Description

The gardens were created in memory of the children's author and poet E. Nesbit (1858-1924) who from the age of 17 had lived with her family in various houses in south east London, including Lewisham, Grove Park and Lee. Edith Nesbit Gardens has undulating grass, shrubberies, trees, tarmac paths and a playground.

Practical Information

Site location Osberton Road/Leyland Road, Lee Green
Postcode SE12 8XA
What3Words ///teams.family.kept
Type of Site Public Gardens
Borough Lewisham
Open to Public Yes
Opening Times 8am - sunset
Facilities Play area
Public Transport Rail: Lee. Bus: 202
Research Updated 4 June 2024
Last Updated 18 October 2026

Full description

These small public gardens here were created in memory of the children's author and poet E. Nesbit (1858-1924) who from the age of 17 had lived with her family in various houses in south-east London, including Lewisham, Grove Park and Lee, where they lived at 8 Dorville Road near the park that was later named after her. From 1899-1922 she and her husband the journalist Hubert Bland (d.1914) lived at Well Hall in Eltham. Politically active, the Blands were involved in the founding of the Fabian Society in 1884.

The area had been farmland well into the C19th, with land leased from the Crown by the Morris family of Lee Green Farm farmed until the 1860s until housing development took place. Edith Nesbit Gardens probably dates from the 1950s and today has undulating grass, shrubberies, tree, tarmac paths and a playground

Further Information

Grid Reference TQ401746
Size in hectares 0.5
Site Ownership LB Lewisham
Site Management Greenscene Department, Glendale Grounds Management
Dates post 1970s
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 Lewisham
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 Public Open Space

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Nearby parks and gardens

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Manor House Gardens *

* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens

Manor House Gardens is a public park on the site of the former grounds of an C18th Manor House owned by the Baring family, which had pleasure grounds, lawn, shrubbery and ornamental lake. The house and grounds were sold to the LCC in 1901 by Sir Francis Thornhill Baring, and opened as a public park in 1902,with the Manor House converted for use as Lee Public Library. The layout of the earlier gardens essentially remains, with a winding peripheral path among trees surrounding a central lawn, descending to the lake with an island that is still the major feature of the public park. Lawn tennis courts and a children's playground were provided as well as additional paths and the park was so popular that in 1904 local residents complained about the noise made by bands on Sunday evenings and the crowds these concerts attracted. The park was restored in 2000 including its C18th icehouse.
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Merchant Taylors' Almshouses and Boone's Chapel

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