Description
Berrylands Park is on the site of Surbiton Lagoon, a fine open-air swimming pool that was opened on 30 April 1934 by Surbiton Borough Council. In the 1960s it was used as the setting for swimwear and soft drinks advertisements. Constructed near Raeburn Avenue it had an impressive entrance, landscaped areas and other recreational facilities included a sandpit. It eventually closed in 1979 and part of the site reverted to landscape and later became Berrylands Park. Meldone Close to the south of the present park was built over the site of the Lagoon. The Tolworth Brook runs through Berrylands Park, a tributary of the Hogsmill River, passing through the rural landscape of Raeburn Open Space to the north of Berrylands Park.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Surbiton Lagoon |
|---|---|
| Site location | Raeburn Avenue |
| Postcode | KT5 9HQ |
| What3Words | ///alive.ideal.chips |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Kingston |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | car park |
| Public Transport | Rail: Berrylands. Bus: K2 |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ198671 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 1.4 |
| Site Ownership | RB Kingston |
| Site Management | Grounds maintenance contractor: Quadron Services Ltd |
| Dates | 1930; 1990s |
| 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 | Kingston |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Local Open Space (Public Open Space) |
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
The site for Alexandra Park, as Alexandra Recreation Ground was called when it first opened, was purchased in the late C19th/early C20th in order to provide public recreational facilities in the quickly developing town of Surbiton. The park provided various sporting facilities, which in 1944 included a miniature railway, and it is the home of a number of clubs, with hedged croquet and bowling greens. A fine avenue of trees leads towards the pavilion and trees line some boundaries including the main entrance on King Charles Road. Red Lion Gardens, just south of the gates, is a triangular area of formal planting by the main road.
Fishponds was an C18th house in private grounds owned by Sir Frederick Butler. The estate was purchased by Surbiton UDC in 1935 although members of the Butler family continued to live in the house for their lifetime. Below the house is one of the ponds after which the house and public park are named. The land had once been part of Kingston Common and brick working caused the formation of ponds and the shape of the landscape. The steep bank of the eastern edge of the largest pond was the original limit of the brick earth excavations.
Surbiton Cemetery was opened in 1915, its modest brick chapel with gothic spire designed by John Bannen. The cemetery was laid out with a grid of paths, now tarmac, and a line of evergreens. The cemetery was expanded post 1930s. Among the memorials are some good carvings.
