Does anybody know about The Gardens in East Dulwich?

[GregD]

Hi everybody!!

I started renting in East Dulwich at the begining of the year just off LL. I'm just about to complete on a flat in The Gardens and was wondering if anybody knows that part of Dulwich at all. We fell in love with the Square and the location just off Peckham Rye but that's all we know about it. Whats the nearest (decent) Pub and what's it like in summer. Do the gardens in the middle get busy?

Thanks Guys

[Keef]

Clockhouse is on your doorstep. Very popular pub in the summer!

[GregD]

The Clockhouse. I'll look that up.

Cheers Keef

[*Bob*]

I'm told if you live 'on The Gardens' itself, you get a resident key to the square in the middle. Though I'm sure interlopers from the surrounding streets just hop over the fence when they fancy too.

A lot of the building look to be flats now, which is a shame as buildings just don't seem to get looked after so well when split into multi-occs.

[GregD]

Yeah I heard that you get a key and your right the fences don't seem high enough to keep out garden hoppers!! It is a conservation area though so I'm sure the buildings have to be kept up to a high standard.

[dulwichbloke]

I have lived in The Gardens for a few years and I love it. It beats any place I have lived before. It is extremely quiet (almost like being out of London) and very pretty. The square is deserted during this time of year, but in the summer months it can be reasonably busy when sunny (usually sunbathers and picnicers), although certainly not packed.

The Clockhouse is quite a good pub, although not everyone on this site agrees - mostly because the food has gone downhill (I agree that it did, although I haven't eaten there for a few months now). Its nice to sit outside when the weather is good. The Rye Hotel is another good local with excellent food and a huge garden.

It's good to be near such an excellent park as well. The Common (the bit you see from the road) is the dull part - if you walk inside the large brick walls and visit the park, you will be amazed at how pretty and well landscaped it all is (several million quid of EU grant money was recently spent restoring the park to something like its original Victorian state). It is much prettier and interesting than the park in Dulwich Village. It also feels safe, but is not too busy. There's also a new cafe just opened up there which has good cakes.

You should get a key to the garden on payment of a licence fee (I think it is still ?100 p.a.) and for that the lawn and the plants are very regularly tended. When the odd anti social person leaves barbeque remnants in the garden, it seems to be cleaned up within no time at all - I assume by the groundskeeper. Sometimes there is some noise in the evening if there's a barbeque in the garden, but we have found that it is not very often and not particularly audible because of the large trees around the square which seem to block out most of the noise.

The Tilt Estate Co. used to own many of the properties on the square (they are all divided into flats), but about a month ago they sold up to someone, so it remains to be seen what difference if any that makes. There has been a rolling programme of refurbs of Tilt properties (still as flats) and I would guess that may continue, or quicken, because the properties must be pretty valuable in a refurbed state (subject to secure tenancies etc.). A house on the Peckham Rye side of the square is presently on the market for ?1.5 million. Unfortunately, a few of the Tilt properties have had their original features (the square was built in about 1875) wrecked by some poor post-war building extensions, but all in all it's not too bad.

Oh, and if you feel like shite, there's a good doctors' surgery at the entrance to The Gardens!

I hope you enjoy living in The Gardens as much as we do. Welcome!

[GregD]

Hi Dulwichbloke and thank you for your in depth run down on the area. I should be moving in just before Christmas so if you see me strugeling with loads of boxes don't hessitate to lend a hand!!!! Only joking! That's exactly what I was looking for. Someone who lives in The Gardens and can tell me what it's like first hand. This ED Forum is excellent!! Been on it all day and found out loads of stuff about the area and have contacted some reccomended builders to do some work for me.

If only everybody was this nice in the world!!!

[dulwichbloke]

No worries. Hope your move goes smoothly. If you have any other queries just let me know. I may not know the right answer, but I'm seldom short of an opinion!

[clare]

I can endorse that The Gardens is a very good Doctors' practice. There are 3 lovely women doctors and the handsome charismatic Dr Addo.

*he's lovely*

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

I too, swoon over Dr Addo. A case of Munchausen's coming methinks.

[GregD]

Better than Melbourne Grove Medical Centre?

Actually I don't know if I will fall in the catchment area for there anymore.

Dr Addo. . . . I'll let my girlfriend know thanks!!

[Michael Palaeologus]

Liz, one of the Practice Nurses is good at her job and is very nice. Dr Addo - nice chap.

[cdonline]

I love the Gardens, since I lived on the Rye overlooking it.

The Clock House's refurb looks nice, but they really need to sort out the food. It is great in Summer, when you can sit outside. They don't seem that professional. When the family who ran it for many years moved away, it showed.

I can't think of anywhere in East Dulwich that matches the Gardens in the way it looks. Particularly in the Summer, it seems so peaceful. Some of the properties could do with some TLC.

I still go the Gardens Surgery, the doctors are great. Yey, Dr Costello and they seem to have got rid of that dragon who worked behind the desk.

[Kerri]

.

[Kerri]

Tilt Estates have been taken over by Grainger. Only problem all Tilt properties have yucky blue carpets and blinds, I'm still figuring out whether it's worth laying a carpet over the existing one and removing it before I leave :)

[laceyw]

How am I able to apply for this key