Living in Sidcup: area guide to homes, schools and transport links
Young Londoners are increasingly attracted to Sidcup by its first-time buyer-friendly house prices and the quick commute to the centre of the capital — with that rare opportunity of securing a seat on the train during the morning rush hour. Families seeking good schools are keen, too, as are downsizers.
Change is coming to this quiet south-east London suburb. Over the last five years, it has gained two new pocket-friendly hotels — a Travelodge and a Premier Inn — while these days there’s also a branch of Little Waitrose and new accommodation for Rose Bruford College, the drama school that counts Oscar-nominated Gary Oldman among its former students.
The Fold, a £20 million copper-clad mixed-use scheme by Studio Egret West next to the station, looks rather like the inside of a posh box of chocolates and though it launched to mixed reviews, it is popular with young City commuters.
Local estate agent Brett Northover, at Village Estates, says: “I recently sold a two-bedroom flat in The Fold for £335,000 — there were four offers and it went for above the asking price.”
The local shops are around the station in Station Road and also half a mile away in the town centre, which has recently benefited from a £1.8 million face lift.
Sidcup and nearby Foots Cray were once home to wealthy London families who built large country houses, some of which survive to this day.
One of the most historic is Frognal House, once home to the Whig politician Thomas Townshend, lst Viscount Sydney (1733-1800), who gave his name to Sydney in Nova Scotia in Canada and Sydney in Australia. Frognal was used as a First World War hospital, where the pioneering plastic surgeon Harold Gillies rebuilt the faces of injured soldiers from the trenches.
Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance is found at Lamorbey House, another fine listed historic building. The original 17th-century house was rebuilt in the 18th century and again in the 19th century, when the Jacobean-style exterior was added.
The most expensive home for sale locally is another grand mansion. Vale Mascal in North Cray Road, an 18th-century seven-bedroom house with a separate cottage, in five acres along the River Cray, is on the market with JDM for £3.5 million. Call 020 8012 2398 for details.
Sidcup is 14 miles south-east of central London with the major shopping centre of Bexleyheath to the north, open Kent countryside to the east, Chislehurst to the south and New Eltham to the west.
The property scene
The range of Sidcup property is wide, from one-bedroom modern flats to five-bedroom detached houses. The predominant local house type is the Thirties semi, but there are also Victorian and Sixties houses.
One of the most expensive homes currently for sale is a seven-bedroom double-fronted Victorian house in St John’s Road, priced at £1,695,000.
The Hollies conservation area around Rowanwood Avenue was a children’s home where at one time up to 500 youngsters lived in a number of fine early 20th-century red-brick Arts and Crafts-influenced buildings.
The children’s home closed in the Eighties and the buildings have been converted into houses and flats.
The school is now Burnt Oak Juniors, and the old swimming pool has been transformed into The Hollies Countryside Club. A four-bedroom house, once part of the children’s home, is for sale in Rowanwood Avenue for £949,950.
What's new?
After a concentrated burst of activity there are not many new homes currently being built in Sidcup, although locals are petitioning against a proposed development of 136 flats in three tower blocks next to the station which it is feared could threaten the future of The Iron Horse pub.
Local estate agent Brett Northover mentions a couple of other projects in the pipeline. A Victorian school building in Birkbeck Road is due to be converted into six flats, while housebuilder Shanly Homes is trying to get planning permission for an office-to-residential conversion of Oceanic House in Sidcup Hill, proposing to create 50 or so one- and two-bedroom flats.
There is a small development of nine one- and two-bedroom flats and a penthouse in Granville Road that are ready to move into, with prices from £345,000 to £620,000 for the penthouse. Call Your Move on 020 8302 7711.
McCarthy & Stone is selling Sydney Court in Lansdown Road, a scheme of 50 one- and two-bedroom flats for the over-70s close to Waring Park. One-bedroom flats start at £361,950 and two-bedroom flats at £458,950. Call 0800 153 3716.
In nearby New Eltham, Linden Homes is building Waterford Place in Avery Hill Road. On a 13-acre former private sports club, the development comprises 132 two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom family homes.
In the current phase, three-bedroom terrace houses start at £594,950, with four-bedroom semis at £754,950. The first residents moved in late last year and the scheme will complete in 2020. Call 020 3131 0513.
Affordable homes
There will be 40 shared-ownership homes at Waterford Place (see above) through housing association Optivo. Visit optivo.org.uk for more.
Renting
The presence of performing arts colleges Rose Bruford and Bird, and of Queen Mary’s Hospital, guarantees a busy rental market that has attracted buy-to-let investors.
Staying power
Local estate agent Brett Northover says there are many families who have never lived anywhere else. “For me, that is what makes Sidcup.”
Postcode
DA14 and DA15 are the two Sidcup postcodes. DA14 covers the town centre, Foots Cray and North Cray. DA15 covers the railway station, Lamorbey and Blackfen.
Best roads
Christ Church conservation area, west of Station Road, has mainly Victorian semi-detached and detached houses. The best road, according to estate agent Brett Northover, is Priestlands Park Road where there are Victorian and later detached houses.
Up and coming
Traditional three-bedroom Thirties terrace houses with garages at the side offer potential to extend to become four- and five-bedroom family homes. Prices for these range from £375,000 to £475,000.
Travel
Sidcup is close to the A20 London to Dover road. Sidcup station has trains to Cannon Street via London Bridge, and also to Charing Cross via London Bridge and Waterloo East. Trains to London Bridge take between 22 and 33 minutes.
The station is in Zone 5 and an annual travelcard to Zone 1 costs £2,328.
Council
Bexley council is Conservative controlled. Band D council tax for 2017/2018 is £1,524.19.
Lifestyle
Shops and restaurants
The town centre had a recent makeover, with new pavements and seating along Main Road and Sidcup High Street. There is a large Morrisons supermarket and a Little Waitrose, plus an independent baker and butcher, and chain restaurants Prezzo and PizzaExpress.
Indian Rose is an independent boutique and gift shop in the High Street and Violet’s Vintage Tea Room has a Forties vibe on Sidcup Hill.
Pubs include the newly refurbished Hill Top Tap in Main Road and The Hackney Carriage Micro Pub in Station Road. Walnuts Café in Main Road is popular. Other favourites in Station Road are The Chunky Teapot, Mario’s Pizzeria, all-day restaurant Chez Pascal’s and Hello Burger.
Open space
Sidcup Place Park in the town centre has free tennis courts and Lamorbey Park is a landscaped garden with a large lake.
There is fierce local opposition to plans by the local council, Bexley, to sell part of Old Farm Park, west of Sidcup station, for housing.
Foots Cray Meadows is the largest local outdoor space, with walks along the River Cray and picturesque features such as the Five Arch Bridge.
Leisure and the arts
Golf is a big attraction locally. Sidcup Golf Club in Hurst Road in Lamorbey Park is a nine-hole course. The nearest cinema is the Cineworld multiplex in Bexleyheath.
Sidcup Leisure Centre in Hurst Road has the local council-run swimming pool and gym. There are indoor and outdoor swimming pools at David Lloyd Leisure in Baugh Road.
Schools
Primary schools
All of Sidcup’s primary schools are rated “good” by the Ofsted education watchdog.
Grammar
The local council has grammar schools, the nearest being Chislehurst & Sidcup Grammar (co-ed, ages 11 to 18) in Hurst Road, which is rated “good”, and Bexley Grammar (co-ed, ages 11 to 18) in Danson Lane, Welling, which is rated “outstanding”.
Comprehensive
All the comprehensive schools in Sidcup and the surrounding area are rated “good”. They are: Chislehurst School for Girls (ages 11 to 18) in Beaverwood Road, Chislehurst; Hurstmere (boys, ages 11 to 16) in Hurst Road; Blackfen School for Girls (ages 11 to 18) in Blackfen Road and Coopers School (co-ed, ages 11 to 18) in Hawkwood Lane, Chislehurst.
Christ the King St Mary’s Sixth Form RC (co-ed, ages 16 to 18) in Chislehurst Road is a campus of Christ the King in Lewisham, and is judged to be “good”.
Private
The choice of private primary/prep schools includes Benedict House (co-ed, ages two to 11) in Victoria Road; West Lodge (co-ed, ages three to 11) in Station Road; Merton Court (co-ed, ages three to 11) in Knoll Road and St Olave’s (co-ed, ages three to 11) in Southwood Road, New Eltham.
Farringtons School (co-ed, ages three to 18) in Perry Street, Chislehurst, is an all-through Methodist day and boarding school.