Hither Green is a small neighbourhood located in the London borough of Lewisham, nested in between Lewisham High Street and Catford. The centre of activity in this area is University Hospital Lewisham, which employs over 7,000 people. Hither Green Lane Industrial Estate is not to be overlooked as a key site of economic activity, however, which features plumbers, homeware stores, building suppliers, and a few cash and carries. Burnt Ash Hill and Hither Green Lane offer a range of amenities, offering all the essentials of city-living such as key-cutters, convenience stores, estate agents, pubs and restaurants. Up the road there is the legendary Fox and Firkin, touting the ‘best beer garden in south London’, and if one is looking for a good restaurant or takeaway there is no shortage along Lewisham High Street and at Catford Junction.

Popular joints include the Catford Constitutional, an old pub with a cavernous ceiling, quirky function rooms and traditional pub food, or Saigon, a Vietnamese kitchen that is well-loved by locals for its incredibly fresh ingredients. Rental and house prices are a little cheaper here than in more desirable neighbouring areas such as Telegraph Hill, Greenwich, Blackheath and New Cross, yet house sizes are slightly bigger, noise pollution is less of an issue (unless you are situated directly on Lewisham High Street) and the majority of houses are Victorian style, making this area highly desirable for first-time buyers and those who do not insist on being within 5 minutes of a tube station.

Hither Green was a fairly unassuming medieval village called Romborough, until it was unfortunately wiped out by the Black Death, and was not revived until the 18th century, as another small village. Bigger residences were constructed in the 19th century for wealthy elites, but closer-built, smaller housing became the norm when Hither Green Station opened in 1895, connecting citizens to central London and the rest of the UK. Although the area was extensively bombed during the Second World War, much of the beautiful semi-detached Victorian houses still stand today in a variety of different architectural styles from the era.

A little known fact about this area is that it contains one of the largest driving test centres in south London, facilitating over 1,000 driving tests each month.

The downsides of this neighbourhood area are mostly due to its lack of public transport connectivity and Tube Station. However, Hither Green, Catford and Lewisham stations have trains to Charing Cross and Waterloo that take less than 20 minutes, the first of which is just a short walk away.

As far as commercial developments go, 47 new homes have been approved for construction at nearby Burnt Ash Hill. However, the biggest change set to hit this area is the regeneration of Hither Green Tube Station, which will include two new entrances, a footbridge and lifts to add step-free access to the station for the first time. Some residents living on Fernbrook Road have expressed fear that the plans to modernise Hither Green Station will leave their properties overlooked.