A Brief History
Nature & Activities
Current Projects
Hire
Beckenham Place Park boasts scenery of outstanding beauty. The park is home to a lake and ancient woodland and, unusually for an urban park, it features various listed buildings which are being renovated and brought back to life.
The renovation of the buildings is sympathetic to the park’s heritage and provides an opportunity to offer amenities for the community and to enhance the local economy.
Learn more about the businesses in the park ⟶
Beckenham Place Park has been around in its current shape for hundreds of years.
John Cator, a timber merchant, bought the estate and built the mansion in 1762. The park was managed by the Greater London Authority from 1965, then by Lewisham Council from 1972. During this period the park was used as a public golf course. In 2016 Lewisham was awarded a £5 million grant by the Heritage Lottery Fund for the restoration of the Homestead buildings which had burnt down in 2011 and the renovation of the pleasure gardens and formal gardens.
The Mayor of London funded the restoration of the lake, a central feature in Edwardian times, which has been brought back into use.
The park relaunched in July 2019 with a community event attended by about 7,000 people.
In 2019 the Friends of Beckenham Place Park raised funds to restore Stumps Hill Pond (near the Mansion).
The Friends of Beckenham Place Park have been the custodians of the history of this special park and you can find a detailed historic account, compiled by local historian Malvin Mitchell, on their website.
Nature & Activities
Rich biodiversity
Beckenham Place Park is rich in wildlife because it contains a range of different habitats: mature woodland and areas of younger trees; wet woodland (the only such habitat in the borough, and rare in London); hay and wildflower meadows; improved grassland (in areas of open parkland); two ponds; a lake; the River Ravensbourne; formal gardens full of flowers favoured by pollinators; and buildings (that provide roosts for bats).
A large proportion of the woodland is classified as ancient woodland, meaning the area has been wooded since at least 1600, and a section of it used to be an Ash plantation.
With so many different habitats, many different species of flora (plants) and fauna (animals) are able to thrive in the park. The list of wildlife seen in the park includes over 50 species of birds; bats; numerous insects including stag beetles and dragonflies; badgers; grey squirrels; a variety of fungi; wood mice. The park is listed as a Local Nature Reserve as well as a Site of Metropolitan Importance.
The lake which was reconstructed in 2019 has created new food chains and attracted new species. In 2020, a pair of Hobbies (migratory birds of prey) nested in the park. They feed on dragonflies and swifts, which in turn feed on insects as they fly over the lake. The lake also provides a rich feeding ground for bats.
Want to learn more? Download a handout about nature in the park here or visit the Friends of Beckenham Place Park website for more about the rich biodiversity and history of Beckenham Place Park.
Walking routes
There are four marked walking routes in the park, of varying length and each incorporating different areas of the park.
Parkland Stroll
Takes in most of the western side of the park and sticks to more accessible paths (except one stretch in the woodland which could be bypassed).
Waterside Walk
Takes visitors round the lake and crosses the railway to the River Ravensbourne, as well as through areas of woodland. The paths on this route are wide and generally firm.
Woodland Wander
A shorter route which includes some narrow, uneven paths, so some parts are not suitable for buggies and wheelchairs, particularly during wetter months.
The Cycling Circuit
Suitable for bicycles, but we ask riders to remember that the paths are shared with pedestrians, so please ride with care and consideration. These routes are all shown here.
Park Run
In addition, there is a 5km running circuit, which is also used as the Parkrun
Beckenham Place Park is part of South East London’s Capital Ring and Green Chain walk which pass through Beckenham Place Park and are signed on posts in the park.
Download our guided trails to explore the park and find out more about the features.
Current projects
Eastern side development
After the largely acclaimed transformation of the western side of the park, Lewisham is now developing design proposals for improvements to the Eastern side.
Click below to read all project-related updates.
Community
The Beckenham Place Park team works in partnership with schools, local businesses, community groups and local area forums. We are always happy to hear from local groups that would like to discuss how they might be able to make more use of the park.
Email us on beckenhamplacepark@lewisham.gov.uk
Sustainability
Lewisham is one of Lewisham Council’s 47 parks, many of which have been recognised with awards such as Green Flag and London in Bloom.
Beckenham Place Park is a large green space (96 ha), with ancient woodland, bodies of water and many features that support and enhance biodiversity. It is also a popular destination with over 1.3 million visitors a year and seven resident businesses. The Beckenham Place Park team seek to minimise the impact of this activity on the environment.
In 2019 Lewisham Council was one of the first UK local authorities to declare a climate emergency. This action resulted in a climate emergency action plan including a green adaptive strand of work.
Beckenham Place Park plays an important role in Lewisham Council’s climate emergency plan efforts not only as steward of its vast natural heritage and biodiversity but also through other interventions.
Beckenham Place Park is proud to play a part by taking steps to promote sustainability in South Lewisham. Below are a few examples of how our work towards sustainability is evolving. Join us on this journey.
The Natural Environment
Parkland
The park consists of approximately 37 hectares of woodland.
The largest section is Summerhouse Wood, which is over 20 hectares and designated as ancient woodland (which is defined as woodland that has existed continuously since 1600) the rest is a mix of fragmented ancient woodland; mature secondary woodland and more recent planting.
The woodland is managed by volunteers under the supervision of the Lead Ranger and grounds staff according to a woodland management plan formed with input from Forestry England using industry best practice.
Gardens
Despite the more formal appearance of the gardens sustainability is considered during the planning and delivery of this area of the park.
Most notably a move away from large areas of seasonal bedding in favour of hardier perennial plants that will continue to give a good display year after year.There are also log piles and other habitat areas dotted around providing refuges for invertebrates and amphibians.
As with the wider park we adhere to Lewisham’s Integrated Weed Management policy which puts the use of chemical herbicides as a “last resort” choice and we are proud of our track record on the very limited use of such products in the park.
We have also been “peat free” for a number of years now, so no peat compost is used on site and we only use supplies who have the same commitment.
Bodies of Water
900m of the River Ravensbourne runs along the eastern edge of the park. The current work programme for it involves restoration and re-naturalisation, in conjunction with partners at Thames21 there is ongoing improvements to the water course by installing in-channel interventions, removing artificial edging boards and making bank improvements to reduce dog poaching. The river provides good hunting for kingfishers which can often be seen darting along its course.
The swimming lake in the West part of the park is on part of the site an historic man-made lake and whilst designated for open water swimming and paddle boarding it still provides good reed cover allowing for nesting of waterfowl notably little grebes along with more common species.
The wet woodland is rare a habitat in the UK and there are ongoing plans to improve its quality. It supports a number of species that prefer wetter conditions.
Plans are being prepared for Stumps Hill Wood to improve the condition of this pond by increasing the plant life to compete with the duck weed that covers it most summers.
The swales along the lowest point in the park sit along the channel of an old drainage ditch that feeds into the swimming lake. These ephemeral ponds have varying levels of water throughout the year and this provides habitat for spawning amphibians.
Events
In 2022 Lewisham Council adopted a Green events guide for event organisers. The guide can be found here.
Beckenham Place Park is looking at other ways to decarbonise events. Most events in the park are medium to smaller scale and smaller operators can struggle to invest in the latest generation of eco-friendly generators. Ways in which BPP encourage or work with event organisers include:
Plugging into the park’s electrical grid where possible to bypass the use of polluting generators
Reusing signs and attaching banners with twine where possible
Use of biodegradable bags and containers
Active Travel
The Beckenham Place Park team strongly encourage active travel at every opportunity and offer multiple bike racks, regular free bike checks and EV vehicle charging.
In 2021 LBL introduced an emissions-based car parking tariff across the borough which also applies to the small car park in BPP
Environmental Levy
The fee structure for event space hire includes an environmental levy. This fund is used in conservation projects in the park such as new bat boxes and butterfly projects.
Reuse & Recycle
We have several dual bins that take separate rubbish and recycling allowing the recycling to be dealt with efficiently.
We reuse as much plant material on-site as possible. Composting our own dead material and leaf mould reduces our need to buy in compost also making it easier to remain peat-free.
Staff and volunteers repair and refurbish park furniture wherever possible.
All businesses selected to operate in Beckenham Place Park need to demonstrate a clear commitment to sustainable practices and are asked to make their best efforts to run green sustainable businesses and contribute to a carbon-neutral Lewisham. For example, in the procurement process for a lake operator, interested parties needed to present environmental policies and commit to deliver a number of social value targets.
The Homestead Café launched a reusable cups scheme in 2023. Read more about the café’s other efforts here.
Visit the individual businesses’s website or contact the businesses directly for their most up-to-date policies.
You, the visitor, the businesses operating in the park and our volunteers play a very valuable role in supporting sustainability management of BPP. Thank you!
Hire
Outdoor space in Beckenham Place Park is available for hire for events. From time to time there may also be other opportunities such as concessions.