The SE (South Eastern) postcode area covers a broad radial swathe of the south-east of the

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

post town from the

Albert Embankment Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Alber ...

to West Heath and the nearest edges of Sidcup and

Selhurst Selhurst is an area in the London Borough of Croydon south-south-east of Charing Cross. Historically it lay in Surrey. The area is bounded to the west and south by Thornton Heath and Croydon and to the east and south by South Norwood and Woodsid ...

. It loosely corresponds to the boroughs of Southwark, Lewisham and

Greenwich Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...

plus indicated parts of the boroughs of Croydon (north), Lambeth (east),

Bexley Bexley is an area of south-eastern Greater London, England and part of the London Borough of Bexley. It is sometimes known as Bexley Village or Old Bexley to differentiate the area from the wider borough. It is located east-southeast of Ch ...

(west) and

Bromley Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is south-east of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 87,889 as of 2011. Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, c ...

(its northwest corner).

Postal administration

The postcode area originated in 1857 as the SE district. In 1868 it gained some of the area of the short-lived S district, with the rest going to SW. It was divided into numbered districts in 1917, by giving the district closest to London that hosted the head office the suffix "1" and all others alphabetically based on a locally important parish, chapelry, topological or built environment feature administering or close to the local distribution office. SE28 is a late addition carved out of the existing districts SE2 and SE18 to reflect the building up of a new London district in what had been the meadows and marshes by the

tidal Tidal is the adjectival form of tide. Tidal may also refer to: * ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple * Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim * TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music * Tidal (servic ...

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

in the parish of Plumstead: Thamesmead. Unlike SW, where a consecutive 50%, there ten, districts can more officially be traced into two alphabetical groups excluding SW1, SE has always technically followed the norm in that SE1 is the only head district. However SE19 was drawn up to serve the key distribution office serving Norwood after a complete alphabetical series so that those surrounding it and SE21 (Dulwich): SE20 and SE22 to SE27 are strictly alphabetical afresh (Anerley to West Norwood) but it has never technically been a "head district". The postcode area is part of the

post town. There are no dependent localities used in the postcode area. SE1P is a non-geographic postcode district for

PO box A post office box (commonly abbreviated as P.O. box, or also known as a postal box) is a uniquely addressable lockable box located on the premises of a post office. In some regions, particularly in Africa, there is no door to door delivery ...

es located in SE1.

List of postcode districts

The approximate coverage of the postcode districts, with the historic postal district names shown in ''italics'': , - ! SE1 , LONDON , ''South Eastern head district:'' Bankside, South Bank, Lambeth (part), Southwark,

Bermondsey Bermondsey () is a district in southeast London, part of the London Borough of Southwark, England, southeast of Charing Cross. To the west of Bermondsey lies Southwark, to the east Rotherhithe and Deptford, to the south Walworth and Peckham ...

(part), Vauxhall (part), Peckham (part) , Lambeth, Southwark , - ! style="background:#FFFFFF;", SE1P , style="background:#FFFFFF;", LONDON , style="background:#FFFFFF;", , style="background:#FFFFFF;", ''non-geographic'' , - ! SE2 , LONDON , ''Abbey Wood district:''

Abbey Wood Abbey Wood is an area in south east London, England, straddling the border between the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Bexley. It is located east of Charing Cross. Toponymy The area takes its name from Lesnes Abbey Woo ...

, West Heath,

Crossness Crossness is a location in the London Borough of Bexley, close to the southern bank of the River Thames, to the east of Thamesmead, west of Belvedere and north-west of Erith. The place takes its name from Cross Ness, a specific promontory on the ...

, Thamesmead (part), Plumstead (part),

Bostall Heath and Woods Bostall Heath and Woods is an area of 159.1 hectares of woodland with areas of heathland located in the Royal Borough of Greenwich ward of Abbey Wood and adjacent to Lesnes Abbey Woods. The area to the south of the A206 (Bostall Hill) is Bo ...

, Greenwich, Bexley , - ! SE3 , LONDON , ''Blackheath district:'' Blackheath, Kidbrooke, Westcombe Park , Greenwich, Lewisham , - ! SE4 , LONDON , ''Brockley district:'' Brockley, Crofton Park,

Ladywell Ladywell is a locale in Lewisham in South East London, England, and a ward in the London Borough of Lewisham between Brockley, Crofton Park and Lewisham proper. It has ample green space including Ladywell Fields and Hilly Fields which borders ...

, Telegraph Hill , Lewisham , - ! SE5 , LONDON , ''Camberwell district:'' Camberwell, Denmark Hill, Peckham , Southwark , - ! SE6 , LONDON , ''Catford district:'' Catford, Bellingham,

Hither Green Hither Green is a district in south-east London, England, in the London Borough of Lewisham. It forms the southern part of Lewisham, 6.6 miles (10.6 km) south-east of Charing Cross, and on the Prime Meridian. Growing extensively with ...

(part), Rushey Green , Lewisham , - ! SE7 , LONDON , ''Charlton district:'' Charlton , Greenwich , - ! SE8 , LONDON , ''Deptford district:''

Deptford Deptford is an area on the south bank of the River Thames in southeast London, within the London Borough of Lewisham. It is named after a Ford (crossing), ford of the River Ravensbourne. From the mid 16th century to the late 19th it was home ...

, Evelyn,

Rotherhithe Rotherhithe () is a district of south-east London, England, and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping, Shadwell and Limehouse on the north bank, as well as the Isle of D ...

(part), St John's , Lewisham, Greenwich, Southwark , - ! SE9 , LONDON , ''Eltham district:'' Eltham,

Mottingham Mottingham is a district of south-east London, England, which straddles the border of both the London Borough of Bromley and the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It is located south of Eltham, southeast of Charing Cross. It is within the historic ...

New Eltham New Eltham is an area of south east London, in the London Boroughs of Greenwich and Bexley. It lies south east of Eltham and north west of Sidcup. History New Eltham is a largely residential suburb of Greater London developed on former farmla ...

Well Hall Well Hall is a place to the north of Eltham in the Royal Borough of Greenwich in southeast London, England, with no present formal boundaries and located east-southeast of Charing Cross.Avery Hill Avery Hill is an area of South East London mainly within Royal Borough of Greenwich, and with some parts in the London Borough of Bexley. It is located east of Eltham and north west of Sidcup. It is believed that the area is named after an aviar ...

(part), Falconwood (part), Sidcup (part), Chinbrook (part),

Longlands Longlands is an area of South East London overlapping the London Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich. It lies north west of Sidcup and south east of Eltham. Some old maps and records have the name as two words "Long Lands", and show it ...

(part) Kidbrooke (part), Shooter's Hill (part) , Greenwich, Bromley, Bexley, Lewisham , - ! SE10 , LONDON , ''Greenwich district:''

Maze Hill Maze Hill is an area in Greenwich and Blackheath, in south-east London, lying to the east of Greenwich Park, and west of the Westcombe Park area of Blackheath. It is part of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, and takes its name from the main thorou ...

Greenwich Peninsula The Greenwich Peninsula is an area of Greenwich in South East London, England. It is bounded on three sides by a loop of the Thames, between the Isle of Dogs to the west and Silvertown to the east. To the south is the rest of Greenwich, to the s ...

, Greenwich, Lewisham , - ! SE11 , LONDON , ''Kennington district:'' Kennington, Lambeth (part), Vauxhall (part),

Oval An oval () is a closed curve in a plane which resembles the outline of an egg. The term is not very specific, but in some areas (projective geometry, technical drawing, etc.) it is given a more precise definition, which may include either one ...

(part) , Lambeth, Southwark , - ! SE12 , LONDON , ''Lee district:'' Lee,

, Grove Park, Chinbrook,

(part), Eltham (part),

Horn Park Horn Park is an area of south east London south west of Eltham. It is located southeast of Charing Cross on the southwest edge of the Royal Borough of Greenwich and borders both the London Borough of Lewisham and the London Borough of Br ...

, Lewisham, Greenwich, Bromley , - ! SE13 , LONDON , ''Lewisham district:'' Lewisham,

, Lewisham, Greenwich , - ! SE14 , LONDON , ''New Cross district:''

New Cross New Cross is an area in south east London, England, south-east of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Lewisham and the SE14 postcode district. New Cross is near St Johns, Telegraph Hill, Nunhead, Peckham, Brockley, Deptford and Greenwic ...

, Telegraph Hill , Lewisham , - ! SE15 , LONDON , ''Peckham district:'' Peckham,

Nunhead Nunhead is a suburb in the London Borough of Southwark in London, England.Southwark Council Nunhead and Peckham Rye Community Council It is an inner-city suburb located southeast of Charing Cross. It is the location of the Nunhead Cemetery.BB ...

, South Bermondsey (part) , Southwark, Lewisham , - ! SE16 , LONDON , ''Rotherhithe district:''

(part),

Surrey Quays Surrey Quays is a largely residential area of Rotherhithe in south-east London, occupied until 1970 by the Surrey Commercial Docks. Previously known as Surrey Docks, the area was renamed following the construction of the Surrey Quays shopping ce ...

, South Bermondsey (part) , Southwark, Lewisham , - ! SE17 , LONDON , ''Walworth district:'' Walworth, Kennington (part), Newington , Southwark , - ! SE18 , LONDON , ''Woolwich district:''

Woolwich Woolwich () is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained thr ...

, Royal Arsenal, Plumstead, Shooter's Hill , Greenwich , - ! SE19 , LONDON , ''Norwood district:'' Upper Norwood,

Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...

, Gipsy Hill (part) , Croydon, Lambeth, Southwark, Bromley , - ! SE20 , LONDON , ''Anerley district:'' Anerley, Crystal Palace (part), Penge,

Beckenham Beckenham () is a town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley, in Greater London. Until 1965 it was part of the historic county of Kent. It is located south-east of Charing Cross, situated north of Elmers End and E ...

(part) , Bromley , - ! SE21 , LONDON , ''Dulwich district:''

Dulwich Dulwich (; ) is an area in south London, England. The settlement is mostly in the London Borough of Southwark, with parts in the London Borough of Lambeth, and consists of Dulwich Village, East Dulwich, West Dulwich, and the Southwark half ...

, Dulwich Village, Tulse Hill (part),

West Dulwich West Dulwich ( ) is a neighbourhood in South London on the southern boundary of Brockwell Park, which straddles the London Borough of Lambeth and the London Borough of Southwark. Croxted Road and South Croxted Road mark the boundary between S ...

, Southwark, Lambeth , - ! SE22 , LONDON , ''East Dulwich district:''

East Dulwich East Dulwich is an area of South East London, England in the London Borough of Southwark. It forms the eastern part of Dulwich, with Peckham to the east and Camberwell to the north. This South London suburb was first developed in the nineteent ...

, Southwark , - ! SE23 , LONDON , ''Forest Hill district:'' Forest Hill, Honor Oak, Crofton Park (part), Perry Vale , Lewisham, Southwark , - ! SE24 , LONDON , ''Herne Hill district:'' Herne Hill, Tulse Hill (part), West Dulwich (part) , Lambeth, Southwark , - ! SE25 , LONDON , ''South Norwood district:''

South Norwood South Norwood is a district of south-east London, England, within the London Borough of Croydon, Greater London and formerly in the historic county of Surrey. It is located 7.8 miles (12.5 km) south-east of Charing Cross, north of Wood ...

(part),

Thornton Heath Thornton Heath is a district of Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Croydon. It is around north of the town of Croydon, and south of Charing Cross. Prior to the creation of Greater London in 1965, Thornton Heath was in the Co ...

(part), Woodside (part) , Croydon , - ! SE26 , LONDON , ''Sydenham district:'' Sydenham,

(part) , Lewisham, Bromley, Southwark , - ! SE27 , LONDON , ''West Norwood district:''

West Norwood West Norwood is a largely residential area of south London within the London Borough of Lambeth, located 5.4 miles (8.7 km) south south-east of Charing Cross. The centre of West Norwood sits in a bowl surrounded by hillsides on its east, ...

, Gipsy Hill (part), Tulse Hill (part) , Lambeth , - ! SE28 , LONDON , ''Thamesmead district:'' Thamesmead , Greenwich, Bexley

Boundaries

SE1 has a very long

frontage and is in Central London as is SE11 named after Kennington, close to

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...

. SE2–SE18 spread across the north and east of the postcode area; enquiring into their naming system explains how SE2, SE7, SE8, SE10, SE16 and SE18 also front the river. Postcode districts SE19–SE27 form a group in the southwest. Addition SE28 is in the northeast corner of the first group. The postcode area maps roughly to the combined area of the

London Borough of Southwark The London Borough of Southwark ( ) in South London forms part of Inner London and is connected by bridges across the River Thames to the City of London and London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It was created in 1965 when three smaller council areas ...

, London Borough of Lewisham and

Royal Borough of Greenwich The Royal Borough of Greenwich (, , or ) is a London borough in southeast Greater London. The London Borough of Greenwich was formed in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. The new borough covered the former area of the Metropolitan Borough ...

. the eastern part of the London Borough of Lambeth, the northern part of the

London Borough of Croydon The London Borough of Croydon () is a London borough in south London, part of Outer London. It covers an area of . It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name; ...

, the western part of the

London Borough of Bexley The London Borough of Bexley () is a London borough in south-east London, forming part of Outer London. It has a population of 248,287. The main settlements are Sidcup, Erith, Bexleyheath, Crayford, Welling and Old Bexley. The London Boro ...

and the northwestern part of the London Borough of Bromley are within the postcode area. In 2002, some residents in West Heath, a slight projection with neighbouring areas, wished to have their postcodes changed from SE2 to the adjacent DA7 postcode district, citing higher insurance for their houses, belongings and cars as reasons to change. Royal Mail has said it will not consider changes to postcodes for these reasons.

Map

References

External links

Royal Mail's Postcode Address FileA quick introduction to Royal Mail's Postcode Address File (PAF)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{London postcode areas Postcode areas covering London Media and communications in the London Borough of Bexley Media and communications in the London Borough of Bromley Media and communications in the London Borough of Croydon Media and communications in the Royal Borough of Greenwich Media and communications in the London Borough of Lambeth Media and communications in the London Borough of Lewisham Media and communications in the London Borough of Southwark

Postal administration

List of postcode districts

Boundaries

Map

See also

References

External links