Open House Festival

Neighbourhoods

Back to neighbourhoods

Lewisham Central

Lewisham town centre is a neighbourhood undergoing a lot of change. With a lively past and present, discover parts of the town centre you may not know existed this Open House Festival.

From churches built in the 1800s to DIY housing cooperatives and a walking tour of the market and high street; see Lewisham in a brand new way!

Drop in / Guided tour

12 Church Grove

miscellaneous

The first residents have moved into the capital’s biggest community-led self-build project, coordinated by the Rural Urban Synthesis Society (RUSS): 36 flats in two linked buildings, a new public riverside garden and shared community spaces. As a Community Land Trust, RUSS aims to create sustainable and permanently affordable homes in a community woven into the wider communities of Lewisham.

Shepheard Epstein Hunter , 2021

The church was rebuilt in late 15th century with some of that work still remaining to this day. During the Festival there will be opportunities to self-guide or to join a group tour which will include access to restricted areas such as the crypt and tower. These last about 30 min and will start on each hour with the last starting at 3 pm

George Gibson the Elder

Drop in

SET Lewisham Open Studios

industrial

As part of SET’s 10th anniversary celebrations, join us at SET Lewisham for an evening of open studios. Our members are the heart of SET, so this is a chance to drop in, meet artists and see what’s being made across the building, alongside a new group exhibition in the project space, curated by studio members. Free drinks, plus food from South London plant-based legends En Root.

Join the Stall Tales local history team for a walking tour of Lewisham's market and high street. Discover the hidden history of the market, which began in the 1890s with a few unlicensed stalls, and spent decades fighting for legal recognition. We will look at the market as a temporary architecture, local retail landmarks, and reflect on the changing face of shopping in the high street.

Drop in

St Margaret's Church, Lee

religious

The Church was built in 1839/41 as a white 'Hall-Church'. The 1870s Gothic Revivalism was overseen to a very high standard, by James Brooks and helped by 10 top craftsmen of the day. We also have a WWI Memorial by Violet Pinwill.

James Brooks, John Brown, 1841