Description
St Margaret's Square is a rectangular slightly sunken garden in front of Nos. 34-50 Adelaide Avenue. The houses were built by the 1890s, and the garden is shown on the Town Plan of 1895 with a row of trees to the main road, and a central flight of steps leading down to the garden on each of the other 3 sides, overlooked by houses. In 1928 the garden is listed as a public garden owned and maintained by the City Corporation, described as 'a rectangular area flanked on one side by Adelaide Road and on the other three sides by a private roadway to residential buildings. Enclosed on the public road side by a low wall with iron railings on top. Very attractively laid out with well-kept lawns and trees.'
Practical Information
| Site location | 34-50 Adelaide Avenue |
|---|---|
| Postcode | SE4 |
| What3Words | ///amuse.limp.copies |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Lewisham |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Rail: Crofton Park. Bus: 174, P4. |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Brockley was developed speculatively between the 1830s and early 1900s, with the majority of houses built in the 1870s and '80s. Prior to this the area had been largely farmland, although in the C12th there was for some 100 years a monastery established in Brockley. A watercourse used to flow through the area to the Ravensbourne at Deptford, famous for its Royal Dockyard, and in the early C19th the Croydon Canal was constructed from the Grand Surrey Canal at Deptford, running through New Cross, Brockley and Forest Hill to Croydon, a major feat of engineering albeit somewhat short-lived. In the 1840s the London to Brighton Railway Company purchased the land and the canal became the route of the railway. The construction of the North Kent Railway in 1849 with a station at St John's was the main spur to development of Brockley's pastures and market gardens south of what is now Lewisham Way. The Deptford tithe map shows Brockley landlords as William Wickham Drake and Anne Tyrwhitt Drake, who leased their land to speculative builders and whose names remain in local streets. The houses show the variety of architectural styles popular in the mid to late Victorian period, with Italianate stucco and Gothic terracotta detailing. Many are set in wide, tree-lined roads with large front and back gardens and some had mews to the rear, adding to the area's character.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ368751 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.129 |
| Site Ownership | LB Lewisham |
| Site Management | Greenscene Department, Glendale Grounds Management |
| Dates | 1890s |
| 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 | Yes |
| Local Authority | Lewisham |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Brockley |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | 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
Ladywell Cemetery, originally called Lewisham Cemetery, was opened by Lewisham Burial Board on a plot of agricultural land purchased from the Trustees of the Earl of Dartmouth. A competition to design the cemetery was won by Messrs Tinkler and Morphew, who were also appointed by Deptford Burial Board who had bought a plot of adjacent land for its own cemetery. A low wall separated the two until c.1948, which is traceable as a bank. A central strip of land between the two cemeteries had been purchased by Ladywell Burial Board for eventual expansion and Ladywell Cemetery was extended here in the early C20th. In 1965 both cemeteries came under the new London Borough of Lewisham but retain separate records. Ladywell Cemetery was less densely planted than its neighbour, which generally has grander monuments, but Ladywell retains its chapel.
Brockley Cemetery, originally known as Deptford Cemetery was established when the parish burial ground of St Paul's was full. Lewisham Burial Board had already purchased a plot of land here for Lewisham Cemetery, so Deptford Burial Board bought the adjacent plot and appointed the same cemetery architects. A low wall separated the two until 1948, which is traceable as a bank. In 1965 both came under the new London Borough of Lewisham but retain separate records although they operate under the name Brockley and Ladywell Cemeteries. Brockley Cemetery today is more wooded than Ladywell and the tombs are generally grander and less densely packed; it contains a war memorial, chapel and the tomb of Jane Clouson.
Wickham Gardens is a cul-de-sac off Wickham Road, the houses surrounding a garden that was protected under the London Squares and Enclosures (Preservation) Act 1906, which prohibited building on the enclosure. Much of the area, including houses in Wickham Gardens, was damaged by bombing in WWII and rebuilt after the war although Victorian houses remain on the north side. The central garden remains largely unchanged as an area of grass with shrubs and a number of trees, surrounded by the roadway.