Brockley Hill Park Estate Ornamental Garden

The area was formerly part of the ancient Oak of Honor Wood, shown as woodland on John Rocque's map of 1745, although none of the extant trees date from that time. In the early 1850s the Conservative Land Society divided the land into plots, which were offered for sale for the erection of detached and semi-detached houses. A few plots were reserved for shops, one plot, where 'intoxicating liquor' could be sold, is now the site of a pub, and an area was reserved as an 'Ornamental Garden . . . for the use and enjoyment' of those who would eventually own the surrounding houses. On the original estate plan a church was shown in the middle of the garden with an access road running north/south, but this was not carried out, and the church of St Saviour's was eventually built in Brockley Rise in 1875. By September 1853 a few of the plots surrounding the garden had been sold and in order to retain and manage it the Brockley Hill Park Estate Ornamental Garden Trust was set up, its Trustees appointed by the owners of those plots that were sold at that time, an arrangement common in Kensington and Westminster but unusual in south-east London. This is a situation that still persists today with only a few of the surrounding owners having the power to appoint Trustees. The enclosed garden was completed by 1871; nearly half of the surrounding houses were built between 1871 and 1898, the remainder completed by 1920, although a few gaps were filled in during the interwar period. In 1929 the Trustees purchased the two vacant plots that had been left for the access road for the church, ensuring that there was no road access to the garden. In 1951 Lewisham Borough Council wished to purchase the garden for public open space but this was vigorously opposed and the proposal was abandoned.

The secluded communal garden, nicknamed 'The Park' by the residents who enjoy it, is surrounded by the back gardens of the houses on the four roads that enclose it. It consists of three terraces, the upper and lower of which are wooded, with the middle terrace occupied by tennis courts since at least 1913. The eastern, higher terrace has fine views to the west, with grass, seating and numerous trees planted, including wild cherry, ash, horse-chestnut, pine, poplar and hawthorn, and elms prior to their loss to Dutch elm disease in the 1970s. The bottom terrace is less formally planted, containing London plane, Turkey oak, lime, horse-chestnut and aspen, the grass planted with spring bulbs and other plants. A tennis tournament takes place each year and other events are organised for the residents by the Trust's social club.