This neighbourhood of Dulwich Village is situated in the south-east London Borough of Southwark. It retains an unspoiled village atmosphere due to the numerous parks, tree lined streets, white picket fences, and period homes. The houses in the area are a broad range of beautiful family homes from the pre-war period, as well as the Victorian, Edwardian and Tudor eras. Dulwich hosts a farmer’s market every Saturday, and has many local restaurants and cafes, like Romeo Jones and Rocca, both Italian favourites among residents. East Dulwich and Herne Hill, neighbourhoods that border this area, have even more independent shops and restaurants that residents of the neighbourhood can benefit from. The area also has two rail stations, providing residents with an easy way to commute into central London.

Elizabethan actor and entrepreneur Edward Alleyn purchased the Manor of Dulwich in 1605. In 1619, Alleyn used his vast wealth to create a charitable foundation, Alleyn’s College of God’s Gift. Upon his death, he bequeathed the college a collection of works including portraits of the Kings and Queens of England. The college retained connections with the theatre, and in 1686, the actor William Cartwright bequeathed a collection of 239 pictures to the college: this is how the Dulwich Picture Gallery began. In the late 1700s, the collection was improved in size and quality by Sir Francis Bourgeois and his French business partner, Noël Desenfans. Through their work, the Gallery made significant steps towards its present state, and they are credited as founders of Dulwich Picture Gallery.

The Dulwich Picture Gallery is the oldest public art gallery in England. Something else you may not know is that the tollgate on College Road is the last remaining tollgate in London.

As a large portion of the area is made up of parks and green spaces, there is not an overabundance of restaurants or bars situated directly in the neighbourhood. This makes Dulwich very pretty and peaceful, but it may also seem rather boring, depending on needs at the time. Luckily there are other nearby towns, like East Dulwich and Peckham.

The local council is committed to the conservation of Dulwich Village, and wants to protect it as a historic area, whilst also ensuring that there is a good balance of commercial use, alongside the protection of the amenity of residential areas. As such, there are no major developments planned from the council and there is only minimal interest from developers in comparison with many other parts of London. Nonetheless proposals have been put forward for the construction of a small new stadium to house Dulwich Hamlet Football Club, a team which plays in the 6th tier of English football despite being more than 130 years old. Located next to the Sainsbury’s in the north of this neighbourhood, this project consists of one main stand and club house.