Why move to Blackheath?
It has the feel of a small country town, with its elegant Georgian villas surrounding its green and windswept heath, where locals fly kites and walk their dogs. People buy here for the work-life balance and tend to stay for a long time, so the community is very up to date on local affairs. Blackheath even has a community society which works to protect the heath and its diverse architecture, as well as organising social events like the switch-on of the Christmas lights which coincides with the annual Village Day. What’s more, with a high proportion of families residing here, there are some excellent schooling options.
A little bit of history
The area has been inhabited since the Roman times or earlier and has always been prosperous, with grand residences built to house visiting royalty and gentry – hence the varied architectural styles. It’s also a sporty town.
Architecture and property
There are Palladian-style red-brick mansions, a restored medieval palace with a hammerbeam roof, the Stuart-built Queen’s House, Regency and Georgian villas and Victorian and 1930s terraces. Desirable addresses include The Paragon, a terrace of Grade I-listed Georgian houses converted to apartments, the Cator Estate, Blackheath Royal Standard on the Greenwich side of the heath, and the Berkeley Homes Kidbrooke Village.
Green space
Blackheath residents have excellent access to green space, with the heath central to life in the village. It hosts London’s largest fireworks display (sponsored by Hamptons) and also provides space for food and music festivals and outdoor fitness groups. Greenwich Park is also on the doorstep and is the oldest of London’s eight Royal Parks, with a deer park, orchards and the Prime Meridian Line, plus a stunning backdrop of Canary Wharf.
