Lewisham ( ) is a London borough in south-east London, England. It forms part of Inner London. The principal settlement of the borough is Lewisham. The local authority is Lewisham London Borough Council, based in Catford. The Prime Meridian passes through Lewisham. Blackheath, Goldsmiths, University of London and Millwall F.C. are located within the borough.
History The modern borough broadly corresponds to the area of the ancient parishes of Lee and Lewisham, plus the later parish of Deptford St Paul, created in 1730 when the ancient parish of Deptford was subdivided. (The other Deptford parish created in 1730, Deptford St Nicholas, went instead to the borough of Greenwich.) Most of the area was historically in the county of Kent, although Deptford St Paul straddled the boundary with Surrey, with its chapelry of Hatcham (the area now known as New Cross) being in the latter county. From 1856 the area was governed by the Metropolitan Board of Works, which was established to provide services across the metropolis of London.Metropolis Management Act 1855 (18 & 19 Vict. c. 120)
In 1889 the Metropolitan Board of Works' area was made the County of London. From 1856 until 1900 the lower tier of local government within the metropolis comprised various parish vestries and district boards. In 1900 the lower tier was reorganised into metropolitan boroughs, two of which were Lewisham (covering the parishes of Lewisham and Lee) and Deptford (covering the parish of Deptford St Paul).London Government Act 1899 (62 & 63 Vict. c. 14)
The larger London Borough of Lewisham was created in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963, as an amalgamation of the former area of the metropolitan boroughs of Lewisham and Deptford.Vision of Britain – Lewisham LB
Minor boundary changes have occurred since its creation. The most significant amendments were made in 1996, when the former area of the Royal Docks in Deptford was transferred from the London Borough of Greenwich.OPSI – The Greenwich and Lewisham (London Borough Boundaries) Order 1993
Geography
The borough is surrounded by the Royal Borough of Greenwich to the east (where the border runs between Deptford and Horn Park), the London Borough of Bromley to the south (where the border runs between Horn Park and Crystal Palace Park), and the London Borough of Southwark to the west (where the border runs between Crystal Palace Park and Rotherhithe). The River Thames forms a short section of northern boundary with the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Deptford Creek, Pool River, River Quaggy and River Ravensbourne pass through the borough. Major landmarks include All Saints Church in Blackheath, the Citibank Tower in Lewisham, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Church (Sydenham's German Church, technically located in Forest Hill) and the Horniman Museum in Forest Hill. Millwall F.C. are based in the borough, their stadium The Den being located in South Bermondsey.
Governance
The local authority is Lewisham Council, based at Lewisham Town Hall and the adjoining Laurence House in the Catford area of the borough. Since 2002 the council has been led by the directly elected Mayor of Lewisham. A speaker fulfils the civic and ceremonial roles previously undertaken by the (non-political) mayor prior to 2002. The former mayor, Brenda Dacres, was the first black woman directly elected mayor in England when elected in March 2024.
Greater London representation Since 2000, for elections to the London Assembly, the borough forms part of the Greenwich and Lewisham constituency.
Westminster Parliament The borough includes the constituencies of Lewisham North, Lewisham West and East Dulwich and Lewisham East.
These are the MPs who have represented constituencies covered by the borough since its formation in 1964. Constituencies change their boundaries over time, even where names remain the same.
MP Party Represented Dates Heidi Alexander Labour Lewisham East 2010–2018 Christopher Chataway Conservative Lewisham North 1964–66 Janet Daby Labour Lewisham East 2018–present James Dickens Labour Lewisham West 1966–70 Jim Dowd Labour Lewisham West 1992–2017 Vicky Foxcroft Labour Lewisham, Deptford 2015–present John Selwyn Gummer Conservative Lewisham West 1970–74 (Feb) Carol Johnson Labour Lewisham South 1964–74 (Feb) Patrick McNair-Wilson Conservative Lewisham West 1964–66 John Maples Conservative Lewisham West 1983–92 Roland Moyle Labour Lewisham North Lewisham East 1966–74 (Feb) 1974 (Feb)-79 Colin Moynihan Conservative Lewisham East 1983–92 Bridget Prentice Labour Lewisham East 1992–2010 Christopher Price Labour Lewisham West 1974 (Feb)-79 Ellie Reeves Labour Lewisham West 2017–present John Silkin Labour Deptford Lewisham, Deptford 1964–74 (Feb) 1974 (Feb)-87
Demographics
According to the 2011 census, Lewisham has a population of 275,885, is 53% white and 47% , and 43% of households are owner-occupiers.
A 2017 report by Trust for London and the New Policy Institute found that Lewisham has a poverty rate of 26%, close to the London-wide figure of 27%.
Ethnicity
Ethnic GroupYear1971 estimations1981 estimations1991 census2001 census2011 census2021 censusNumber%Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%White: Total–91.9%193,49284.9%180,23478%164,09865.8%147,68653.6%154,74951.5% White: British–––––– 141,814 56.9% 114,446 41.5%111,72637.2% White: Irish–––––– 5,206 1.9% 6,990 2.8%5,0551.7% White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller–––––– 208 0.1%1160.0%White: Roma––––––––––1,0330.3% White: Other–––––– 15,294 6.1% 27,826 10.1%36,81912.3% Asian or Asian British: Total ––––9,5764.1% 12,881 5.2% 25,534 9.3%26,9279% Asian or Asian British: Indian––––2,790 3,487 1.4% 4,600 1.7%5,0461.7% Asian or Asian British: Pakistani––––739 1,090 0.4% 1,596 0.6%2,3610.8% Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi––––636 1,229 0.5% 1,388 0.5%1,8260.6% Asian or Asian British: Chinese––––2,380 3,431 1.4% 6,164 2.2%6,2962.1% Asian or Asian British: Other Asian ––––3,031 3,644 1.4% 11,786 4.3%11,3983.8% Black or Black British: Total ––––37,52416.2% 58,260 23.4% 74,942 27.2%80,47326.8% Black or Black British: African––––8,554 22,571 9.0% 32,025 11.6%37,83412.6% Black or Black British: Caribbean––––23,22910% 30,543 12.3% 30,854 11.2%31,88310.6% Black or Black British: Other Black––––5,741 5,146 2.1% 12,063 4.4%10,7563.6% Mixed or British Mixed: Total –––––– 10,399 4.1% 20,472 7.4%24,2538.2% Mixed: White and Black Caribbean –––––– 4,760 1.9% 8,539 3.1%8,7262.9% Mixed: White and Black African –––––– 1,599 0.6% 3,559 1.3%3,7741.3% Mixed: White and Asian –––––– 1,565 0.6% 3,045 1.1%4,3591.5% Mixed: Other Mixed –––––– 2,475 1.0% 5,329 1.9%7,3942.5% Other: Total ––––3,6491.5% 3,284 1.3% 7,341 2.6%14,1514.8% Other: Arab –––––– – – 1,456 0.5%16710.6% Other: Any other ethnic group ––––3,6491.5% 3,284 1.3% 5,795 2.1%12,4804.2% Ethnic minority: Total –8.9%34,46315.1%50,74921.8% 84,824 34.2% 128,289 46.4%145,80448.5% Total –100%227,955100%230,983100% 248,922 100.00% 275,885 100.00%300,553100%
Religion
The following table shows the religious identity of residents residing in Lewisham according to 2021 census results
Religion2021Number% Christian 131,706 43.8 Muslim 22,264 7.4 Jewish 826 0.3 Hindu 6,459 2.1 Sikh 720 0.2 Buddhism 3,270 1.1 Other religion 2,269 0.8 No religion 110,379 36.7 Religion not stated 22,660 7.5 Total 300,553 100.0
Age and sex The male population in Lewisham is 157,820, and the female population is 142,733. The average age of people living in Lewisham is 37 years old.
The following table shows the age distributions of residents residing in Lewisham according to 2021 census results.
Age2021Number% Below 14 54,877 18.26 Between 15 and 24 34,479 11.47 Between 25 and 34 58,434 19.44 Between 35 and 44 51,254 17.05 Between 45 and 54 40,770 13.56 Between 55 and 64 32,091 10.68 Between 65 and 74 16,092 5.35 Between 75 and 100 12,557 4.18 Total 300,553 100.0
Education
The London's Poverty Profile, a report by Trust for London and the New Policy Institute, found that 42% of 19-year-olds in Lewisham lack level 3 qualifications. This is the 3rd worst rate out of 32 boroughs.
In 2018, Lewisham had the third highest rate of exclusions of pupils from secondary schools of any area in England.
Transport
Lewisham station, once known as Lewisham Junction, is located at the junction of the lines to Dartford and Hayes, and is also the terminus of the southern branch of the Docklands Light Railway.
The East London line (on the London Underground network) terminated at New Cross and New Cross Gate until December 2007. An extension to this line was opened on 23 May 2010, serving Brockley, Honor Oak Park, Forest Hill, and Sydenham. This now forms part of the London Overground network.
The South London Line runs along the extreme north western edge of the borough, and there are currently no stations that are located within the borough. There is a proposal for a new station at New Bermondsey providing a link to Clapham Junction.
Railway stations
Beckenham Hill Bellingham Blackheath – on the boundary between Lewisham & Greenwich Brockley Catford Catford Bridge Crofton Park Deptford Forest Hill Grove Park Hither GreenHonor Oak Park Ladywell Lee Lewisham Lower Sydenham – on the border between the Boroughs of Lewisham and Bromley New Cross New Cross Gate St Johns Sydenham
DLR stations
Deptford Bridge – on the border between Lewisham and Greenwich. Elverson Road – also on the border between Lewisham and Greenwich. Lewisham
London Underground
There are no Tube stations currently in the borough, as the East London Line has been part of London Overground since 2006. However, an extension of the Bakerloo line beyond Elephant & Castle to Lewisham and Hayes has been proposed.
Cycling The following designated Cycleways are available in Lewisham:
Cycleway 4 (C4) along Deptford's Evelyn Street (A200), which runs from Tower Bridge to Woolwich. Cycleway 10 (C10) from Euston to Greenwich, going through Surrey Canal Road and Deptford (Folkestone Gardens). Cycleway 14 (C14) from Waterloo to Thamesmead along the river Thames in Deptford. Cycleway 66 (C66) from Brockley to Forest Hill. In addition to these designated routes, the Waterlink Way (to be upgraded to Cycleway 18) runs from north to south along the Ravensbourne and Pool rivers.
Main roads
A2 from the border with Old Kent Road in the west to Kidbrooke in the east. A20 from New Cross to the border with Eltham in the east. A21 from Lewisham to the border with Bromley in the south. A202 from New Cross Gate to the border with Peckham in the west. A205 (South Circular Road) passes through the centre of the borough from the border with Dulwich in the west to Eltham in the east. Except for a short section in Lee as it approaches Eltham, it is purely a one-lane-each-way road.
Travel to work In March 2011, the main forms of transport that residents used to travel to work were: train, 18.6% of all residents aged 16–74; driving a car or van, 11.2%; bus, minibus or coach, 11.2%; underground, metro, light rail, tram, 9.7%; on foot, 4.3%; work mainly at or from home, 2.8%; bicycle, 2.6%. Percentages are of all residents aged 16–74 including those not in employment. Respondents could only pick one mode, specified as the journey’s longest part by distance.
48% of households in the borough are car free, compared to 42% across Greater London.2011 Census, Car or Van Availability (QS416EW)
Sport and leisure Millwall Football Club was originally formed in 1885, in Millwall on the Isle of Dogs, East London. They retained the name, even though they moved across the river to New Cross, South London in 1910. In 1993 they moved to their current stadium, The Den which is in Bermondsey, but falls under the Borough of Lewisham. The Borough has a Non-League football club Lewisham Borough Football Club, who play at the Ladywell Arena, Catford.
Civic affairs Motto