Description
Franks Park was established after the land was purchased by Erith Council in 1920. It is named after Frank Beadle, a local philanthropist, who donated money for its purchase. It comprises an area of woodland that was formerly part of the estate of Belvedere Park, which stood near Upper Park Road, the house used as the Royal Alfred Merchant Seaman's Institution between 1865-1959 .
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Formerly part of Belvedere Park |
|---|---|
| Site location | Erith Road, Belvedere |
| Postcode | DA17 6HB |
| What3Words | ///swan.lows.nets |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Bexley |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Children’s playground; dog free zone. |
| Public Transport | Rail: Belvedere. Bus: 469, 492 |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2002 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
An area of woodland, formerly part of the estate of Belvedere Park, which stood near Upper Park Road; the early C18th house was used between 1865-1959 as the Royal Alfred Merchant Seaman's Institution. Franks Park was established after purchase of the land by Erith Council in 1920, and named after Frank Beadle, local philanthropist, who donated money for its purchase. The woods are predominantly Oak, but with Lebanon Cedars, and notable Lime and lilac beside Foxhouse Road. The adjacent recreation ground has several mature standard oaks and horse chestnuts, and holm oaks, one on a mound. A sunken concrete bowl on top of the hill to the north is a remnant garden feature belonging to Temple Mount, a mid C19th house demolished after WWII.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ501786 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 16.8 |
| Site Ownership | LB Bexley |
| Site Management | Parks and Open Spaces; Franks Friends |
| Dates | C18th; C20th |
| 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 |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Borough I Importance |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Urban Open Space. Part of the Green Chain Walk |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
The northern boundary of the parish of Erith is the Thames, and the riverside was once the site of one of Henry VIII's naval dockyards. St John the Baptist Church has existed here from Norman times, with some parts of the building, including the tower, dating from the C13th and the north aisle from the C19th. The Wheatley Chapel was the burial place of successive Lords of the Manor of Erith. The churchyard contains a number of interesting tombs and has a wooden lych-gate from where a path leads to the church porch.
Erith Cemetery is on two adjacent sites either side of Brook Street. The eastern part opened in 1894 and the central brick-built Gothic chapel dates from this time. It is formally laid out and has a number of interesting monuments. The western part, also known as Brook Street Cemetery, opened in the mid 1940s and this part of the cemetery has little evidence of a designed layout.
Until the mid C19th the area of Upper Belvedere was farmland, with few buildings on the Abbey ridge apart from Abbey Farm and a staging inn. Housing was built from the 1860s aimed at more affluent residents, with villas in good-sized plots and landscaped road verges along Woolwich Road. Belvedere Recreation Ground dates from 1896 and is in two parts north and south of Woolwich Road. The north part had a bowling green, a boating lake later becoming a paddling pool and bandstand, the latter becoming the site of a sandpit with surrounding lime and horse chestnut trees. The old paddling pool is now Belvedere Splash Park. The south part of the park is now predominantly playing fields but at one time had a bandstand and tennis courts, but the path layout is little changed and mature trees include horse chestnut and a fine copper beech.
