Description
Rush or Rushey Common is former commonland that was allocated to landowners in Lambeth Manor under an Inclosure Award of 1810, and was partly used to form new roads. Remaining open sections of the common were protected from development under the Rush Common Act 1806. The common remains as a series of linear open spaces consisting of landscaped areas with grass, paths and trees, a Woodland Walk, and children's play area. The public open space was extended to the north when a remnant of land was transformed into Brixton Orchard; another addition is south of the Woodland Walk, a small area created with community involvement and known as Pencil Park. A number of adjacent private gardens along Brixton Hill are former commonland and also protected by the Rush Common Act, including those for residents of Tudor Close and Raleigh Gardens.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Rushey Common |
|---|---|
| Site location | Brixton Hill/Brixton Road |
| Postcode | SW2 3RN |
| What3Words | ///faster.minute.modest |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Lambeth |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted (apart from areas within private ownership, such as Tudor Close and Raleigh Gardens for residents' only) |
| Facilities | Children's play area on Rush Common, Woodland Walk |
| Public Transport | Tube: Brixton (Victoria) then bus. Rail: Brixton, Streatham Hill then bus. Bus: 45, 59, 109, 118, 133 |
| Research Updated | 2 August 2023 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The Rush Common Act of 1806 provided for the appointment of Commissioners empowered to divide and inclose the common lands of Lambeth Manor, and also forbade any building on certain parts of Rush Common. Under an Inclosure Award of 1810 the Commissioners divided and allocated parts of the commonland to landowners in the Manor. It was partly used to form new roads, now Effra Road and St Matthew's Road. By an amending Act of 1821 these two roads were made parish highways, and the building proscriptions were modified to permit the erection of a church with a burial ground and parsonage, although the latter was not built. The Award also provided for a projected canal from Croydon to Deptford to run across the common, which was also not built. The Rush Common Act of 1806 prevented any building from encroaching the common within 150 feet of the former London to Croydon Turnpike Road and also within two swathes of land along its eastern and southern boundaries. St Matthew's Church (q.v.) was built in 1822; further areas of commonland were lost when Tate Central Library and Brixton Theatre were built in 1893 and 1896 respectively. However, two parts of the common preserved as public open space are Tate Library Garden (q.v.) and the St Matthew's Gardens (q.v.), and Windrush Square is a recent green space. Land on the east side of Brixton Hill was acquired by LB Lambeth. The Inclosure Act was modified in 1947 when Parliament gave power to the local authority to enforce the 1806 building restrictions on the proscribed lands, but at the same time also removed the inalienable status of the common by giving the authority the right to consent to building on the Common if it considered any development to be acceptable. Fortunately later designation as a Conservation Area has given Rush Common some protection as Department of National Heritage guidance in PPG15 endorses the view that conservation area designation is suitable for historic parks and gardens and other areas of historic landscape.
Rush Common survives as a series of green spaces along the east side of Brixton Hill between Brixton and Streatham, which are maintained by Lambeth Council to create a linear park that extends for almost a mile, with only a few remaining breaks, for example where there are private gardens that form part of the linear landscape, including those for residents of Tudor Close and Raleigh Gardens. At the northern end of Rush Common, an area of neglected grassland was transformed into Brixton Orchard in 2016/17, created through a partnership of We Are Brixton Village and Market Row, Brixton BID and Urban Growth London. Here over 30 fruit trees have been planted by local volunteers, and edible hedgerow planting is planned.
To the south of this is Rush Common, Woodland Walk, an extensive area of grass and trees, with paths running through it, separated from the road by a low brick wall; at the south end a children's playground with additional seating and tree planting was laid out in 2021/22, created with the help of residents of the nearby St Matthew's Estate. This project followed public consultation in 2019 and was funded through the GLA Greener City Fund and the London Marathon Charitable Trust, together with S106 capital investment funding; St Matthews Estate TRA was awarded a DHCLG Pocket Parks grant towards planting and play. Further to the south, sandwiched between Beechdale Road and Endymion Road, is another area of Rush Common now known locally as 'Pencil Park', which is managed by residents of Endymion Road. Separated by Brixton Hill Methodist Church fronted by its garden, and Tudor Close, is another large linear area of public open space with meadowland and mature trees. A number of old trees on the common may predate the 1810 enclosure. A nature trail extends further to the north from Rush Common to Max Roach Park (q.v.), named after the famous African American jazz percussionist, drummer and composer who died in 2007. The walks that form part of the Brixton Tree Trail, which extends along Rush Common and up Brixton Hill, are shaded by numerous trees including mature deciduous trees such as Lime and Chestnut and also smaller examples of Hawthorn, Elder, Sweet Bay and Lilac.
Rush Common survives as a series of green spaces along the east side of Brixton Hill between Brixton and Streatham, which are maintained by Lambeth Council to create a linear park that extends for almost a mile, with only a few remaining breaks, for example where there are private gardens that form part of the linear landscape, including those for residents of Tudor Close and Raleigh Gardens. At the northern end of Rush Common, an area of neglected grassland was transformed into Brixton Orchard in 2016/17, created through a partnership of We Are Brixton Village and Market Row, Brixton BID and Urban Growth London. Here over 30 fruit trees have been planted by local volunteers, and edible hedgerow planting is planned.
To the south of this is Rush Common, Woodland Walk, an extensive area of grass and trees, with paths running through it, separated from the road by a low brick wall; at the south end a children's playground with additional seating and tree planting was laid out in 2021/22, created with the help of residents of the nearby St Matthew's Estate. This project followed public consultation in 2019 and was funded through the GLA Greener City Fund and the London Marathon Charitable Trust, together with S106 capital investment funding; St Matthews Estate TRA was awarded a DHCLG Pocket Parks grant towards planting and play. Further to the south, sandwiched between Beechdale Road and Endymion Road, is another area of Rush Common now known locally as 'Pencil Park', which is managed by residents of Endymion Road. Separated by Brixton Hill Methodist Church fronted by its garden, and Tudor Close, is another large linear area of public open space with meadowland and mature trees. A number of old trees on the common may predate the 1810 enclosure. A nature trail extends further to the north from Rush Common to Max Roach Park (q.v.), named after the famous African American jazz percussionist, drummer and composer who died in 2007. The walks that form part of the Brixton Tree Trail, which extends along Rush Common and up Brixton Hill, are shaded by numerous trees including mature deciduous trees such as Lime and Chestnut and also smaller examples of Hawthorn, Elder, Sweet Bay and Lilac.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ308747 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Lambeth |
| Site Management | Environment Directorate, Parks and Greenspaces Unit (Team Lambeth). Friends of Streatham Common |
| 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 | Lambeth |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Rush Common and Brixton Hill |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Local Importance |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Rush Common Land. Park |
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 Matthew's Church was one of the four 'Waterloo' churches built in Lambeth following the Napoleonic wars. The churchyard was officially closed for burials in 1853. The southern part of the former burial ground was conveyed to Lambeth Borough Council for a public garden in 1953, the northern part in 1958. Road realignments in 1960 altered the site, extending it to the north-east and reducing it to the north-west. The garden was designated a Peace Garden in the 1980s. At the northern tip of the gardens is a substantial monument to Richard Budd, erected 1825.
The site was once part of Rush/Rushey Common. Houses built here in 1839 were demolished when the new library was built in 1893, paid for by Henry Tate, who had settled in Streatham Common at Park Hill in 1884. After his death in 1899 his widow commemorated his considerable philanthropy by the purchase of Brixton Oval, which she presented to the local Council for a public garden in 1905, to be called the Tate Library Garden. A bust of Sir Henry was erected by public subscription and the garden was laid out with raised flower beds and surrounded with railings. In 1937 a small area was taken for road widening in the 1960s and the garden was redesigned, at which time the railings were removed. Windrush Square was laid out on adjacent land in 1998, named to commemorate the arrival of MV Empire Windrush from Jamaica on 22 June 1942. In 2010 the two sites were brought together as a single entity to form one open space as part of Brixton Town Centre Masterplan with new planting, lighting and seating.
Windmill Gardens is named for the windmill that was in use between 1816 -1862 and again between 1902-34, after which it closed and was used for storage. Outbuildings were demolished by bombing in WWII. In 1957 the windmill and surrounding land were purchased by the LCC, with further land added in 1960 and 1961. Windmill Gardens opened in 1962 and restoration of the old windmill began in 1963 and it first opened to the public in the Easter of 1968. Some restoration works have taken place in recent years.
