Living in Tottenham Hale: area guide to homes, schools and transport links
For many Londoners, especially those living close to the Victoria line, Tottenham Hale is where they catch the Stansted Express on their way to the airport. And first impressions aren’t encouraging.
The transfer from the Victoria line to the station is chaotic and the blocks of flats built over the last 10 years look forbidding.
But hiding behind those gloomy blocks is Hale Village, the first stage of the reinvention of Tottenham Hale. Built by housing association Network Homes, this scheme of nearly 550 new homes emerges as a pleasant grid of streets lined with medium-rise blocks near the wild and watery landscape of the River Lea and the Walthamstow Wetlands.
Now Tottenham Hale is poised to make the next giant leap forward with plans for another 2,000 new homes, offices, shops and cafés and a £150 million station revamp. Much store has been put on the involvement of Argent Related, the joint venture between Argent, the developer behind the much-admired reinvention of King’s Cross, and US property giant, Related.
Argent has broken ground on its plans for five sites around Tottenham Hale station and in Ashley Road.
Over the next six years it will build 1,030 new homes in seven separate buildings, including Ferry Island, a landmark 38-storey tower. There will also be offices and co-working spaces, three new public spaces, a new health centre, 15 new shops and restaurants and 75 trees will be planted.
Flats in the first building, named 1 Ashley Road and designed by award-winning Alison Brooks Architects, are now being sold off-plan for occupation in 2022.
Tom Goodall, chief executive of the project, says: “Tottenham Hale is an incredibly diverse, energetic, and welcoming area with amazing outdoor spaces, excellent transport connections and thriving local businesses. It provides great value for its proximity to central London and is currently the most affordable place to buy along the Victoria line.
“For us, the challenge, and indeed the reward, is in creating a new centre that feels inclusive and exciting as much as well-managed and long-lasting; ultimately a place that brings joy to residents and the surrounding community.”
Tottenham Hale is seven miles north-east of central London with Edmonton to the north; the River Lea, Walthamstow Wetlands and Walthamstow to the east; Seven Sisters to the south and Wood Green to the west.
The property scene
Along with new homes in Hale Village and between Tottenham Hale and the Bruce Grove area, Tottenham has roads of Victorian, Edwardian and Twenties terrace houses.
In Hale Village, two-bedroom flats start at £400,000, with three-bedroom flats from £650,000 and two-bedroom terrace houses at about £420,000. The most expensive house for sale is a three-bedroom Victorian terrace house in Sherringham Avenue, on the market for £600,000.
New-build homes
At the junction of Ashley Road and Watermead Way, 1 Ashley Road is the first of Argent Related’s seven proposed Tottenham Hale schemes.
The 183 studios and flats are arranged in two blocks separated by a courtyard with shops on the ground level and a floor of offices.
Selling off-plan for completion in summer 2022, prices range from £365,000 for a studio, £483,000 for a one-bedroom flat, £546,000 for a two-bedroom flat and £675,000 for a three-bedroom flat. Call 020 7205 4074 or Knight Frank (020 7718 5202).
RISE, a joint venture between Muse and the Canal & River Trust, is a 21-storey scheme of studios and flats in Ferry Lane overlooking the Lee Navigation. Studios start at £315,000, with one-bedroom flats at £360,000 and two-bedroom flats at £470,000.
RISE is the first phase of Lock 17 which will eventually have 500 new homes, new canalside public realm and a new bridge connecting to Hale Village and the station. Call JLL on 020 3887 7131.
Hale Works is the final development in Hale Village. Developer Anthology is building a 32-storey mixed-use tower with 279 studios and flats, designed by Hawkins\Brown Architects.
Studios start at £355,000, with one-bedroom flats at £385,000 and two-bedroom flats at £530,000. Call 020 7760 1563.
Berkeley Square Developments has two schemes. Ashley Gardens, overlooking Down Lane Park, offers 377 new flats that are due to be ready in summer 2021.
Berol Yard, meanwhile, is the restoration and conversion of a former Victorian pencil works into 174 flats and a new home for Ada, the National College of Digital Skills. Call 020 7193 3181.
Renting
Despite its excellent transport links Tottenham Hale is not a busy rental area. One-bedroom flats in Hale Village start at £1,250 a month; one-bedroom period conversions at £950 a month; two-bedroom terrace houses at £1,475 and three-bedroom houses at £1,750 a month.
Transport
Tottenham Hale is on the Victoria line with a journey time of 20 minutes to Oxford Circus. London Overground trains from Bruce Grove take 25 minutes to Liverpool Street. It is planned that Crossrail 2 will run through Tottenham Hale. Both stations are in Zone 3 and an annual travelcard to Zone 1 costs £1,648.
Staying power
Tottenham is a fast-improving area so it is likely that more and more families will start to see it as a long-term home.
Postcode
Tottenham Hale is in the N15 South Tottenham postcode, although Bruce Grove is in the N17 Tottenham postcode; the boundary is along Monument Way.
Best roads
Baronet Road and Vicarage Road have larger three-storey Victorian terrace houses.
Up and coming
The whole of Tottenham Hale and Bruce Grove is up and coming.
Council
Haringey council is Labour controlled. Band D council tax for 2019/2020 is £1,640.40.
Lifestyle
Shops and restaurants
Tottenham Hale Retail Park has branches of Asda, Next, B&Q, Burger King and Costa. The High Road in Bruce Grove has branches of Asda, Peacocks, Superdrug and Aldi.
Holcombe Market has had a facelift and is home to independent traders Thompson’s Seafood, Hall’s Green Grocer, Prestige Patisserie, cheese and wine shop Wine N Rind and Reggae Village for Caribbean food.
Mona’s bar is a cool little cocktail bar full of mid-century furniture. In Bruce Grove, San Marco has been serving pizza since 1972.
Tottenham Green Market is held every Sunday morning in Tottenham Green with an array of stalls selling produce, street food, crafts and vintage.
The High Cross, in High Road near the junction with Monument Way, is a pub in a converted public loo and the Ferry Boat Inn in Ferry Lane overlooking the Walthamstow Wetlands has the feel of a country pub. Pressure Drop and Beavertown breweries have taprooms on the Lockwood Industrial Park off Mill Mead Road.
Open space
There is access to miles of open space with the Lee Valley on the doorstep. The Lee Valley Walk is a 50-mile route following the course of the River Lea from its source in Leagrave near Luton to the Limehouse Basin close to the Thames.
The Walthamstow Wetlands is a nature reserve covering a vast area of Thames Water reservoirs, open to the public only in recent years. There is now a visitors’ centre and café off Ferry Lane.
Down Lane Park between Park View Road and Ashley Road is the local park; it has a Green Flag award, two football pitches, three floodlit tennis courts, an outdoor gym and a mini BMX track.
Stronghold in Ashley Road lays claim to being London’s largest indoor bouldering space; it comes with a café. Rollernation in Bruce Grove is the only rollerskating rink in London and runs discos and DJ nights.
Leisure and the arts
Bernie Grant Arts Centre in Tottenham Green has as its motto “Developing culturally diverse artists”.
Bruce Castle Museum in Bruce Grove is the local museum which also puts on special exhibitions. Developer Argent Related is proposing a cinema as part of its big plan for Tottenham Hale.
Schools
Tottenham Hale is home to Ada, the National College for Digital Skills (co-ed, ages 16 to 18) in Broad Lane.
Named after computing pioneer Ada Lovelace, it specialises in educating young people who are interested in careers in gaming and app development, and it’s rated “good” by Ofsted.
Primary schools
All the state primary schools are judged to be “good” or better by the official watchdog.
The “outstanding” primary schools are Crowland in Elm Park Avenue and Harris Primary Academy Coleraine Park in Glendish Road.
Comprehensive
All-through Harris Academy Tottenham (co-ed, ages four to 18) in Ashley Road is rated “outstanding”, as are the following comprehensive schools: Gladesmore (co-ed, ages 11 to 16) in Crowland Road and Eden Girls’ School Waltham Forest (ages 11 to 18) in Blackhorse Lane.
Further education
The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (co-ed, ages 16 to 18) in High Road is the local Further Education college.
The London Academy of Excellence (co-ed, ages 16 to 18), a selective sixth form in Lilywhite House in High Road, is sponsored by Highgate School with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club as the business sponsor. It is linked to the successful London Academy of Excellence in Stratford.