Description
Surrey Square was part of a scheme by architect by Michael Searles, built in 1793/4 for the Rolls Estate for which he was surveyor. Son of a Greenwich surveyor, Searles designed a number of ambitious schemes, largely uncompleted. Part of his terrace remains, overlooking the public park built as part of the large Aylesbury Estate by Southwark Council between 1967-77. Surrey Square Park is on slightly undulating ground. In the west is the Peter Martin Memorial Garden, a small area of landscaping with path and shrub beds.
Practical Information
| Site location | Surrey Square/Alvey Street/Surrey Grove |
|---|---|
| Postcode | SE17 |
| What3Words | ///waving.link.legend |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Southwark |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | playground, wildlife area |
| Public Transport | Rail/Tube (Northern): Elephant and Castle then bus. Bus: 21, 53, 63, 172. |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Michael Searles lived in New Kent Road in a house he built c.1800. Part of his grand terrace of 18 houses at Surrey Square remains; Samuel Palmer, the landscape painter/etcher and friend of William Blake, was born here in 1805. The terrace is fronted by a raised stepped stone pavement and overlooks Surrey Square Park. Adjacent to the park to the east is the former church of All Saints, since the 1960s the Church of the Lord, built in 1959 by Cachemaille Day to replace the earlier church of 1864-5 that was damaged in WWII. The pathway between church and park has a number of decorative panels fixed to the wall.
The Friends of Surrey Square Park was set up to look after the park and has undertaken a number of projects to improve its environment. By 2011, new works included a wildflower meadow, a raised planter in the Peter Martin Memorial Garden, natural play features, and improvements to the hedges and fencing along the Alvey Street boundaries. Funding was raised from the 2010/2011 Cleaner Greener Safer scheme run by Southwark Council.
The Friends of Surrey Square Park was set up to look after the park and has undertaken a number of projects to improve its environment. By 2011, new works included a wildflower meadow, a raised planter in the Peter Martin Memorial Garden, natural play features, and improvements to the hedges and fencing along the Alvey Street boundaries. Funding was raised from the 2010/2011 Cleaner Greener Safer scheme run by Southwark Council.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ332783 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 1.165 |
| Site Ownership | LB Southwark |
| Site Management | Parks; Friends of Surrey Square Park |
| Dates | 1960s |
| Listed Structures | LBII: 26-54 Surrey Square; stone pavement fronting terrace |
| 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 | No |
| 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
Work began after WWII to provide the new public space that eventually became Burgess Park. It was the result of initiatives such as the Abercrombie Plan of 1943 and was created by demolishing numerous houses, streets, churches and factories, and infilling the disused Grand Surrey Canal. Existing green spaces were incorporated into the new North Camberwell Open Space, which by 1965 covered c.16 hectares. It was named Burgess Park in 1973 after Alderman Jessie Burgess, first lady Mayor of Camberwell. The fragmented open spaces were consolidated from 1982 onwards and in 1985/6 Southwark Council took over responsibility and began purchasing remaining properties and clearing the site, a process completed in 1995. Numerous projects have been undertaken, including planting 1000s of trees, provision of sports facilities, greening the canal route and creation of the lake. Within the park are the former Chumleigh Gardens Almshouses, which now house a café, meeting rooms as well as a World Garden and an English Garden.
The southern portion of today's Nursery Row Park was laid out sometime between 1885-97, to provide open space for the growing local population. Known as East Street Recreation Ground, the park lay between Blendon Row and Orb Street. The MPGA assisted with funding for the layout and planting, which included perimeter plane trees that still survive today. In 1980 the park was extended to the north following slum clearance that saw demolition of streets including Nursery Row, after which the park was renamed,
Faraday Gardens opened in July 1905. The land was originally part of St Peter's Churchyard, which became a public garden in 1895. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners set aside this area for public recreation when they were developing the area. The gardens were named after the chemist and physicist Michael Faraday, who was born in Newington Butts in 1791 and lived in the area.
