Inventory Site Record

Eckington Gardens was the name of a residential street in an area that suffered bomb damage in WWII and later declared as unfit and in an uninhabitable state by LB Lewisham in the 1970s. Site clearance was undertaken, with part laid out for a park. Eckington Gardens opened in 1981, originally called Eckington Gardens Park.

Previous / Other name:

Eckington Gardens Park

Site location:

Monson Road / Casella Road

Postcode:

SE14 5QN

What 3 Words:

vision.crazy.ridge

Type of site:

Public Park

Borough:

Lewisham

Open to public?

Yes

Opening times:

8am - sunset

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Playground, paddling pool, multipurpose ball court

Events:

Public transport:

London Overground/Rail: New Cross Gate.

Citymapper    
Google Map    
streetmap.co.uk

Research updated:

04/06/2024

Last minor changes:

04/06/2024

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. https://lewisham.gov.uk/inmyarea/openspaces/parks/eckington-gardens 

Eckington Gardens is originally the name of the residential street in New Cross, in an area that suffered bomb damage in WWII and became derelict. In 1974, the area was declared as unfit and in an uninhabitable state by LB Lewisham, and site clearance was proposed. In 1980 Swift contractors submitted a bid for works to lay out and equip Eckington Gardens and extend the space. By 1981 the work was complete and it opened as Eckington Gardens Park. The grounds have in recent years been enhanced with colourful signage and floral displays with low maintenance but attractive planting schemes. There are ornamental gardens at the entrance, with clipped hedges in geometric patterns and the park has various play and sports facilities and a bandstand.

This area is in the old Manor of Hatcham, owned by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers. The Manor House was rebuilt in the early 1770s for Joseph Hardcastle, whose family lived here from 1788-1819. A prosperous merchant and founder of the London Missionary Society, Hardcastle supported the abolition of slavery. After his death Hatcham Manor reverted to the Haberdashers' Company, who began to lease its land for speculative development when the value increased following the arrival of the railway in the 1830s. Hatcham Manor House was demolished in 1869. The site of the park was probably part of the land around the manor house or its surrounding farmland. Friends of Eckington Gardens was set up by local residents to look after the neglected gardens, and undertook their first clear-up in 2018.

Sources consulted:

Candy Blackham, 'Green Lewisham', (Clink Street Publishing, 2022); https://lewisham.gov.uk/inmyarea/openspaces/parks/eckington-gardens; Friends of Eckington Gardens, Newsletter Issue No. 1, 2 August 2018.

Grid ref:

TQ356771 (535650,177150)

Size in hectares:

0.89

Site ownership:

LB Lewisham

Site management:

Greenscene Department, Glendale Grounds Management; Friends of Eckington Gardens

Date(s):

1981

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:

Yes

Conservation Area name:

Hatcham

Tree Preservation Order:

No

Nature Conservation Area:

Yes

Green Belt:

No

Metropolitan Open Land:

No

Special Policy Area:

No

Other LA designation:

Public Open Space