This Rotherhithe neighbourhood is a mass of varied modern residential tower blocks, dotted with the occasional more historical building, and dominated by the delightful 63-acre Southwark Park. Its proximity to the city, and its numerous transport links have made this “Thatcherite Alphaville”, as Tom Dyckhoff describes it, increasingly popular with young professionals looking for somewhere quiet to live while remaining within touching distance of their workplaces. Its peninsula location also means that there’s little traffic for the inner city passing through. The area’s historic riverside alehouses draw tourists from across the city, but also serve the local community, providing a meeting point in a part of town where former public space has quickly succumbed to high rise flats. The park offers an area of solace amongst the ever-present building work, and has remained one of few constants for those who have called this neighbourhood home for a while.

The development of the Rotherhithe peninsula began in the late 17th century when the second Duke of Bedford excavated the Greenland Dock. By the end of the 18th century the congestion in the Pool of London caused a great demand for additional inland facilities so rival companies began to fill the peninsula with a series of docks. By the 19th century the companies had merged after years of ruinous competition forming the Surrey Commercial Docks Company in 1865. In 1869 both Southwark Park and the East London Railway were opened, which kickstarted a small amount of residential development. The area remained industrial until the Second World War, which saw much of the residential and industrial works demolished, and the later general decline in docks closed the Surrey Docks in 1970. Many of the docks were filled in, and the area changed its name to Surrey Quays in 1989.

Supposedly the oldest pub on the Thames, the Mayflower sits on the launching point for the Pilgrim Fathers back in 1620. It is still the only pub in the world licensed to sell US & UK postage stamps. The docks were also once used to trade whales with Greenland!

The area lacks a cohesive feel with its hodgepodge of residential tower blocks, and has a waning community feel as local meeting points disappear. House prices are also rapidly rising as a new demographic of city workers moves in.

A huge £3bn redevelopment of the whole area is set to begin in Spring 2019, with the plan to create a new town centre and high street. It will also provide offices, retail, leisure, community, and public spaces, as well as 3,500 new homes, which will include a number of ‘affordable’ units. In the south of the postcode this has taken the form of the New Bermondsey development which is set to transform the area surrounding Millwall FC’s football stadium: The Den. Taking advantage of an underused 30-acre industrial site, the scheme promises to provide 3,500 homes in three identical 32-storey towers as well as new sports facilities. The nearby Silwood Street development will add to this with 14,133 sq. ft of commercial space, and public rooftop gardens. To the north, private developments are also common, with 345 Park Place and the Antony & Roderick Development providing nearly 100 more luxurious apartments.