Hi again! Yesterday I took a trip to the gorgeous Beckenham Place Park in South Lewisham; the grounds of Beckenham Place mansion, which nowadays is open to the public as an arts facility, as well as housing a cafe, and even a record shop if you fancy a browse! It’s the largest green space in Lewisham, and also makes up a part of the Green Chain Walk which continues throughout the whole of South London.
The park is a lush mixture of specifically planted trees and shrubs, left over from its days as private land, and wilder vegetation as well as ancient woodland. The rolling hills of the park create a lovely vista, as well as a feeling of really having escaped the city for the day.
There are footpaths you can follow through the park, but it’s easy to ramble off the beaten track as well; there are few hard-to-access areas, and most of the land is very open rather than being entirely dense woodland. This is definitely one of my favourite places for a day of chilling in the sun, having a picnic or just a relaxing stroll (the amazing weather definitely helped on this occasion as well)!
As well as the wilder and more open areas, there are also more structured parts of the land which form a garden area, with benches nearby perfect for picnicking, and even tennis courts.
Despite the beautiful weather, the park was pretty quiet when I visited; it seems to be a pretty well-kept secret even from most locals! As much as I love Greenwich Park, it can get a little crowded, especially in the summer! I think this might be my new favourite for a sunny ramble.
Rhi xx