Description
Alleyn's School Memorial Garden commemorates Old Boys of the school who died in the two world wars. It is a gated triangular garden located in the west of the school grounds leading directly onto playing fields, near the site of an RAF Barrage Balloon in WWII. The Memorial Garden was officially opened in 1954 by the Chairman of the Board of Governors. Red brick stone-capped gate piers flank a small ornamental gate topped with Alleyn's crest and the words 'God's Gift'. The garden has a central path of paving slabs, either side of which are shrub beds to railings and beech hedge on the road boundaries, with a low hedge to the playing fields beyond. Since it opened additional commemorative trees have been planted in memory of pupils and staff.
Practical Information
| Site location | Townley Road/Calton Avenue, Dulwich Village |
|---|---|
| Postcode | SE22 8SU |
| What3Words | ///owner.tiger.think |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Southwark |
| Open to Public | By appointment only |
| Opening Times | private but visible from the road |
| Public Transport | Rail: North Dulwich. Bus: 12, 37, 40, 176, 185, 312, P4, P13. |
| Research Updated | 1 July 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Alleyn's School is named after its founder Edward Alleyn, who was a famous theatrical impresario, and a partner in the Fortune Theatre by 1600, the rival to Shakespeare's Globe. He became wealthy as a result of his various activities, which included staging entertainments such as bear- and bull-baiting; in 1604 he was made Joint Master of the Royal Bears, Bulls and Mastiff Dogs. In 1605 he purchased the Manor of Dulwich from the then owner Sir Francis Calton, whose name is recalled in a street in Dulwich Village. In 1619 Alleyn was given license to open a school by James I. Alleyn's foundation provided almshouses for 12 old people and a boys' school for '12 poor scholars' known as Alleyn's College of God's Gift. The early name of the college refers to the fact that entry depended on the successful young scholar drawing lots and getting the paper marked 'God's Gift'. The original buildings, albeit extended and re-modelled over the years, comprising school, almshouses and a chapel, remain at the junction of Gallery Road and College Road, still partly used as almshouses. Edward Alleyn died in 1626 and is buried in the chapel; he left the majority of his estate to support the college he founded.
In 1870 the college, greatly enlarged, moved to new buildings further south down College Road, now called Dulwich College (q.v.). Alleyn's School became a separate part of the college in 1882, and moved to the current site in 1887, renamed by the Governors of Dulwich College as the Lower College of God's Gift. A path, named Smith's Walk after the headmaster Revd. J H Smith, was created from Dulwich Village to provide access to the school.
During WWI 264 Old Boys of Alleyn's School died and a further 131 met their deaths in WWII. The Memorial Garden was laid out after WWII on a triangular site with its apex at the junction of Townley Road and Calton Avenue, where during the war there had been an RAF barrage balloon sited. The garden was officially opened on 19 June 1954 by Lord Gorrell, the Chairman of the Board of Governors.
In 1870 the college, greatly enlarged, moved to new buildings further south down College Road, now called Dulwich College (q.v.). Alleyn's School became a separate part of the college in 1882, and moved to the current site in 1887, renamed by the Governors of Dulwich College as the Lower College of God's Gift. A path, named Smith's Walk after the headmaster Revd. J H Smith, was created from Dulwich Village to provide access to the school.
During WWI 264 Old Boys of Alleyn's School died and a further 131 met their deaths in WWII. The Memorial Garden was laid out after WWII on a triangular site with its apex at the junction of Townley Road and Calton Avenue, where during the war there had been an RAF barrage balloon sited. The garden was officially opened on 19 June 1954 by Lord Gorrell, the Chairman of the Board of Governors.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ332745 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Alleyn's School |
| Site Management | Alleyn's School Gardeners |
| Dates | 1954 |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Southwark |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
James Allen's Girls' School originated as a small school founded in 1741 by James Allen, Master and Warden of Alleyn's College of God's Gift in Dulwich. The school moved to the current site in 1886, and in 1896 its Botany Gardens began to be planted, after the arrival of Dr Lilian Clarke as science teacher. Her pioneering approach included practical work in the school grounds with a series of ecological gardens created to enable the pupils to study plants in conjunction with insects and other animals in their habitats. By 1914 over 300 girls and part-time assistants were helping with the work and new garden areas and types of habitat were added. The gardens flourished until the outbreak of WWII but after the war they became neglected as the focus of the syllabus changed. Restoration of the Botany Gardens began in 1984 and works include a new pond near order beds with dipping platforms, coppicing and planting of exotic species in the woodland.
Dulwich Village Green is a small area of public open space formerly owned by the Estates Governors of Alleyn's College, who dedicated it to the public in 1909 and passed it to Camberwell Borough Council. Various enclosures with grass and trees, created as common frontages to the houses and reserved as permanent open space, continue to be owned by the Trustees of The Dulwich Estate. The land in front of Nos.11-25 and 33-41 College Road and in front of Nos. 93-115 Dulwich Village Road is registered commonland.
The site for the burial ground was donated by Edward Alleyn who owned the Manor of Dulwich. His charitable foundation, Alleyn's College of God's Gift, led to the establishment of almshouses and schools in Dulwich, and continues to manage an estate of nearly 610 hectares. Prior to this the nearest place of worship was some 2 miles away and there was no parish burial ground. The cemetery was twice enlarged over the years but was full by 1856 and closed to burials. It contains some fine C18th and C19th tombs and a number of famous people were buried here.