Description
King George's Field consists of open playing fields with a large playground at the west end. It was created by Chislehurst and Sidcup UDC under the provision of the King George's Fields Foundation, which provided a sum of £600 towards the cost of the site. The Foundation, set up as a memorial following the King's death in 1936, provided funding for the creation or improvement of a great many playing fields before it was dissolved in 1965. The land, formerly used as allotments, was conveyed in July 1949 and the site was officially opened in 1955.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | King George's Field |
|---|---|
| Site location | Longlands Road, Sidcup, Kent |
| Postcode | DA15 7LB |
| What3Words | ///nuns.boots.paints |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Bexley |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 8am - dusk |
| Facilities | Children's playground, 3 football pitches, cricket pitch, changing facilities, toilets |
| Public Transport | Rail: Sidcup then bus. Bus: 51, 160, 229, 233, 269, 286, 492. |
| Research Updated | 1 December 2006 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
King George's Field consists of open playing fields with a large playground at the west end. It was created by Chislehurst and Sidcup Urban District Council as a memorial to King George V under the provision of the King George's Fields Foundation. The Foundation was established on 3 November 1936 in order to promote the establishment of playing fields in memory of the late King George. It was considered that the King would have approved of such a living memorial, which would benefit the 'individual well-being and the general welfare of the nation', and young people in particular, by providing them with the environment and opportunity for open air exercise. The Trust Deed of the Foundation defined a playing field as 'any open space used for the purpose of outdoor games, sports and pastimes.' Local authorities were able to apply to the Foundation, whose trustee was the National Playing Fields Association, for a grant to provide these new facilities for public recreation. Each new playing field was to be known as King George's Field and was generally provided with heraldic panels that would distinguish it as such. It was a condition of the grant that the tenure of the site was sufficiently secure so that it would provide a meaningful legacy to the king's memory; the land must have been acquired only for the purpose of public recreation. The design of the entrance and the ground's layout had to be approved by the Foundation, which was to receive an annual report for the first five years from the acceptance of the offer. 471 playing fields across the UK were funded and following the demise of the scheme in 1965, their protection has been undertaken by the Fields in Trust. The largest King George's Field is Enfield Playing Fields (q.v.), some 128 acres, and the smallest is in the City of London, King George's Field in Portsoken Street (q.v.).
The land here was conveyed to Sidcup UDC in July 1949 and the site was officially opened in 1955. The National Playing Field Foundation was appointed Trustee of the King George's Fields Foundation by a scheme of the Commissioners in December 1965. The park is situated alongside the railway line with shrub borders along the approach from Longlands Road. The C20th changing block and WCs are in poor condition.
The land here was conveyed to Sidcup UDC in July 1949 and the site was officially opened in 1955. The National Playing Field Foundation was appointed Trustee of the King George's Fields Foundation by a scheme of the Commissioners in December 1965. The park is situated alongside the railway line with shrub borders along the approach from Longlands Road. The C20th changing block and WCs are in poor condition.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ458726 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Bexley |
| Site Management | Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | 1955 |
| 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 Longlands Crescent Road CA |
| 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 |
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
Old Farm Park is recreational open space alongside the north of the railway line, which was built through the area in the late C19th. The area remained rural into the C20th and this strip of land was left unbuilt when the area to the north was developed for housing. By the 1950s the site was used for allotment gardens and it was laid out as a park by the 1970s.
Longlands Recreation Ground was laid out c.1900 on land formerly known as Priestlands, which was donated by the Hawkins family who stipulated it was to be used as a Recreation Ground to the south, with land for Allotments to the north. The Upper area to the south had a curved footpath through it and became the recreation ground while the Lower portion to the north was cleared and developed as allotments during the 1900s. The footpath between the two halves used to be closed on May 1st as a reminder that it was owned by the Council and not by ratepayers at large.
The Hollies was a villa built in 1853/4 for the Lewin family on the site of an earlier Tudor house, and set in substantial grounds. In 1901 the Greenwich and Deptford Board of Guardians purchased the estate and set up a self-contained village for poor children, using the mansion as the administrative centre. The open parkland setting was a revolutionary idea in comparison with many contemporary orphanages. Separate accommodation was built for boys and girls, the cottages and blocks named after different trees. Among the amenities were a school, infirmary, laundry, gymnasium and bakery. From 1965 onwards the home was gradually closed down, and the estate developed for private residence but with much open space retained. The mid-C19th house and stables, together with early C20th buildings, were largely converted, within the setting of mature trees and vestigial parkland.
