Description
Southborough Open Space is a largely level area of mown grass enclosed with chain link fencing and bordered by trees and shrubs. The aspect to the west and south is semi-rural whereas local authority housing dominates the view to north and east. Immediately to the east is the area developed as Petts Wood Garden Suburb from the late 1920s and '30s.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Southborough Recreation Ground |
|---|---|
| Site location | Southborough Lane/Oxhawth Crescent, Petts Wood |
| Postcode | BR2 8BH |
| What3Words | ///abode.fault.towns |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Bromley |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Children’s play area |
| Public Transport | Rail: Petts Wood |
| 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 | TQ425670 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Bromley |
| Site Management | idverde |
| Dates | ?post 1950s |
| 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 | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| 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
The land here is referred to in the Domesday Book of 1086 in the ownership of the Bishop of Rochester; the Bishops had the right to fell timber in Thornet Wood up until 1845. It was farmed as part of the Bickley Park estate from the late C18th. In 1916 the site became a golf course, managed as West Kent Golf Club until WWII. The land was purchased by Bromley Council in 1977 and named to mark the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, opening as Jubilee Country Park in 1981.
Parkfield Recreation Ground is a largely level open space of mown grass enclosed by chain link fencing and bordered by trees and shrubs. The aspect to the west and south is semi-rural whereas local authority housing dominates the view to the north and east. The close proximity of the housing probably accounts for the lack of facilities. The site is bordered to the south-west by Bromley Golf Course.
In March 1973 Sparrow Wood and Crofton Heath, the former West Kent Golf Course, were threatened with an application to develop 139 acres of the land for housing, but a public enquiry led to opposition by Petts Wood Residents Association and other amenity groups. As a result the heath and woodland were preserved, comprising Crofton Woods, Crofton Heath, Sparrow Wood, Gumping Common and Roundabout Wood.