Brits are flocking to up-and-coming London suburb while it's still affordable
With a high concentration of Crystal Palace fans, this south London suburb is known for its Victorian architecture and as the birthplace of British grime artist Stormzy.
But Thornton Heath is quickly garnering a new reputation as the go-to area for affordable housing in England's pricey capital.
With its average house price of £396,996 compared to the London average of £686,817, eagle-eyed house buyers who caught the trend early may be in for a major windfall.
That's because new data has revealed Thornton Heath to be the fastest-growing area for rent increases in the city.
Pipping areas in London's affluent west, Rightmove statistics revealed the suburb has seen an increase of 14 per cent on rental prices compared to last year.
It beat Harlesden in Brent, Greenford in Ealing, and Barnes in Richmond upon Thames, all of which seen increases of 12 per cent.
Additionally, Biggin Hill in Bromley, Bayswater in Westminster, and East Finchley in Barnet each increased by 11 per cent.
Property expert Sue Iluc told Metro that Thornton Heath was 'shedding its old image as a commuter hub' and is undergoing a major transformation.
Situated in Zone 4 and around 10 miles from the city, the suburb borders the BRIT School which boasts a glittering alumni including Amy Winehouse, Tom Holland, and RAYE.
Its Victorian buildings, seen in St Paul's Church and St Alban's Anglican, give the area a feel of history despite its high street being packed with takeaways.
One social media poster who has lived in Thornton Heath for more nearly three decades says while the area is not 'polished', they understand the appeal for prospective house buyers.
They said: 'Croydon Council have made efforts to invest in the area to make it more presentable.
'Many areas like Thornton Heath elsewhere in London have become gentrified over the past 20 years. I wouldn't say much has changed about [it] in my lifetime.
The area is also a 10-minute drive from the notoriously large IKEA in Croydon - an ideal haunt for those moving into the area
'Thornton Heath has it's problems and definitely isn't polished or friendly but it isn't boring either - it is multicultural and bustling.'
'However this does make property cheaper in the area, and the area has potential to become more sought-after with its train links into London.'
The area is also a 10-minute drive from the notoriously large IKEA in Croydon - an ideal haunt for those moving into the area - as well as BOXPARK, a food court which hosts movie screenings and live entertainment.
For football fans, Selhurst Park - the home of FA Cup winners Crystal Palace - is within walking distance.
And for central London workers, you can commute there in under 30 minutes.
Just take the overground train from Thornton Heath station to London Victoria, and take it from there.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
13 minutes ago
- The Independent
Ulrika Jonsson gives fans an honest look into sobriety journey
Ulrika Jonsson celebrated one year of sobriety by sharing before-and-after photos on Instagram, marking the milestone without "fanfare" but with gratitude. The TV presenter, 57, expressed thanks to her children and friends for their support, acknowledging their role in helping her overcome "crippling shame." Jonsson posted a recent healthy-looking photo labelled "#sober" alongside an older selfie labelled "#drunk." In a previous post marking six months of sobriety, Jonsson revealed she sought help after no longer recognising herself, emphasising the importance of support from friends and family. Celebrity friends, including Kerry Katona and Michelle Heaton, shared messages of congratulations and encouragement to Jonsson. Ulrika Jonsson shares powerful before-and-after photos as she celebrates one year of sobriety
BBC News
18 minutes ago
- BBC News
Masham community rallies round to restore shop to Victorian glory
Elsie Taylor has lived in Masham, on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, her whole 95-year-old remembers a now-derelict shop, Peacock and Verity, in its heyday."It was quite lovely, they had a long counter from the door right back. Everything was in order," she says."The thing I most remember is Easter time and that lovely special smell of hot cross buns."If I could walk into Peacock and Verity and buy a hot cross bun, it would make me feel young again."Elsie's memories become reality in a new Channel 4 documentary series, following a team of volunteers as they recreate a Victorian grocer's shop and Edwardian tearoom, with its own working bakery. At a special screening event for Our Yorkshire Shop: A Victorian Restoration, Elsie tells the BBC: "It's brought back a lot of memories and it's such a natural film - people doing everyday jobs."We've got to record memories for the next generation, so they understand."I think Masham will become very popular." 'Masham at its best' Number 15 Silver Street had hosted a shop until the start of the Covid pandemic, and it was bought by a community organisation in well as the grocery store and tearoom, the group's proposals include a heritage centre, affordable rental flats and returning a post office counter to Masham."It's not nostalgia," says Alan Hodges, chair of the Peacock and Verity board."It is using the past - and the skills of the past - to make a better sustainable project."He hopes the Channel 4 series will generate local tourism, improving the local economy, and encourage investors to support the project as it continues."We know about the sense of community but to see it expressed on screen like that was quite moving," he says, after watching the first Ian Johnson, who fronts the programme, agrees that it shows "Masham at its best". "Masham is everybody's ideal Dales market town," says Ian, who appears in the show as his alter-ego led on some practical elements of the restoration."Being a joiner, it helps, really," he says."I do things in Masham, I get involved in things. If anybody wants 'owt doing for nothing, it tends to be me."Parish councillor Val Broadley also thinks the series "certainly showed off some of the characters" in the town and will "bring Masham into focus"."It's very well known as a dog-walking spot, somewhere to wander along the river, somewhere just to spend a quiet afternoon having a picnic, but people from away don't necessarily know it." The series features a number of North Yorkshire businesses, making produce to sell in the shop.A historic oven has also been restored to working order, to bake bread and hot cross Olly Osborne travelled to Masham from the south-west of England to carry out the restoration."The presence of cameras was a little bit daunting," he says, having not worked on TV before."It took a lot of research, a lot of graft, but we got there, so it's quite special really." "This show is made totally in North Yorkshire, and it's made by people from Yorkshire," Channel 4 commissioner Emily Shields of the aims was to hire people who had not worked on similar projects before, in a bid to "drive new skills, to give opportunities, and to really help develop the talent base here", she on the series was a "dream come true" for editor Joe Haskey, who is originally from Bridlington and lives in Leeds."This is proper regional programming, edited by a Yorkshireman, in Yorkshire with a Yorkshire production company as well," he says. But Joe adds that hiring on and off-screen talent from Yorkshire "shouldn't be a novelty"."When you're filming in Yorkshire, if you can also edit it in Yorkshire, that'd be nice."The dedication to hiring new talent was driven by the show's producer and director, Emily Dalton, managing director of production company Factual Fiction, based near is originally from Masham, and says there are "people here who I think aren't perhaps represented on screen very often".The series is about community, she says."I don't think communities exist in this way closer to London anymore, but up here we're fiercely protecting them, and I wanted to celebrate that." Our Yorkshire Shop: A Victorian Restoration is on Channel 4 from 8 June at 20:00 BST. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
18 minutes ago
- BBC News
Man, 95, returns to Isle of Man TT to scatter wife's ashes
A 95-year-old has returned to the Isle of Man TT for the first time in 44 years to scatter his wife's ashes at their favourite vantage Allen, from London, last visited the island for the event in 1981, having returned annually with his late wife Cherry Allen since 1956. Following the death of his wife in February, Ron booked a flight to the island for the TT and scattered Cherry's ashes at Cronk Urleigh, just past the 13th milestone on the said: "I decided I would bring back some of her ashes to her favourite place on the TT course where we use to watch the races and I thought she would be there forever then". Ron met his wife at the age of 24 at work and he says the pair would "chat" at the end of the day when she picked up her bicycle and he collected his motorbike. The couple both enjoyed motorbikes over 45 years, with Cherry once attempting to be a passenger on a sidecar in Silverstone and pulling out the moves that she saw at the Isle of Man TT, Ron said: "She really loved the Isle of Man TT and was always very enthusiastic about it".Ron said while he always wanted to return to the island for the TT, the couple started going to Greece instead and got into Greek dancing. During his trip this year, Ron also had the opportunity to ride around the course on the back of a bike ridden by a former Manx Grand Prix winner. Organised by his neighbour and friend, Sebastian Edge, Ron experienced speeds of up to 100 mph (161km/h). He said: "It wasn't very comfortable, because those bikes aren't made for passengers", adding "I had my knees up to my neck, but I am glad I did it because I can see something of how the riders feel when they go plunging down Bray Hill".The roads had been smoothened, and were less rough than in the 50s, he said, meaning that riders could go much the speeds riders now go were "unbelievable", Ron said, and the TT was a "unique" event as riders take on the 37.7 mile (60.7km) course. The TT is "really modern now", he said, and in the past, there was just a black score board, and the paddock was not cut off, "so you used to be able to mingle with riders and share stories".Fondly remembering his visits, Ron said "early in the morning it was so invigorating to get on the bike and ride around" adding that it is a "beautiful island with beautiful spots".His neighbour, Sebastian Edge, said that Ron was an "avid fan and supporter of the races", and to come to the TT for the first time with someone who had visited since 1956 had "made it very special for me". Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
