for wheelchair users. The landscaped area surrounding the development will include raised beds for communal food growing and a new playground and will make this part of the river accessible to the public for the first time in over 100 years.

Education

Education in the area

Chelwood Nursery School is popular among locals. When it comes to primary schools Beecroft Garden Primary, Brindishee Green School and Brindishee Manor School has a 4-star rating on Oftsed. Gordonbrook is a primary school within the area which provides education for pupils aged 3-11 years old and has been rated ‘outstanding.’ Prendergast Ladywell, Prendergast Hilly Fields, Trinty Church of England School, and Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hatcham College covers primary, secondary and sixth form.

Worship

Places of worship

Catford Community Church and Brockley Community Church are both about 15 minutes away by bus while St Saviour’s Church on Lewisham High Street is 10 minutes away.

The Hindu temple Maha Lakshmi Vidya Bhavan on Hengrave Road is 11 minutes away from Ladywell Station.