Description
The land formerly belonged to the Church. In October 1904 Beckenham Council approached the trustees of Churchfields Charity with a view to raising money to purchase a 20 acre plot of land for a public recreation ground in an area of Beckenham that was becoming densely populated. Churchfields Recreation Ground opened to the public in 1907 and had tennis courts, bowling green and children's playground.
Practical Information
| Site location | Churchfields Road/Betts Close/Florence Road/Kendall Road, Beckenham |
|---|---|
| Postcode | BR3 4XP |
| What3Words | ///empty.beside.navy |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Bromley |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Children's play area, skateboard area |
| Public Transport | Rail: Clock House; Birkbeck. Bus 194, 227, 351, 358. |
| Research Updated | 1 December 2006 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The 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.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ360691 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 9 |
| Site Ownership | LB Bromley |
| Site Management | idverde |
| Dates | 1907 |
| 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 | Bromley |
| 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 | Urban 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
In 1890 the Local Board purchased a 17-hectare meadow in Croydon Road next to the Cottage Hospital for a recreation ground. Croydon Road Recreation Ground was opened in 1891 and most of its original features are still intact, such as the ornamental entrance gates, lodge and railed bandstand, now listed. The bandstand is now known as the Bowie Bandstand to commemorate the influential musician David Bowie's associations with not only Beckenham but with the bandstand itself. Croydon Road Recreation Ground provided facilities for cricket, bowls and other sports that were gaining in popularity. Early sporting activities included an annual cricket match held between the coachmen and gardeners of the local gentry, and bowls commenced as early as 1902.
Winsford Gardens were formerly part of the grounds of Winsford House, built as a private residence in c.1936 by Stephen Gee, a wealthy local property developer. It stood on the right of the Garden Road entrance to the public gardens. Prior to this the area was part of the Chesham Park estate. There were once a number of large houses here, but from the 1960s many were cleared and replaced by flats such as Benwick Court and later Burmarsh Court. In 1977 Gee's property was conveyed to Bromley Council. Winsford Gardens opened as a public park but later became neglected. In 2011 the environmental charity BTCV recruited local volunteers to restore and transform the gardens as a community space, establishing Penge Green Gym to undertake the task. Features remaining from the original garden include ornamental shrub beds, fruit trees, rose gardens, ponds and areas of lawn.
Beckenham Cemetery opened in 1876 and originally had two Gothic-style chapels, only one of which survived bombing in WWII. This is now the chapel for Beckenham Crematorium, which established in 1956. An area of artificial rockwork with cascades and pools is located behind the chapel to the west. The cemetery retains its stone gate piers, wrought iron gates and iron boundary railings and has a good collection of monuments, including that of cricketer W.G. Grace and Frederick Wolseley, inventor with Herbert Austin of the Wolseley car.