Description
Development of meadowland here took place from 1847, when Brunswick Square was laid out with an area of private communal garden in the centre. It was named after King George IV's marriage to Caroline, daughter of the Duke of Brunswick. In 1901 Camberwell Borough Council purchased the garden, then divided by a roadway, for a public park, which opened in 1907. Tennis courts and a playground were opened in 1937, and a drinking fountain was donated. The park was refurbished by LB Southwark in 1997-99.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Brunswick Square |
|---|---|
| Site location | Brunswick Park/St Giles Road/Benhill Road |
| Postcode | SE5 |
| What3Words | ///scared.wiring.universally |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Southwark |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Playground, tennis courts |
| Public Transport | Tube: Oval (Northern) then bus. Rail: Denmark Hill/Loughborough Junction then bus (+ walk). Bus: 12, 36, 171, 345, 35, 40, 42, 45, 68, 176, 468, 484. |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The site of the park was probably part of the 63 acres of meadows owned by the parish church of St Giles (q.v.), which was referred to in the Domesday survey of 1087. In 1847 W J Hudson purchased land here and began developing it for housing with an area of open space in the centre, and a number of early C19th houses in the square remain. Although Hudson was unable to complete his scheme after losing ownership of the land in 1863, subsequent development by others largely adhered to Hudson's original designs.
The central garden was provided for the private use of the residents of the square until 1901, when Camberwell Borough Council compulsorily purchased it after some years of negotiation for £6,100, the LCC contributing £1,241 to the cost. The garden had previously been divided into two spaces by a roadway, which was then added to the new park in order to create one public space. The cost of laying out the park out was £2,599; it was finally opened by the Mayor of Camberwell on 15 July 1907 as Brunswick Park, and it was 'considered to be one of the prettiest open spaces in South London'. (Beasley). In 1937 further features were opened by the Mayor, including two hard tennis courts and a playground with 'an all-metal slide, a plank swing, an Ocean Wave, a merry-go-round, and two swings' (Beasley). A drinking fountain was donated by the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain Association.
The park was refurbished by LB Southwark in 1997-99 at a cost of £230,000, providing new lighting, planting, restructured pathways, refurbished gates and railings, disabled access and improved playground and tennis facilities.
The central garden was provided for the private use of the residents of the square until 1901, when Camberwell Borough Council compulsorily purchased it after some years of negotiation for £6,100, the LCC contributing £1,241 to the cost. The garden had previously been divided into two spaces by a roadway, which was then added to the new park in order to create one public space. The cost of laying out the park out was £2,599; it was finally opened by the Mayor of Camberwell on 15 July 1907 as Brunswick Park, and it was 'considered to be one of the prettiest open spaces in South London'. (Beasley). In 1937 further features were opened by the Mayor, including two hard tennis courts and a playground with 'an all-metal slide, a plank swing, an Ocean Wave, a merry-go-round, and two swings' (Beasley). A drinking fountain was donated by the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain Association.
The park was refurbished by LB Southwark in 1997-99 at a cost of £230,000, providing new lighting, planting, restructured pathways, refurbished gates and railings, disabled access and improved playground and tennis facilities.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ330768 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 1.605 |
| Site Ownership | LB Southwark |
| Site Management | Parks |
| Dates | 1907; 1930s |
| Listed Structures | LBII: 1 & 2 Brunswick Park and attached railings; 3 & 4 Brunswick Park and attached railings |
| 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 | Yes |
| Local Authority | Southwark |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Local Park, Tier Two; London Squares Preservation Act |
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 medieval church of St Giles served a large parish comprising the villages at Camberwell, Peckham and Dulwich, the area later engulfed by housing. The present church of St Giles was built in 1842-44 when the earlier church was destroyed in a fire in 1841, only its porch remaining. The new church was Sir George Gilbert Scott's first major gothic building. The walled churchyard was in use until 1856, having been enlarged in 1717, 1803 and 1825. After its closure it became neglected and part was lost when Peckham Road was widened. It was cleared of graves in 1939 and laid out as a public garden, with headstones forming a wall on the northern end. It contains mature trees and a few tombs remain in the grass.
The Aged Pilgrims' Friend Society was founded in 1807 and in 1837 the Society built almshouses in what is now Sedgmoor Place, at that time called Westmoreland Place. The land was given by William Peacock who also built Bethel Asylum nearby in Havil Street. Behind the almshouses is a quadrangle that has a memorial to Peacock who was buried in a vault beneath the courtyard when he died in 1844. The Almshouses were modernised in 1961 and are now flats.
Previously a WWII bomb site, there were prefabs here until the building of the Elmington Estate began in 1956. In 1982 a nature garden was established here by Southwark Council, Friends of the Earth and London Wildlife Trust, but later fell into disrepair. It re-opened in June 2015 with landscaping designed by London Wildlife Trust, implemented by The Conservation Volunteers. In 2013 Froglife installed the pond with dipping platform. On the wall of the adjacent Brunswick Park School is the Pied Piper Mural by Willi Soukop from 1956 originally installed on the Elmington Estate but moved in May 2014. A Strawberry Tree has been planted in the garden in memory of the victims of the nearby Lakanal House fire in 2009. Designated a Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation there are a number of habitat areas including: a pond with dipping platform, native hedgerow, wildflower meadow, mini beast zone, sensory and ornamental beds.
