Stockwell
The Town
For property buyers interested in South West London, Stockwell is something of a property search hidden gem, as our London buying agents can confirm. Bordered by South Lambeth, Oval, Kennington, Clapham, Brixton and Battersea, it’s just under 2.5 miles south of Charing Cross.
Recoco buying agents will be glad to help you identify houses in the area from the late Georgian and early Victorian period. There are also many excellent new builds, often conveniently located on the main roads.
Lansdowne Gardens and Albert Square conservation areas are in the SW8 postcode of South Lambeth, which also incorporates Nine Elms and Vauxhall. There are real-life secret gardens and dramatic crescents from the early Victorian period in this locality.
Transport
Stockwell is well served by Transport for London and although there is no mainline rail station, the Northern and Victoria underground lines connect with central London regularly and quickly. The Northern line links Stockwell to Clapham and South Wimbledon. The Victoria line runs north to Victoria, Tottenham Hale, Oxford Circus, and King’s Cross St Pancras; the Northern Line offers transport towards Camden Town and Kennington, Edgware and High Barnet.
Most Stockwell trains run via Bank, Elephant & Castle and Moorgate through the City of London, with some running via Charing Cross, Tottenham Court Road, and Waterloo. Stockwell Underground station is in Zone 2. The new Nine Elms station on the Northern line is due to open in 2021.
A number of London Buses also serve the area, including the N2 and N155 night buses. Property buyers who prefer to “get on their bike” can take the Cycle Superhighway 7 (CS7) which follows the route of Clapham Road in Stockwell; CS5 also runs from just north of Stockwell.
London buying agents can confirm there are several major roads nearby to facilitate your property search, including the A23 Brixton Road which links with Gatwick Airport; the A202; the A2 and A20 towards Kent; and the A3 towards the M25, the Elephant and Castle, Guildford, and Portsmouth.
History
Stockwell is named for a well by a tree, or stock. The area was home to a rural manor house until the nineteenth century; market gardens featured heavily. By the late nineteenth century, the area was a well-to-do suburb. Recoco buying agents may point out the Gothic features of the houses in areas like Lorn Road and the circular garden in Lansdowne Gardens.
Parts of Stockwell were rebuilt following the Blitz, but Recoco property finders will still be able to help you locate examples of nineteenth century grandeur in some of the quieter streets.
Leisure and Events
Places of interest nearby include the London Deep Level Shelters, and the War Memorial Clocktower. For more recent architectural landmarks, head to the Underground: right next door is where you’ll find the listed concrete modernist Stockwell bus station, which, as Recoco buying agents can tell you, opened in 1952.
Other easy-to-reach attractions nearby include the BFI, Black Cultural Archives, Florence Nightingale Museum, the London Eye, the Old Vic and the Young Vic, the National Theatre, and the Oval. And chocoholic property buyers might like to ask Recoco property finders for directions to the Chocolate Museum in nearby Brixton.
Outdoor green spaces within easy reach include Clapham Common, Jubilee Gardens, Kennington Park, and Myatt’s Fields. Stockwell also has its own skateboard park.
Education
Stockwell Primary School, St Stephen’s, and Allen Edwards are all nearby primary schools, with others in nearby Clapham. For secondary education there is Platanos College, while a Lambeth College campus provides tertiary education.
Celebrity Connections
Artist Arthur Rackham was born in 1867 on South Lambeth Road and van Gogh lived in Stockwell briefly. The “Mother of Modern Theatre” Joan Littlewood was also born here in 1914. London buying agents can confirm that other twentieth century celebrities associated with Stockwell include David Bowie, theatrical manager and producer Lilian Baylis, actors Joanna Lumley and Roger Moore, and writer Will Self.
Foodies’ Corner
The food available in the area owes much to its diverse population: Portugal, the Caribbean, and West Africa are especially well represented. Ask your Recoco property finder for their recommendations amongst the many bakeries, cafes, delicatessens, and restaurants. Amongst the excellent patisseries and bakeries try on the Old Post Office Bakery for size.
Fun Fact
Should you take a tube from Stockwell Underground station, take a moment or two out of your property search to consider that, beneath your feet, there lies an air raid shelter. It’s six times longer than the platforms themselves.