whats abbotswood like behind sainsburies?

[shell]

Hi there .. does anyone live in the little houses behind francis rd? There always seem to be loads of houses for sale there which is worrying me slightly. Looking for a nice safe little place for my mum.. any info much appreciated

[Loz]

It's a lovely, quiet area, Shell. All two and three bed houses with gardens, mostly built around 1997.

For years, few houses came up for sale there, but when the market went ballistic last year quite a few thought it was time to sell up.

[Jeremy]

It's fine. I guess some people don't stay that long because they need more space (lots of the houses are very small). But personally I'd rather have one of those than a two bed flat.

[ratty]

Gorgeous! Moved out just under two years ago after 9 happy happy years at nunmber 27! Moved cos there was me, my missus and 2 kids plus 2 cats!

[speedbird]

I know someone that lives there and she loves it. It is quiet and she has a really sunny garden. Doesn't ever want to move out. As Loz says, nothing ever came up for sale there till last year when they made lots of money, then several went on the market. Good place though.

[Guest]

Lovely area...very quiet but yet convenient location. As Jeremy said, I'd prefer these over a 2 bed flat as you get a garden and they are all freehold

[midivydale]

A close friend of mine lives there with her husband and two young children and is very happy. I love it there when I visit. As a poster said above, I would much rather live there than in my current 2 bed flat.

[Azalea]

What is the noise from the railway line like?

[phobic3000]

Azalea Wrote:

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> What is the noise from the railway line like?

Quieter than the noise from the airplanes overhead! It's a nice area.

[Loz]

Azalea Wrote:

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> What is the noise from the railway line like?

You couldn't hear them from ours. Most trains passing stop at ED, so they are travelling pretty slowly.

[Alex K]

Shell, we've been here for fourteen years. We like it. Nothing like having Sainsbury's DKH Superstore as your corner shop.

The houses indeed are small. So are the gardens. But perhaps for a woman in middle age -- you write that your mother might be interested in settling here -- less carpet to hoover, less lawn to trim.

When we arrived, the owners around us were a mix of buy-to-let landlords, older downsizers, and young folks starting up their families. Some of the last have moved on to gain space, some have built out their lofts. A few of the downsizers have said, Time to sell up and head for a bungalow on the coast... the knees aren't what they used to be.

Among the houses that are tenanted rather than owned, most are well-kept-up, to judge by exterior paint and trimness of plantings. More trig, certainly, than many a terraced street off Lordship Lane. The renters are family-starters or young professional couples scraping together a deposit for somewhere else. I truly like having the children about, scootering their way off to school and back.

It's quiet here. The 8DJ postal code, backing onto the railway line and the patch of "amenity land", may hear the trains. We on the other side of Abbotswood, in 8DL, hardly notice them. Road traffic isn't a bother.

Downside? Most houses have off-street parking, so finding a spot for your car is not an issue. Some weekends to negotiate the enfilade of visitors to the boot sale on the playing fields has been tedious. Now and again the football club makes a bit of a racket.

Also: No telling what things will be like if the profiteers who have bought it succeed in knocking it down and packing more houses into the area.

Have a look around. The houses are built to several different plans -- check Zoopla listings to acquaint yourself with the options. One of them surely will suit. Good luck!

[shell]

Thanks so much everyone thats put my mind at rest. Will take my mum to do some viewings and see how we go!

[KatDew]

It's lovely we have been here for 9 years... But mine is one of the houses currently for sale.

The location is good, really nice neighbours, my kids are in Dulwich village infants school. But we are bursting at the seams. They are nice houses but not designed for two adults, three kids.

[ratty]

KatDew Wrote:

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> It's lovely we have been here for 9 years... But

> mine is one of the houses currently for sale.

> The location is good, really nice neighbours, my

> kids are in Dulwich village infants school. But we

> are bursting at the seams. They are nice houses

> but not designed for two adults, three kids.

Wow! We burst at 2 kids. Presuming you have a three bed or that one of the kids is in the shed?

[KatDew]

One of the bigger three beds and extended! But yes, we need more space!

[Bob_Whistler]

I'm thinking of moving to Burrow Road, but am concerned about my partner walking around the area at night especially along St Francis road as it is quite dark and there is no through traffic. Has anyone had any bad experiences or am I just being paranoid?

[sheilarose]

There's a thread about a "strange Polo" that seems to provide an answer to your question.

[ratty]

Incidents when I was there:

Some young lad waved their willy at my wife at the bottom of Francis ave. police called and person humiliated by wife who laughed at him.

Friend mugged for two bottles of Rioja in football ground car park. (Only in East dulwich ffs)

Neighbour burgled.

Back neighbour burgled.

That's it. In 9 years. And my neighbour left his door open so that one doesn't count.

Move there, you will not regret it.

[sdurham]

We have lived there for 2 years & are very happy! It's me, my husband, our 2 year old daughter & a baby on the way. It will be a little 'cosier' with 4 of us, but we are looking at extending (fingers crossed) to add a 3rd bedroom, all being well. Otherwise, I would say for your mum it would be perfect. Very quiet - we are on the Burrow Road side & so closer to the football club but can honestly say we don't hear it really. Having Sainsbury's so close is brilliant & it's only 5 mins to ED station & 10 mins to Goose Green/Lordship Lane, or a bus up the hill to Denmark Hill station. Perfect location really.

I walk down St Francis Road twice every day to get to the station, coming back home when it's been dark in the winter recently, and have never had any problems at all. We are right in the far corner of Burrow Road and no issues walking down there either. It's mostly families really. The big block of flats is hospital housing mainly for Kings staff (I think?).

So nice to have a house with great outdoor space, something we couldn't find when looking elsewhere in ED given our budget.

You're very welcome to pop by and see inside if you're in any doubt - I've found our neighbours to be super friendly over the time we've been here & when we were investigating extension options, they opened their doors to us as well.

I'd definitely recommend moving here, no regrets!

[Weegee]

I live in Abbotswood Road for 3 years. Lovely road...its 9 mins walk to East Dulwich Station and as well as Sainsburys ...its 6 mins walk to 24 hour CostCutter at the bottom of St Francis Road.

The houses are small with small gardens...but the road is quiet and you will always get a parking space on the road.

Lovely friendly neighbours there inc 2 afore members of EDH , Ladymuck and her husband.

Oh and you are 3 mins from Dulwich Hamlet Football club , a fantastic little football club in the Rymans League Premier Division. There is never ever any trouble there , with a super friendly crowd and ?10 for a game!

[Bluerevolution]

Weegee you forgot the most fantastic stewards ANYWHERE in football !!

[Weegee]

Bluerevolution Wrote:

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> Weegee you forgot the most fantastic stewards

> ANYWHERE in football !!

Sorry I forgot to mention that the stewards at Dulwich Hamlet are super friendly and welcoming to

supporters.

Actually all the guys down there inc the guys on the turnstyles, selling the programmes, the stewards,

bars staff, Jack the chairman...all really nice and friendly.

I will never forget the day DH got promoted 2 years ago and my friend and I held the cup and stood next to Jack!

Sorry I digress but im really glad we moved to Burrow road and Abbotswood Road .,discovering the football club and making loads of friends inc my neighbours.

Its a friendly area and even though ive moved away....I always look forward to coming back to visit the area and seeing my old neighbours and friends!

[astrid83]

Its lovely! We have been here one year now, on Burrow Road. We were in a two bedroom flat in Nunhead before this and we are so much happier where we are now. The houses are in my opinion well built, well insulated compared to the victorian conversions I have lived in. And it is so quiet! Small house but enough for us, a family with a toddler and baby. I don't think the gardens are much smaller than a typical London-sized garden....

[philosophie]

We are thinking of moving to the area and this street in particular. We have a young child so peaceful and family-friendly are good buzzwords for us! Has opinion changed in the last six years? Is it still a nice part of East Dulwich to live? How noisy are Dulwich Hamlet games (bearing in mind we have a light sleeper) 🙉 All intel is very appreciated!

[AylwardS]

Having been here since the houses were built (in 1996) everything above remains unchanged.

There are more cars than there were but I don?t think anyone has done away with the parking space outside their house - a definite plus for London. You now have to plan if you are taking the train at certain times more than you did but between East Dulwich and Denmark Hill there is good access to London Bridge, Victoria and Blackfriars.

Noise from the football ground is only an issue when the windows are open. For London its very quiet and background noise in the garden is barely noticeable (though I?m used to a garden as close to the M6 as these are to the railway and lived on an equivalent of Lordship Lane when I first came to London.