Description
Penhill Park is within the Penhill Park Estate that was built in the 1930s as the Sidcup area was rapidly developing into the suburbs of today. In the mid C19th the area was part of Blendon Wood, and Penhill Road existed as a roadway. The rectangular park is a level grassed area almost entirely enclosed by the backs of the suburban houses. In the 1930s allotment gardens were in the north of the recreation ground. There are occasional ornamental trees around the perimeter and a children's playground and a brick pavilion/toilets are situated to the west.
Practical Information
| Site location | Rowley Avenue/Sherwood Park Avenue, Sidcup |
|---|---|
| Postcode | DA15 9LF |
| What3Words | ///tins.wire.family |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Bexley |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Children’s playground; football pitches and changing rooms; toilets |
| Public Transport | Rail: Sidcup then bus. Bus: B13 |
| Research Updated | 1 February 2011 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
In the mid C19th the area was part of Blendon Wood, but it is now almost entirely given over to residential development, which grew rapidly in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Developers purchased large areas of land once part of the large estates in the area. Housing was generally built to cater for middle-class commuters wanting to move out of London in search of a better quality of life in more ‘rural' locations. Many streets were laid out in the area north of the traditional heart of Sidcup around the High Street as the development engulfed Lamorbey and moved northwards towards Blackfen and Blendon. Typical of this type of development was the Penhill Park Estate built in the 1930s.
Penhill Park is a rectangular level grassed area almost entirely enclosed by the backs of the suburban houses, with allotment gardens in the north of the ground. OS Maps shows that originally the allotments took up a larger part of the north of the site. A drinking fountain was located adjacent to the north boundary of the recreation ground. There are occasional ornamental trees around the park's perimeter and a children's playground and a brick pavilion/toilets are situated to the west. A line of electricity pylons runs north-west/south-east across the site.
Penhill Park is a rectangular level grassed area almost entirely enclosed by the backs of the suburban houses, with allotment gardens in the north of the ground. OS Maps shows that originally the allotments took up a larger part of the north of the site. A drinking fountain was located adjacent to the north boundary of the recreation ground. There are occasional ornamental trees around the park's perimeter and a children's playground and a brick pavilion/toilets are situated to the west. A line of electricity pylons runs north-west/south-east across the site.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ469739 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 7.26 |
| Site Ownership | LB Bexley |
| Site Management | Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | 1930s |
| 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
Marlborough Park is a largely level area of grass that rises to the north and is surrounded by the backs of houses. The area remained rural until the interwar years and the park was provided when the land was developed for housing. Ornamental and occasional native trees grow around the perimeter and the River Shuttle runs along the southern boundary, part of the Shuttle Riverway that leads to Willersley Park. A path runs east /west between two entrances, which have attractive mid-C20th iron railings. The area was part of The Hollies estate in the C19th. A lime-lined walk overlooks the playing field.
The Oval is a lozenge of garden laid out between a crescent-shaped parade of Mock-Tudor shops built in 1933, laid out as part of the New Ideal Homesteads' Marlborough Park Estate on what had previously been farmland. The parade faces a crescent of residential houses across the garden, which is laid to grass with cut beds, ornamental trees and tarmac paths with grass verges. The beds are planted with roses and a circular central bed, also planted with roses, is encircled by a tarmac path with wooden seats.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
The former Lamorbey estate lands now comprise a mix of usage: a public park, a private golf course, institutional grounds and schools with their playing fields. The first recorded owner was Thomas Sparrow or Lamienby, Deputy Reeve of the Manor of Bexley in 1495. His daughter inherited the estate and with her husband James Goldwell built a house called Lamienby-Goldwell. The grounds appear to have first been formally laid out in the mid-C18th when the estate was owned by Wllliam Steele. Between 1761 and 1783 the estate was for a short time divided. It remained in private ownership until 1910 when the house became a hotel, remaining as such until it was purchased in 1947 by Kent Education Committee. The Glades was opened as a public park in 1948.
The former Lamorbey estate lands now comprise a mix of usage: a public park, a private golf course, institutional grounds and schools with their playing fields. The first recorded owner was Thomas Sparrow or Lamienby, Deputy Reeve of the Manor of Bexley in 1495. His daughter inherited the estate and with her husband James Goldwell built a house called Lamienby-Goldwell. The grounds appear to have first been formally laid out in the mid-C18th when the estate was owned by Wllliam Steele. Between 1761 and 1783 the estate was for a short time divided. It remained in private ownership until 1910 when the house became a hotel, remaining as such until it was purchased in 1947 by Kent Education Committee. The Glades was opened as a public park in 1948.
!['Sidcup Golf Course and Lamorby [sic] Hotel from the Air', postcard c.1930. Courtesy Bexley Local Studies & Archive Centre](https://secure.londongardenstrust.org/inventory/images/historic/BEX030-H1-hist.jpg)