Is around Welling- Bexleyheath nice to move/live

[movingTolondon2018]

Hi,

I live in Nottingham and planning to move to London due to DH's new job and best place we have found (as per our needs) is around Welling- Bexleyheath but I have heard about some nice and not that nice areas around there so can someone please help me in proving some information about the area. At this moment, I precisley want to know about areas around Westbrooke Road, Welling because I have found couple of nice properties there but not sure about the area.

Thanks in advance.

Liss

I don't know that particular road but Welling isn't a bad place to live. It's technically in Kent but borders the London Borough of Greenwich. Some nice green spaces nearby, a long high street with a Mortisins and Tesco, a leisure centre and is a grammar school area. The Welling line is fairly quick into Central London (about 35 minutes).
Bexleyheath has a bit of a rougher reputation around its centre and is slightly further out.
Look at Sidcup and Bexley too maybe.

I am from round there and it’s okay. Typical suburbia really. We’ve moved right out to Folkestone now which has the same commute time (thanks to HS1) but is infinitely nicer and so much more to do. I would recommend looking further out to Kent along the High Speed line if you are able...

Live fairly close and very happy here. Schools decent and Bexley still has grammars if they are yiur thing. Woolwich is close and is on the up with crossrail. Eltham is good too.

Westbrooke Road is very near the railway line, particularly at the western end. HTH

Thanks everyone for your opinion. It looks fine to me as well but you know every street is different and this latest shooting news in SE London makes you more cautious

I did look at the St Mary Cray as well but did not hear anything good about it yet

Thanks,
Liss

St Mary’s Cray is awful. Bexley/Welling will be a far better option 😁

@LurksNoLonger: That is what I was told hence, dropped the idea . But it is really hard to get a decent place in london in budget..

Bexleyheath and welling are both nice.

Lived there many years ago. Busy but nice. I never felt uncomfortable with it and it was my first time living in the UK at the time.

Thanks everyone, area seems fine but I am not sure yet specially, after this latest shooting news in SE London .

Thanks,
Liss

but I am not sure yet specially, after this latest shooting news in SE London

Well, Welling and Bexleyheath is strictly speaking Kent not SE London (Greater London Borough yes but certainly not in postcode-much further out) so you’ll be fine! Welling and Bexleyheath are very safe places to live. You would be very happy!

I have lived in all parts of London. I am now in Bexleyheath.

It is pretty benign. I have never felt safer. In fact I feel safer here than my original home town which is further out in Kent. Plenty of green spaces.

My only issue is that it's obviously less multicultural than some of the other SE neighbourhoods. Not great if you want your kids to grow up understanding all the other cultures and ethnicities that London hosts

You'll find in London that very deprived areas sit right next to very affluent areas. It is fairly easy to avoid the less nice areas. Welling and Bexleyheath don't have a reputation for shootings/stabbings etc although I've heard that Bexleyheath High St is rowdy on a Saturday night. Personally, I'd go for Sidcup (similar train journey to central London).

@KittyVonCatsington: thanks for the information and yes, you are right it is in Kent theoretically..
@Pardalis: thanks and I hope it is what you have said
@MrsPatmore: I also wish to be in that area but cannot see the property I want at the moment so either wait that to come or move to Welling. I have also seen the properties around Mottingham station and area seems fine. Do you have any opinion?

Thanks,
Liss

Welling is not in Kent. It is part of the London borough of bexley and has been since 1965 (prior to that it was in Kent). If you live there you, if eligible to vote, can vote in the London mayoral and the London assembly elections and you will pay your council tax to the London borough of bexley not to kent county council. Obviously there are close links with Kent due to its geographical closeness and shared history and there are some hangovers from the time pre-1965 when it was in Kent (such as the postcode), but it's definitely now technically in London not Kent and has been for over 50 years.

@MaryWortleyMontagu: Calm down dear, it does not matter if it is in Kent or SE because yes, you pay council tax to London but postcode still has the footprints of Kent...either way, I just wanted to know if it is nice place to live.

Thanks,
Liss

I am in bexleyheath. It's perfectly safe, even on the Broadway weekend nights. Practical place to live with shops, cinema, sports hall / pool all in walking distance. Good luck with your house hunting.

All, just an update, went to SE area this weekend to view few properties but to be honest, I was shocked after seeing the insane traffic even on Saturday and could not imagine how bad this can be during peak hours.
The properties we looked were upto 450k but not that spacious as we thought and now I am thinking, probably areas aound outside London can be a better choice.

What about Orpington or Hextable or Wilmington Or look at Sevenoaks areas. Dunton green, otford.

What sort of property are you looking for, you can get 3 bed semi in Bromley for 450k. Very good transport links to London, some good schools, green spaces, good shopping and half an hour to Kent countryside. Croydon is also good place to live, what are your priorities.

Folkestone is gorgeous. Am just on our way back after a weekend in London with family and I really cannot wait to be back by the sea and countryside. Best of all worlds and lots of character properties within your budget for same commute time...

@Gregpenguin: thanks, the reason I thought about SE area because DH works in central London and visits (50%) to NW area but NW travel can be hideous if prefer to drive hence, I thought about High Wycombe which has grammar and drivable and hope to find good schools as well (but not sure as do not know the area). Other option I can see at the moment is Hemel Hampstead but my mind has totally frozen..... Moving house is really stressful...
@wormery: thanks, I am just looking for a nice place with good schools, easy commute to London, not hideous traffic and in our budget..
am I asking too much..

I know the Bromley area very well, that's why I thought about it, the schools are good both primary and secondary and has grammar schools, it's 15mins to Victoria on the train, it's got green spaces and is within your budget.
What about the other direction St Albans,

@wormery: thought about it too and probably will cover while looking in Hemel H as both are not that far and shares almost same characters, if I am not wrong..

Hello All, I hope you are well!

May I get your advise about chapel road, Bexleyheath which is very close Broadway shopping centre and Bexleyheath police station?