# Denmark Hill area Information for London noob please.



## mockingbird (Jun 4, 2008)

Hi All,
Can some one tell me more information about Denmark hill (part of Camberwell)  please?

I have recently been offered a job in Maudsley hospital(*yes*) and am going to relocate to London in next 2 months and am moving from a small town up north.

I have been to Denmark hill only once when i attended the interview and did not have the chance to look around.I have been looking in the forums for more information on Denmark hill but seem to find info abt Camberwell and Ruskin park mostly.

I am looking for a 2-3 bedroom accommodation preferably with in few minutes walk to hospital or the Rail station as  my partner will be working in central London.

Are the areas near hospital or Railstation considered safe ? I was a victim of racial assault  which put me in hospital for few days,so i am little paranoid about assaults and alley stabbings.

Which part/s (street names very welcome) of Denmark hill is/are not "dodgy" and what would be an acceptable rent for a 2-3 bedroom flat or 2-3 bedroom house in those areas?

Are there any supermarkets,sportcentres/gyms,schools,libraries,childrens entertainment centres etc near?

What is the population demographic in that area (old/young/white/black/asian etc)?

I would appreciate any response but will be delighted if some one living in that area give me first hand info.

Thanks for ur time and replies in advance.


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## Melinda (Jun 4, 2008)

Denmark Hill is seconds from Camberwell and Ruskin Park- so either of those two areas would do for you.

The station is safe enough- just off a really busy main road which itself is yards from Denmark Hill. 

Central Camberwell is fine- lots of restaurants and shops and I think there is a Morrisons there (well Im assuming as it used to be a Safeway). 


Lots of lovely streets near the station-  Camberwell Grove and the roads that run paralell are simply gorgeous, but mucho expensive.

Good bus service, the trains are every 15-20 mins to Victoria.


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## snowy_again (Jun 4, 2008)

Well, like anywhere else in London, its smack on the borders of other areas - Camberwell proper is 300 yards up the road, leafier Herne Hill is about a mile in the other direction, painfully double buggied East Dulwich is only a short bus ride away. 

Denmark Hill's got an overground train station, with regular trains across London, and that combined with lots of buses means you're not necessarily limited to living around the hospital, unless you're working particularly unsocial hours. 

The area's too big to give you a street by street summary of where's good and bad. If you're looking for a quieter life, you might be more interested in the areas to the south more than going into the Walworth Road / Peckham side, but others may disagree. 

You could use http://www.londonprofiler.org/ to look at IMD & demography and the like. 
Good luck!


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## London_Calling (Jun 4, 2008)

Have you asked the Maudsley for accommodation info/advice? You could also chance your arm with Kings College across the road - together I'd think they were by far the largest employer in the area and certainly have experience of trying to help less than well paid employees.


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## knatchbull (Jun 4, 2008)

mockingbird said:


> Hi All,
> Can some one tell me more information about Denmark hill (part of Camberwell)  please?



Denmark Hill as a place doesnt really exist - its a railway station and the name of a road but thats about it -  I think it has been talked up by estate agents etc who think it sounds better than Camberwell! 

Anyway thats my little rant over. 

I have lived in the Camberwell area for five plus years and would thoroughly recommend. I first off lived about 100 metres from Denmark Hill Station which is great for the station and also good for the Sainsburys on Dog Kennel Hill. I now live on the other side of Camberwell towards Brixton and Kennington which is better connected for the tube at Oval and is a bit closer to central Camberwell (ie the Camberwell Green area). The hospital is a maximum 10-15 minute walk from anywhere in Camberwell. 

Camberwell is a great place to live - it has a good range of restaurants and pubs (see http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=249970 for discussion) and whilst the supermarket shopping is not so good (two branches of Somerfield) there is a very good bakers and greengrocers on Camberwell Church Street. Also as I mentioned Sainsburys is close by and Tesco at Kennington or Old Kent Road and Asda on Old Kent Road are all a short bus/walk away. 

As for public facilities there are a library, swimming pool and schools in Camberwell itself or Brixton or East Dulwich are not far away. About 25% of the SE5 postcode (which most people think of as Camberwell) is in Lambeth borough with the rest in Southwark (the borough boundary runs along the road named Denamrk Hill - Maudsley side of the road is Southwark and Kings side is Lambeth). As I'm sure you know which borough you live in affects yoru schooling choices, amount of council tax you pay etc etc - they are generally the same but comparing notes with people in the other borough small difference do emerge. I personally prefer to live in lambeth and so that was a factor in finding my current house.

The population of the area is mixed - majority white population but significant numbers of Africans (primarlity I think Nigerians and other West Africans) and people of Caribbean origin. In Camberwell there is also a small Cypriot population. But as I'm sure you know London is far more mixed than other places and everyone seems to generally get on well together.

For housing the main areas I would recommend are 
Champion Hill/ Grove Lane - near to Denmark Hill station and generally quite pleasant, Geogian housing

Roads off Coldharbour Lane - eg Cambria Road, Luxor Street, Flaxman Road - other side of Kings, generally terraced housing, near to Loughborough Junction station and easy walk to Brixton.

Herne Hill - starting at Hinton Road and going on to Herne Hill Station roads like Railton, Shakespeare and Milton Roads have lots of smaller terraced housing.

Myatts Field - roads around Myatts Field Park such as Paulet Road, Knatchbull Road, Lilford Road are residential Georgian housing (its where I live so obviously I'm biased!). Its good for Camberwell Green and also good for Oval tube station.

I think the surrounding areas of Peckham (SE15) and Walworth/ Elephant and Castle (SE17) might be slightly cheaper for housing.

I would recommend looking on one of the property websites such as rightmove or findaproperty to see the housing in the se5 area that  meets your needs and then come up and travel around to work out your route to work and also how you would feel about living in each of the areas as ultimately its down to your personal feelings.

As for safety - I have never had any problems and nor have female friends - its generally fine to walk around day or night and there are lots of people around. I think you wouldnt have any 

I would thoroughly recommend Camberwell.


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## mockingbird (Jun 5, 2008)

*Thanks !*

Thank you *Melinda* for your input.
*Melinda* wrote 


> Lots of lovely streets near the station- Camberwell Grove and the roads that run paralell are simply gorgeous, but mucho expensive.


Can afford between £1000 -£1200.Might be able to strech to £1400 if the area is close to Maudsley as no travel expenses are incurred.Have checked the council tax bands and all of them seem to be over £2200 per yr for the properties currently available for rent.Am i right in thinking the council tax will be £200 + every month?

Thank you *snowy_again* for your input.
http://www.londonprofiler.org/ is the most comprehensive website i have seen to date about London.Thanks for directing to this excellent source of information.

*snowy_again* wrote


> painfully double buggied East Dulwich is only a short bus ride away.



What do you mean by "painfully double buggied"?


> unless you're working particularly unsocial hours



Yes some times this will happen, probably once in month.So would I be better off looking for properties near hospital?

Thank you *London_Calling* for your input.

*London_Calling* wrote



> Have you asked the Maudsley for accommodation info/advice? You could also chance your arm with Kings College across the road - together I'd think they were by far the largest employer in the area and certainly have experience of trying to help less than well paid employees.



I have done this but at the moment there are no properties available.They said the hospital accommodation consists of mainly single rooms,studios and very few 2+ bedrooms.As the date of moving is nearly 2 months away i have asked them to give me a head's up when anything becomes available.

Thank you *knatchbull* for your input.I have been researching('googling') about Denmark hill area info for about a week now.Your few paragraphs gave me more information than all that almighty google has to offer.

*knatchbull* wrote


> As I'm sure you know which borough you live in affects yoru schooling choices, amount of council tax you pay etc etc - they are generally the same but comparing notes with people in the other borough small difference do emerge. I personally prefer to live in lambeth and so that was a factor in finding my current house.



Can you tell me the reason/s for choosing Lambeth please?
Does it have better schools?
What do you think is the best school in and around Camberwell?



> As for safety - I have never had any problems and nor have female friends - its generally fine to walk around day or night and there are lots of people around. I think you wouldnt have any



You took a load off my mind.As mentioned before once bitten twice shy.
Will take on board ur suggestions and start the house hunt.
Thanks once again *knatchbull* .


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Jun 5, 2008)

mockingbird said:


> Can you tell me the reason/s for choosing Lambeth please?
> Does it have better schools?
> What do you think is the best school in and around Camberwell?


 
Better schools?  Well if you want to send your kids up the road to Dulwich College or the Alleyns School 

If you don't mind me asking, what colour/race/origins are you that you were racially attacked?

Lambeth/Southwark are very multi-cultural areas.  There's all sorts, and lots of lovely Filipinos as well (who work in the hospitals) so you're hardly going to stick out like a sore thumb if that's what you're worried about


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## mango5 (Jun 5, 2008)

Hi mockingbird

I live just around the corner and work next to the hospital.  It's very safe.  You should be able to get a nice 2 bed place within 15 mins walk of the station in most directions.  But the buses from Camberwell are also great for getting into town.  Very mixed area, like most of central london you hear a few sirens at the weekend (esp near the hospital) but I've always felt confident walking around day and night.

Decent swimming pools, parks and leisure facilities in the area and within a 20 minute radius on the bus.

knatchbull knows their stuff   Keep us updated


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## mockingbird (Jun 5, 2008)

*Hmmm..*

Minnie_the_Minx wrote


> Better schools? Well if you want to send your kids up the road to Dulwich College or the Alleyns School


Just checked those out
http://www.dulwich.org.uk/Document_1.aspx?id=1:29034&id=1:29017
£4,392 per *term*!!
What i meant was any Grammar schools etc around.


> you're hardly going to stick out like a sore thumb if that's what you're worried about


Nope not worried about sticking out,worried about ignorance of people.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Jun 5, 2008)

mockingbird said:


> Minnie_the_Minx wrote
> 
> Just checked those out
> http://www.dulwich.org.uk/Document_1.aspx?id=1:29034&id=1:29017
> ...


 

Yeah, well you didn't say how good you wanted the school to be 

Would be very surprised if you had much grief around there, especially considering how multi-cultural the hospital itself is as well as the general area 

I'm not white and it's a long time since I had any abuse in Brixton


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## zoltan (Jun 5, 2008)

Its not a bad area all round- ED is newly gentrified but still decent, Camberwell is a bit busier but has some lovely streets and the pleasant Herne Hill is just a short bus ride away.

Trains & buses to central London are fantastic - 10 mins to London Bridge/ not much more to Victoria - zone 2 IIRC

theres a world of parks for teh kids- the one at Kings has a spray paddling pool in the summer, theres one being built at Peckham rye IIRC.

LA schools vary dramatically - it is London after all - the best have waiting lists and parents trying all kinds of tricks to jump the queue, eg renting house in a particular schools catchment area then moving on when Junior has got in and suchlike- theres tones of private schools in the Dulwich area if thats your thing - But I do find perservering with the local LA schools does mean that youe are involved and contribute a bit more, even if it is not the best performing

The west side of peckham - north of Goose Green in ED and between Peckham Rye lane / ED station is a great place to live and sadly maligned by the snotty gits in ED proper

there a few places I would sooner live than round here


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Jun 5, 2008)

zoltan69 said:


> Its not a bad area all round- ED is newly gentrified but still decent, Camberwell is a bit busier but has some lovely streets and the pleasant Herne Hill is just a short bus ride away.
> 
> Trains & buses to central London are fantastic - 10 mins to London Bridge/ not much more to Victoria - zone 2 IIRC
> 
> ...


 

Victoria is in Zone 1


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## zoltan (Jun 5, 2008)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> Yeah, well you didn't say how good you wanted the school to be
> 
> Would be very surprised if you had much grief around there, especially considering how multi-cultural the hospital itself is as well as the general area
> 
> I'm not white and it's a long time since I had any abuse in Brixton



IM white, so cant comment as much, but it _seems_ to be OK around here - its certainely a varied population base


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## zoltan (Jun 5, 2008)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> Victoria is in Zone 1




my bad layout - I meant ED/Camb/DH etc are all in zone 2


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## mockingbird (Jun 9, 2008)

*Travel zones*

What travel pass should i buy to travel from Denmark hill to South Kensington on a monthly basis?

I found 2 options 
1)Buy monthly pass from denmark hill to victoria and monthly travel card for zone one.
2)If i buy a travel card for 1-2 zones ,will is travel card allow me to travel on South eastern trains?
Thanks


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Jun 9, 2008)

mockingbird said:


> What travel pass should i buy to travel from Denmark hill to South Kensington on a monthly basis?
> 
> I found 2 options
> 1)Buy monthly pass from denmark hill to victoria and monthly travel card for zone one.
> ...




If you buy a 1-2 zone card, you can travel on all trains, tubes and buses within those zones


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## hipipol (Jun 9, 2008)

*Zoltans fairly on the money*

The area hes on about, also called Bellenden (or Peckham) Conservation area is nice, I lived on Howden Street for 5-6 years in the 90s, though it got gentrified over the last few years - which hasn't dont it all that much harm -except thats its now easier to buy an antique lace dress then get your plumbing sorted!
I however would suggest that you look at Nunhead - the 484 bus would take you stright to Kings, but it would also put your kids in the catchement area for Haberdashers Aske hatcham College - prob the best school in these parts -no I didn't go there.........
Tp the east of Kings/Camberwell there are more green spaves till you hit New Cross/Deptford. Have lived in and around Camberwell for many years -bar a few years in Brixton since 92 - the old Camberwell Council (before it was merged with Southwark in the 60s) was Alls Well.
It has been for me, should be for you


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## DJWrongspeed (Jun 9, 2008)

This is all good advice, i works at KCH NHS trust across the road.  I notice that the staff are quite strange in their relation to the area, they somehow believe it to be warzone on coldharbour lane and camberwell.  Don't believe it if anyone tries to tell you this.  Yes Camberwell has it's fair share of addicts and a sometimes 'lively' street life but I've found it no more dangerous than anywhere else in London.

There's loads of good transport links so you should be able to cast your search quite wide.


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## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Apr 15, 2014)

And of course you are entirely unconnected with that site.


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## el-ahrairah (Apr 15, 2014)

interesting bump.


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## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Apr 15, 2014)

el-ahrairah said:


> interesting bump.



There was some dodgy spam there, which has been whisked off into the ether.


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## el-ahrairah (Apr 15, 2014)

now we all look stupid.  ((((us))))


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## tbtommyb (Apr 15, 2014)

great denouement.


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