Description
Sunray Gardens is a remnant of the landscaped grounds of Casina, a late C18th house on The Dulwich Estate. The grounds were designed by Humphry Repton, including a large lake that survives as the sole remnant from the earlier landscape. By 1920 Casina was empty and the Estate released the land to Camberwell Borough Council for much needed social housing. A clause in the plans for the new estate enabled an area of open space to be preserved for recreational purposes and the area around the lake was chosen and laid out, initially called Casino Open Space, renamed Sunray Gardens in 1923.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Casina |
|---|---|
| Site location | Casino Avenue/Red Post Road/Elmwood Road |
| Postcode | SE24 |
| What3Words | ///lined.taps.apply |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Southwark |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 7.30am - sunset |
| Facilities | Playground, multi-use games area |
| Public Transport | Rail: North Dulwich then bus. Bus: P4. |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The location of these public gardens by Casino Avenue is a reminder of their history. They are the remains of the once extensive landscape of Casina, the house built by John Nash in 1796 for Warren Hastings' lawyer Richard Shawe, who was later buried in the Old Burial Ground in Dulwich Village (q.v.). The estate was leased to Shawe and was part of the endowment of Alleyn's College of God's Gift, now The Dulwich Estate. The landscape of Casina was designed by Humphry Repton, but most of it lies under the Sunray Estate on the south slopes of Herne Hill, which is one of the most celebrated estates of the 'Homes for Heroes' campaign following WWI. Other residents of the Casina estate included Joseph Buonaparte, Napoleon's brother, and from 1875 it was the home of William Stone, MP for Portsmouth, a garden enthusiast who allowed the Surrey Horticultural Society Flower Show to take place in the grounds.
By 1920 Casina was empty and The Dulwich Estate released the land to Camberwell Borough Council for much needed social housing. A clause in the plans for the new estate enabled an area of open space to be preserved for recreational purposes and the area around the lake was chosen and laid out, initially called Casino Open Space, renamed Sunray Gardens in 1923. The fields were let out for grazing and the lake was at first let out before becoming a public park. Sunray Gardens is now the only surviving remnant of the Repton landscape. The house, demolished in 1906, had been close to the frontage of the main road, now Herne Hill/Denmark Hill, with gardens in its immediate vicinity and the land sloping south-eastwards towards a lake at the bottom of the hill, which was planted with a variety of trees and shrubs. Repton had intended to extend the lake to neighbouring properties but this was never carried out. It was originally used for fishing and animals grazed in the meadows.
Some changes were made to Repton's lake when it was transformed into the public park. These included being made more shallow and given shelving banks after a small girl fell in, luckily rescued by a local postman; at one end it was infilled for the creation of a playground. The park today has mature trees and grass, but the dominant feature is the lake that occupies a quarter of the site. The Friends of Sunray Gardens was formed in 1997 to preserve the park and Sunray Gardens was refurbished in 2001.
By 1920 Casina was empty and The Dulwich Estate released the land to Camberwell Borough Council for much needed social housing. A clause in the plans for the new estate enabled an area of open space to be preserved for recreational purposes and the area around the lake was chosen and laid out, initially called Casino Open Space, renamed Sunray Gardens in 1923. The fields were let out for grazing and the lake was at first let out before becoming a public park. Sunray Gardens is now the only surviving remnant of the Repton landscape. The house, demolished in 1906, had been close to the frontage of the main road, now Herne Hill/Denmark Hill, with gardens in its immediate vicinity and the land sloping south-eastwards towards a lake at the bottom of the hill, which was planted with a variety of trees and shrubs. Repton had intended to extend the lake to neighbouring properties but this was never carried out. It was originally used for fishing and animals grazed in the meadows.
Some changes were made to Repton's lake when it was transformed into the public park. These included being made more shallow and given shelving banks after a small girl fell in, luckily rescued by a local postman; at one end it was infilled for the creation of a playground. The park today has mature trees and grass, but the dominant feature is the lake that occupies a quarter of the site. The Friends of Sunray Gardens was formed in 1997 to preserve the park and Sunray Gardens was refurbished in 2001.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ326747 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 1.581 |
| Site Ownership | LB Southwark |
| Site Management | Parks; Friends of Sunray Gardens |
| Dates | 1796; 1923 |
| Designers | Humphry Repton |
| 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 | Southwark |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Borough Importance II |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Local Park, Tier Two |
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
Dulwich Village Green is a small area of public open space formerly owned by the Estates Governors of Alleyn's College, who dedicated it to the public in 1909 and passed it to Camberwell Borough Council. Various enclosures with grass and trees, created as common frontages to the houses and reserved as permanent open space, continue to be owned by the Trustees of The Dulwich Estate. The land in front of Nos.11-25 and 33-41 College Road and in front of Nos. 93-115 Dulwich Village Road is registered commonland.
James Allen's Girls' School originated as a small school founded in 1741 by James Allen, Master and Warden of Alleyn's College of God's Gift in Dulwich. The school moved to the current site in 1886, and in 1896 its Botany Gardens began to be planted, after the arrival of Dr Lilian Clarke as science teacher. Her pioneering approach included practical work in the school grounds with a series of ecological gardens created to enable the pupils to study plants in conjunction with insects and other animals in their habitats. By 1914 over 300 girls and part-time assistants were helping with the work and new garden areas and types of habitat were added. The gardens flourished until the outbreak of WWII but after the war they became neglected as the focus of the syllabus changed. Restoration of the Botany Gardens began in 1984 and works include a new pond near order beds with dipping platforms, coppicing and planting of exotic species in the woodland.
Alleyn's School Memorial Garden commemorates Old Boys of the school who died in the two world wars. It is a gated triangular garden located in the west of the school grounds leading directly onto playing fields, near the site of an RAF Barrage Balloon in WWII. The Memorial Garden was officially opened in 1954 by the Chairman of the Board of Governors. Red brick stone-capped gate piers flank a small ornamental gate topped with Alleyn's crest and the words 'God's Gift'. The garden has a central path of paving slabs, either side of which are shrub beds to railings and beech hedge on the road boundaries, with a low hedge to the playing fields beyond. Since it opened additional commemorative trees have been planted in memory of pupils and staff.