Which side of the railway?
The railway runs through the middle of Hither Green. The east side centres on Staplehurst Road; the west side on Hither Green Lane and Springbank Road. Say which side you are on and the nearest road, then the water tower with the large clock faces, left from the old Park Fever Hospital, if that is the nearest thing you can see, or Mountsfield Park, or the station, which sits on the Prime Meridian. The postcode can be SE6, SE12 or SE13. 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
Hither Green is known for late Victorian and Edwardian terraces, most of all the Corbett Estate, built by the Scottish MP Archibald Cameron Corbett on 278 acres, which is why many of the roads have Scottish names. Those terraces tend to have a front door set in a small porch. Three things follow for a locksmith: original timber doors with a nightlatch and mortice lock that can often be repaired rather than replaced; terraces converted into two flats, with a shared hall door; and many original doors swapped for uPVC or composite ones. The old hospital site became a housing estate, Meridian South, so around the water tower the homes are newer.
Because of Corbett's Quaker origins, the estate was built without a pub, and it still has none.
Common jobs
- Original timber front doors in the Corbett terraces, with worn nightlatches.
- Lock repairs that save replacing a door.
- Two flat conversions with a shared hall door.
- Replaced uPVC doors whose handle will not lift.
Questions people ask
Can I just try the door myself? Forcing a lock or a uPVC door often turns a simple opening into a damaged door. With us, non destructive entry comes first, and locked out: what to do lists what is safe to try.
What should I ask before agreeing? The business name, the name of the person coming, and one total price including VAT; how to spot a fake locksmith has the full list.
Is my front door protected? Some roads in Lewisham sit in conservation areas that restrict door changes. Check your street with the council if you plan a new door.
Nearby
We also cover Lewisham, Catford and Brockley.
All areas