The "Much Sought After" Tonsleys

We live on the edge of a half-kilometer square of two- and three-story, Victorian, terraced houses known as "The Tonsleys" (Tonsley Street, Tonsley Road, Tonsley Place, Tonsley Hill and other streets) - bounded by Fairfield Street, East Hill, Trinity Road and Swandon Way (inside that green square). Or as they are often described by estate agents as "the much sought after Tonsleys".

To quote an old article in The Independant: "Because of the village atmosphere and convenient transport, the Tonsleys attract young professional couples who, living in small properties, have to begin thinking of moving when they start planning to have children. Some move to a larger house within the Tonsleys, but when the next child arrives they have to move again, out of the Tonsleys altogether.

Since working in Victoria I now walk to Clapham Junction and in the 7 ½ minutes it takes me to cross The Tonsleys I counted two Aston Martins, four Porsche and un-numbered Audis, BMWs and Chelsea Tractors. Who knows what is parked in the other streets and we haven't seen the Ferrari for a while.

Two Aston Martins and a Porsche

I get a monthly update from OurProperty.co.uk - here are sales from the last three months in Tonsley Place / Road / Hill:

2 Tonsley Place £670,000

7 Tonsley Road £620,000

80 Tonsley Hill £875,000

41 Tonsley Place £1,150,000

32 Tonsley Road £975,000

For more up to date prices see the OurProperty.co.uk search.

Clearly not for the young graduate trainee. It was not always such an affluent area according to the cabbie I had the other week. Brought up in Southfields and went to school nearby. He claimed - "no word of a lie" - that 80% of the kids from the Tonsleys were on free school meals. How times change.

Now if we could just move our house one street along!

[Yeah, I know, then we wouldn't have been able to afford it in the first place]