Why visit Catford
Townapedia lists 29 museums and landmarks, 77 parks and trails, 284 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 9 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Brockley Jack Theatre, Broadway Theatre, Baltic Exchange Memorial Glass and Bromley Parish Church Memorial.
Weather in Catford
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Catford
Catford is a district in south-east London, England, and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Lewisham. It is southwest of Lewisham itself, mostly in the Rushey Green and Catford South wards. The population of Catford, including Bellingham, was 44,905 in 2011.
From the Wikipedia article Catford (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photos of Catford
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Things to do9
Brockley Jack Theatre
Cinema and theater · 1.0 mi
Pub theatre in Crofton Park, Lewisham, London, England
Brockley Road, London
Broadway Theatre
Cinema and theater
Theatre and former cinema in Catford, Lewisham, London, England
Catford Road, London
Bob Hope Theatre
Cinema and theater · 3.0 mi
Community theatre in Eltham, Royal Borough of Greenwich, London, England
Bromley Little Theatre
Cinema and theater · 3.0 mi
Community theatre in London Borough of Bromley, England
Churchill Theatre
Cinema and theater · 3.2 mi
Theatre in Bromley, London, England
Greenwich Theatre
Cinema and theater · 2.5 mi
Theatre in Greenwich, London, England
The Albany
Cinema and theater · 2.3 mi
Theatre and arts centre in Deptford, London, England
Greenwich Playhouse
Cinema and theater · 2.3 mi
Former pub theatre in Greenwich, London, England
Museums and landmarks29
Baltic Exchange Memorial Glass
Monument and historic site · 2.6 mi
Stained glass war memorial windows
Bromley Parish Church Memorial
Monument and historic site · 3.1 mi
War memorial in London
Bromley War Memorial
Monument and historic site · 3.1 mi
War memorial in London
Dulwich Picture Gallery
Museum · 2.8 mi
Art gallery in Dulwich, South London, United Kingdom
Horniman Museum and Gardens
Museum · 1.8 mi
Museum in Forest Hill, London, England, United Kingdom
Livesey Hall War Memorial
Monument and historic site · 1.2 mi
War memorial in Sydenham, London
National Maritime Museum
Museum · 2.6 mi
Museum in London, England, United Kingdom
Memorial to Peter the Great
Monument and historic site · 2.7 mi
Memorial in London by the sculptor Mihail Chemiakin
17 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds77
Manor House Gardens
Park · 1.4 mi
Public park and gardens situated in Lee, in south east London
Betts Park
Park · 3.1 mi
Public park in Penge, London Borough of Bromley, in London, England
Blythe Hill Fields
Park · 0.8 mi
Park in London Borough of Lewisham, United Kingdom
Brookmill Park
Park · 1.8 mi
Park in London Borough of Lewisham, United Kingdom
Forster Memorial Park
Park · 1.2 mi
Park in London Borough of Lewisham, United Kingdom
Beckenham Place Park
Park · 2.1 mi
Park in London Borough of Lewisham, England, UK
65 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes284
The Blythe Hill Tavern
Bar and pub · Local · 0.6 mi
319 Stanstead Road, London
Mo-We 11:00-23:00; Th-Sa 11:00-24:00; Su 12:00-23:00
The Watch House
Bar and pub · 1.1 mi
198-204 Lewisham High Street, London
Su-Th 08:00-24:00; Fr-Sa 08:00-25:00
Amrutha
Restaurant · International · 1.0 mi
37-39 Honor Oak Park, London
Mo off; Tu-Th 18:00-22:00; Fr 12:30-14:30; Sa 13:00-22:00; Su 13:00-21:00
Canvas & Cream
Restaurant · Breakfast, Coffee Shop · 1.5 mi
18 London Road, London
Mo-Fr 09:00-17:00; Sa-Su 10:00-18:00
Catford Bridge Tavern
Bar and pub · Burger
Station Approach, London
Mo-Th 12:00-23:00; Fr 12:00-24:00; Sa 00:00-01:00,12:00-24:00; Su...
Cow Cow BBQ
Restaurant · Barbecue, Korean · 1.3 mi
47-49 Lee High Road, London
Mo-Tu, Th-Sa 13:00-22:00; Su 13:00-22:30
George's Cafe Brockley
Cafe · Breakfast · 1.5 mi
199 Brockley Road, London
Mo-Fr 06:30-17:00,Sa-Su 07:00-17:00
272 more on the map.
History
The origin of the name is unknown. Speculation suggests it may derive from the place where cattle crossed the river Ravensbourne in Anglo-Saxon times or from wild cats using the river crossing.
From the History section of Catford on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More about Catford
Education
The local council maintains Conisborough College and Greenvale School.
Catford has two independent schools, St Dunstan's College and a small faith school, Springfield Christian School.
The walk follows the River Pool downstream from the Ravensbourne River. The banking has been planted with native trees and shrubs, herbaceous planting, wild flower grassland, and wetland marginal planting. The park forms part of the Waterlink Way, which forms a significant section of the river from Sydenham to the Thames.
Unlike many of London's rivers, the Pool remains above ground for most of its length. A section of the river flows through Linear Park from Southend Lane to Catford Hill.
In the 1920s, Charlton Athletic F.C. played at The Mount (stadium) in the park. The Council holds its annual People's Day event here in July.
The park consists of three fields with a river running through them, and is next to University Hospital Lewisham. The middle field contains one of the last established rare Dutch Elm trees in London.
Iona Close Orchard is a preserved Victorian garden. In common with most old orchards, the site is of high nature conservation value. The houses to which it originally belonged dated to about 1825.
From the Wikipedia article Catford, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Catford
Joe GomezEnglish association football player (born 1997)Photo: Timmy96, CC0
Robin TrowerEnglish rock guitaristPhoto: Carl Lender, CC BY 2.0
Jacqui McSheeBritish folk singerPhoto: The original uploader was Bluewave..., CC BY 2.5
Laurence Dudley StampBritish geographer (1898-1966)Photo: Unknown author, No restrictions
Robert Stanford TuckBritish fighter pilot and test pilot (1916–1987)Photo: Original photograph taken by an..., Public domain
Josh UmerahNigerian English professional footballer (born 1997)Photo: Poolie22, CC BY-SA 4.0
Brian WillsherBritish sculptorPhoto: Jpbowen, CC BY-SA 4.0- Ben EltonBritish comedian, author, playwright, actor and director
- John Yate Robinsonfield hockey player (1885-1916)
- Jack MartinEnglish Test and County cricketer (1917-1987)
- Darko GyabiEnglish footballer (born 2004)
- George HearneCricket player of South Africa. (1888-1978)
Born in Catford, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay4
Churches and places of worship84
Shopping62
Gas and EV charging14
Schools, colleges and libraries70
St Augustine's Catholic Primary School and Nursery
School · Roman Catholic · 1.5 mi
Dunfield Road, London
St John Baptist Southend Church of England Primary School
School · Anglican · 1.2 mi
Beachborough Road, Bromley
St Mary's Lewisham Church of England Primary School
School · Anglican · 0.7 mi
329 Lewisham High Street, London
Healthcare23
Map of Catford
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
London City Airport (LCY) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 5 miles away.
- Ladywell 1 mi north, about 1 min by car
- Crofton Park 1 mi northwest, about 1 min by car
- Lee 1 mi northeast, about 2 min by car
- Brockley 1 mi northwest, about 2 min by car
- Blackheath 2 mi northeast, about 3 min by car
- Kidbrooke 3 mi northeast, about 4 min by car
- Eltham 3 mi east, about 5 min by car
- Crystal Palace 3 mi southwest, about 5 min by car
- Charlton 4 mi northeast, about 6 min by car
- Bickley 4 mi southeast, about 7 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Catford
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Keep exploring
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Broadway Theatre - Catford, Steve Cadman derivative work: MrPanyGoff, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Broadway Theatre, Catford, SE6 (6877523774), Ewan Munro from London, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Goose on the Green, Catford, SE6 (6871058094), Ewan Munro from London, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Goose on the Green, Catford, SE6, Ewan-M, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Goose on the Green, Catford, SE6 (9178129780), Reading Tom from Reading, UK, CC BY 2.0
- Catford Broadway (9175914595), Reading Tom from Reading, UK, CC BY 2.0
- Eltham highstreet 3, PeterEltham, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Churchill Theatre, Back ache, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Greenwichtheatre, Burnley, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Albany Theatre in Deptford, SilkTork, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Stained glass window from Baltic Exchange, Heidi De Vries, CC BY 2.0
- Bromley Parish Church Memorial 2, Back ache, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bromley War Memorial (Southwest View - 03), Doyle of London, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 1212906 II Star ELTHAM COURT (ELTHAM PALACE), COURT YARD, from SW Greenwich London 20250610 0005, Tilman2007, CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Fan Museum (3400819225), Visit Greenwich from Greenwich, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0
- Horniman Museum tower, 2015, No Swan So Fine, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Livesey War Memorial, Bell Green, David Anstiss, CC BY-SA 2.0
- EH1211481 National Maritime Museum 10 (cropped), Katie Chan, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Manor House Gardens, Hohlroller ( talk ), Public domain
- Betts, Matt-rex, Public domain
- Birdbrook Road Nature Reserve 4, Dudley Miles, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Burnt Ash Pond, Dudley Miles, CC BY-SA 3.0
- All Saints Peckham, Swanseaeu1 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- All-saints-dulwich, Le Deluge, CC BY-SA 3.0
- LewishamShopping, The original uploader was Secretlondon at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- St Dunstan's College, 2008, Steve Cadman from London, U.K., CC BY-SA 2.0
- University Hospital Lewisham Riverside02, Gilo1969, CC BY-SA 3.0
- St Swithun's Church, Hither Green (01), Ethan Doyle White, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Church of St Stephen, Lewisham, Ethan Doyle White, CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Chapel at Camberwell New Cemetery, Ethan Doyle White, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Church of St Augustine, One Tree Hill, Honor Oak, SilverMilkshake, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lewisham War Memorial (9178133262), Reading Tom from Reading, UK, CC BY 2.0
- Watch House, Lewisham, SE13 (2663057161), Ewan Munro from London, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Blythe Hill Tavern, Forest Hill, SE23 (3756867279), Ewan Munro from London, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Our Lady and St Philip Neri, Sydenham cf 10, Secretlondon, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lewisham Shopping Centre 1, Mx. Granger, CC0
- West Face of the Church of St Margaret, Lee (II), Ethan Doyle White, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Brimmington Gardens, London Borough of Southwark, SE15 (2476992512), Ewan Munro from London, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0
- The Broadway Theatre (9175915181), Reading Tom from Reading, UK, CC BY 2.0
- Pensive Girl, by Gerda Rubinstein, Matt Brown, CC BY 2.0
- Bromley Blues Club at the Bromley Little Theatre, Back ache, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dulwich Picture Gallery, June 2018 (3), No Swan So Fine, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Entrance to the Migration Museum in Lewisham, London, Hanyu001, CC BY 4.0
- London skyline from Blythe Hill fields, Amakuru, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Brookmill Park, London Borough of Lewisham, SE8, Ewan-M, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Street-level photo, rskedgell, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, jjhaslanded, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, wibbit, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, wasd42, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, jjhaslanded, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, firefishy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, wibbit, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, IpswichEdits, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, firefishy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, jjhaslanded, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, jjhaslanded, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, vlivyur, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, erias, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, jjhaslanded, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, wasd42, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, wasd42, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, wasd42, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, wasd42, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, wasd42, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, wasd42, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, wibbit, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, smsm1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, wibbit, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, IpswichEdits, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, firefishy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, wasd42, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, jjhaslanded, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, jjhaslanded, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, luftwright, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, IpswichEdits, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, IpswichEdits, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, agatefilm, CC BY-SA 4.0
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