London villages: Kennington
This south London neighbourhood offers an exhilarating mix of posh and plebeian
Kennington, south of the river, midway between Vauxhall and Camberwell, is the suburb that has featured most in the MPs' expenses scandal. Hazel Blears and Alistair Darling are only two of the ministers with Kennington second homes. But then the place offers all a politician could want: only ten minutes from the House of Commons and a combination of the grand and the scruffy to show that you are keeping it real.
The area used to be best known for the Oval cricket ground. But it was also a hotbed of intrigue. In 1848 the Chartists, who campaigned for reform via a “People's Charter”, met in Kennington Park to call for votes for all men, annual elections and...for MPs to be paid.
Enough history, is it a friendly place?
There is a real sense of community. One local told me about a street party held the previous weekend. The residents' association is very strong, as is the tireless Friends of Kennington Park and the Library Society.
What about green spaces?
Kennington Park is a gem, with a lovely café, areas for sport and even clean loos. A must-see is the Old English Flower Garden, first planted in 1929.
Is there good transport?
Excellent links into Central London by Tube from Kennington, Oval, Vauxhall or Lambeth North; main lines at Waterloo, Vauxhall, and Elephant & Castle, plus many buses.
Are there good schools?
Local state primary schools are Henry Fawcett and Archbishop Sumner (CofE) school, which scores above national averages in just about everything. There is the Archbishop Tenison's state secondary school and the Lilian Baylis Technology School.
What about property prices?
Cleaver Square, pictured, probably the smartest address, has pretty Georgian terraces on each side. These four-bedroom homes go for between £800,000 and £1.1million. Neighbouring roads include the quiet Methley Street, where you could buy a three-bedroom Victorian terrace for about £825,000, and Ravensdon Street, where a four-storey Victorian terrace with five bedrooms would be closer to £1.1million.
Double-fronted Victorian three-bedroom houses in Milverton Street sell for about £665,000. A three-bedroom mews house goes for about £469,000, cottages for £580,000 and a one-bedroom school conversion flat for £460,000. Low-rise former local authority flats with four bedrooms are available for £280,000. High-rise two-bedroom maisonettes are about £179,000. Prices drop as you move away towards Walworth.
What are the cafés and bars like?
Several greasy spoons and some more considered cafés, notably Vergie's on Kennington Road, where nothing on the menu costs more than £5. Beyond the many options for pizza, the Kennington Tandoori (known fondly as the KT) has a solid reputation, as does the Coriander on Kennington Lane. The White Hart pub is a local favourite, The Windmill Fish Bar is highly recommended for quality traditional fish and chips, while the White Bear Pub on Kennington Park Road has an award-winning theatre.
What about shopping?
If it's boutiques you want, you'll need to go further afield, but Kennington has a good share of useful shops, such as dry cleaners and newsagents.
Any architectural highlights?
The area was heavily bombed during the Second World War, so period buildings sit alongside 20th-century estates. When the Great Exhibition of 1851 was dismantled from Hyde Park, Prince Albert's Model Dwelling for Artisans was re-erected in Kennington Park as an inspiration for property developers. The little house, designed for two families, is still there.
Some surprises, too. Amid the high-rise blocks of the Brandon Estate reclines the unmistakable broken anatomy of a Henry Moore bronze. Two-Piece Reclining Figure No 3 was bought for the estate by the Greater London Council in 1962.
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