Putney v Fulham – which is best for young families
*Remunerated Post*
Putney and Fulham face one another on either bank of the Thames as it wends its way through West London on its way to Westminster and beyond. On the face of it, the two districts are fairly similar. They are both close to the West End, both smart residential areas and both have plenty of amenities to take advantage of. However, families planning on moving to this part of the capital should take note that there are plenty of differences to take into consideration, as well. Read on to find out more about the two, based on four distinct criteria.
Table of Contents
Schooling
First of all, there are some remarkable schools in both Fulham and Putney producing excellent results. Putney has the benefit of three special schools which cater for children with additional needs, notably Lindon Lodge School. Of the 37 educational establishments in Putney, no fewer than 12 are rated as outstanding by Ofsted, such as Albermarle Primary School and the Ashcroft Technical Academy, to name but two. There are a number of independent schooling choices in the area, too, such as Ibstock Place School and Putney High School.
Over the river, Fulham is counted as part of the catchment area for all educational establishments in the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Both academy and grant-maintained schools are on offer to residents in the area. There are 60 primaries, 26 secondaries and a further 21 sixth form colleges. Fulham Cross Girls’ School and Language College and the Fulham Boys School are both rated highly by Ofsted, outstanding and good respectively. Independent options in the area include Latymer Upper School and St Paul’s Girl School. Travel to school might be a bit further in Fulham, depending on your precise location but educationally, there is nothing in it.
Housing
Both Fulham and Putney are residential areas. Much of the housing stock is typical of West London insofar as it is two-storey and terraced. You can find some modern, river-facing developments on either side of the Thames but few of these are high-rise structures. The average price you will have to fork out for a flat in Putney is £500,000 while houses are typically valued at £1.25 million. There has been a steady growth in the residential market in Putney. By way of comparison, in 2009, the average asking price for a house in the area was a little over £700.000
In Fulham, the average apartment price was £625,000 at the end of 2019. Houses are less varied in their design and size north of the river which accounts for a slightly lower average house price at £1.1 million. Since 2009, the housing market has been varied in Fulham. It grew steadily until 2014 but has remained fairly stagnant since then. This could mean, of course, that it goes on to outperform Putney in the next few years.
Transport
The A308 and the A3219 are the main arterial roads that run through Fulham. This part of West London also served by the A304, the Fulham Road, which is never very quick to drive along as it is the main shopping street. Helpfully, you can access the London Underground network in the area from three tube stops, Fulham Broadway, West Brompton and Putney Bridge, the last of which is located just to the north of the Thames. There is also an overground service which stops at West Brompton and Imperial Wharf, located in the east of Fulham close to Chelsea Harbour. All of these stops are in zone 2. Numerous bus routes criss-cross Fulham, ideal for children making their way to school.
In Putney, the South Circular (A205) provides reasonable access to the rest of the capital by road. There are two stops on the District Line you can access, Putney Bridge and East Putney. In addition, there are South Western Railway services you can pick up from Putney station. These run into Waterloo within about a quarter of an hour but many stop at Vauxhall which is convenient for accessing the Victoria Line quickly. By bus, the 22 route goes into central London, ideal for shopping trips to Oxford Circus.
Community
The community spirit in Putney is thriving – certainly when compared to many other areas of South London which can seem a bit anonymous at times. There are plenty of things to keep kids entertained throughout the year and the long summer holidays. Putney has lots of sports clubs, for example. Thanks to its association with the annual boat race, there is a welcoming rowing club. If you aren’t into water sports, then there are running clubs, martial arts clubs and even a disability football club. Rugby, cricket, circuit training and yoga are all on offer, too. Putney also enjoys a great live music scene as well as something for amateur dramatic enthusiasts. Furthermore, there is also a scout group for younger ones to get involved with.
Other than the large professional football club, there are plenty of amateur sports groups that are active in Fulham. There are plenty of community-focussed hubs that groups can make use of, too, such as the Dawes Road Hub. Sobus is a community action group that serves all residents in Fulham and it runs a supplementary schooling network that is worth knowing about. Fulham Cadets Force operates as a youth club for older kids but there are plenty of other activities to investigate, such as a young writer’s forum so all tastes are catered for.
