Inventory Site Record

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.

Site location:

Willersley Avenue, Sidcup

Postcode:

DA15 9EP

What 3 Words:

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

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Children’s playground (dog free zone); hard tennis courts

Events:

Public transport:

Rail: Sidcup then bus. Bus: 51.

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Research updated:

01/02/2011

Last minor changes:

19/07/2023

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.bexley.gov.uk

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.

Sources consulted:

LB Bexley Local Studies notes and research guides (Sidcup); Willersley Avenue/ Braundton Avenue Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan, June 2008

Grid ref:

TQ460736 (546121,173631)

Size in hectares:

Site ownership:

LB Bexley

Site management:

Parks and Open Spaces

Date(s):

1930s

Designer(s):

Listed structures:

None

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 Data

The information below is taken from the relevant Local Authority's planning legislation, which was correct at the time of research but may have been amended in the interim. Please check with the Local Authority for latest planning information.

On Local List:

No

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