Description
King's Stairs Gardens were added to LB Southwark's public open space in the 1980s to the north of Southwark Park on reclaimed building land. The riverside park gets its name from King Edward III who used the stairs to access his manor house on Bermondsey Wall East. The park has lawns and steeply undulating hillocks with fine views over the river, and scattered trees include London plane. On the riverside promenade an obelisk was unveiled on 5 July 2002 by the Duke and Countess of Wessex in commemoration of the Queen's Jubilee.
Practical Information
| Site location | Jamaica Road/Kingstairs Close/Paradise Street |
|---|---|
| Postcode | SE16 |
| What3Words | ///admire.calls.chimp |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Southwark |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Play area |
| Public Transport | Tube: Bermondsey (Jubilee). London Overground: Surrey Quays, Rotherhithe. Bus: 1, 47, 188, 199, 225, 381, 395, P13. |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2011 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The park has recently had a new children's play area installed and fenced off. The Green Hill area has also been restored.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ349797 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 4.672 |
| Site Ownership | LB Southwark |
| Site Management | Parks. Friends of Bermondsey and Rotherhithe Parks |
| Dates | 1980s |
| 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 | Southwark |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Archaeological Priority Zone (part) |
| Other LA Designation | Riversite, Tier 2. Green Chain/Thames Path Walks. Regen Area. Strat Views Protected Viewing Corridor/Backdrop Consul Ar |
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
There has been a church here since at least the C10th, the present church of St Mary's Rotherhithe dating from the early C18th. Rotherhithe had strong maritime connections, with many seafarers among its parishioners. In 1620 The Mayflower sailed from here to pick up the Pilgrim Fathers, and three of its four part-owners were buried in Rotherhithe churchyard. An unusual memorial in the churchyard is that of Prince Lee Boo (d.1784), the son of the King of the Belau Islands, whose monument was erected by the East India Company. The churchyard immediately adjacent to the church was opened to the public in 1909, while the main part of the churchyard had been opened as a public garden in 1901, now called St Mary's Churchyard Gardens.
St Mary's Churchyard Gardens were formerly part of the churchyard of St Mary's Rotherhithe, an additional area that was acquired for burial by the churchwardens in 1820 when the churchyard had become overcrowded. It opened in 1821 when the Watch House was built and burials took place here until 1852. It was converted as a public garden and opened in 1901.
St John the Evangelist was built as a chapel of ease to St Dunstan's parish church of Stepney in 1617, and became the parish church of Wapping in 1694. The church was destroyed apart from its tower in WWII and the the former churchyard is now a small public garden. Two chest tombs remain in the garden, with headstones set against the west wall.
