Brockley

Overview

Families seduced by magnificent Victorian homes and green spaces. Young professionals in search of comfortable dwellings with good transport links to central London. Artists - some associated with the nearby Goldsmiths and the Camberwell College of Arts - drawn by the community’s diversity and creative spirit. They all cross paths in the streets of Brockley, often against the backdrop of colourful, much-photographed public art.

Stroll along Wickham and Tressillian roads in the protected Brockley Conservation Area for some of the neighbourhood’s most striking homes, while a cluster of new-built apartments can be found around the local railway and London Overground station. There’s no town centre per se here, but a casual stroll between Brockley and nearby Crofton Park will reward you with some of south-east London’s most-loved cafés, restaurants and cultural venues.

Discover Brockley’s best-kept secrets, tucked between an intriguing network of history-laden railways, roads and back alleys.

Interesting Facts

• The area’s love affair with murals goes way back. Evelyn Dunbar was among the Royal College of Art graduates that in the 1930s painted the exquisite Brockley Murals - inspired by Aesop’s Fables - that today decorate Prendergast School.
• In the 2010s, the Brockley Street Art Festival brought together the local community and artists to create a series of eye-catching murals. The characteristic SE4 and Brockley murals are by local artist Lionel Stanhope, who started out at the festival. An update of the latter included a tribute to Lewisham Olympic medalist Alex Yee.
• The authentically vintage 1950s Rivoli Ballroom is a London favourite whose fame has travelled far and wide thanks to several film and TV productions, that used it as a filming location - from “Strictly Come Dancing” to “The Avengers” via “The Muppets”.

Amenities

University Hospital Lewisham is a 10-minute car ride from Brockley rail station, while King’s College Hospital in Camberwell also serves patients from the area. The Honor Oak Health Centre in SE4 is one of 12 community sites across Lewisham.

Attractions

Things to do

Situated between the vibrant and multicultural Peckham and New Cross, Brockley retains its neighbourhood charm but still offers a host of things to do - from historic walks in nature to exciting cultural events that bring the community together.

• Every Saturday, the neighbourhood’s heart beats in the award-winning Brockley Market held at Lewisham College car park. Local producers and traders vie for visitors' attention with delicious artisan coffee, baked goods, cheeses, charcuterie, and a steady supply of seasonally sourced fruit and veg.

• The family-friendly Hilly Fields Park is perfect for exercise or a catch-up with friends against a leafy backdrop. Telegraph Hill, towards Nunhead, and Blythe Hill Fields to the south offer scenic London vistas. The Victorian Brockley and Ladywell Cemeteries, part of the designated conservation area, welcome residents for beautifully atmospheric walks in time.
• Highlights of the sunny season include Brockley Max, a nine-day celebration of local creativity with art, live music, children's workshops and more. Brockley Society also runs the all-day Midsummer Fayre on Hilly Fields.
• Don’t miss some of the neighbourhood’s most intriguing venues for all-round entertainment: the award-winning Jack Studio Theatre champions new companies and writers, while Rivoli Ballroom hosts from alt-rock gigs to jive parties and pop-up cinema nights.

History

Brockley originally developed in the area around the present-day Crofton Park station. In the late 19th century, the Tyrwhitt-Drake family transformed Brockley’s northern part by building a stunning collection of villas, semi-detached houses and terraces, many of which today have been subdivided into spacious flats. Some of the area’s most sought-after Victorian homes are located in the streets around Hilly Fields, which is now part of a designated conservation area.

Heavily damaged during WWII, historic properties in parts of Adelaide Avenue and Wickham Road were subsequently replaced by blocks of council flats characteristic of the city’s increasingly industrialised post-war landscape. With the opening of the Brockley Overground station in 2010, house prices have increased across the board.

Developments

There are no massive housing developments currently underway in Brockley.

Education

Education in the area

There’s an enviable selection of state schools here. Four primary schools - Gordonbrock, John Stainer, Stillness Infant School and Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham Temple Grove Free School - were rated “outstanding” by Ofsted, with more top-rated options for families in the surrounding area. The outstanding all-girls Prendergast Secondary School, which also has a sixth form, can be found on Adelaide Avenue and all-boys SEMH school Newlands Academy is also nearby.

For more information on their performance, please visit gov.uk.

Worship

Places of worship

Brockley’s friendly and welcoming places of worship bring together people of all ages and cultural backgrounds. St Gregorios Indian Orthodox Church is the first parish church of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church in the UK. Residents can also choose between the Elim Pentecostal Church, the Anglican Saint Hilda’s, the Evangelical St Peter’s Brockley, St Mary Magdalen RC Church, St Andrew’s Brockley and Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses.