Telling us where you are in Blackheath
Blackheath sits across two boroughs, Lewisham and Greenwich, so give the road as well as a landmark. People say they are in the Village by Blackheath station, at Blackheath Halls just south of it, on the heath by All Saints' Church, or at The Paragon on South Row. You are told who is coming, the price and how they will try to get in without damage.
What the homes are like, and what that means for the lock
Most buildings in the conservation area date from around 1790 to 1880, and the railway, from 1849, brought high quality Victorian pairs and terraces. The Paragon, a Grade I listed crescent from around 1790, was restored as flats after war damage.
To the south east, Blackheath Park (the Cator Estate) runs from Georgian and Victorian villas to compact flats, and many larger houses have long been divided. Blackheath Park has the largest number of small Span estates: short terraces of houses and flats round shared gardens, designed with Eric Lyons.
Period front doors tend to be timber, often with a nightlatch and a mortice lock, and worth repairing. Divided villas and The Paragon add a shared street door, and Span flats tend to share an entrance run by others.
Front doors and the planning rules
Blackheath was London's first conservation area, designated by Lewisham and Greenwich together in 1968. On some Lewisham streets an Article 4 direction means a new front door can need planning permission, and flats in Lewisham's conservation areas need it anyway. The Paragon's listing covers what is fixed to the building. A new lock is not a new door. Check your street with Lewisham or Greenwich before you pay for one.
Common jobs
- Georgian and Victorian timber doors with a worn nightlatch or mortice lock.
- Flats in divided villas and The Paragon, locked out of your own door.
- Lock changes in Span flats and houses after a lost key.
- Repairs after a break in, on period doors.
Questions people ask
Does it matter whether I am on the Lewisham or Greenwich side? Not for us; the prices are the same. Each council has its own planning rules.
I live in a Span flat. Who deals with the shared door? The estates were set up with residents associations looking after shared grounds. Ask them or your managing agent first; we can open your own door.
Nearby
We also cover Lewisham, Lee and Deptford.
All areas