SE15 is very green: it is bordered by parks – Burgess Park to the north and Goose Green to the south. Everyone knows Peckham Rye with its extensive sports fields and cafe. It has a Friends group and the part north of East Dulwich Road formerly featured an open-air lido.
Peckham Rye Park website
However, the number and variety of smaller parks and open spaces that exist in Peckham and Nunhead is less well known. The smaller parks provide for a variety of interests: open space and playing fields, children’s playgrounds, nature gardens, allotments and growing projects and residential squares. Facilities vary. All have grass, trees and seating. Although Peckham Rye is the only one with a café you can always take a picnic to eat under the trees or find a neighbouring coffee shop. Some are places for quiet reflection; others have dynamic children’s playgrounds. Six parks were awarded Green Flags last year, a scheme which recognises and rewards the best parks and green spaces in England and Wales. The smallest parks are ‘pocket parks’.
The list below is split by quadrant, dividing Peckham into four along Peckham High Street/Queens Road and Rye Lane/Peckham Hill Street.
1. NORTH-EAST
Bird in Bush Park, Bird in Bush Road
Small park with children’s playground, BMX track with organised sessions, fruit orchard and a sensory garden.
Brimmington Park, Culmore Road
Green Flag park. Large grassy area, all weather sports facility, children’s playground. Events are held by local residents. Friends organisation.
Friends of Brimmington Park website
Carlton Grove
Pocket park with a children’s playground.
Caroline Gardens
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Gardens of the Licensed Victuallers Asylum.
Glengall Wharf Garden, Glengall Road/Old Kent Road
Community garden, situated within Burgess Park, independently run by local volunteers. New volunteers welcome or just come and enjoy the site: general volunteering/weekly opening, Sunday 1-3 pm.
Glengall Wharf Garden
Kings Grove
Small garden for residents of Kings Grove.
Lewes House Garden, Green Hundred Road
A medium sized green space with lawns, trees and shrub beds.
Leyton Square, Peckham Park Road
Pocket park with a children’s play area and outdoor gym. Adventure playground.
Pencraig Way Garden
Medium sized park space with a children’s playground, mature trees, benches and pathways.
Tustin Estate playground
Enclosed children’s playground with swings, climbing frames and slides.
2. NORTH-WEST
Bonar Road and Surrey Canal Allotments
North side managed by Bonar Road Allotment Society. South side managed by Surrey Canal Allotment Society.
The Surrey Canal Allotment Society
Calypso Gardens, Calypso Crescent
Small neighbourhood park.
Kelly Avenue Park (Kelly Avenue/Commercial Way)
Formerly called Central Venture Park. Green space with youth centre. Supervised by trained staff from Southwark Council. Park contains a playground, table tennis and football pitches.
Friends of Kelly Avenue Park
Flaxyard, Melon Road, adjacent to Peckham Pulse
Grassed and paved public space with shrub beds and planted trees.
Jowett Street Park, between Jowett St and Commercial Way
Pocket park with children’s playground and seating. Supported by Friends of Burgess Park.
Sumner Road Park (Sumner Road/Ashmore Close)
Medium-sized neighbourhood park with children’s playground, landscaped lawns, trees and benches.
Surrey Canal Linear Park
A long and narrow park on route of former Surrey Canal. Runs from Peckham Square to Burgess Park, parallel to Peckham Hill Street. Popular with local dog walkers, cyclists and runners, it contains trees, benches, pathways and shrub and flower beds. A tree trail guide is available from Friends of Burgess Park.
Friends of Burgess Park website
3. SOUTH-WEST
Bellenden Road Nature Garden
Nature garden with a variety of mini-habitats, a wheelchair accessible path, benches, raised flower beds, minibeast village and pergola for climbing plants.
Bellenden Road Nature Garden website
Choumert Square
Residential street with an annual open day.
Highshore Road Open Space, Highshore Road
Small pocket park with seating and shrubbery in the heart of Peckham.
Holly Grove Shrubbery, Holly Grove
Small linear park with colourful shrubs and seating.
Lyndhurst Square, off Lyndhurst Way
Small fenced park in a residential square.
McDermott Road Nature Garden
Nature garden with a variety of mini habitats and seating.
Centre for Wildlife Gardening, 28 Marsden Road
Wildlife garden located within a quiet residential street. Award-winning visitor centre offering practical advice to city gardeners, wildlife garden with a range of mini habitats, a wild flower nursery, and community raised beds.
Marsden Road website
Warwick Gardens, Lyndhurst Way
Green Flag park. Large open, grassy area, seating. Playground, basketball court, table tennis tables and five-a-side football pitch. Also contains an orchard, planted by members of the local community.
Warwick Gardens community group
4. SOUTH-EAST
Buchan Hall sports pitch
Small playing field next to the local T&RA hall for football with goals, Astroturf and fencing.
Brayards Green, Caulfield Road and Firbank Road
Large grassy space
Consort Park, Consort Road and Gordon Road
Small wooded park with a children’s play area.
Cossall Park, Cossall Walk, near Queens Road
Small park with children’s playground, basketball court and 5-a-side football pitch. See Kirkwood Road Nature Garden for Friends group.
Dr Harold Moody Park, Consort Road and Gordon Road
Small neighbourhood park with children’s play area, table tennis tables and basketball court.
Flamborough House Square, opposite Marmont Road
Garden square with trees, benches and flower and shrub beds.
Goldsmiths Road Nature Garden
Nature garden with a variety of mini habitats and seating.
Kirkwood Road Nature Reserve, Kirkwood Road
Small linear nature reserve at the north end of Kirkwood Road. Has a newly formed Friends group. There are plans for it form part of the Peckham Coal Line high-level walk.
The Friends of Cossall Park and Kirkwood Nature Reserve Group
Montague Square
Small fenced park in a residential square. Children’s play area
Nunhead Cemetery, Linden Grove
Green Flag park. Consecrated in 1840, it is one of the seven great Victorian cemeteries established in a ring around the outskirts of London. Views of St Pauls and the City. Open daily 8.30am – 4pm.
Friends of Nunhead Cemetery website.
Nunhead Green, Nunhead Lane
Green Flag park. The village green of Nunhead, popular for local events. Picnic tables, a children’s play area and a platform for performances, whether organised or impromptu. It also features works by local artists. Nearby pubs and cafés.
St Mary Frobisher Park, St Mary’s Road
Green Flag park. Recently refurbished. Unique children’s play area featuring swings, climbing frames, mosaic pathway, water feature and ‘sleeping giant’.
Stuart Road allotments
Founded in 1918 next to Nunhead Reservoir. Run by the Stuart Road Allotments Society who hold regular competitions and events and plan volunteering opportunities for the local community.
Stuart Road Allotment Society website
Take a stroll in Peckham and Nunhead and enjoy our green spaces.
Christine Camplin
Reprinted from Peckham Society News, Issue 146 (Autumn 2016)
Sources
Southwark Parks and Open Spaces
https://parklifelondon.org
Peckham and Nunhead Green Spaces Map
