Breakspeare, 94 College Road, Dulwich SE21

Breakspeare

Breakspeare is a development of 8 maisonettes, 4 flats and three houses, each with its own garage, on College Road, London SE21. It is a friendly community made up of singles, couples, families with children and retired couples.  It was built in 1964-5 on the site of Breakspeare House, architect Russell Vernon. 

In the winter you can see the spire of St Stephen's church; in the summer a large chestnut tree blocks it. If you sleep with the window open on the south side, the church bell may gently wake you up on a Sunday morning at 9.55 a.m., and sometimes at 7.55 a.m. It is a real treat: click on this recording to hear it for yourself (with the sliding door wide open).  

Apart from the birds, you will hear very little - the road is quiet; you get a few cars but the toll gate deters most people (College Road residents don't have to pay), plus cyclists and joggers.  Given how close the station is, you willl worry about train noise but there isn't any as the track is in a cutting and there are lots of trees on the embankment.  Obviously if you visit you can check this for yourself.  It is a friendly place.  You often see your neighbours.  We have an annual summer party under the big chestnut tree.

St Stephen's Church today. 

 

Sydenham Hill station has trains every quarter of an hour to Victoria, Blackfriars and St Paul's Thameslink (you'll usually get a seat, unlike at West Dulwich or Herne Hill), as well as to Beckenham (for Waitrose!) and beyond.  The station is under a minute if you run. 

St Stephen's Church by Pissarro, 1870.

College Road is a private road controlled by the only private toll gate in London, dating back to Elizabethan times.  It is popular with cyclists and joggers - there's a few routes, over fields or to the running track, or through the woods.  Across the road are Dulwich Woods, the last remnant of the ancient Great North Wood and now popular with nearby residents going for a walk, with or without a dog, although surprisingly unknown to many. 

 
College Road is described by estate agents as “rural”, and actually it is very quiet and peaceful and the air is clean.  It is only 7 miles from the river, 15 minutes by train.  You can cycle to London in just over half an hour (there's a route that avoids most traffic).  Properties down the hill in Dulwich Village are much more expensive, even though it is more urban and higher density, and closer to the Heathrow flight path.  You can decide for yourself which is better value.   

Our property 

It is not overlooked at the front or the back.  You might have blinds or curtains, but you don't need them.  And because you are on the first and second floors, you can leave your windows open without worrying about security.  

As well as the garage, there is a 500 sq ft loft, which means you can conveniently store everything you want, without stuffing it into a cupboard or your garage (if you have one).  It has built in wardrobes so you do not need separate self-standing ones taking up any space.  The floor area you see is what you get - remember this when comparing it with places that do not have these.

A garden would be nice, but not having a garden has advantages too - you don't need to keep it tidy or mow the lawn, you have communal gardens that are looked after for you and if you have children, they can play in them, overlooked by you. 

A word on price: when we bought this maisonette, the lease had less than 50 years to run.  It has since been extended to what it is now i.e. 134 years remaining. 

Comparable developments

There are other 1950s-1960s developments in SE21, including Stonehills Court, Great Brownings, Ling's Coppice, Constable Walk, Little Bornes, Walkerscroft Mead, and Peckarman's Wood.  Breakspeare stands out for its location: on College Road, an easy walk down to the village, a stone's throw from the railway station and the church, surrounded by trees and greenery, well maintained, bright, peaceful and not overlooked.  Peckarman's Wood (actually just in SE26) is the best of these, but it's a much longer walk to the station.  In West Dulwich or towards Crystal Palace you will find places that are arguably superficially similar, and cheaper, if you are not happy with the location.
 

Other properties for sale in Breakspeare

There is a flat for sale in Breakspeare at the moment.  This is a link to the details.  Presumably its lease term had been extended although the particulars do not seem to say. It is on the ground floor, and so does not have the same views, is 10% smaller (960 sq. ft), and does not have any loft storage.  

Why are we selling?

We have bought somewhere bigger out in Kent (and already completed, so this is chain-free). 

We love Breakspeare: it is quiet, convenient for transport, great for walking in the woods or down the hill to the village, great for running and cycling, it's in walking distance of DUCKS (the pre-prep), Dulwich Prep and Dulwich College, it is bright, not overlooked, it overlooks lovely gardens and the church beyond, there is plenty of storage and the air is clean.  

Service charge

It varies because once every five years the exterior is repainted, and the other four years it is usually just insurance and gardening.  There is also a contribution to the road, which is in the region of £120 a year.  The average of the service charge over the last 20 years has been about £1,800 I think from memory (I have the details for serious buyers), so assume it is currently running at about £2,200-2,400 a year on average. 

We've gone on a bit here, but we wanted to explain the way we feel about the place.