Description
Whitefoot Lane Playing Fields are on land that was formerly in agricultural use and had been part of the estate and park of Southend Hall. The circular pond in the recreation ground dates from at least the late C19th and may have been used by drovers. The site was reserved as open space when the LCCs Downham Estate was built between 1924-38, an extensive housing estate designed on 'garden city' principles, named after Lord Downham, former Chairman of LCC. The playing fields are not publicly accessible, and remain in education use.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Whitefoot Recreation Grounds |
|---|---|
| Site location | Whitefoot Lane/ 84 Downderry Road, Bromley |
| Postcode | BR1 4RL |
| What3Words | ///defend.cuts.soil |
| Type of Site | Private Open Land |
| Borough | Lewisham |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | Access restricted to schools use. |
| Public Transport | Rail: Bellingham then bus; Grove Park then bus. |
| Research Updated | 21 November 2024 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
In the 1920s the area was known as Seven Fields and was a popular place for weekend outings. An earlier plan of 1920 by Lewisham, Deptford and Bermondsey Councils for a 4,500-house garden suburb here came to nothing. The Downham Estate was built between 1924-38, an extensive LCC estate designed on 'garden city' principles. Named after Lord Downham, Chairman of LCC in 1919-20, the estate was built to provide c.7,000 homes as part of the action to cope with housing shortages and inner city slum clearance after WWI. However, the rents proved too high for some of the early residents, many of whom were from the East End who had to move, finding 12 shillings a week for a one-bedroomed house too expensive.
The LCC had bought two farms, Shrofield Farm and Holloway Farm, owned by the Earl of Northbrook. The houses were laid out on long winding roads that originally had trees and grass verges, now largely lost to the pressures of car parking. The road names recalled Arthurian legends as well as English resorts and villages such as Ilfracombe and Bideford. The estate incorporated and preserved an existing tract of woodland, now called Downham Woodland Walk (q.v.). Also preserved as open land was the highest point in the centre of the estate and fields to north-west and south-west. Initially called Downham Fields, the new public park was renamed Durham Hill (q.v) in the 1990s.
Whitefoot Lane Playing Fields, formerly known as Whitefoot Recreation Ground was formerly agricultural land that was once part of the estate of Southend Hall and its southern boundary abuts Downham Woodland Walk. The Southend Estate was owned by the Forster family until 1914, and was subdivided by the early C20th. At one time the estate's northern boundary is what is now Whitefoot Lane, and the southern boundary was what is now Downham Woodland Walk. The site of Whitefoot Recreation Ground was owned by the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) and the circular pond, which dates from at least the C19th and may have been used by drovers, was used by disabled anglers. A brick structure in the middle of the pond may once have been a fountain. The northern edge of the playing fields is woodland with fine old oaks that may be remnants of ancient woodland like the southern boundary that forms part of the Downham Woodland Walk.
The LCC had bought two farms, Shrofield Farm and Holloway Farm, owned by the Earl of Northbrook. The houses were laid out on long winding roads that originally had trees and grass verges, now largely lost to the pressures of car parking. The road names recalled Arthurian legends as well as English resorts and villages such as Ilfracombe and Bideford. The estate incorporated and preserved an existing tract of woodland, now called Downham Woodland Walk (q.v.). Also preserved as open land was the highest point in the centre of the estate and fields to north-west and south-west. Initially called Downham Fields, the new public park was renamed Durham Hill (q.v) in the 1990s.
Whitefoot Lane Playing Fields, formerly known as Whitefoot Recreation Ground was formerly agricultural land that was once part of the estate of Southend Hall and its southern boundary abuts Downham Woodland Walk. The Southend Estate was owned by the Forster family until 1914, and was subdivided by the early C20th. At one time the estate's northern boundary is what is now Whitefoot Lane, and the southern boundary was what is now Downham Woodland Walk. The site of Whitefoot Recreation Ground was owned by the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) and the circular pond, which dates from at least the C19th and may have been used by drovers, was used by disabled anglers. A brick structure in the middle of the pond may once have been a fountain. The northern edge of the playing fields is woodland with fine old oaks that may be remnants of ancient woodland like the southern boundary that forms part of the Downham Woodland Walk.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ391720 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 7.4 |
| Site Ownership | LB Lewisham |
| Site Management | Education Department (to check) |
| Dates | 1920s |
| 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 | Lewisham |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Local Importance (pond & northern boundary) |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Archaeological Priority Area |
| Other LA Designation | Public Open Space; Green Corridor (proposed local nature reserve: pond) |
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 for the park was given to the people of Lewisham in 1919 by H W Forster, later Lord Forster, first MP for the Borough of Bromley and Governor-General of Australia from 1920-25. The Forsters had lived at Southend Hall since the early C19th and had a large estate in what was then a rural area. Mr Forster donated the land in memory of his 2 sons, killed in WWI, and Forster Memorial Park was opened in 1922 by his daughter. The park was expanded in 1937 when land to the north was purchased from the Forster Estate Company. The central area of grassland, now predominantly used as playing fields, is surrounded by ancient woodland and it could be a landscape of some antiquity.
The Downham Estate was built between 1924-38, an extensive LCC estate designed on 'garden city' principles. Named after Lord Downham, Chairman of LCC in 1919-20, the estate had long winding tree-lined roads and incorporated and preserved an existing tract of woodland from Whitefoot Terrace to Bromley Road. Now called Downham Woodland Walk it runs between the houses for over 1.5 km, and much of it is almost certainly ancient woodland, shown on maps of 1805.
Durham Hill is a hilly park on former agricultural land that was preserved as public open space when the extensive Downham Estate was built in 1924-38. In the 1920s the area was known as Seven Fields and was a popular place for weekend outings. Durham Hill was the highest point in the centre of the estate and fields to north-west and south-west. Initially called Downham Fields, the public park was renamed Durham Hill in the 1990s, as it was locally known and referred to on old maps. From the park there are fine views across to Beckenham Place Park, Crystal Palace ridge, Croydon and beyond. A new Leisure Centre and outdoor sports courts were built adjacent to the park in 2006.