Description
Walworth Allotment Association was set up in the 1970s. The site had once been occupied by terraced housing along Olney Street, as marked on the OS map of 1896, and later had industrial usage. Local residents transformed the site into allotments where they could grow their own fruit and vegetables close to home. There are now 16-20 allotment plots and also a wildlife area, pond and beehives.
Practical Information
| Site location | 40 - 70 Fielding Street, Walworth |
|---|---|
| Postcode | SE17 3EQ |
| What3Words | ///vibrates.gallons.could |
| Type of Site | Other |
| Borough | Southwark |
| Open to Public | Occasionally |
| Opening Times | Has opened for London Open Gardens |
| Events | Has participated in OGSW |
| Public Transport | Tube: Kennington, Elephant & Castle (Northern) then bus. Bus: 12, 68, 171, 468 |
| Research Updated | 1 November 2017 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ322779 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Walworth Allotment Association |
| Site Management | Walworth Allotment Association |
| Dates | 1970s |
| 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 | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Air Quality Management Area |
| Other LA Designation | Urban Density Zone |
Gallery
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 terraces of Sutherland Square were built in 1810-30, with a few houses dating from c.1845. The square was truncated when the railway was built across it, separating the east terrace from the rest of the square. In the centre of the west side was a small oval garden area, which was acquired by Southwark Borough Council for public open space and opened in 1922. Surrounded by hawthorn hedge, the garden is largely grass, with small trees and a couple of seats.
Lorrimore Square was built in the 1850s, its name deriving from Lorrimore Common, one of two commons in the Manor of Walworth, which was enclosed in 1769. A site south-west of the former commonland was donated by the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury to build the church of St Paul, Lorrimore Square, which was consecrated in 1856, the ground around the church let for building. The church and much of the area suffered bomb damage in WWII. The church was rebuilt in 1955-60, a number of the houses restored, and the former green space became part of the large LCC Brandon Estate, designed in 1955 and built and extended into the 1960s.
Pasley Park is on part of the former site of the Royal Surrey Gardens, which were set up in 1831 by Edward Cross for his new Surrey Zoological Gardens with animals from his existing menagerie at Exeter Exchange on The Strand. In addition to the animals there were ornamental gardens with a large lake and numerous entertainments, which proved very popular with the public. The gardens had declined by 1856 and the animals were sold. Surrey Music Hall was erected on part of the gardens, another popular attraction until 1872. In 1877 the site was sold for development, and terraces of houses built here. In the 1980s part of the former site was laid out as Pasley Park, where in 2010 a Fun Day celebrated the former history of the zoological gardens.