Eltham or Plumstead?

[Fizzgigg]

We're looking at buying houses around either Plumstead (near Shooters Hill) or Eltham.

Anyone know the areas? Pros/cons/preferences?

Eltham

Eltham. Plumsted is still quite grotty in places, and although I'm sure it's being gentrified, isn't particularly lovely. Eltham is a bit tired (high st) but is quieter and a bit nicer, and has a lovely leisure centre.

Interesting you both said Eltham so far! I did view a house today and felt it felt like streets and streets of houses but saw so few people or signs of life (may have been the heat though). Interestingly seem to get more for your money in Eltham than Plumstead which is making me wonder why.

Eltham also has Eltham College which is a decent secondary; in Plumstead you don't have a huge choice of decent secondaries with one (oversubscribed) exception - if that's a consideration.
There's also Eltham Palace, which is lovely!
I don't live in Eltham, but nearby, and work near Plumstead.

Eltham is really nice for families, lots of green space too. Good primaries and secondaries. The High St is a bit tired in places but it has a fair range of shops, cinema and nice restaurants.

Eltham college is a private school btw.

Eltham Palace is indeed lovely though, with some great kids activities in the school holidays.

Eltham. It's a private school though.

We'd be looking at state schools. Bit houses we're thinking of are within catchment of Ark Free School Greenwich for secondary and decent primaries too.

I'm moving from super central London with everything on my doorstep and Eltham just feels very suburban but Plumstead a bit leafier and nicer (at least the nice bit bear Shooters Hill)

Great to hear everyone's perspective though so thank you for replies.

Shooters Hill is lovely and has Oxleas Woods, tennis clubs, a farm and golf with equidistant shops at either Eltham, Charlton or Woolwich. I think you'd need a car though as it's not very close to the stations and it's hilly. I think this area has already increased in price a lot due to the imminent arrival of Crossrail in Woolwich. Personally, I'd avoid the Plumstead High St area - stick to Shooters Hill/Plumstead Common.

Eltham is livelier, good schools and the High St has a few shops, library, nice leisure centre, banks etc. There are some very expensive areas in Eltham. The roads off Westmount Rd are nice - - it's called Eltham Park.There's also Eltham and New Eltham stations (different lines into London).

Both areas are great as they're close to Greenwich, Blackheath, Greenwich Park, the river and easy to get into London on the train (fastest train at New Eltham only takes 14 mins to LB). Train stations at Eltham/Woolwich are Zones 3 or 4.

I live in upper Plumstead quite close to Welling at it’s so quiet and suburban. Plum high street is rough as shit but we rarely if ever go down there. Shooters Hill is a lovely area though. I lived in Eltham for 15 years and never liked it unfortunately.

Thanks @Lightsabre. You've sort of nailed the areas I've looked at - just off Westmount Road and the Plumstead side just on the other side of Shooters Hill from Oxleas Wood. Both lovely houses.

Truth is we were due to exchange on Plumstead house this week but sellers have hit a snag so it all might fall apart. Just in case it does I viewed an Eltham house yesterday and am now having a total crisis of confidence in which one! We'll probably put an offer on Eltham house if Plumstead falls apart but I'm now wondering if the Eltham house would be better anyway.

I'm so bored of all this! We also had a house purchase in Charlton fall apart near exchange too.

@FuckUcuntychops

I live in upper Plumstead quite close to Welling at it’s so quiet and suburban. Plum high street is rough as shit but we rarely if ever go down there. Shooters Hill is a lovely area though. I lived in Eltham for 15 years and never liked it unfortunately.

Why didn't you like Eltham?

You need to understand what sort of school ark Greenwich free school is, before you choose it.

Children line up in a straight line with their arms in the air. If their feet are not exactly on either side of the painted line, and their elbow not completely straight, they get a detention. That day. No warning.

They are made to sit by upright in lessons. BOLT upright. ALL the time. Sitting normally =detention. My friend removed her daughter for this reason- last year, the girl is still getting back ache.

Not remaining dead silent in lessons. Once=warning. Twice=detention. Three times=exclusion room. And so it goes on. My friends daughter was ending up with regular one or two hour detentions for things like forgetting a pencil sharpener, or siting normally.

It’s absolutely brutal. And the staff turn over is about 50% a year. I think even staff find the regime shockingly harsh

There are some children who do well in such a military like culture, and you could argue that too much discipline is better than too little.

But you need to know what it’s like before you consider it.

It is notorious. And actually, the value added scores they got in their exam results are not great.

@0None0

You need to understand what sort of school ark Greenwich free school is, before you choose it.

Children line up in a straight line with their arms in the air. If their feet are not exactly on either side of the painted line, and their elbow not completely straight, they get a detention. That day. No warning.

They are made to sit by upright in lessons. BOLT upright. ALL the time. Sitting normally =detention. My friend removed her daughter for this reason- last year, the girl is still getting back ache.

Not remaining dead silent in lessons. Once=warning. Twice=detention. Three times=exclusion room. And so it goes on. My friends daughter was ending up with regular one or two hour detentions for things like forgetting a pencil sharpener, or siting normally.

It’s absolutely brutal. And the staff turn over is about 50% a year. I think even staff find the regime shockingly harsh

There are some children who do well in such a military like culture, and you could argue that too much discipline is better than too little.

But you need to know what it’s like before you consider it.

It is notorious. And actually, the value added scores they got in their exam results are not great.

How can the school get away with that? It sounds like child abuse

Thanks for that @0None0. I have worked with other Ark schools that weren't at all like that so hadn't heard that about this one. I know people who do work in the school so will check it out more fully. Appreciate the info.

I agree, @littlelegs2. What I hear sounds like child abuse. I would never work there. And I am a teacher, very keen on good discipline.

Based on your post, the Plumstead house sounds like it’s basically in Shooters Hill. People who live on/around Shooters Hill usually just refer to it as Shooters Hill as it’s own area, regardless of what their address would say. And it is a lovely area.

Saying Plumstead conjures up images of Plumstead High Street in people’s mind, which is obviously an area to avoid if you can help it. But more Southern areas of Plumstead around Plumstead common road and towards Shooters Hill are very nice.

Eltham is an area that generally ticks all the boxes - great schools, nice housing, lovely green areas, good high Street etc. But it’s very white and racist, with historic links to white supremacy (active BNP spot in the 90s, Stephen Lawrence murder etc). For that reason alone I wouldn’t chose to live in actual Eltham.

@Tangled22, times have changed and the demographics of Eltham have changed as younger families have moved into these areas from more liberal areas where they have been priced out. It is multi cultural now but it is true that there isn't as much diversity as you'll find in other parts of Greenwich Borough, for example, Woolwich.

Eltham College (independent) is a great school, as is Colfe's (independent also). Farringtons (independent) has a school bus. Lots of kids take the Bexley, Bromley and Kent Grammar school tests. These schools are accessible by bus or train from Shooters Hill or Eltham/New Eltham stations.
St Thomas More (Catholic) is a very good mixed comp in Eltham but I'm not sure if it has spaces for non catholic kids.

I thought all Ark Academies were like that? I’m over in Camberwell and our local Arks all have that reputation too. They argue they need it to counteract local poor parenting and gang culture

@Fizzgigg, so difficult to know what to do. I would say the Eltham house might be more conveniently located for amenities and transport (from Eltham High St mostly) but Shooters Hill is quieter and may benefit more from Crossrail in terms of house value (although it's a trek into Woolwich). It would be a close call I think.

@Lightsabre I know present-day Eltham (and the whole of Greenwich borough) very well, and while obviously things have improved since the 90s, there’s still a large enough element of it remaining that it’s worth mentioning.

For example 62% of Greenwich borough as a whole is white - 81% of Eltham is white. I’ve come across white supremacist/ignorant attitudes from Eltham families - albeit original Eltham residents who are born and raised in the area, obviously not from new families moving in from outside.

We used to live on shooters hill and loved it - green spaces, lots of families, community feel. Moved for secondary school as only guaranteed one was Kidbrooke - renamed Corelli College - now renamed again and (then at least) home education would be better!

@Tangled22 yes you're right. It's Shooters Hill really.

@Changechangychange not in my experience. I've spent quite a bit of time in Ark Globe (observing classes and teaching) and also some time in Ark Walworth and never observed the type of thing referenced here.

I live in Plumstead but the Plumstead common side, which is nice, I wouldn’t live near the high street and never go there at all really, I wouldn’t live in Eltham personally