Parks & Gardens in London, the UK & abroad
St Mary’s Churchyard in Lewisham lies on the busy main road between Lewisham and Catford and it is easy to ignore the site. But this is an interesting churchyard, and a very old one which today covers 0.9 hectares. It is one of several interesting churchyards in Lewisham, more accessible and ‘complete’ than Christ Church in Forest Hill, and smaller than St Paul’s in Deptford.
The Green Chain Walk runs through the Hillcrest Estate Woodland in Upper Sydenham on a path which is easy to follow. The path is in two sections, on either side of the blocks of flats in the middle of the woodlands. This is ancient woodland, a small part of what was once The Great North Wood.
Continue reading ➞ Hillcrest Estate Woodland in Upper Sydenham
Cox’s Walk in SE London is a former 18C public path which used to link a public house in Dulwich, The Green Man, with the spa at Sydenham Wells. It was a ‘path with a purpose’, a practical path. The path delivered you to the spa, or perhaps offered something stronger to those who had already recovered in the spa. Today it is a pleasant and well-used stroll in ancient woodland, between Dulwich and Sydenham Hill. It is interesting to see the continuity of purposes as it seems to enjoy a similar practical aim, only now it delivers people into the woods for exercise and enjoyment.
The Lewisham War Memorial Garden stands in a narrow strip of land alongside Lewisham High Street. Three tall blocks of flats separate the Garden from neighbouring Lewisham Park. I have driven past this little garden for years and not really paid any attention to it, which was a big mistake!
It is the end of rollercoaster August in The Fortnight Garden. It also looks like the end of the summer because the temperature has plummeted and the skies are grey. And the garden looks slightly weary, or perhaps that is just me.
Christ Church churchyard in Forest Hill is in some ways a rather sad sight. And the site is curious – half residential and half consecrated – I wonder what it feels like to live there?
Sydenham Wells Park in SE London covers 8 hectares and is a beautiful garden on a sloping hillside. Like many of the green spaces in this area it has a history!
Friday was a windy day in The Fortnight Garden, and it was followed by Saturday which is just as windy. So Six on Saturday was difficult to photograph, but here we go!
Mayow Park in Sydenham is another park which developed from an old country mansion, like the Forster Memorial Park, and Sayes Court, and yet another delightful green space in South East London. It is popular with local residents and has an extremely good cafe as well!
Baxter’s Field in Sydenham is a grassy park which hides between houses in South East London, and it is another little surprise in my exploration of green spaces in South East London. The park is associated with significant and important people in the printing industry in the 19C who lived in the area.