Located on the border of the South and South East London boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark, the district of Lambeth is positioned between Peckham, Camberwell, Walworth, Herne Hill, and Kennington. It sits just one mile from Charing Cross and is home to a variety of residential, commercial and industrial buildings.
In 2021 property in the district of Lambeth averaged £740,610. This is notably higher than the overall averages across the boroughs of Southwark and Lambeth, where property averaged £678,138 and £651,002 respectively. The average Lambeth property is approximately £230,000 more expensive than the average property in Newington, but more than £700,000 cheaper than in Dulwich Village.
Flats accounted for most of the properties sold in the district of Lambeth over the last year, and they reached an average price of £678,651. Lambeth's terraced properties fetched £1,041,180 on average, with the district's semi-detached properties selling for slightly less, averaging £952,500.
These statistics illustrate than prices have fallen in the district of Lambeth during the last 12 months. Sold prices are 21% down on 2020 and 28% lower than in 2019 when the peak average was £1,026,976.
What is living in Lambeth like?
Frazier Street actually marks London's geographical centre, which should give you some idea of just how well positioned this district is within the capital. The area benefits from a strong cultural scene, offers vibrant nightlife and gives young professionals the chance to enjoy a very short commute to various areas of Central London. It's possible to be in the heart of Westminster on foot in less than 20 minutes.
Lambeth is home to a variety of notable landmarks and buildings including Lambeth Palace, which is the Archbishop of Canterbury's official London residence. Occupying a picturesque position on the south bank of the River Thames, the palace's library contains numerous items including a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, the late 16th century Book of Howth, and the 12th century Romanesque Lambeth Bible.
The Church of St Mary-at-Lambeth was deconsecrated in the early 1970s, and after escaping its scheduled demolition, it now houses the Garden Museum. This is the UK's only museum dedicated to celebrating the history, design and art of gardens. During development works in 2016 a number of coffins were discovered inside a vault. These included that of Richard Bancroft who was Archbishop of Canterbury between 1604 and 1610 and chief overseer of the production of the King James Bible.
The Old Paradise Gardens span more than 1.5 acres. Before being transformed into a public park in the late 1880s, it was the St. Mary's Church burial ground. Today, the Garden Museum runs a weekly gardening club for local residents, and there are plans to create a wildflower patch to connect the park's planting with that of the Garden Museum.
Living in Lambeth pros and cons
Pro: Lambeth boasts numerous excellent schools
With tens of schools within a one mile radius of Lambeth, the district can be an excellent base for families with school-age children. This long list of schools includes Octavia House, which is a special independent school, the independent DLD College, the 'Outstanding' rated Archbishop Sumner Church of England Primary, Vauxhall Primary and Lilian Baylis Technology School.
Con: Lambeth is within the ULEZ and Congestion Charge zones
Both of these schemes can make driving very costly, which could be a disadvantage for those who enjoy vehicle ownership or prefer to avoid public transportation. While both schemes have made a positive difference to the air quality in the heart of the capital, levels of pollution are still exceeding World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines approximately 50% of the time. Over the course of a year this means that Lambeth residents may be exposed to more than three times the recommended level of pollutants.
The good news is that there are numerous cycle routes in and around the Lambeth area as well as several cycle scheme docking stations.
Pro: Lambeth enjoys excellent transport connections
Lambeth is positioned within easy reach of numerous Underground stations including Lambeth North, Kennington, Vauxhall and Waterloo. Lambeth North is located in zone 1 and is positioned on the Bakerloo line between Waterloo and Elephant & Castle. It benefits from frequent services including 14 trains per hour to Elephant & Castle, five trains per hour to Queens Park and six trains per hour to Harrow. Interestingly Lambeth North is the least-used station in zone 1, which means that residents can enjoy fairly stress-free Underground travel.
The A3203 Lambeth Road runs through Lambeth between Lambeth Bridge and St. George's Circus. This helps London Buses operate a variety of routes in and around Lambeth, including the 12 between Dulwich Library and Oxford Circus, the 59 between Streatham Hill and Euston, and the N109 between Katharine Street, Croydon and Oxford Circus station.
And let's not forget the London River Services that offer various commuter and leisure services from Festival Pier and Waterloo Pier.
Is Lambeth a safe place to live?
Lambeth is located within the Bishop's Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) area. Between January 2020 and December 2021 there were 6,478 crimes reported. As Lambeth occupies such a central and tourist-heavy location, it is no surprise that crime levels are higher here than in neighbouring areas such as Prince's and Vassal.
Theft was the most frequently reported crime during this period, accounting for 2,396 cases. Crime rose between January and July 2021 but reduced from 301 reports in November 2021 to 247 cases in December 2021.
Which celebrities live in Lambeth?
The list of famous faces who have lived within the Lambeth area over the years is simply too long to run through in its entirety. Some of the most notable names include the former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott who was born in the area in the late 1950s, artist and visionary William Blake, musician David Bowie and comedian and actor Charlie Chaplin.
The founders of the Royal Doulton pottery company, Sir Henry Doulton and John Doulton, lived in the local area where the pottery was based for many years prior to its relocation to Stoke-on-Trent in the late 1880s. Former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone was born in Lambeth in the mid 1940s as was fellow politician Peter Whittle who was born in the early 1960s.
Lambeth has strong sporting connections too, with cricketers such as Ben Bryant, Henry Burton, Chris Murtagh and Tim Murtagh, jockey Charlie Smirke, Fulham F.C manager Scott Parker, and footballers Aubrey Fair and Kieran Gibbs spending time living in the district.
Things to consider when moving to Lambeth
The vibrancy of Lambeth is essentially unparalleled. As well as offering easy access to the array of activities available on the South Bank, Lambeth residents can also enjoy the facilities on offer at several green spaces in the area including Clapham Common, Streatham Common and Brockwell Park.
As we have already seen there are numerous ways to get to Central London to enjoy the high street and independent shops that line the streets. Additionally the food scene in the area is excellent, with eateries and restaurants specialising in every cuisine you could possibly imagine.
Perhaps surprisingly, property prices in this part of London aren't sky high, particularly for young professionals looking for a one or two-bedroom apartment. The jump from apartment prices to house prices however is steep, which can mean that those looking to upsize may need to move slightly outside of the heart of the district.