Description
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.
Practical Information
| Site location | Old Farm Avenue, Sidcup |
|---|---|
| Postcode | DA15 8AG |
| What3Words | ///stop.stuff.frost |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Bexley |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 8am - dusk |
| Public Transport | Rail: Sidcup; New Eltham then bus. Bus: 51. |
| Research Updated | 1 December 2006 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ454728 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Bexley |
| Site Management | Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | 1960s/70s |
| 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 | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Urban Open Space |
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
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.
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.
