Welcome to the neighbourhood
Between The Commons
The area bounded by Clapham & Wandsworth Commons and by Battersea Rise to the north and Nightingale Lane to the south is known locally as Between the Commons. Over the last twenty years it has seen its popularity boom, particularly among young families. Much of this is down to superb primary education, and its housing stock. This consists of predominantly terraced Victorian properties that are three or four bedrooms in their unextended state. Some Edwardian and 1920s properties can also be found closer to the “West Side” of Clapham Common.
For those with deeper pockets, there are more substantial family houses to be found between the southern end of Bolingbroke Grove and Clapham Common Westside itself. There are also a limited number of converted flats and maisonettes for first-time buyers and young professionals, which gives a great balance to the community. Planning restrictions imposed by Wandsworth Borough Council mean it’s increasingly difficult to convert existing houses into flats, so good examples are highly sought after.
Almost bisecting the area, fashionable Northcote Road provides the locals with their main shopping street as well as thoroughfare. It offers a huge range of independent specialist traders, child-oriented or brand-name boutiques, delis, cafés, wine bars, restaurants and a thriving food market. Transport connections are excellent with direct access to The City via Clapham South tube, as well as mainline stations at Wandsworth Common and Clapham Junction, which provide fast routes to Waterloo and Victoria.
Honeywell and Belleville schools offer some of the best state primary education in London – both have been rated outstanding by OFSTED, and demand for places is predictably very high. There are also numerous private schools and nurseries in the area within easy walking distance and popular Bolingbroke Academy now offering free secondary schooling.
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About Nightingale Triangle
Confusingly, it’s not strictly speaking a triangle – bounded by Ravenslea Road, Nightingale Lane and Balham High Road. It’s an area that’s fast increasing in popularity thanks to the surge in Balham’s amenities and the wide variety of properties, which make it more accessible to a wider budget range.
It is made up of a mixture of smaller cottages, terraced houses and some substantial Victorian and Edwardian properties, as well as both converted and purpose-built flats. There’s also a gorgeous and highly sought-after garden square. Parking for the most part is a little easier whilst gardens tend to be a better size and the area as a whole has a relaxed and residential feel. The recreational facilities and green spaces of both Wandsworth and Clapham Commons are extremely accessible.
There are two nearby tube stations (Balham and Clapham South) and the mainline station at Wandsworth Common providing easy access to The City and West End. Furthermore with Balham’s wide-ranging high street facilities (including a Waitrose) close at hand, it arguably has a greater degree of convenience without the hustle and bustle of its Northcote-based neighbouring patch. Schools include Hornsby House and Holy Ghost primary schools and the increasingly rated and completely revamped Chestnut Grove Academy.
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About Wandsworth Common
The areas fringing this lovely green expanse are, not surprisingly, immensely popular and have a relaxed and leafy feel. They tend to comprise more substantial (and expensive) semi-detached and detached Victorian or Edwardian family houses – often with bigger gardens and off-street parking facilities. They benefit from good mainline transport connections via Wandsworth Common mainline station direct to Victoria and Waterloo, via Clapham Junction.
The common itself provides a multitude of recreational facilities including tennis courts, football and cricket pitches, a bowling green and also features two children’s playgrounds, two ponds and a lovely cafe in the centre.
There are numerous highly-regarded schools including Emanuel secondary school and Finton House primary school. Wandsworth Common itself provides a wonderful variety of recreational facilities year round for all age groups. Whilst fashionable Northcote Road is nearby, the “village” atmosphere of Bellevue Road also provides numerous charming cafés and restaurants.
Some of the more notable residential locations are Spencer Park (located off the north side), the beautiful enclave of streets known as “ The Toast Rack” (west), “Bellevue Village” and Trinity Road (south) and Bolingbroke Grove (east).
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About Clapham Common
With Lavender Hill to the north, Abbeville Road to the south, Clapham High Street to the east and Northcote Road to the west, the area has undeniable convenience and bus, train and tube services at all corners.
Whether on exclusive West Side, historical North Side or sunny South Side there is an enormous variety of property available – some of it dating back to 1695. North Side and Old Town tend to comprise a mixture of older and very elegant properties including Georgian and early-Victorian townhouses, substantial villas and plenty of converted flats. The roads off Abbeville Road and its parade of restaurants and shops, tend to consist of wide Victorian and Edwardian terraces and semis, whilst West Side is perhaps the most exclusive, with tall Victorian family houses overlooking the common. All these areas are very well served by the Northern Line, & benefit from easy access to good schools such as Eaton House or Thomas’ and vast array of surrounding shops & entertainment facilities.
The Common itself provides wonderful community events and recreational facilities.
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About Battersea/Clapham-Junction
To the south of Battersea Park and running in and around Lavender Hill, St. John’s Hill St. John’s Road and Battersea Rise, this area includes prime residential addresses such as Altenburg Gardens and St. John’s Hill Grove, where beautiful mid-Victorian houses can be found.
There is a huge variety of properties, which includes numerous converted Victorian terraces bolstering the number of flats in the area, whilst substantial double-fronted family houses on Lavender Gardens bring a balance. Clapham Junction connects to just about anywhere in and out of London and numerous bus routes converge there, too. All around are department stores, supermarkets and an increasing number of restaurants and specialist shops.
Both Clapham and Wandsworth Commons and Battersea Park are close by, providing superb recreational activities and opportunities. Good schools abound including Eaton House, Parkgate House, Belleville and Newton Prep.
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About Balham
Starting at Clapham South and running to Tooting Bec, Balham Hill and Balham High Road are inundated with bars, restaurants, supermarkets and shops, whilst Balham station is on the both Northern Line tube and mainline. This gives the streets close to it a level of convenience which is hard to beat. Properties tend to be in rows of terraced cottages and houses with some semi-detached properties and some much larger houses on streets like Balham Park Road and off Bedford Hill.
There’s a good sprinkling of flats throughout too, some of the best purpose-built being on the popular Hyde Farm Estate The three local commons (Wandsworth, Tooting Bec and Clapham) are all within walking distance and provide great community events and excellent recreational facilities. Ravenstone School, close to the station, Alderbrook and Henry Cavendish are all highly-sought after primary state schools and there are a number of other established private schools close by.
About Tooting Bec Common
To the west of the common, The Heaver Estate, to the south, The Streatham Park Conservation area and to the north east, The Telford Park Estate. These three areas, hugely popular locations for those with growing families looking for more space and bigger gardens. comprise substantial semi-detached and detached Victorian and Edwardian properties, many of them lovingly restored. Some have been converted into sizeable flats and maisonettes.
Tooting Bec Common has great recreational facilities including sports pitches, tennis courts and the wonderful Lido. Nearby Streatham and Balham centres provide good high street shops, restaurants and convenience stores.
Transport facilities include Balham tube and mainline, Tooting Bec tube and Streatham and Streatham Hill mainline stations all offering direct regular access to The City and West End.
Good local schools include Broomwood Hall, Streatham and Clapham High School, St Anselm’s and Graveney.
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Over the past three or four decades, the areas around Clapham, Wandsworth and Tooting Bec Commons have become first-choice locations for homebuyers and tenants alike. Covering five postcodes, they offer an abundance of green space, excellent schooling, great shopping facilities and fast, direct transport links to The City and West End.
From our office on Northcote Road, John Thorogood sells and lets properties across all the areas shown here. While by no means a definitive or comprehensive look at every aspect of your chosen location, we hope these area guides will offer a useful starting point for newcomers to our part of southwest London.