Description
Seear's Park was once part of Hammond's Orchard within East Cheam Manor estate. It was laid out as a park by John Seear between 1890-1912 and left to his wife and then to the local authority on her death in 1932. There remain some mature ornamental trees dating rom the C19th, including a monkey puzzle, redwoods and firs along the main road to the west, also some broken statuary and a pond from the same period. The drinking fountain was installed in 1932 as a memorial to the Seears. There is an attractive ornamental cottage in the north-east corner.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Part of Hammond’s Orchard, part of East Cheam Manor Estate |
|---|---|
| Site location | St Dunstan's Hill, Cheam |
| Postcode | SM1 2LR |
| What3Words | ///spirit.roof.badge |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Sutton |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 8am- dusk |
| Facilities | Children’s playground |
| Public Transport | Rail: Cheam. Bus: 151, 213, 408, 726. |
| Research Updated | 1 March 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Adjacent to the park are sports grounds, Perretts Field (q.v.) and Sutton Waterworks.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ245639 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 1.94 |
| Site Ownership | LB Sutton |
| Site Management | Parks Service |
| Dates | 1890-1912; 1935 |
| 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 | Sutton |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - (part) Borough Importance II |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
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 1st edition OS Map of 1867 shows the site as an open field of irregular shape. Formerly an area of substantial brick-works dating from the medieval/post medieval period, like Seear's Park to the south, Perretts Field was re-landscaped in the C20th and is now open land adjacent to Sutton Waterworks.
The site was formerly part of Chalk Pit Field in East Cheam Manor Estate in c.1750. Quarry Park was laid out as a public park after the death in 1932 of Mrs Seears of Quarry Rise, but is probably little changed from the time of the Seears' ownership. The 1st edition OS Map of 1867 shows the quarry but no house or gardens to the north bordering Love Lane.
A church in Cheam was recorded in the Domesday Book and probably dates from the early C11th, dedicated to St Dunstan. The old church was demolished in the 1860s and a new church built next to the Lumley Chapel, which was the chancel of the medieval church that had been converted as a memorial chapel for the Lumley family in the late C16th. St Dunstan's Church and Lumley Chapel stand in a well tended churchyard with mature cedars and yews. There are a number of historic tombs and a war memorial with an Arts and Crafts lych-gate of 1891 at the entrance.