Inventory Site Record

Mayow Park opened in June 1878 as Sydenham Recreation Ground and is Lewisham's second oldest public open space after Blackheath. It was later named after Mayow Wynell Adams, the Mayow family having acquired land here in the C18th, which was once been part of Westwood Common. The land for the new recreation ground was sold at well below its market value to Lewisham Board of Works in 1877, following an active campaign to achieve this and raise the necessary money for a much-needed public facility. The recreation ground opened on 1 June 1878. The design of the park is little altered since it was laid out although a bowling green and tennis courts were added on the south side in the mid C20th, and the park once had an aviary. A drinking fountain was erected in recognition of the efforts of the Revd. William Taylor Jones of Sydenham College in acquiring the land for the park. Among the trees are pedunculate oak that pre-date the 1870s layout, which indicate old farmland field boundaries.

Previous / Other name:

Sydenham Recreation Ground

Site location:

Mayow Road/ Silverdale, Lower Sydenham

Postcode:

SE26 4JA

What 3 Words:

exact.estate.giving

Type of site:

Public Park

Borough:

Lewisham

Open to public?

Yes

Opening times:

8am - sunset

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Children's play area, tennis courts, bowling green, Nature Reserve. Brown & Green Cafe

Events:

See Friends of Mayow Park website for details of events

Public transport:

London Overground: Sydenham. Bus: 75, 356

Citymapper    
Google Map    
streetmap.co.uk

Research updated:

31/05/2024

Last minor changes:

26/02/2025

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.lewisham.gov.uk/inmyarea; http://friendsofmayowpark.blogspot.co.uk

In 1787 the Mayow family had acquired the Old House in Sydenham Road, which reputedly dated from c.1660, and in 1810 purchased c.21.8 hectares of land, c.7 hectares of which later became Mayow Park. The family owned most of the land between Sydenham Road and Perry Vale and by the beginning of the C19th Major Mayow Wynell Adams was the official Squire of Sydenham. His estate to the north of Sydenham Road remained in his family until the area was developed for housing. A younger branch of the family developed Silverdale and the last occupant of the house, Mayow Wynell Adams, developed the area that included Mayow Road and Dacres Road. In 1877 he sold land for a new recreation ground to Lewisham Board of Works for £8500, £3520 of which was raised by public subscription. He died in 1898, and a lych-gate in his memory is located at St Bartholomew's churchyard (q.v.). The Old House was demolished at the turn of the century and Earlsthorpe Road was built on the site.

The origins of the recreation ground date back to 1875 when Revd. William Taylor Jones, the headmaster of Sydenham College, wrote a 'Plea for a People's Recreation Ground' that was published in the Sydenham, Forest Hill and Penge Gazette, in which he lamented that 'all available land in our neighbourhood is being taken for building purposes'; the poor had only 'the streets, the music hall, and the penny gaff or the public house for their evening's resort' and young people would 'meet and loiter about the roads, congregate at every street corner, becoming a moral pest and a nuisance.' This was followed up by a public meeting in Sydenham in 1876 when it was announced that Mayow Wynell Adams had offered 17.5 acres of his land at below market value for a recreation ground. The campaign began in earnest and an Act of Parliament was required in order to allow the Metropolitan Board of Works (MBW) to use ratepayers money to purchase the land and to require the Lewisham District Board of Works and its successors in perpetuity to care for the recreation ground. The MBW agreed to contribute half the cost of the land, Trustees of Lewisham Parochial Charities agreed to donate £1,000, which left £3,250 to be raised. Benefactors for the new recreation ground included F J Horniman, A G Hennell, architect of Forest Hill Library, T W Williams, first Mayor of Lewisham and the Revd William Taylor Jones himself. The site comprised four fields and although some hedges were cleared, an ancient hedgerow of oaks was left in place. The site required levelling and drainage to be installed, particularly in the central area where cricket would be played. The park, with an emphasis on 'active recreation', was formally opened on 1 June 1878, named Sydenham & Forest Hill Recreation Ground. Around 11,000 people attended the grand opening when it was declared open 'for ever' by the Chairman of Lewisham District Board of Works. A drinking fountain was later erected by public subscription 'in recognition of the efforts of the Revd. William Taylor Jones of Sydenham College in acquiring the land' and inscribed with the date of the park's opening. 

A lodge in the south-east corner dates from the original layout, marked as the 'Refreshment Room' on the 1916 OS 25 ins. map (London XIII.4). Early C20th postcards show people enjoying the park, the drinking fountain and refreshment pavilion, its ornamental planting and seasonal displays, as well as cricket being played. The pavilion later became derelict but in 2012 a grant was successfully raised from Sport England's Inspired Facilities National Lottery Funding in order to renovate the building and provide sports changing rooms on upper floors, a cafe on the ground floor and public toilets. Following restoration, it remains in use as the park cafe. The overall structure of the park has little altered since it was laid out although in the mid-C20th land was raised to create a plateau for a bowling green and tennis courts in the south. The Bowling Green was opened on 30 April 1949 and is marked on the OS 1:1250 map of 1952 (TQ3571-NE-A), and later Tennis Courts had been added to the west of the Bowling Green. The OS 1:1250 of 1969 (TQ3571-NE-B) shows the Tennis Courts in place, as well as an Aviary nearby, a Playground with drinking fountain on the west side of the park and a shelter to the north. Greenhouses are also shown near the lodge in the south-east corner on earlier maps indicating a plant nursery, but the park no longer boasts its ornamental planting.

Mayow Park has many mature trees, including at least 20 pedunculate oak, some pollarded, that pre-date the park's 1870s layout, the finest collection of such trees in Lewisham aside from Beckenham Place Park (q.v.). Some trees indicate old field boundaries of the former Perry Vale Farm. The Woodland Trust has listed 7 Veteran, 2 Notable and 1 Ancient Oak Tree in Mayow Park. There is a central levelled area sunk below surrounding paths and further geometrical path layout between the notable older oaks. Good specimen trees dating from the layout of the park include cedar of Lebanon, araucaria, gingko, tulip tree, hybrid black poplar and holm oak and there are specimen conifers in the shrubbery beds. At the south-east entrance by the cafe and the entrances off Silverdale are gates with brick gate piers with stone capitals, and wrought iron gates.

The Friends of Mayow Park was established in 1993, originally known as Mayow Park Users' Group, in order to champion the park's wildlife and its historical heritage. Since then they have undertaken improvements to various features of the park. Works include maintenance of an orchard near the tennis courts, where 18 heritage varieties were planted in 2012 with assistance from The Orchard Project. Although the aviary no longer exists its site remains with a privet hedge and fruiting hedgerow recently established. A modern drinking fountain has also been installed, adjacent to which a rockery has been installed with a grant raised by the Friends. The Grow Mayow Community Garden has been created adjacent to the cafe, and the Friends maintain herb beds and fruit bushes. They hold a variety of events in the park and have produced a map of the park trees. A new children's playground was officially opened on 14 March 2024 by the Mayor of Lewisham, Brenda Dacres. 

Sources consulted:

John Archer, Ian Yarham, 'Nature Conservation in Lewisham', Ecology Handbook 30, London Ecology Unit, 2000; LB Lewisham, "Parks historical trail"; J Coulter & J Seaman 'The Archive Photographs Series: Sydenham and Forest Hill', Chalford, 1995; Steve Grindlay, 'The Origins of Mayow Park', post dated 5 November 2008, Sydenham and Forest Hill Local History: https://sydenhamforesthillhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/Mayow%20Park; Mayow Park Masterplan Final Draft, November 2009, prepared for LB Lewisham by Around the Block and Groundwork London; Candy Blackham, 'Green Lewisham', (Clink Street Publishing, 2022) 

Grid ref:

TQ357718 (535750,171850)

Size in hectares:

7

Site ownership:

LB Lewisham

Site management:

Greenscene Department, Glendale Grounds Management/Friends of Mayow Park

Date(s):

1877/8

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:

Not known

Nature Conservation Area:

Yes - Borough Importance II

Green Belt:

No

Metropolitan Open Land:

No

Special Policy Area:

No

Other LA designation:

Public Open Space

Mayow Park, March 2023. Photograph Sally Williams

Click a photo to enlarge.