Track down the best deal: three good-value stops for renters along London Overground's line

Renters looking for a home close to some of London's best parks and green spaces should track the ‘Ginger line’ through Kensal Rise, Crouch Hill and Wanstead Park.
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Ruth Bloomfield17 October 2018

The London Overground rail network runs in an almost perfect semi-circle northwards from Richmond on the fringes of Surrey in the south-west of the capital, to Barking in Essex in the northeast.

It takes in some of the loveliest, leafiest locations London has to offer — but renters will pay for the privilege of proximity to one of the great Royal Parks or other major open spaces.

The most expensive options along the line, according to exclusive research by Rightmove, include Richmond of course, in Zone 4, where a two-bedroom flat close to Richmond Park would cost an average of £1,944 a month, while a three-bedroom house comes in at a hefty £2,764 a month.

Over in north London, at Hampstead Heath, a two-bedroom flat close to the Zone 3 Overground station would cost an average of £2,270 a month, while a three-bedroom house comes in at a thumping £4,486.

THREE LEAFY GOOD-VALUE AREAS ALONG THE GINGER LINE
1. KENSAL RISE, ZONE 2

Renters looking for leafiness on a budget do have options on the Overground, however. At Kensal Rise a two-bedroom flat would cost £1,803 a month, and a three-bedroom house £2,677. Plus, the Zone 2 location makes for a faster, cheaper commute.

Kensal Rise is within an easy walk of Queen’s Park and Roundwood Park, while Kensal Green Cemetery is eerily beautiful and you can pay your respects while you are there to Freddie Mercury and Charles Babbage, inventor of the world’s first computer.

Beyond that is Wormwood Scrubs, both the prison and the open space which is the largest swathe of green in Hammersmith & Fulham at 165 acres, with woodland and meadow, special cycling tracks and other sports facilities.

“It is a fantastic area and really convenient,” says Aida Margjeka, lettings manager at Dexters estate agents. “You are convenient for Notting Hill, Maida Vale and West Hampstead, and everyone knows everyone, they do community stuff together and in London that makes a really nice change. Renters tend to be young families and young couples, not too young and not partygoers. But you have got lots of bars and pubs in Salusbury Road and Chamberlayne Road so there is a lot to do.”

CROUCH HILL, ZONE 3
Just south of the shops, cafés and restaurants of Tube-less Crouch End is Crouch Hill, in Zone 3. Homes here are significantly better value than in other classic north London neighbourhoods.

A two-bedroom flat typically costs £1,625 per month, and a three-bedroom house is £2,317. Finsbury Park is half a mile to the east while the linear Parkland Walk takes you all the way to Highgate Woods.

Crouch Hill is one of those areas that exists on paper, but not in reality. “Most people would describe it as either Crouch End or Stroud Green,” says Anthony Spittles, lettings manager at Martyn Gerrard estate agents. But it is worth getting to know the streets of Edwardian and Victorian terraces around this station because of their relative value. “A two-bedroom period flat would cost £1,400- £1,700 a month,” says Spittles. “In Crouch End proper it would be £1,500-£1,900.”

Beyond its station Crouch Hill doesn’t have much going on other than a small parade of local shops, but on the upside it is just a 14-minute walk from those independent shops and eateries of Crouch End, and from Finsbury Park station. Since Finsbury Park is in Zone 2, renters in Crouch Hill could save on their railcards by making the effort.

Spittles finds younger renters gravitate towards Finsbury Park when they first arrive in London and then, as they get slightly older, they start moving a little northwards towards Crouch Hill and Crouch End. “The people who are renting in the area tend to be twenty- and thirty-something professionals, and young families because the schools are very good,” he says.

WANSTEAD PARK, ZONE 3
Further east in Zone 3, Wanstead Park, as the name suggests, is the gateway to plenty of quality open space. The vast expanse of Wanstead Flats is on the doorstep and if you are up for crossing the A12, you can walk all the way to Epping Forest. Expect to pay an average £1,309 a month for a two-bedroom flat, and £1,709 for a three-bedroom house.

This area is also particularly rich in two-bedroom Victorian terrace houses. Jake Everett, assistant manager of Wilkinson estate agents, says a typical house with garden would cost about £1,400 a month, providing a great option if you long for your own outside space.

The downside is that there’s not an awful lot going on around Wanstead Park. There are some local shops and restaurants in Woodgrange Road leading down towards Forest Gate, but for nightlife you’re probably looking at Hackney Wick or Stratford. On the plus side Forest Gate station, which will become part of Crossrail from next year, is a five-minute dawdle up the road.

“It is just a really nice little pocket of London which most people don’t really know,” says Everett.