Description
Until the 1920s and '30s the area around Sidcup remained relatively rural. Willersley Park was laid out when suburban housing was spreading, a largely level grassed area that slopes to the north with ornamental trees around the edges.
Practical Information
| Site location | Willersley Avenue, Sidcup |
|---|---|
| Postcode | DA15 9EP |
| What3Words | ///worked.placed.jumped |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Bexley |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 7.30am - dusk/ 9.00am - dusk weekends and Bank Holidays |
| Facilities | Children’s playground (dog free zone); hard tennis courts |
| Public Transport | Rail: Sidcup then bus. Bus: 51. |
| Research Updated | 1 February 2011 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The River Shuttle runs along the southern boundary of Willersley Park, linking up with Marlborough Park (q.v.) to the east and Hollyoak Wood Park (q.v.) to the west along the Shuttle Riverway. There are two entrances to the park, one from Marlborough Road and the second from Willersley Avenue, each with iron railings and gates. Much suburban development in the rural areas around London took place post WW1, following the Housing Acts of 1919, which required local councils to build housing to address the housing shortage. Government subsidy was not only available to councils but also to speculative builders, with improved grants available after 1923, leading to the housing boom of the interwar years. In addition, pre-fabricated and mass produced building materials were increasingly available. In the area surrounding Sidcup, suburban house-building was influenced by the electrification of the railway and easy access to central London and also the opening of the Sidcup By-pass in 1928 and Rochester Way. Just south of the park, Willersley Avenue and Braundton Avenue were laid out by H. Smith and Company of Avery Hill Road, Eltham as part of Smith's Hollies Estate, one of the principal estates built in the Sidcup and Blackfen area in the 1930s. Most of the houses were built in a chalet style, with grass verges and street trees lining the wide avenues, providing a pleasant environment.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ460736 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Bexley |
| Site Management | Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | 1930s |
| 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 | Bexley |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Urban Open Space |
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 Oval is a lozenge of garden laid out between a crescent-shaped parade of Mock-Tudor shops built in 1933, laid out as part of the New Ideal Homesteads' Marlborough Park Estate on what had previously been farmland. The parade faces a crescent of residential houses across the garden, which is laid to grass with cut beds, ornamental trees and tarmac paths with grass verges. The beds are planted with roses and a circular central bed, also planted with roses, is encircled by a tarmac path with wooden seats.
Marlborough Park is a largely level area of grass that rises to the north and is surrounded by the backs of houses. The area remained rural until the interwar years and the park was provided when the land was developed for housing. Ornamental and occasional native trees grow around the perimeter and the River Shuttle runs along the southern boundary, part of the Shuttle Riverway that leads to Willersley Park. A path runs east /west between two entrances, which have attractive mid-C20th iron railings. The area was part of The Hollies estate in the C19th. A lime-lined walk overlooks the playing field.
Holly Oak Wood Park is set within the suburban housing development that in the 1920s and '30s transformed the hitherto rural landscape around Sidcup, once land within large country estates of the C18th. The public park is largely level and mainly grass but a small strip of ancient woodland, possibly part of Christans Wood as shown on the 1st edition OS Map, screens the south-west and western sides from roads and houses. Blackfen Library is situated on the eastern side of the park, off Cedar Avenue. The Wyncham Stream joins the River Shuttle on the southern boundary, the Shuttle Riverway following the water along the southern boundary and continuing through the site.
