General
West Dulwich is a real discovery as it is only 10 minutes by train to Victoria and while property prices are less than nearby Dulwich Village, the two areas share many of the same facilities. As in Dulwich Village, [a large part of] the area is controlled by the Dulwich Estate (distinctive white, chain-linked posts are a defining characteristic) which ensures it remains largely green and unspoilt. A miniature village in itself nestling behind and around the imposing buildings and grounds of Dulwich College, in keeping with the rest of Dulwich, the area straddles the London Boroughs of Southwark and Lambeth and is home to the last working tollgate in London (built in 1789 by John Morgan to link the top of the hill with fields he rented from Dulwich College).

Property
The property ranges from the stunning Georgian mansions facing Dulwich College to the [Victorian conversions and Edwardian purpose-built] flats scattered around roads such as Clive, Rosendale, Turney and Dalkeith. Much sought-after Alleyn Road and Alleyn Park provide handsome Victorian villas with large gardens and carriage driveways and more modern detached family homes all within easy reach of the College and other local amenities. Always popular with families are roads such as Carson, Clive, Dalmore, Rosendale, Eastmearn, Ildersley and Acacia which present a choice of impressive single- and double-fronted period houses all with large rooms and good-sized gardens. In addition, there are various versions of Victorian, Edwardian and mid-20th century houses ranging in size from the charming two-bed cottages in Chancellor Grove and Chalford Road to excellent-value 5/6-bed family houses in ever-popular South Croxted and Croxted, Dalkeith and Lovelace Roads, the majority of which have gardens measuring in excess of 100ft.(30m)!

There are two small ex-local authority developments in the area. Houses and flats here give real value for money and are increasingly popular with first-time buyers and rental investors looking for well-located good-quality accommodation.

Very much in vogue at the moment are the 1960s' developments dotted around Dulwich set in mature communal grounds and offering well-planned versatile space at reasonable prices. Good examples are Pymers Mead, Walkerscroft Mead, Lings Coppice, Alleyn Crescent and the more recently-built Spencer Mews. These houses in particular, and the maisonettes in flats in College Road, Great Brownings and Constable Walk afford an opportunity to indulge in cutting-edge contemporary design as exemplified in some of the current popular property TV shows and lifestyle magazines.

Further developments of exclusive modern houses include Woodhall Drive, Ferrings, Toll Gate Drive, Dulwich Oaks, [gated] Hambledon Place (Mrs Thatcher’s former residence!) and Dulwich Golf Course.

It is often difficult to know where one area finishes and another begins. The streets with SE27 postcodes between West Dulwich and West Norwood provide properties ranging from the Victorian cottages of Robson Road to the mid-range, mid-20th century houses in roads such as Towton, Hexham, Tulsemere and Lavengro Roads. In addition, roads such as Idmiston, Ardlui, Chestnut and Chatsworth Way and Lancaster Avenue offer mostly larger family houses.

Shops
The West Dulwich shops attract people from all over the area and retailers include the famous Dulwich Trader (winner of the Best UK Retailer – awards for 2003, 2004 and 2007), Mad Cow (innovative gifts and fabulous designs), the Curtain Exchange, Dulwich Books, Cheeky Monkies (toy store), Threshers (off licence), the Dulwich Bakery, Tesco Express, Lloyds Bank, Majestic Wines on Acacia Grove, the local orthodontist and David Thomas (uniforms and much much more). A new addition to the shopping parade is Jo Partridge hairdressing salon (they have moved from Half Moon Lane).  Phase Eight is well-known for its up-to-the-minute fashions and Eclipse (the place to buy your leavers’ ball ballgown (tell them which ball you will be attending and they will guarantee not to sell that dress to anyone else who will be going to the same event!), which has just started selling childrenswear, can always be guaranteed to stock fabulous [ladies] designerwear. Lesley Leale-Green, the well-established beauticians from Dulwich Village, now has a new shop (opening soon) in the main parade. For foodies, there is the wonderful La Gastronomia delicatessan which sells an extensive range of delicious Italian foods. The Alleyn Park Garden Centre opened in December 2004 and has proved a big success with plants, flowers and a lot more. This is also where you will find the thatch & co! More shops can be found in nearby Rosendale Road including a traditional corner shop (occasionally the source of real delights such as exquisitely-juicy, unwaxed oranges!), newsagents, hairdressers, dry cleaners (sister shop to Heritage), Oddbins, a [wonderful] butcher (which attracts large queues, especially at Christmas) and Acorn Antiques (antiques, gifts, candles, cards and more).

Restaurants & bars
The area includes some great places to eat. Café Rouge with its cleverly-covered patio garden provides the perfect setting for weekend family lunches and relaxing with friends after work. Porcini, the definitive atmospheric Italian restaurant, has stylish décor, great food and a frontage that opens to the street during the summer. La Gastronomia (delicatessan) serves a range of different coffees, delicious snacks and light lunches and Indigo, newly refurbished, contemporary-styled restaurant in Rosendale Road serves really good Indian food. Beauberry House in Belair Mansion on Gallery Road (“the setting is amazing by far the best venue for a London restaurant” (http://www.london-eating.co.uk/172.htm)) is great for special occasions and is the perfect venue for weddings (also has a marriage licence) and parties with its stunning Georgian architecture overlooking lawns and parkland. French and Japanese menu. In addition, the Alleyn’s Head pub serves great food (and organizes regular pub quizzes). Following an extensive refurbishment The Rosendale was reopened in June 2007, by Mark and Sharlyn van der Goot, the team behind the award winning and critically acclaimed restaurant The Greyhound at Battersea.  They have created a welcoming setting in which to enjoy great food and drink at accessible prices.  It has an extensive wine list and beer and ale selection to choose from.  The Rosendale offers fantastic food with ingredients sourced when possible from Kent and Sussex.  It seats up to 55 people in the dining room, with a 60 capacity bar area in addition to the spacious outdoor terrace open throughout the summer months.  It has already won Time Out Best Gastropub 2007, the first of many awards!

Schools
As with all parts of London, catchment areas cross boundaries and, included in this list, therefore, are schools where the catchment areas include Herne Hill. In addition as children from the area use the nearby Dulwich Schools, these have also been included.

The area is well stocked with schools catering for children from 2 to 18 years of age. State primaries: Langbourne Primary School, Elmwood Primary School (excellent recent SATS results!), Rosendale Primary School. State secondaries: Kingsdale Secondary School (fantastic new performing arts centre and 6th form).

Fee-paying schools include: Dulwich College (separate but affiliated kindergarden - DUCKS - and junior schools) (nursery to 18 years), Dulwich College Preparatory School (nursery to 13 years) (confusingly, not connected to Dulwich College), Oakfield Preparatory School (nursery to 11 years) and Rosemead Preparatory (nursery – formerly Noah’s Arc -- to 11 years).

Other private schools in the area include Virgo Fidelis Prep. School (nursery to 11 years), Herne Hill School (nursery to 7 years), Streatham Hill and Clapham Girls School (nursery to 18 years) (P13 bus from Thurlow Park Road takes you there), Alleyns (4 to 18 years), James Allen Prep School (mixed nursery to 7 years, girls only 8 to 11 years), James Allen Girls School (11 to 18 years) and Sydenham High School (4 to 18 years).

For details of school results (SATS, GCSE & A level) together with addresses and map visit schools in Southwark and for schools in Lambeth. A list of all schools in Dulwich can be found on http://www.dulwich.co.uk/schools.html

Other
Bel Air park nuzzles on the corner of the South Circular and Gallery Road (leading to Dulwich Picture Gallery and Dulwich Village – one mile away). Its playing fields provide a perfect venue for Sunday football, walking the dog or just a leisurely stroll around the integral stream which is home to an array of water birds, and there is a safe and fenced children’s play area. Central to the park is the beautiful Belair House (now Beauberry House Restaurant), an old stately home built in 1740. Dulwich College dominates West Dulwich and offers access to its sports facilities to local residents via membership of its Sports Club. Membership is cheap, currently £450 pa for a family/£300 for individuals, and excellent value as members can benefit from the use of tennis courts, running track, fully stocked gymnasium and weight room as well as a beautiful new swimming pool. The greens of Dulwich Golf Club lie behind the west side of Dulwich College and stretch up the hill to the start of Dulwich Woods on the other side of the famous toll gate. Dulwich is home to an enormous number of clubs and societies ranging from The Dulwich Society which aims to increase awareness of local history and character to Powerpramming which meets each week to power walk with prams in Dulwich Park! All these groups have web sites. A list of some of them can be found on http://www.dulwich.co.uk/links.php and typing “clubs in Dulwich” in the Google search engine will provide still more! Dulwich College has a thriving Enterprise Department which ensures that the buildings and its grounds are used to their full capacity. The popular monthly Farmers’ Market provides an opportunity to sample and buy country fare, and the College also hosts other events such as art and antique fairs.

Transport
Transport links into central London are good. There is a half-hourly (more frequently in peak hours) service from West Dulwich Station into Victoria (via Herne Hill – Thameslink and Brixton – Victoria Line) (10 minutes) and a rush-hour service to Blackfriars. Detailed information on train links to West Dulwich can be found at Journey Checker. The No. 3 bus goes to Oxford Circus via Westminster and Whitehall and P13 travels across the area linking New Cross and Streatham (via East & West Dulwich). Detailed information on buses (with map) can be found at www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/spiders.