Crofton Park

Hilly Fields

Ladywell · 0.6 miles

Hilly Fields is a public park located in Ladywell ward in Lewisham, South East London, and is managed by the London Borough of Lewisham. Preserved as a park through the efforts of Octavia Hill, it was opened in 1896.

Brockley Nature Reserve

New Cross · 0.6 miles

A 4.2-hectare green space lies alongside the London Bridge branch of the Brighton Main Line, straddling the boundary between Brockley and New Cross Gate in the London Borough of Lewisham. The site, known as New Cross Gate Cutting, occupies part of the former Hatcham Wood that once marked the Kent and Surrey border and forms a fragment of the historic Great North Wood. Entry is provided from Vesta Road, positioned between Barriedale in Brockley and Sandbourne Road on Telegraph Hill. Designated as a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation, the reserve is owned and looked after by the London Wildlife Trust, which also operates the nearby Brockley Nature Reserve. The woodland supports a range of native trees, including sycamore, English oak, Turkey oak, hawthorn and silver birch, creating conditions for a variety of flora and fauna. Records note the presence of deer alongside typical woodland species. Although the reserve is normally closed to the public, the London Wildlife Trust arranges regular open days and volunteer workdays, offering limited opportunities for guided visits and hands-on conservation work. No permanent visitor facilities such as cafés or shops are mentioned, and access is restricted to the organised events coordinated by the Trust.

Ladywell Fields

Catford · 0.6 miles

Ladywell Fields, originally Ladywell Recreation Ground is a public park in the London Borough of Lewisham created from three historic fields. It is located near Ladywell railway station at the northern end of the park, and Catford Bridge at the southern end.

Brookmill Road Local Nature Reserve

Ladywell · 0.6 miles

Brookmill Road Local Nature Reserve is a small nature reserve in St Johns in the London Borough of Lewisham. It has been designated as a local nature reserve.

Peckham Rye Park

Honor Oak · 1.2 miles

The open space known as Peckham Rye lies on the southern edge of the Peckham district in the London Borough of Southwark, forming a roughly triangular area split between Peckham Rye Common to the north and Peckham Rye Park to the south. The park itself occupies the 49 acres that once surrounded Homestall Farm and is bounded on its western and eastern sides by the road called the Rye. Rail access is provided by Peckham Rye railway station on Rye Lane, a short walk north of the grounds, while the surrounding streets include Barry Road, which leads to Dulwich Library, and Friern Road, named after a historic friary. The nearest town recorded in mapping data is Honor Oak. Peckham Rye Park offers a mixture of landscaped and historic features. An ornamental garden originally called the Old English Garden, later renamed the Sexby Garden after the first Chief Officer of Parks, was laid out shortly after the park’s acquisition by the London County Council and re-paved with yorkstone in 1936. A Japanese garden adds a contrasting element, and remnants of the River Peck are still visible on the western side. The site was the setting for William Blake’s reported 1760s visions of a tree filled with angels, and during the Second World War part of the common served as a camp for Italian prisoners of war. Today the park hosts a weekly Parkrun and provides open green space for recreation, with pathways, paved areas and the surrounding road network offering easy pedestrian access.

Peckham Rye Common

Tappesfield Estate · 1.2 miles

A triangular stretch of green lies just south of Peckham, split into the northern Common and the adjoining southern Park. The open space is bounded by a road that runs along its western and eastern edges, while Peckham Rye railway station on Rye Lane sits a short walk to the north. The area is bordered by Nunhead to the east, Honor Oak to the south and East Dulwich to the west, with Barry Road providing a link to Dulwich Library and Friern Road recalling a historic friary. Visitors can wander through the Common’s open lawns and the Park’s more formal gardens, including a Japanese garden that adds a touch of colour and tranquillity. A weekly Parkrun brings runners together each Saturday, and remnants of the River Peck remain visible on the park’s western side. The ornamental garden originally laid out as an ‘Old English Garden’ was later renamed after Lt-Col J. J. Sexby, the first chief officer of London’s parks, and its pathways were replanted with yorkstone in the 1930s. The site carries a literary and wartime legacy: in the 1760s the poet William Blake claimed to have experienced a vision of a tree filled with angels while on the Rye, and during the Second World War part of the Common served as a camp for Italian prisoners of war. The land that now forms the Park was bought by the London County Council in 1868 and opened to the public on 14 May 1894. Access is straightforward via the nearby railway station, and the space is freely available for walking, recreation and community events.