Catford

What’s it all about?

Forget the fibreglass black cat that welcomes you to Catford Shopping Centre, this is an area of London that has so much more to offer. Catford may be one of the last areas in this part of South East London to resist urban renewal, but if illustrious neighbours Brockley and Forest Hill are anything to go by, it won’t be far behind. Although plans to reroute the South Circular have been scrapped, an extensive regeneration of the town centre is still in the pipeline. It’s still possible to get a reasonably priced house or flat, often with outdoor space, and during the summer a pleasant haze of BBQ smoke and garden chatter fills the area. Some fine views of London can be enjoyed from many of the local parks including family friendly Mountsfield Park, which also hosts the annual Lewisham People’s Day, a community focused festival, and there are excellent cycling and walking opportunities along the Waterlink Way.Catford locals are often fiercely proud of the town, and run a number of programmes including an orchard and a bird watching group in Blythe Hill Fields. They are also are engaged in local issues, notably the Save Lewisham Hospital campaign, that organises talks and events to raise money and awareness. Many Catford locals have lived here for generations and now share their community with first time buyers and young families looking for more space and affordable property. 

Fact file

One legend says that Catford got its name because of the multitude of wild cats in the area. Others argue that it comes from a ford where cattle crossed over the river Ravensbourne, and some believe ‘The Cat’ was a local landowner’s nickname.

• Desmond Tutu, Ben Elton and the late Sir Henry Cooper are all past residents.
• Catford claims to be the home of the first British curry house. 

Architecture and property 

Catford was made up of small hamlets on agricultural land until the arrival of the railway in 1857, when homes began to be built for the affluent middle classes. A later wave of development came in 1892 when a second station and tram services began, blessing Catford with late Victorian and large Edwardian homes. Much of this housing stock was built by Scotsman Archibald Corbett, who bought 300 acres of virgin land to build new homes. He had a firm vision and the properties he built had both front and back gardens, were laid out in strict grid like patterns never far from a school and a row of shops, but with no public houses. Much of Catford was destroyed during the Blitz, and post war redevelopment was mainly in the Brutalist vein. Although this style isn’t for everyone, a fine example can be seen in Eros House, home to both commercial and residential properties. The most desirable properties in Catford are the Edwardian homes in the Culverley Road conservation area, although they rarely come on the market. Other period properties of interest are two 1930s housing estates, Bellingham and Downham. 

For house price information please visit the sold data tab.

Going out

Eating and drinking: Catford’s wide selection of affordable restaurants makes it a great place for eating out with friends. A local favourite is Mekan, with its delicious Middle Eastern meze and pleasant setting. Another popular choice is Sapporo Ichiban, which serves excellent traditional Japanese dishes for very reasonable prices. Popular pubs in the area include the Catford Bridge Tavern and Ninth Life, which has multiple rooms and floors for a variety of events. If that’s not for you, try the Riva Lounge for cocktails.

Theatre: The Broadway Theatre is one of Catford’s most beautiful buildings. Now Grade II listed, it was built in 1932 and is a great example of Art Deco design.

Cinema: Catford Free Film Festival is part of a volunteer-powered movement of neighbourhood free film festivals that encourages community involvement through film. Catford Mews is a new and independent cinema that is run by the local community, and also includes a bar and events space.

Heritage: The Prefab Museum suffered in a recent fire. However, it has been discussed they are looking for new partnerships with the aim of re-opening the museum in the near future. People’s Day is one of south east London's biggest free festivals and is a celebration of art, craft, music and community.

Local amenities

• Catford Shopping Centre satisfies most locals’ shopping requirements, with its grocery stores and independent shops. Located on Catford Mews, the centre is topped by the area’s landmark fibreglass cat. The area has also been home to a popular street market since the 1880s, which sells fruit and vegetables, clothes, toys and plants.
• The family run Tony’s Butchers sells fresh meat and poultry as well as frozen fish, so it is possible to get all your shopping done here and in the market on the Broadway. Iceland, Tesco and Lidl are all within a ten minute walk of Catford station, and there’s a Chinese supermarket, too.
• There are two Costa coffee shops in the area, one on Catford Broadway, and the other on Rushey Green.
• Catford Library hosts a number of events for children, including a story and song session for the under-fives, and regular Baby Bounce events.
• St Dunstan’s Sports Club, located on the eponymous school’s premises, is a 28 acre complex with indoor swimming pool, tennis courts, gym, football pitches and indoor cricket nets. Its Sports Bar is a friendly place to enjoy a drink with friends after a workout. Ladywell Arena Athletics Track is also close by and The Gym is located on Bromley Road.
• There are three large car parks by Catford Bridge station, and pay and display facilities on many streets in the town.

Green spaces

With its central location and stunning views over London, Mountsfield Park is an oasis of calm amid the bustle of Catford. A large space which includes a play area, tennis courts and an ornamental garden, it’s often used to hold big community events. Ladywell Fields is most popular in summer, when locals can enjoy paddling in the river. Nature lovers can also enjoy the nearby Riverview Walk and River Pool Linear Park, a picturesque riverside walk through a conservation area.

Changing times

Lewisham Council plans to redevelop Catford town centre as part of a £500 million project to build thousands of new homes, as well as a retail park by Catford station.

Transport

Rail: Catford and Catford Bridge rail stations both run services to central London. Travel to London Bridge takes just over 20 minutes from Catford and it’s half an hour to St Pancras International. You can also hop on the Overground at Honor Oak and Forest Hill, which is just 40 minutes from Shoreditch, and catch the DLR from nearby Lewisham. There are also talks of a Bakerloo line extension to run through Lewisham and beyond.

Road: It takes 20 minutes to reach the M25, and the A205 South Circular runs through Catford.

Bus: Numerous bus routes serve the area, including numbers 75 (to Croydon), 122 (to Crystal Palace), 171 (to Holborn), 181 (to Lewisham), 185 (to Victoria), and 202 (to Blackheath). The N171 night bus runs to and from Tottenham Court Road.

Cycle: Enjoy the Catford to Borough Scenic River cycle route with great views of the Thames and Canary Wharf.

Getting away: Gatwick Airport is an hour’s drive away.

Education

Catford has a wide range of education options across all age groups including independent schools and an academy. Rathfern Primary School is rated Outstanding by Ofsted. Holy Cross Roman Catholic Primary School is another popular choice, as is Prendergast Hilly Fields College for girls’ secondary education. For private schools, St Dunstan’s College has offered the International Baccalaureate as an alternative to AS and A Levels since 2005.

Please see our schools tab for more information on schools in this area.

 

If you’re looking to buy, sell, rent or let in Catford, contact the KFH Catford branch today.

Did we miss something? If you have any local expertise to improve our area guide, then please email us at areaguides@kfh.co.uk