Betts Park

In 1928 Frederick Betts (1859-1944), a local landlord and businessman, donated a large Victorian villa named Oak Lawn and its gardens, which bordered the Croydon Canal, in perpetuity to Penge Urban District Council in memory of his late mother Sarah Betts. Oak Lawn villa became Anerley Public Library, the gardens a recreation ground and the canal provided a water feature. Up until the 1970s the park had an extensive rose garden, which is now no longer in place. The library and its outbuildings were demolished in the 1960s as a result of subsidence, and a pre-fabricated library building was erected. 

In June 1936 additional land to the south-east of the park was purchased through the auspices of the King George's Fields Foundation, which had been set up to provide a living memorial to King George V following his death in January 1936, through the provision of playing fields. The King George Memorial Field at Betts Park was officially opened in 1939, and gates with the King George's Fields insignia used to stand at the entrance on Croydon Road. Known as the Mitre Gate, this is no longer in place but it is hoped this historic feature may one day be reinstated. In 1965 the Urban District of Penge was amalgamated into the London Borough of Bromley, which became the landowner and the deeds of perpetuity passed to Fields in Trust for administration on behalf of the Crown and the people. 

The main entrance to the park is in Anerley Road with modern railings and a section of cast-iron railing dating to the 1870s at the site of the old canal bridge. There are four other entrances from surrounding streets. In the park are the remains of rockwork from the 1930s, largely made up from slag and broken concrete, and a tarmac walk down to and along the towpath of the last remaining section of the Croydon Canal, which is separated from the park by iron railings. The Croydon Canal was built to link Croydon with the Thames and opened with much fanfare in 1809 with bands, large crowds attending and a 21-gun salute. The canal was 9 miles long and had 28 locks, with two reservoirs dug at Sydenham and South Norwood; 22 barges transported their goods along the canal, mainly timber but also lime, chalk and agricultural produce. However, the cost of maintaining the locks led to financial failure and the canal closed in 1836, the owners selling it to the London and Croydon Railway, which opened its line in 1839. Much of the railway from London Bridge follows the old canal route, with West Croydon station on the site of the former canal basin. Sections of canal not used for the railway were used for pleasure boating; the section in Betts Park was well-maintained in the early days, with swans nesting here.

There are small areas of woodland and large single trees in the park, some dating back over 200 years to when the site of the park was known as Clay Copse on Penge Common, an area of ancient woodland and grazing first recorded in deeds in 957AD when it was gifted by King Eadwig to thane Lyfing as part of the Manor of Battersea. On the south side of the common the coppice known as Clay Copse was used by commoners to provide firewood for their daily needs. Penge Common remained relatively unchanged until 1827 when it was enclosed by Act of Parliament, divided and sold in lots for development.

In the centre of the park stands a small plinth that once housed an ornate armillary sundial erected in 1960 to commemorate the diamond jubilee of Penge Urban District Council, established in 1900. The sundial has since disappeared. In 1999 a boulder known as the Bromley Millennium Rock was installed in the park, with an explanatory plaque: 'This boulder of Lewisian Gneiss from Lochinver in North West Scotland was presented to the people of Bromley by The Highland Council to commemorate the Millennium year.' The children’s playground is enclosed within iron railings and a pavilion houses a private pre-school play group. The demolition of villas along Anerley Road since 1965 has exposed the park to the east. All parts of the park are accessible to those with restricted mobility.

Betts Park is now managed by idverde UK, which in June 2015 was contracted by Bromley Council for the management of the borough's parks, green spaces and countryside service, a relationship that was extended in April 2019 for a further 16 years. The Friends of Betts Park was established in 2019 with the aim of creating a more engaged community, bringing the community of Anerley together, and of encouraging the local authority to maintain this valuable asset.