Description
Erith Recreation Ground opened at the turn of the century and the park is now predominantly sports pitches. The old Park Keeper's House survives facing a turning circle in front of the new sports centre. The brick gate piers have new gates and the bowling green pavilion was extended c.1960. Within the park were old air-raid shelters, and the footprint of these buildings becomes visible during dry summers. Planting is restricted to the perimeter with limes along the northern boundary. Copper beech and horse chestnut remain in the shrubbery belt near the entrance.
Practical Information
| Site location | Avenue Road, Erith |
|---|---|
| Postcode | DA8 3RD |
| What3Words | ///noon.debit.slimy |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Bexley |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 8am - dusk |
| Facilities | Bowling Green (managed by local consortium), Tennis courts; 2 standard football pitches; children’s playground which is a dog free zone. |
| Public Transport | Rail: Erith. Bus: 428. |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2002 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ513774 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 7.33 |
| Site Ownership | LB Bexley |
| Site Management | Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | c1900 |
| 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 | Bexley |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Conservation Area Name | abuts Lesney Park Road CA |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Gallery
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
Christ Church was built in 1874 to serve the growing population of Erith, which only developed significantly after the railway arrived in 1849. The area was formerly estate lands of Erith Manor and the Wheatley Estate, the latter situated where the town centre now lies. The churchyard has not been used for burials and is laid largely to grass, planted with specimen trees including a row of lime on the Victoria Road boundary. Within the churchyard is the 1920s War Memorial in the form of a marble cross on a stepped plinth.
Erith's Riverside Gardens lie on a rectangular site alongside the river promenade that has fine views to the opposite bank of the Thames and towards the Thames Estuary. The gardens opened in the 1940s on what had been the riverside site of Cannon & Gaze flour mills, much of which was destroyed in a fire in 1937. The original gardens had a formal layout. They were later enlarged as a result of a transfer of a parcel of land in 1967 by coal merchants William Cory & Son. This was eventually added to Riverside Gardens in 1982/3 when flood defences were built. The gardens are laid out with lawns, trees and shrub beds, with an area of raised beds with flowers and shrubs around a flagpole.
Formerly part of Lime Wood, the use of this small level site as a cemetery pre-dates the building of the Friary here. Established in Erith by 1867, the Capuchin Franciscan Friars acquired the land at Northumberland Heath and the Friary was built in 1902/3, with its Hall added by 1928 and Our Lady of the Angels Church in 1963. The cemetery is still in use. Enclosed within iron railings it is laid to grass that is occasionally mown and contains small to medium sized monuments. There are trees around the edges except for the east, which fronts onto Bexley Road.