Explore South East London

We're surrounded by a whole host of amazing places in South and East London that are filled with museums, shops, bars, cafes, restaurants, green spaces. Read our area guides below to find out more about our neighbourhood, and places you can explore locally.

I really love South East London. Peckham, Deptford, and Greenwich are for me, some of the most exciting areas of London. If you're interested in the arts, Peckham and Deptford have a rich and exciting art scene and some really good food places. Brockley has wonderful cafes and one of my favourite London bookshops – Crofton Books.

Maria, MA Contemporary Art Theory

Explore our local area guides:

Bermondsey

Bermondsey sits just south of the river and east of Tower Bridge. It’s one of the oldest parts of south London, and these days is full of places to eat out and drink.

The popular Maltby Street Market has plenty for foodies at the weekend but with less tourists than Borough Market. Many combine this with a visit to the Bermondsey Beer Mile – to do a crawl of the multitude of craft breweries.

If you want to consume culture rather than beer, there are a few notable museums and galleries in the area, including the White Cube Gallery, and the Fashion and Textiles Museum.

The area’s industrial past means you’ll find unexpected venues for leisure activities. The Arch Climbing Wall is housed in an old biscuit factory, and clubbers can find late-night events at Venue MOT, a repurposed garage near Millwall Football Club.

Getting there

10-15 minutes cycle
25 minutes train

Highlights

Brockley

Located just 10 minutes from Goldsmiths campus, Brockley is home to the award-winning Brockley Market. It's a brilliant place to pick up fresh produce supplied by local farmers and traders, and enjoy some street food.

You'll find independent shops and cafes as well as the Brockley Jack Theatre and the beautiful Rivoli Ballroom, London's only intact 1950s ballroom, which still hosts regular dance and music events. Our hall of residence Raymont Hall is also in the area.

Getting there

15 minutes walk
6 minutes cycle

Highlights

Fruit and vegetables on a stall in Brockley Market — Fruit and vegetable stall in Brockley Market

Camberwell

Camberwell has a huge array of shops, restaurants and pubs as well as an abundance of arts and culture.

It's home to the South London Gallery, which was described as "one of the most elegant art spaces in London" by the Guardian. The gallery was named joint winner of Art Fund Museum of the Year 2020. Most exhibitions are free, as are many of its events.

One of our halls of residence, Town Hall Camberwell, is also in the area. It sits right next to Theatre Peckham, the community theatre that was the stomping ground of Star Wars actor John Boyega when he was still at school.

Getting there

15 minute cycle
20 minute bus
50 minute walk

Highlights

Canada Water

This transport hub is just six minutes by train from New Cross, and from here you can change onto the Jubilee tube line, as well as access lots of south and east London via the overground.

If you love sports, the area has loads to offer. At Surrey Docks you can sail, kayak and windsurf, and there’s everything from fencing to kung-fu at the flagship Decathlon store. Canada Water Leisure Centre is due to open in 2025 with swimming pools, gym and sports courts.

Close to the station is Southwark Park (including free art gallery), a retail park and enormous performance/exhibition spaces (recently home to the Taskmaster: The Live Experience and Phantom Peak immersive open-world adventure).

The area itself is in the middle of a massive transformation, with a ‘masterplan ’ to create the “first new town centre in London in 50 years”. There are more homes, workspaces, shopping and leisure activities being constructed, and the reopening of Printworks, although the club will return in 2026 as a ‘cultural venue’.

Getting there

15-minute cycle
6 minutes by train

Highlights

A group of people walking as part of a parade during Deptford X, wearing handmade costumes and holding handmade banners. — Deptford X Fesitival

Crystal Palace

The magnificently named Crystal Palace is less than 20 minutes on the train from New Cross, and has a lot of reasons to visit it, even if the building that gave the area its name is no longer standing.

The large Crystal Palace Park is full of unexpected treasures – an athletics stadium, a live music area known as the ‘rusty laptop’, a farm (with some exotic animals) and a maze. Most surprising are the giant dinosaurs – statues amongst the trees by the lake. They are not quite prehistoric, but they’ve been there over 150 years.

The area also has a great choice of restaurants and pubs, and furniture shops that will interest you if you have a taste for the retro. A market every Saturday has been offering great street food for over a decade.

Getting there

25 minutes train
40 minutes cycle

Highlights

Deptford

Deptford is less than a 10-minute walk from Goldsmiths and has been voted London's coolest high street. There’s a growing creative community in the area, with many artists and makers filling the studios that sit beside Deptford Creek, the old docks. Each year Deptford X, a free visual arts festival, takes place celebrating creative talent in the local area.

At Deptford Market, you’ll find stalls selling fruit and veg from all corners of the world sitting alongside performing arts centre The Albany and community hub Deptford Lounge. Deptford Market Yard also plays host to lots of independent shops, cafes and restaurants, and 3 Creekside is home a street food market.

Getting there

10 minutes walk
5 minutes cycle

Highlights

South East London is the best place to study in the city, no competition. Deptford was my favourite area. It has the best market, pubs, cafes and arts centre!

Ralph, MA Performance and Culture

Greenwich

Greenwich is a 25-minute walk from campus. With historic maritime connections and status as a world heritage site, Greenwich has history and beauty galore. Famous attractions like the Cutty Sark ship and National Maritime Museum (which is free) sit side-by-side with bars, theatres, comedy clubs and restaurants.

There are plenty of options to keep you entertained: try the Greenwich Picturehouse for arty films, browse the markets, or take a walk along the river.

There is so much choice for food in Greenwich, and their world-famous market has a variety of food, arts and crafts stools. The cheapest way to eat in this area is to take a picnic to the 183-acre Greenwich Park, which has amazing views over London, and is home to the Royal Observatory.

Getting there

25 minutes walk
7 minutes cycle
20 minutes bus

Highlights

Lewisham

Lewisham is a bustling local area and has a shopping centre with high-street stores as well as a large market selling everything from food and flowers to bric-a-brac.

The area, which is in the process of major regeneration, also has a pop-up street food market, temporary exhibitions and plenty of green spaces. It's also home to the Migration Museum, exploring how the movement of people to and from Britain across the ages has shaped who we are.

Getting there

25 minutes walk
10 minutes cycle
20 minutes bus

Highlights

Peckham

Peckham is just 15 minutes by bus from Goldsmiths campus and is an area buzzing with culture, food and activities for all interests. Whether you're looking for a moment of tranquillity in Peckham Rye Park, or seeking out the latest blockbuster movie at the Peckham Plex (where tickets are just £5.99 for all movies), there's something for you.

Rye Lane itself is home to a selection of high street stores and independent butchers, fishmongers and grocers. The recent film Rye Lane by Raine Allen-Miller will give you a glimpse of Peckham and its vibrant culture.

Getting there

30 minutes walk
10 minutes cycle
15 minutes bus

Highlights

South East London is one of the most real, exciting, funny, attractive, diverse and vibrant areas of London.

Marta, BA Sociology

Shadwell

Shadwell offers amazing river views and easy access to the buzz and excitement of East London. It is also home to one of our halls of residence, Quantum Court.

In Shadwell and the nearby area of Wapping, you'll find plenty of curry houses, pubs and restaurants, as well as Wilton's Music Hall, which presents a year-round programme of live music and theatre.

Getting there

17 minutes train
30 minutes cycle

Highlights

Shoreditch

Shoreditch has received a lot of attention in recent years for its transformation from a neglected part of the capital to a nightlife hotspot. The area attracts a young, creative crowd who flock to its many music and arts venues.

It's a great spot for shopping with a sizeable vintage market, and street food venues dotted around the area to please the most discerning foodie. Speaking of food, the world-famous Brick Lane has everything from a 24-hour bagel shop to a huge selection of south Asian cuisine.

Getting there

25 minutes train
30 minutes cycle

Highlights

Signage outside the Peckham Plex cinema — Peckham Plex cinema, Peckham

Display of books at local bookshop, The Word — The Word bookshop, New Cross