This waterfront area of Deptford is an affordable and quickly regenerating alternative to other parts of south London. Still easily reachable via its Thameslink station, Deptford has plenty to offer beyond its upcoming luxury housing developments. Aside from its prime riverfront location, the neighbourhood has many wonderful green spaces, like Pepys Park and Twinkle Park. Additionally, locals love taking advantage of Deptford Creek by going for long strolls followed by a pint at local favourite, The Duke. Beyond all of this, the neighbourhood’s old history as a working dock shows through in its historical commercial establishments like Manzie’s classic pie and mash shop. These older shops are complemented by the new hip eateries that have been popping up, like vegan cafe and free library, The Waiting Room. With all that Deptford has to offer, it’s no wonder that local residents have such a tight knit community.

The Deptford region became well known in 1497, when the famous Battle of Deptford Bridge took place in the area during an uprising of the Cornish people against Henry VII. Later on, many notable icons visited the locality. In 1581, Queen Elizabeth I travelled the area in order to knight Francis Drake. In the 17th century, Tsar Peter the Great of Russia, spent years living undercover in the area, learning about shipbuilding in the process. While Deptford grew quickly around the dock area, it was eventually badly destroyed during the Second World War. This deterioration led to a period of decline in the neighbourhood, which has recently been reversed through extensive regeneration efforts.

The famous rock band, Dire Straits, was formed in Deptford. A plaque commemorating the band is on the building Farrer House, in which they played their first gig back in 1977.

Unfortunately, the area is lacking in highly rated secondary schools. Still, locals are spoiled in the neighbourhood by a plethora of primary schools rated as “outstanding” by Ofsted. This list includes Invicta Primary School among others.

In recent years, Lewisham Council has invested heavily in regenerating the Deptford area. This has led to increased investment from housing developers. One large development that is currently in the works is the Convoys Wharf site, a mixed use development led by the Hutchison Property Group. This development will bring over 3,500 new waterfront homes to the area as well as a working wharf with vessel moorings. On a slightly smaller scale the Copper Creek and Deptford Landings developments are scheduled for completion later in 2022. Together the two schemes will provide over 1,000 new homes, a sign of the rapid transformation this area is currently going through.