We've found 107 parks

Lettsom Gardens was formerly the estate of Grove Hill, which was once part of the Manor of Camberwell Buckingham. It was purchased in 1779 by Dr John Lettsom, who lived here until 1810 and developed the gardens, which became famous in his day. They included a kitchen garden, orchard and hothouses as well as plants from all over the world as a result of the botanical expeditions that Lettsom financed. The grounds also had a boating lake with a central fountain, and Coadestone plaques and statuary. After Lettsom sold the estate it began to be built over for housing from 1819. A small portion of the estate survived and was saved from further development by the Lettsom Gardens Association in 1980.

Leyton Square was opened to the public in 1901, after Camberwell Borough Council purchased the land in 1899 for £3,000, of which £1,500 was provided by the LCC, plus £683 for half the paving expenses. The garden has since been reconfigured, and is now within a more recent housing estate. Laid out on slightly undulating ground, it is largely laid to grass with recreation facilities, paths and seating. There are scattered trees including lines of older plane trees, presumably marking the original perimeter.

So-called after Little Dorrit, the Dickens character who was associated with nearby Marshalsea Prison, the site had previously been Falcon Court, 'a horrible rookery of tumble-down dirty hovels'. It was created as a children's playground by the LCC's Parks and Open Spaces Committee, and was opened in 1902 by the LCC Councillor for Rotherhithe, Mr A Pomeroy-Cragg, at a ceremony accompanied by music from the North London Prize Band. Improvement works were carried out in 2001 by Little Dorrit Park Group, set up by group of local mothers including artist Danuta Solowig Wedderburn who created bronze plaques. Works included playground improvements and landscaping and the park is supported by Bankside Open Spaces Trust (BOST).

Long Lane Playground is on the site of a Quaker Burial Ground whose perimeter wall remains as the wall to the recreation ground, now laid out as a playground. The garden consists of an area of grass with some shrubs to the front boundary with Long Lane and south of the wall, which remains across the centre of the playground. A slab records the opening of the Society of Friends burial ground in 1697 and its closure in 1855. A stone tablet set into the wall records that it was built in 1749 - 1750 by John Savage; another plaque records a further wall built in 1789 by the Quakers. The burial ground adjoined that of the Neckinger Road Baptist Chapel established in 1690, which joined with the Back Street Independent Chapel and bought the piece of land for a burial ground. Both were laid out as a children's playground by Bermondsey Vestry in 1885. A number of tombstones remain along the walls, one tomb dated 1791. At the entrance on Long Lane are possibly the remains of the meeting house.

Lorrimore Square was built in the 1850s, its name deriving from Lorrimore Common, one of two commons in the Manor of Walworth, which was enclosed in 1769. A site south-west of the former commonland was donated by the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury to build the church of St Paul, Lorrimore Square, which was consecrated in 1856, the ground around the church let for building. The church and much of the area suffered bomb damage in WWII. The church was rebuilt in 1955-60, a number of the houses restored, and the former green space became part of the large LCC Brandon Estate, designed in 1955 and built and extended into the 1960s.

Lucas Gardens was originally the grounds of a terrace of 12 Georgian houses known as East Terrace, which were later used as an extension to Camberwell House Lunatic Asylum established in 1846 in a former school building on the north side of Peckham Road. During WWI a Flying Boat was displayed in what is now the public park, probably bought by local subscription as part of the war effort. Lucas Gardens opened as a public park in July 1955 and is on a gently sloping site with winding paths and mature trees. The main gates on Peckham Road were refurbished in the late C20th together with new landscaping that included flower beds, paths, ornamental trees and a water feature in the north of the park.

Lyndhurst Square was built in 1843, with a small strip of ornamental landscaping with shrubs and trees between the terraces. Camberwell Borough Council took over maintenance of the garden in 1913. Opposite the square is K2 telephone kiosk of 1927 designed by Giles Gilbert Scott.

Maudsley Hospital was built on Denmark Hill and completed in 1915. In 1939 two new buildings were added, a Private Patients' Block and a Children's Block, and the grounds were laid out by the LCC Chief Parks Officer, A R Mawson. Both buildings were designed with roof gardens and that of the Private Patients Block, Mapother House, survived with its original structure intact, including statuary, wooden benches, planters and raised grass plots. It was awaiting restoration in 2002 but since then has sadly been cleared and the garden no longer in use for health and safety reasons. Mapother House is now due for redevelopment as housing.

Merrick Square is named after Christopher Merrick who left land to Trinity House in 1661. The square of 32 houses was built from 1853-72 and overlooked a private garden, still enclosed by its original C19th cast iron railings. At each end of the garden are 2 concrete cast urns on plinths and trees include London plane, chestnut, lime, sycamore, laburnum and various shrubs. The central beds were replanted in 2000 under the supervision of the Museum of Garden History, now renamed the Garden Museum.

The Metropolitan Beer and Wine Trades Asylum was designed by William Webb and built on Nunhead Green in 1852/3, the foundation stone laid in 1852 by Lord Monteagle. The almshouses were established by the Metropolitan Beer and Wine Trades Society. Set back from the roadway behind a brick stone-capped wall, the almshouses have a small area of front garden with lawn and a few trees, with a central path leading from the entrance gate.

Mint Street Park was laid out on the site previously occupied by the Evelina Hospital for Sick Children founded by Baron Frederick de Rothschild in memory of his wife Evelina who died in premature childbirth in 1866. It opened in 1869 and remained here until 1976 although it was later re-established in a new building next to St Thomas' Hospital. After the hospital closed the buildings were demolished and the site became green space. Mint Street Park was re-landscaped by Bankside Open Spaces Trust (BOST) working with local people to carry out improvements that included new landscaping, access and lighting. Raised beds were created and planted by the gardening club working with Putting Down Roots, a project run by St Mungo's Association working with homeless people. Mint Street Park is now s a local play space and venue for community events, and includes an adventure play facility.

Nelson Square Gardens was originally for the use of residents of Nelson Square. In 1903 the owner, Viscount Halifax, gave the site to the LCC and it was laid out as a rectangular playground, with flower bed in the centre and shrub and privet hedge around the perimeter. It opened to the public in February 1904. There was formerly a bandstand and ornamental drinking fountain presented by the MPGA. The garden has 6 mature plane trees but is now mainly laid out as a tarmac playground, alongside which is a small rose garden with ornamental planting.