neighbouring areas
Postcodes
| SW1 | SW15 | SW20 | SW8 |
| SW10 | SW16 | SW3 | SW9 |
| SW11 | SW17 | SW4 | TW10 |
| SW12 | SW18 | SW5 | TW9 |
| SW13 | SW19 | SW6 | |
| SW14 | SW2 | SW7 |
Ask people to picture Clapham and almost always the first thing that springs to mind is the Common, that clearly defined swathe of green bounded by roads. But beyond that, which area can claim to be the real Clapham?
Abbeville Village, as the streets hugging Abbeville Road are now collectively called, is really Clapham Park. Anywhere heading in the direction of the Northcote Road is 'between the Commons' and verging on Wandsworth, and as for Clapham Junction - is it not Battersea in all but name? Nonetheless, all these distinct areas are part of the Clapham property magnet that has drawn in people who only a few years ago might not have considered moving South. There is nothing surprising about areas such as this with green space, good transport (the Northern Line does have good days) and a good choice of schools becoming a hot spot. What is interesting is that many buyers now prefer it to places such as Fulham.
Richard à Brassard of Courtenay estate agents in Lavender Hill, has noted this trend, "At one time buyers would start off in Battersea and then make an aspirational move to Fulham. Now there is almost a complete reversal as they find what they are looking for in Clapham."
It comes at a price though. The very stylised two -bedroom cottages on the Shaftesbury estate sell like hotcakes for between £340,000 and £380,000. One that recently went on the market with Courtenay had three offers within days. "In 1985 you could pick those up for £30,000", recalls à Brassard.
Many people trading up from here are likely to look towards streets off Clapham Northside, which offer better value than those 'between the commons' to the West. There the appeal of the Northcote Road area with its small shops, stalls and monthly French market has not only become known as 'Nappy Valley' but is deemed to have among the highest disposable incomes in the country. "Houses here are a good 10 to 15 per cent more than those in the streets such as Taybridge, Marney, Thirsk and Longbeach which lead to Clapham Common Northside and where a four bedroom terrace house sells for between £500,000 and £600,000", says à Brassard. "But no one should dismiss the Clapham Junction area. Victoria and Waterloo are less than 10 minutes by train and there are some very exciting schemes in the offing. A huge building programme will bring in a lot of offices, shops and restaurants, and we are already seeing small developments of flats and new retailers."
However the most credible claim on the 'real' Clapham must come from the Old Town, where its higgledy-piggledy layout and old buildings mark it out as the site of the first settlement . It also tends to draw a broader selection of people and, as well as the early Victorian and Georgian architecture, there is a contemporary twist with some striking penthouses in the mix. Dorian Delap from estate agents Friend & Falcke, located in the Old Town, says that as well as having some very large houses it also has a good number of flats. "There is no stereotypical buyer here and it has a slightly bohemian feel. It has a big gay community, for instance, and a lot of younger people - an interesting mix."
But a premium has to be paid for property here. A buyer looking for a nice, characterful flat will have to pay around £360,000 for two bedrooms. A flat-fronted cottage in Cubitt Terrace would be £525,000, and a three-bedroom Georgian house in Clapham Manor Street £750,000. The agents have for sale a two bedroom flat in a grand early 1800s building overlooking the Common for £470,000. "No one is buying at the top end of the market because people are often expecting too much on the back of a few over-inflated prices from two years ago. But since many will only sell at what they consider to be the right price the market is stagnant," explains Delap. A great deal of change has been seen in the Old Town in the past five years, according to local architect, Richard Ellis. The downside to what he describes as a dormitory suburb with lots of bars and restaurants is that small businesses and shops have disappeared. Taking their place, though, are live/work units, although Ellis believes there is a danger that some in-fill sites are being over-developed. He works in the 1940's built Maritime House in the centre of Old Town where there is space available to rent. "We mustn¹t lose the character of the Clapham. Take the wonderful Victorian bandstand in the middle of the Common. Instead of being used it is sad and neglected."
The Wandsworth/ Lambeth split runs through the Common which falls into Lambeth's care. Arguably its fortunes might be different were it the other way around. But the Abbeville Road area has not suffered from being administered by Lambeth. There prices of family houses have soared ranging from £900,000 up to £1.4 million on the popular streets. And the businesses cater for them. The well-regarded Time restaurant is at the end of Abbeville Road, while Treohans, a small corner shop has the reputation for supplying the customer with their smallest request. "Ask for something one day, and the next day it will be there", says one regular. Florists, antique and gift shops keep the homes suitably supplied.
Edward Westmacott of John Hollingsworth, estate agents, says the choice of schools in the area is a big attraction and is waiting to see what effect the Lambeth Academy, the new secondary school opening on Elms Road in September will have on demand. "Abbeville Road has that village feel that families love. The bars and restaurants are always busy and people know one another."
Indeed parents do tend to feel it safe to let children go to the shops on their own. While beyond that in Clapham High Street the Picture House and plethora of cafes and winebars are a teenager's heaven. Just one more reason why people are loath to move away.
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