New Cross is located in Lewisham Borough. It closely borders Deptford to its East, South Bermondsey to its North West and Surrey Quays to its North. New Cross is unique to other South East London areas as it boasts its own University, Goldsmiths, which has been an education beacon in New Cross for over 200 years. New Cross road stretches for 1.5 miles from Deptford Bridge in the East, to Deptford Ambulance in the West. New Cross road is home to Victorian townhouses, independent cafes and restaurants, two train stations and modern residential developments.

New Cross was previously known as ‘Hatcham’ and was once located in the county of Kent. The name ‘Hatcham’ is listed in the 1086 Domesday book. The Haberdashers Company, a Haberdashery Guild founded in 1371, has today helped to invest in local state schools. In 1614, most of the land in New Cross was bought by the Haberdashers Company. They used it for charitable purposes and by the mid 19th century, began to build mixed use dwellings for locals. New Cross’ industry was not just based on textiles, there was a large iron industry, propelled by Hatcham Iron works who manufactured railway locomotives from the 1840s to 1860s, then being taken under new ownership. In 1839, the New Cross Railway arrived, connecting this area to other districts further making it attractive for living hence an influx of middle-class residents commuting to work in Central London. The land that Goldsmiths University resides was formerly owned by The Royal Navy.

Goldsmiths’ University has been the breeding ground for many artists over the years, most notably the Young British Artists, who attended the BA Fine Art between 1987 and 1990. These include Anthony Gormley, Sarah Lucas, Angus Fairhurst, Gary Hume, Steve McQueen as well as musicians such as Damon Albarn. The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) has recently pledged to give £170 million of funding to Goldsmiths to fund PhD scholars and carry on this tradition. Oscar Winning actor and filmmaker Gary Leonard Oldman was also born in New Cross, as was fellow thespian Gary Oldman. The film Nil By Mouth is loosely based on his youth spent in the area.

New Cross road is often highly congested, with vehicles on its predominantly two way lanes and pedestrians on its narrow sidewalks. New Cross also suffers from high crime rates, with over 657 reports of violent crime between August 2017 to July 2018.

The London Underground will be extended to Lewisham via the Bakerloo line over the coming years. This extension will include a new station at New Cross which is expected to radically change the neighbourhood as it becomes significantly more viable for commuters. However, TFL budget constraints stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic mean that these plans have been on hold for the last couple of years. Slightly further north at 141 Amersham Vale The Scene is a recently completed development which provides a mix of residential units, from top floor apartments, to houses with gardens, with prices starting at £615,000.