Description
Long a popular place of public resort, Eaglesfield at the summit of Shooters Hill was bought by Woolwich MBC and opened as Eaglesfield Park in 1908. The name may derive from the coat of arms of C18th landowner John Lidgebird, which had two eagles, or because the summit of Shooters Hill was known as a roost for eagles in medieval times. The park is in two parts, divided by the road, the eastern part an informal grassed area and the western part landscaped with a railed children's playground on the site of a former ornamental pond known as the Lily Pond.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Eaglesfield Recreation Ground/Eaglesfield |
|---|---|
| Site location | Eaglesfield Road/Cleanthus Road/Foxcroft Road, Shooter's Hill |
| Postcode | SE18 |
| What3Words | ///hints.habit.snows |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Greenwich |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Playground |
| Public Transport | Rail: Welling then bus. Tube: North Greenwich (Jubilee) then bus. Bus: 178, 89, 486 |
| Research Updated | 1 December 2006 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Long a popular place of public resort at the summit of Shooters Hill, Eaglesfield became a public park when a nine-acre site was purchased in 1907 by Woolwich MBC, with 50% of the cost provided by the LCC, which was keen to preserve open space for public recreation as London was increasingly built up. The name of the road and park may derive from the coat of arms of John Lidgebird, Sheriff of Kent in 1741 whose family owned land in the area, which depicted two large eagles. An alternative derivation may be because the summit of Shooters Hill was known to have been a place where eagles roosted in medieval times, literally an 'eagles field'. The park opened in 1908 and was designed and laid out by Lt Col J J Sexby, Chief Officer of the LCC Parks Dept at a total cost of £897. Works included enhancing an existing pond, improving walks, providing seats and tree planting.
The park is in two parts, divided by Eaglesfield Road (formerly called Waldstock Road). The eastern part is a more informal grassed area with trees mainly on its east edge. The western part is landscaped and has hornbeam and oak trees and groups of London planes; a railed children's playground is in the middle at the highest point on the site of a former ornamental pond known as the Lily Pond. There are magnificent views to the east as far as the Medway on a clear day. The playground was upgraded in 1995 with funding from London Marathon Charitable Trust.
The park is in two parts, divided by Eaglesfield Road (formerly called Waldstock Road). The eastern part is a more informal grassed area with trees mainly on its east edge. The western part is landscaped and has hornbeam and oak trees and groups of London planes; a railed children's playground is in the middle at the highest point on the site of a former ornamental pond known as the Lily Pond. There are magnificent views to the east as far as the Medway on a clear day. The playground was upgraded in 1995 with funding from London Marathon Charitable Trust.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ439766 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 3.64 |
| Site Ownership | RB Greenwich |
| Site Management | Parks and Open Spaces Department; Friends of Eaglesfield Park |
| Dates | 1908 |
| Designers | J J Sexby Chief Officer of the LCC Parks Dept |
| 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 | Greenwich |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - area east of Eaglesfield Rd |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Area of Special Character of Metropolitan Importance |
| Other LA Designation | Green Chain; (Green Chain Walk) |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
Shooters Hill Woodlands include Oxleas Wood, Jack Wood and Castle Wood, as well as Sheperdleas Wood and Eltham Common. There are areas of ancient woodland at least 8000 years old and coppicing was practised from medieval times until the 1920s. Shooters Hill follows the old Roman Watling Street, and the area was notorious for highwaymen. Bodies of convicted highwaymen were hung on gibbets along the road as a deterrent. The woodlands came into local authority management in the C20th, some areas on the fringes having been in private ownership such as Castle Wood and Jack Wood, both acquired in the 1920s and have remnants of formal gardens. Oxleas and Sheperdleas Woods were purchased in 1936, as was Falconwood, a house initially used as hotel, later incorporated into Oxleas Woods. Oxleas Meadows to the east of Jackwood was originally the site of Wood Lodge.
Shrewsbury Park is land on Shooters Hill that was once part of the estate of the Earls of Shrewsbury, whose C18th mansion, Shrewsbury House, was replaced in 1923 by a new house of the same name, now a library and community centre. The grounds of Shrewsbury House were leased for an LCC Open Air School from 1908 and in 1928 the LCC purchased part of the grounds for public open space, which became Shrewsbury Park. In the 1930s remaining areas of the former grounds were developed for housing, notably John Laing and Son's Shrewsbury Park Estate, designed on Garden City principles. Just outside the park is the Shrewsbury Tumulus, the remains of a Bronze Age burial mound.
Severndroog Castle, a Gothic folly, was erected by the widow of Sir William James (d.1783) in the grounds of Park Farm Place, which he had purchased in 1774. Sir William had worked for the East India Company and the name recalls his capture of a pirate fortress on the island of Severndroog off Malabar in 1755. By the C20th it was part of the grounds of Castlewood, whose last owner's will offered the estate to the LCC for public use. The grounds opened as a public park in 1922, with Severndroog Castle retained although the main house was not. Castle Lodge remains at the entrance of the driveway, which leads through remnants of landscaping to the Castle, crossing the Ha-Ha.
