Description
This is a large area of open space divided into sports fields, part of which has been Mottingham Sports Ground since before the 1950s. It has a woodland edge, and some mature trees. Eltham College Junior School and Eltham College are situated within the boundaries, as is Mottingham Hall.
Practical Information
| Site location | Grove Park Road, Mottingham |
|---|---|
| Postcode | SE9 4QE |
| What3Words | ///soup.front.shape |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Bromley |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 7.30am weekdays/9am Sat/Sun/BHs - half hour after dusk |
| Facilities | Children's play area, basketball, kickabout area, Café (open at weekends) |
| Public Transport | Rail: Grove Park. Bus: 273, 284. |
| Research Updated | 1 December 2006 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The park is now managed by idverde UK, which in June 2015 was contracted by Bromley Council for the management of the borough's parks, green spaces and countryside service, a relationship that was extended in April 2019 for a further 16 years.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ418724 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 30 |
| Site Ownership | LB Bromley |
| Site Management | idverde |
| Dates | early/mid 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 | Bromley |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Area of Archaeological Significance (northern centre) |
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
The Ironmongers' Company or Sir Robert Geffrye Almshouses moved from Shoreditch to Mottingham in 1912. The almshouses built here were probably modelled on Morden College in Blackheath, set back behind an area of lawn. The almshouse residents transferred to Hampshire in 1972 and they are now affordable housing run by Affinity Sutton, the estate now known as the Geffrye's Estate.
Chinbrook Meadows is so-called after the River Quaggy, which was also known as the Chin Brook or Kyd Brook, and runs along the lower part of the park. The park began life in 1929 as a playground provided for residents of the LCC's new Grove Park Estate. The recreation ground was enlarged in 1937, mainly providing sports facilities. The southern area was later taken over for allotments, part of which is now the site of Chinbrook Community Orchard. In 2000 a new scheme to re-landscape the park was agreed following local consultation, the works completed in 2002. The Quaggy was naturalised as a meandering river and the newly landscaped park is also designed to hold floodwater, minimising the risk of flood damage to surrounding houses. In 2009 a Peace Garden was opened by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who had lived nearby in the 1970s.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Originally called Deptford New Cemetery, Grove Park Cemetery opened in 1935 and has been praised as a rare example of an early C20th cemetery landscaped in the tradition of the great C19th cemeteries. The cemetery retains many original buildings, including a timber-framed chapel and much of the original planting. Among those buried here is Helmuth Barth, a horse trainer with Sangers Circus who died during a show at Romford in 1946.
Originally called Deptford New Cemetery, Grove Park Cemetery opened in 1935 and has been praised as a rare example of an early C20th cemetery landscaped in the tradition of the great C19th cemeteries. The cemetery retains many original buildings, including a timber-framed chapel and much of the original planting. Among those buried here is Helmuth Barth, a horse trainer with Sangers Circus who died during a show at Romford in 1946.