Parks and Green Spaces in SE23 and around

So when I moved here many years ago, I didn’t realise how much green space there was within easy reach, and some of the great parks we have on or doorstop, of just few stops on the train. I’m sure I’m missing some so please add, and what you like about them, here are the ones we visit the most:

1. Blythe Hill
   Great views of Canary Wharf and the City, perfect if you have a parafoil kite and strong arms! Good kids playground. Hilly! Has an annual festival that is great, typically in July. Friends page here

2. Honor Oak Rec.
   This place I didn’t realise even existed for years. Good kids playground, flat park which is unusual around these parts. Kids football here Saturday mornings with Hillyfielders link here. If you cycle into London and don’t fancy cycling over One Tree hill you can also cut through here in daylight hours and avoid the hill.

3. One Tree Hill
   Wooded, good views over London (see Chris’ photos below), Church, quite steep. Not a park per se but good for a walk. have heard rumours of owls here, think I have heard one once, never seen one though.

4. Crystal Palace Park.
   Clearly not SE23 but so close. Dinosaurs, large (but very busy playground), cafe and a small farm. Only 3 stops from HOP, 2 from FH.

5. Dulwich Park
   As above not strictly in SE23, but a great park and so close. Beautiful, has a boating lake, you can hire bikes (or just cycle there yourself - the climb past the hornniman is a little tiring!). Kids will also love the ducks etc. Plenty of sport here, think there is a parkrun at weekends, great place to train for running, relatively flat. Has a nice cafe, playground, lots of space to sit down and relax. A really fantastic park.

6. Horniman Gardens
   Is this a park? I say yes. Fantastic Gardens, Farmers market Saturday mornings, great veg garden, very small animal enclosure, Bandstand and of course ties in beautifully with a visit to the museum itself or the Horniman Triangle play area opposite.

7. Kelsey Park
   A little further in Beckenham, but has massive lake, one side for dogs, the other for no dogs. Saw a Kingfisher here once. Large playground with large tunnel slides and cafe. Lots of geese ‘droppings’ though…

8. Ladywell Fields.
   Combine with a walk over Blythe Hill (or around). Has a lovely river \ stream which kids and adults will like, has some water pumps, couple of playgrounds, not sure if the big adventure playground is still open as my kids are too small for it but that looks good.

9. Wells Park (thank you @Michael)
   I know there is a park with a water area in summer for kids, but the name escapes me right now.

10. Peckham Rye Park
    Peckham Rye has also become a very good park, with good playground for young and older children, a nice cafe and a pleasant lake.

11. Mayow Park
    How could you miss Mayow Park ! Tennis courts, kids play, cricket pitch, cafe and nursery (plants) area.

12. Beckenham Place Park
    The golf course has now been closed and trees are being planted on various parts of it. A huge park, river running through it, meadows, woods and a lake for open water swimming and I think kayaking coming in summer 2019! Also a dog walkers paradise - if you want to feel you are in the countryside, this is the park to go to.
    Some discussions on this park here and here

13. Sydenham Hill Woods
    I’ve shamefully still not been here, but here it;s great for young and old explorers alike - it is a wood not a park.

14. Albion Millenium Green
    I don’t know much about this one, but Pauline describes it as a hidden gem below!

15. River Pool Linear Park
    Described by Michael and Timmo44 below, this runs from Sainsburys Bell Green Car Park through to Catford. Good for a cycle or walk by the River.

16. Nunhead Cemerary and Camberwell Old Cemetery
    See Brett’s posts below.; Nunhead cemetery - great for walks and cycling (when weather is good), gothic memorials and a magical view of St Pauls.

17. Brockwell Park
    Has a lido, paddling pool , walled garden and a large park area. Rachael describes it below.

18. Brookmill Park
    A little further afield (10 minutes drive or less from HOP), but an Honorable mention from me as you can regularly see Kingfishers and Herons here. Kingfishers photos seen here

19. Baxter Field
    There is a small playground here, see Michael’s post below.

Hope this is of use to someone and I know there are plenty more parks - right back to work!

Al

Horniman Triangle as well. Home to a sandpit, playing equipment, a cafe and no mobile phone signal!

Wells Park (SE26) can be fun for a splash about.

Less suited for a dip but Waterlink Way between Southend Lane and Catford (and then joining to Ladywell Fields) is a very pleasant walk in the summer.

Peckham Rye has also become a very good park, with good playgound for young and older children, a nice cafe and a pleasant lake.

Not a park, but don’t forget about Sydenham/Dulwich Woods, which are great fun and a bit different from a park.

How could you miss Mayow Park! Tennis courts, kids play, cricket pitch, cafe and nursery (plants) area.

Agree with all the mentions so far.

To add, Nunhead cemetery - great for walks and cycling (when weather is good), gothic memorials and a magical view of St Pauls.

Also, Camberwell Old cemetery which has some woodland left though Southwark council are intent on changing that along with some woodland also threatened on wonderful One Tree Hill.

Does the water feature in Wells Park work any more? Have not seen it working for a long time - mind you, no water features needed this summer so far!

@Oakr That is a brilliant list, thanks for sharing.

+1 from me on Peckham Rye park in particular, which I visit regularly - mostly for brunch at the “G Kitchen and Cafe” which is next to the park:

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I hope you don’t mind but I took the liberty of changing the formatting of your numbered list slightly, as the forum markup language had misinterpreted it.

Just a thought, but if @oakr is willing, we could make his post a “wiki” post that others are able to contribute to. I understand, though, why we might to prefer not to do this, and focus on the replies for updates to the list.

Slightly further afield, Beckenham Place Park has a couple of wide open fields and fantastic woods that little kids will love for running around and pretending to be… well, anything they like. There is also access to the river than runs clean with a gentle current - you’ll often find several doggies in there having a good old splash around, and I’ve seen various treacherous-but-fun-looking rope swings in the trees above the water. There is a small playground with a water spray and also a small skate park at the Old Bromley Road car park entrance. There’s no cafe or other facilities at present, and it might not be ideal for very little kids as there is walking involved to get to the good stuff, but it’s a great outdoor space.

Yeah, works fine. Was there with my kids a few weeks ago.

I have a running class there on a Saturday morning and one morning during the class without warning all the water features went off with noone in sight at 8:30. So they work, but Im not sure if the foot pad triggers do… well I didnt test them. Oh… answered above I see…

I also used to take my kids to Brockwell Park. Easy parking by the Lido, paddling pool (although that was, erm, about 15 years ago!) playground, lovely walled garden, cafe.

There is a water play in Brockwell Park too - over the other (Brixton) side of the park - opposite to the Lido.

One Tree Hill is a hidden gem with the most astonishing views. And Sebastian Roche are telling everyone our secret!

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Credit: https://urbandreamlands.wordpress.com

Hi Chris, no problem re the formatting, I did notice they were all 1s after posting but no time to review why!

As for using it as a Wiki article I don’t mind either way, whichever is more helpful -feel free!

I did forget about Peckham Rye, not been there in a while, a real hidden gem.

Excellent, thanks @Oakr - I have made this a wiki post, so all members of trust-level-1 and above (about half the members) are able to edit and add other relevant parks.

Hey, don’t forget our magical hidden gem that is “Albion Millenium Green” Ssh don’t tell everyone though

There is also the small playground on Baxter Field

And if you are in Dulwich you might want to visit the “Fresh Prince of SE21”
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/search/fresh+prince+se21

River Pool Linear Park (starts behind Sydenham Sainsburys) has a river complete with herons and kingfishers and a kids playground. The river path runs all the way down to Wickes in Catford. Great for dog walkers.

Beckenham Place Park was the most mind-blowing oasis of countryside just outside Catford! A stately home, a council run golf club for poor/normal folk to use, FREE parking - oh, what joy!. Acres of free, wild fields and prairies, a wood full of bluebells in May, an exquisitely well maintained flower garden with tennis courts and totally unspoilt! It was all so free and easy. No cyclists bombing past you knocking you off your feet, nothing ‘focus grouped’ made, nothing gentrified - just sheer peace and quiet. Heather, gorse, wood peckers, rhododendrons, a few dog walkers saying ‘hello’ as you pass each other by - utterly natural and unpretentious. Unfortunately, locals felt it was under-used and the lottery has allowed some ‘big thinkers’ to move in, and hence, changes are afoot, which will yes, get more people there - but probably scare the wildlife off. Also, some people felt golf was an elitist sport (even though it was open to everyone) and that has been closed down. An absolute haven of quiet, unstructured bliss

Welcome to SE23.life, @Gillipops. That eulogy to Beckenham Place Park was pure poetry, I loved it

Thanks Chris - I’m soooo more tech’y adventurous!

Eeek - the upset about you on Nextdoor rumbles on, and on… you’re famous (or is that infamous?!)

Right on our doorsteps, Dacres Wood Nature reserve is open this Saturday, with native bluebells

as well as some other less likely plants - I dug out a bay tree yesterday from the slope at the south end of the pond, and there’s a camellia nearby, which must be a relic of when this was a large Victorian back garden.

I have some native bluebells in my garden this year for the first time. I wonder if they are making a comeback.

We have had loads for years. It is stopping them that is the trick!

Native or Spanish bluebells? We’ve always have plenty of the latter, but never the former, until this year.

I enjoy them for a week or so then grumble for months about the damned leaves everywhere.

Don’t know, sorry.

A-ha, well, that’s the point. Native bluebells are under threat of extinction. Spanish ones are not. So a good reason to visit Dacres Woods (trying to get the thread back on topic after I hijacked it).

I planted some in my garden a few years ago, along with cowlips and fritillaries

The native and Spanish hybridise readily, so probably no so many pure bred round here. The tell for the native genes are the curling up ends of the petals

I checked this yesterday and the source I read suggested the only surefire way, due to hybrids, is the colour of the pollen: white in the case of the native species IIRC.

Sydenham woods, a great for hot summer day to hide in the shade and explore

Recently I’ve been taking my girls on their bikes. We found a route over the German Bridge( younger one needs help with her bike) then by Mayow Park and with back routes get to behind Bell Green Reatil centre. Pick up Waterlink way by the river Pool. You can then go all the way to Ladywell station through parks, stops on the way from play parks to water sides.

Sydenham Hill woods are amazing.

And agreed re Waterlink way especially. We quite often cycle as a family down to Greenwich that way.

You are right about Waterlink.
After Ladywell we went to Lewisham and picked up Deptford Creek and watched the Maraton on Sunday at mile 7. It was only a 6miles from home one way, something that the girls did without any complaints. My mother is completely astonished how we found such a lovely route going towards the centre of the city.

Can you follow the river all the way up to Deptford Creek? - I lost it last time and there seem to be bits of it that you cant walk/ride along.
I tried following it the other way out of Sydenham on Sunday and it goes awol as it crosses Worsely Bridge Road although you can pick it up again. It would be nice to be able to go the whole route along the river bank

No. It’s on road between Ladywell and Lewisham, though backstreets (similar to Como/Colfe in terms of traffic)

As @stephen says there is a bit of roads. The tricky bit is around Ladywell station. If you get out of the park you may want to push the bikes until the crossing. Aim for Marsala Road and then by Elmira Street until you get onto bike route at Lewisham. This is a bit easier as the pavement is shared bike route (you are allowed to ride on the pavement)

I would like to thank to Lewisham Cyclists who did show me the route some time ago. Being able to go on certain pavements has definitely made me ride more.

Not sure what that makes these, curly petals and different colours

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Those are English that have hybridised with Spanish bluebells. The rule is that if ANY of the characteristics of the Spanish variety are evident, then it’s a hybrid. Native bluebells only come in dark purply blue.

Finally managed to take this route as far as Beckenham Place Park today which is well worth a look. The only criticism I have really is that when the green part breaks down then so does the signposting. Am thinking in particular past Halfords in Catford, then again in Lower Sydenham.

Decided to update the original list and add all the suggestions into the first post, if I have missed any and there are updates on any of the park, please comment and add new parks or green spaces, or updates to existing parks.

A new informal water feature appeared overnight in Mayow Park.

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That looks like my garden at the moment. Might explain why I heard seagulls.

Brenchley Gardens on the other side of the road from the back of One Tree Hill is a nice way to stretch the walk out or lead you into Camberwell Old Cemetery. Nice flowerbeds, not looking their best currently though!

Lovely, quite ironic as it used to be a boating pond for model boats.

Water Polo time by the looks of it

Not quite an ark, but looks fun:

What’s with all the flooding in Mayo’s Park? Looks like more than just rain. It’s the worst I’ve seen it in the 5yrs I’ve left here.

The new water feature in Mayow Park has formed in the natural valley , now blocked by the raised Mayow Road, that runs down Adamsrill Road to Bell Green. And a rill is an old name for a stream. The area’s names are to do with Mayow Adams, who owned the land that was reshaped in the late 1870’s to form the Sydenham and Forest Hill Recreation Ground, now known as Mayow Park. Substantial land works were required to transform the farmland into a public park, including drainage so the cricket pitch could be levelled and used.
This excellent blog suggests how a stream ran from a spring in Peak Hill (formerly Pig Hill) in Sydenham through the farmland, now park, and down the valley/rill to Bell Green.

Adams’ Rill – A Lost Sydenham Stream | Running Past (wordpress.com)

During the first lockdown of 2020 I was doing the bulk of the parenting during the week, so tried to visit a different green space every day. I can recommend the following if you’re looking for somewhere different to go with the kids, all within a mile or two of SE23:

Best playgrounds

• Peckham Rye
• Hilly fields
• Dulwich Park
• Kelsey Park
• Ladywell fields
• Blythe Hill fields

Best woods

• Beckenham Place Park
• Sydenham/Dulwich Wood
• Nunhead Cemetary

Best other

• Southend Park, Lower Sydenham (mini football goals)
• Peckham Rye Arboretum (lots of logs to climb)
• Crystal Palace Dinosaurs
• Horniman Sundial Trail
• Harrington Woods Gruffalo Trail
• Waterlink Way/River Pool walk
• Sydenham Wells Park (one of the prettier ones)
• South Norwood country Park (unspoilt)

I’ve probably forgotten a few, I’ll add them when I remember, there’s loads to do out there if you look

Great list!

I’ve never been here before, but have wanted to as I think they sometimes have owls I’ve wanted to photograph. What’s the best way to get there, public transport or driving?

Depends where you live I have driven in the past.

Interesting. On google I can’t find Harrington Woods Gruffalo Trail. Do you know if this is a typo or could you kindly point out where this is. My kids would love it.

I think it is a typo. Have a look for Harvington Woods - v close to Kelsey Park.

It’s a lovely low-key home-made setup. Very good for pre-schoolers.

Yes it’s a typo sorry. It’s difficult to find on google anywhere, but essentially if you head for the playground near the recycling site, then go north towards the woods, it starts there. Use google maps satellite view to locate the playground