Description
During WWII land on the banks of the River Cray was bombed and after the war Riverside Gardens was created from this wasteland to form a riverside linear park. The site, largely level with undulations, is laid mainly to grass borders and decorated by native and ornamental trees. The stream is broken in places with small cascades and the park is divided in two by Kent Road. A tarmac path runs along the western side of the stream in the southern section and on the eastern side in the northern section. At the northern end is a small paddling pool and in the southern section, near to Kent Road, is a pool for model boats.
Practical Information
| Site location | Cray Avenue/Sevenoaks Way/Kent Road/High Street, Orpington |
|---|---|
| Postcode | BR5 3RX |
| What3Words | ///heave.safety.loudly |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Bromley |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Boating pond, paddling pool (open school holidays) |
| Public Transport | Rail: St Mary Cray |
| 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 | TQ470675 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Bromley |
| Site Management | idverde |
| Dates | post WWII |
| 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 | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | CA |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes |
| 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
St Mary Cray is a flint church with some remnants of the C13th and C14th but the building was later restored in 1861-3, 1876 and 1895. Although the old village is much changed as a result of post-war development, the parish still includes farmland and open countryside, and the River Cray still runs near the church and its old churchyard. A Portland stone WWI War Memorial is in the churchyard.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
The Priory has a long history dating back to the C13th. In 1865 the gardens and park were probably laid out by the then owner Dr Herbert Broom, and in 1919 the property was bought by painter Cecil Hughes. His wife, a keen horticulturalist, was a friend of garden designer Gertrude Jekyll and the Hughes also knew architect Geoffrey Jellicoe; the house and gardens show the influence of Arts and Crafts ideas. Hughes died in 1941 and in 1947 Orpington District Council bought the building, which was used as offices, then a museum. The grounds were purchased in 1959 and were opened as a public park in 1962.
The Priory has a long history dating back to the C13th. In 1865 the gardens and park were probably laid out by the then owner Dr Herbert Broom, and in 1919 the property was bought by painter Cecil Hughes. His wife, a keen horticulturalist, was a friend of garden designer Gertrude Jekyll and the Hughes also knew architect Geoffrey Jellicoe; the house and gardens show the influence of Arts and Crafts ideas. Hughes died in 1941 and in 1947 Orpington District Council bought the building, which was used as offices, then a museum. The grounds were purchased in 1959 and were opened as a public park in 1962.
Kevington Manor is an old mansion that was owned from the C18th by the Berens family for whom landscaped gardens were laid out. Maps of the late C19th show a well-planted garden and a kitchen garden with glasshouses. Kevington was requisitioned during WWI and the house became a Canadian Divisional Battle School. After the war the Berens family sold the property to Kent County Council and the house became a primary school. Two other schools were built in the grounds; one of which involved pulling down half the kitchen garden walls. By the 1980s the house was no longer needed for a school and was sold with c.3.6 hectares of land including some fine trees, the ha-ha, the derelict pond, swimming pool and the flower garden.