Wallington is a quiet suburban town in south London located between Croydon and Sutton. It is part of the London Borough of Sutton which it joined in 1965, having formerly been within the county of Surrey. It is just under ten miles south of Charing Cross.(Estate agents in wallington)
Wallington started life centuries ago as a small village called Wallington Green, and like many villages, development began in the Victorian era with the arrival of the railways. Before this, the area was famous for its lavender fields with the oil harvested and made into different products. The industry began to decline after the First World War and is fondly remembered with an 18ft-tall lavender bush at the junction of Woodcote Road and Stafford Road and the Wallington Christmas lights, which always represent lavender bushes. The plant has seen a micro-revival with a 25-acre field of lavender recently planted nearby in Banstead.
21st century Wallington is a peaceful community with quiet leafy streets and avenues and a steady pace of life associated with suburban living. Lacking the industrial history of nearby Croydon, Wallington is very popular with families due to a good supply of decent-sized houses, proximity to central London and some genuinely outstanding secondary schools.(Estate agents in wallington)
Famous sons of Wallington include the author, Mervyn Peake of Gormenghast fame, who lived in a house in Woodcote Road demolished alongside many others to make way for a block of flats. His father was a GP and ran a surgery from the house. Peake returned as an adult and lived in Wallington between 1922 and 1932. Another famous Wallington resident is Jeff Beck, the guitarist, who was born in Demesne Road. Beck famously played with The Yardbirds but has appeared as a guest musician on hundreds of famous songs produced by other music stars.
The town has four gold post boxes to commemorate the four gold medals won by David Weir, a Wallington resident, at the 2012 London Summer Paralympics.
Property Types in Wallington
An influx of new homes and retailers has meant that Wallington is one of the most popular up-and-coming areas in south London. Property buyers have a wide choice of Victorian and Edwardian styles through to 1930s detached, semi-detached and terraced homes. There are also one and two-bedroom flats dating from the 1960s onwards. The best roads are Buckingham Way, The Drive, and Lordsbury Field with detached houses from the inter-war years, which can sell for over £1 million. The Edwardian semi-detached houses in Park Hill Road and Blenheim Gardens sell for around £750,000.
The average price for property in Wallington is currently £460,579* Flats in Wallington sold for an average of £309,456 and terraced homes for £540,301.
The average monthly rental price in Wallington is £1,159**(Estate agents in wallington)
Demographics in Wallington
In the 2011 Census, the population of Wallington North and South combined was 20,850, and the average age of the people was 39.
Schools and Colleges in Wallington
Wallington has several primary schools. Almost all of them are rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted. These include Bandon Hill in Sandy Lane South, Stanley Park Infants in Stanley Park Road and St Elphege’s RC Infants and Juniors.
Secondary education is very well provided for – the town is home to three of the borough’s five grammar schools. The London Borough of Sutton is one of the top-performing boroughs for education in the UK.
There are two boys’ grammar schools in Wallington rated ‘Outstanding’ – Wallington County Grammar School for Boys and Wilson’s, one of the highest achieving state schools in Britain, and nearby Wallington County High School for Girls is rated ‘Good’.
Slightly further afield is the Harris Academy Purley, which is co-educational from 11-18 graded ‘Outstanding’ alongside the Harris Invictus Academy and Glenthorne High, also with the same ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted rating.
There is a wide choice of private schools with Collingwood and Laleham Lea RC, co-ed prep schools to age 11, and Cumnor House split across two different sites educating boys and girls separately. Whitgift takes boys from 10-18, and Old Palace of John Whitgift and Sutton High both take girls from 3-18.(Estate agents in wallington)
Local Attractions Near Wallington
Beddington Park is 100 acres of beautiful parkland and was once a medieval deer park belonging to the Carew family. Their Tudor home, Carew Manor, still stands on the edge of the park. With over £3 million from the Heritage Lottery and Big Lottery Fund, the park has been transformed and includes sports pitches, barbecue stands, an outdoor gym and a children’s playground. The Grange is a popular restaurant and bar for park-goers and also a wedding venue.
The Honeywood Museum is a Grade II listed building next to the picturesque Carshalton Ponds. In May 2012, the museum was the subject of a complete refurbishment programme thanks to a Heritage Lottery Fund grant. This fine building has exhibitions that tell the story of the house and the people who lived there. It also recounts the history of the Borough of Sutton.
The Sutton Ecology Centre was created in 1989 to provide a haven for wildlife and also provides family fun on a rainy day with activities and events that help educate about the environment.
Shopping Facilities and Leisure in Wallington
Wallington’s town centre has been recently regenerated, providing a mix of high street chains, independents and traditional family-run stores. The main shopping street is along Woodcote Road, where there is a small retail centre.
Wallington has several supermarkets, Lidl, Asda, Iceland and Sainsbury’s. The usual brands like Boots and Superdrug are interspersed with eateries and coffee shops and a thriving cafe culture. There is a traditional farmers market held on the second Saturday of every month which sells local produce.
Wallington’s leisure centre is called The Phoenix Centre, part of the Everyone Active Group and provides a gym, dance studio, sports hall for racquet sports, soft play area for kids and group exercise classes. The two nearest swimming pools are at Westcroft Leisure Centre in Westcroft Road, Carshalton and Waddon Leisure Centre in Purley Way. Mellows Park provides free access to a range of facilities, including tennis courts.
The nearest cinema is the Empire in Sutton, and there is also a Vue cinema in Croydon. For something a little different, the Brook cafe/bistro boasts a pop-up cinema showing an eclectic range of films from the avant-garde to family favourites. They also offer private film screenings to be enjoyed with their delicious onsite catering. The famous Fairfield Halls are a stone’s throw away in Croydon. This recently refurbished venue is an arts and entertainment centre with a theatre and concert hall.
Pubs and Restaurants in Wallington
Very much like the retail scene, Wallington has a mix of branded restaurants like Pizza Express in Stafford Road alongside independents like Bandon’s Bakehouse, a coffee shop serving sandwiches and pizza. The Bonanza is a family run Thai restaurant with a diverse and delicious menu or head to El Nido for Spanish cuisine. This tapas bar offers a relaxed atmosphere with a real Mediterranean vibe.(Estate agents in wallington)
The Wallington Arms is a popular pub near the station, and the Duke’s Head offers a classic Georgian pub with 23 bedrooms and a heated garden. Enjoy a traditional British pub menu at The Plough with fresh seasonal produce.
Upcoming Developments in Wallington
All the major housebuilders are represented across Wallington, which has seen pockets of development as part of the regeneration project for the town. There is a complete mix ranging from apartments in low rise blocks to uber-stylish townhouses with contemporary styling and fittings like Maple Grove. There are homes to appeal to growing families and first-time buyers with shared ownership schemes available on some developments.
Barrett Homes offer 1,2, and 3-bedroom houses at New Mill Quarter, a total of 440 properties, each with their own balcony and terrace and an onsite supermarket, plus plenty of incentives to help new buyers or families wanting to move up.
Travel Connections from Wallington
Wallington has a train station which runs services to London Bridge, a journey which takes 30 minutes, and Victoria, which takes 40 minutes. Hackbridge station is easily accessible, which offers a 35 minute Thameslink service to Blackfriars, Farringdon in 40 minutes and St Pancras in 45 minutes. Wallington and Hackbridge stations are both in Zone 5.
There are regular bus services to Purley, Sutton and Croydon.
Gatwick and Heathrow Airports are only 16, and 37 miles from Wallington, respectively, and both can be reached either by car or train within an hour.
https://www.zoopla.co.uk/house-prices/london/wallington/
https://www.home.co.uk/for_rent/wallington/current_rents?location=wallington
http://wallington-north.localstats.co.uk/census-demographics/england/london/sutton/wallington-north
