Forest walkways fringed by bluebells in the spring, unexpected sculptures, formal gardens and an arboretum of rare trees, plus an evocative ruined abbey that formed the heart of a tiny 12th-century religious community all lie within Lesnes Abbey Woods’ 220 acres of ancient woodland.
Rather than having to head far out of London, this treasured tract of green space is just 11 minutes from Canary Wharf and 26 from Bond Street since the Elizabeth line landed.
While some of London’s landmark open spaces have become global brands, with price tags to match — think Hampstead Heath or Hyde Park — others fly peacefully below the radar, offering Londoners an affordable alternative to moving to the shires.
As Oliver Ghnassia and his husband Josh Cole know, a desire to be in nature does not necessitate a radical move to the country. Their 11-minute move along the Elizabeth line from Canary Wharf to Abbey Wood has given them all the open space they could wish for.
The couple were nervous about making the move in 2022, the year Crossrail opened.
“We didn’t know the area so we thought we would rent for a year — try before you buy,” says Ghnassia, 34, a singer. “Within a couple of weeks we were so happy we started looking for houses.”
Home is now a two-bedroom period cottage, built in 1912 to accommodate workers from the nearby Woolwich Docks — at £425,000 it cost far less than a Canary Wharf flat would set you back.
The only downside of Abbey Wood is that it lacks much of a high street, which means Ghnassia and Cole need to travel to find a decent restaurant — Canary Wharf, the West End and Woolwich are all within a short train ride.
“It is changing,” says Ghnassia. “We now have a Pret and a Costa, which weren’t here when we moved in. It is not the sort of small, independent bakery that you’d like, but it is promising.”
What Ghnassia and Cole, 36, a tech consultant, love about their neighbourhood is how many boxes it ticks; open space, great train links, affordability and community spirit. Ghnassia says he feels completely safe in Abbey Wood, the neighbours have been welcoming, and he and Cole have made friends by helping set up a local LGBTQ running group which now has around 80 members.
Julian Fontenell discovered a similar community welcome awaiting him when he swapped Clapham, where he had lived for some two decades, for deepest north London.
“In the first six months I got to know more people in Alexandra Park than I met the whole time I was in Clapham,” says Fontenell, 54. “It is a very welcoming neighbourhood with a true sense of community. Everyone is welcome.”
Fontenell, co-founder of Splash Music Productions, picked N22 partly because many of his friends and family had already gravitated north, and partly because of its good transport links.
It feels like you are outside London, but also that London is only a few minutes away
Although it is further from central London than Clapham, trains to King’s Cross take 11 minutes, and services to Moorgate run at just over 20 minutes.
“It feels like you are outside London, but also that London is only a few minutes away,” he says. The neighbourhood’s most famous feature is its 196-acre park and nature reserve, laid out with woodland, parkland, and gardens, encircling the Grade II listed entertainment and sports venue, Alexandra Palace.
The park is significantly larger than Fontenell’s old stomping ground, Clapham Common, and he walks there most weeks, regularly visits the palace and is a fan of its Sunday farmer’s market. “It is a nice, tranquil place to go,” he says.
If you’re keen to get your tree-hugging fix on a relative budget but without leaving London, here are Homes & Property’s picks of the best major swathes of green that might not be on your radar — yet.
Best for first time buyers seeking value for money
With the average price for a flat standing at £242,000, almost £130,000 less than the average price of an apartment across outer London, Abbey Wood represents fabulous value for money.
And according to research by estate agent Hamptons, prices have grown by almost 12 per cent in the past five years, making it look like a solid investment for young buyers.
The launch of the Elizabeth line shone a spotlight on Abbey Wood but, unlike other station stops, it hasn’t seen seismic changes in terms of new homes and amenities. It has remained a pleasant residential suburb with relatively inexpensive homes, great train links and a decent local — the Abbey Arms.
If south-east London doesn’t work for you then another low-cost place to pick up a starter flat is Uxbridge, where average prices stand at £268,000.
Uxbridge’s main claim to fame is that it used to be part of Boris Johnson’s west London constituency. If you can overlook that, it offers a busy town centre with plentiful shops — think reasonably affluent home counties market town.
Metropolitan and Piccadilly line services offer connections to central London.
Open space is incredibly plentiful — notably the 178-acre Frays Valley, a nature reserve alongside the Grand Union Canal where you can spot deer and horses. The valley is part of the Colne Valley Regional Park, 43 square miles of woodland and fields, with dozens of lakes, plus rivers to explore which was founded to give Londoners a taste of the “real” countryside.
Best for family houses on a — relative — shoestring
Mitcham is a suburb encircled by top-notch green space. At 460 acres, Mitcham Common is substantially bigger than Hyde Park, and there is also Beddington Farmlands, a wildlife sanctuary, and the National Trust run Morden Hall Park. There is plenty to do outdoors too, with carnivals, fireworks and other events held year round.
Mitcham also passes the transport test. Trains from Mitcham Junction to Victoria take less than half an hour. And while its town centre is not its greatest selling point, it does have some decent boozers, useful shops and neighbourhood restaurants. Local schools include the “outstanding” Harris Primary Academy and St Mark’s CofE Academy.
The average price of a house in Mitcham Junction stands at £589,000, found Hamptons, up more than five per cent in the past year.
Another excessively leafy location is Chislehurst, which lies in positively bucolic surroundings of woodlands and commons. The 300-acre Scadbury Estate Country Park dwarfs Victoria Park, and you can relax and watch sheep and cattle peacefully grazing, which makes a nice change of pace from picnicking hipsters.
Life in Chislehurst is super-convenient. Trains to Cannon Street or Charing Cross take about half an hour. School standards are high — St Nicholas CofE Primary gets top marks from the schools’ watchdog and the vast majority of local schools are rated “good” by Ofsted. And there are stacks of cafés, restaurants and wine bars along the high street, including Bank House wine bar and kitchen, run by Stuart Gillies, who has cooked everywhere from Le Caprice to the Connaught.
Despite its posh Kent vibes, Chislehurst’s houses look like value in an outer London context, with average prices of £559,000.
Best for urban village vibes
Alexandra Park gives its surrounding neighbourhood not only its name but its heart. The palace in the park hosts a year-round programme which elevates this area well above its suburban roots.
Beyond its farmers market there is a fantastic garden centre, regular antiques markets, playgrounds and a pitch and putt. There is also a programme of live music including opera and, this July, Wet Leg, plus everything from ice hockey, comedy, festivals and fireworks. Eclectic doesn’t cover it.
This part of town is also much better value than other smart north London villages — expect to pay an average £451,000 for a flat or £734,000 for a house, according to Hamptons.
Right on the other side of town another great, green option is Shooters Hill, the highest point in south London with amazing panoramic views.
Despite being only just inland from built-up Woolwich, Shooters Hill is London’s tree capital. Together, Oxleas Wood and
Shooters Hill Woodlands provide almost 300 acres of forest-bathing goodness. Eltham and Woolwich commons are also within walking distance.
Herbert Road, the de facto high street, is quite tired and not yet showing any signs of coming up in the world. But it has all the everyday shops you could wish for.
A slight compromise is transport, because Shooters Hill lacks its own station, which means walking up and down the hill to Woolwich to pick up Elizabeth line trains, or heading down to Falconwood Station, where services will get you to Victoria or Charing Cross in just over half an hour.
Price wise expect to pay £451,000 for an average flat in Shooters Hill or £734,000 for a house.
