This part of Deptford, centred around the beautiful and lush Deptford Park, is one of the many desirable pockets of south east London. Aside from this beloved park, equipped with plenty of open space and football pitches, there are also wonderful local schools. Families are drawn to the area for these reasons, in addition to the plethora of great and affordable housing options. While most of the homes are post-war and modern flats, there are some areas, such as Evelyn street, that are lined with beautiful Georgian terraced houses. The neighbourhood is not just for families though; plenty of young Londoners have flocked to the area for its vibrant art scene. Between The Agency art gallery and the many eclectic shops and eateries, there’s more than enough to do in Deptford!

Deptford dates back to the 16th century, when Henry VIII founded a naval dockyard there in 1513. However, by 1869, the dockyards had closed and were replaced by a cattle market. Once the cattle market closed in 1913, the area struggled to find its footing again. It took further hits through multiple bombings during the Blitz, leading to extensive damage in the area. Towards the end of the 20th century, the local council focused on the area’s regeneration, building larger blocks of flats in the neighbourhood. However, there are still some of the older Victorian terraced buildings scattered throughout the area.

The area’s early development as a dockyard made the neighbourhood crucial to England’s growth. This area was so important that famed author, LM Bates, once wrote that it was “the ground from which, more than any other, grew the British Empire.”

This part of Deptford is a bit of a hike from the Deptford Thameslink stations. While there are bus routes through the area, this can still make this section a bit more inconvenient. Still, since this is the far west section of Deptford, residents can also take advantage of the Surrey Quays and South Bermondsey stations nearby.

Deptford continues to see attention from developers, looking to invest more in south London. Anthology has recently finished working on a housing development in the area called Deptford Foundry. The development was constructed on the site of a Victorian metal foundry and added 300 new homes to the neighbourhood. Looking forward, Neptune Wharf is a development planned for completion in 2023, and will provide 176 private apartments arranged in 6 self-contained blocks.