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Inventory Site Record

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Benhill Road Nature Garden (Southwark)

Brief Description

Previously a WWII bomb site, there were prefabs here until the building of the Elmington Estate began in 1956. In 1982 a nature garden was established here by Southwark Council, Friends of the Earth and London Wildlife Trust, but later fell into disrepair. It re-opened in June 2015 with landscaping designed by London Wildlife Trust, implemented by The Conservation Volunteers. In 2013 Froglife installed the pond with dipping platform. On the wall of the adjacent Brunswick Park School is the Pied Piper Mural by Willi Soukop from 1956 originally installed on the Elmington Estate but moved in May 2014. A Strawberry Tree has been planted in the garden in memory of the victims of the nearby Lakanal House fire in 2009. Designated a Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation there are a number of habitat areas including: a pond with dipping platform, native hedgerow, wildflower meadow, mini beast zone, sensory and ornamental beds.

Practical Information
Site location:
Benhill Road/ Bantry Street, Camberwell
Postcode:
SE5 7QS
What 3 Words:
liver.looked.teams
Type of site:
Public Gardens
Borough:
Southwark
Open to public?
Yes
Opening times:
unrestricted
Special conditions:
Facilities:
Events:
Public transport:
Tube: Oval (Northern) then bus. Rail: Denmark Hill/Loughborough Junction then bus (+ walk). Bus; 36, 136, 343, 436
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Research updated:
20/12/2020
Last minor changes:
14/07/2022

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

Full Site Description

The nature garden contains a number of habitat areas including: a pond with dipping platform, native hedgerow (hawthorn, blackthorn), a wildflower “meadow”, a mini beast zone (stag beetle loggeries and insect hotels), sensory and ornamental beds – including a cockleshell path, composting areas and a natural play and exploration area with a living willow tepee as its centrepiece. The garden supports many species including birds, frogs, bats and a range of pollinators and other vital insects. Mature trees include apple, birch and hazel. The garden is a chemical free zone, native species are carefully sourced and compost bins enable the recycling of the garden’s own green waste to produce compost.
 
Previously a WWII bomb site this corner became home to prefabs until the building of the Elmington Estate began in 1956. A nature garden was established here in 1982 by Southwark Council, Friends of the Earth and London Wildlife Trust.  The ensuing years saw it fall into neglect and disrepair but in autumn 2014 Southwark Council, in partnership with The Conservation Volunteers, began work to re-establish it in order to provide access for the community and an opportunity for wildlife education for local schools. The official re-opening of the garden was on 16 June 2015.

Valuable contributions in the planning and building stages came from the Elmington Resident Steering Group and Brunswick Park School. The London Wildlife Trust designed the landscaping which The Conservation Volunteers implemented. Froglife installed the pond and dipping platform

The Pied Piper Mural by Willi Soukop can be seen on the wall of Brunswick Park School overlooking the nature garden. Soukop took his inspiration from Robert Browning’s poem ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin’ (Browning was born close by in Cottage Green in 1812). Comprising of pre-cast concrete sections supported by a solid masonry wall; it was commissioned by the LCC and originally erected on the Elmington Estate in 1956. A Pathe newsflash shows the unveiling of the mural on 13 November 1959 by Sir Isaac Hayward of the LCC and the Mayor of Camberwell. (http://www.britishpathe.com/video/news-in-flashes-camberwell). The mural was later removed from its orginal site when the Elmington Estate began to be demolished in 2001. In May 2014, the mural was beautifully restored by Stone Edge Conservation Ltd and installed on the wall of Brunswick Park School. 
 
The general upkeep of the garden is undertaken by volunteer neighbours who have formed their own Friends group affiliated to the Friends of Brunswick Park.

Sources consulted:

Go Parks: https://www.goparks.london/park/benhill-road-nature-garden-southwark Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/notes/1489432734482040/ Site Visit: Helen Monger 20 December 2020

Further Information (Planning and Conservation)
Grid ref:
TQ328771 (532898,177136)
Size in hectares:
0.21
Site ownership:
LB Southwark
Site management:
Friends of Benhill Road Nature Garden
Date(s):
1982, 2015
Designer(s):
Unknown
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:
Yes - Local Importance
Green Belt:
No
Metropolitan Open Land:
No
Special Policy Area:
Other LA designation:
Borough Open Land; Urban Density Zone; Air Quality Management Plan
Photos

Benhill Road Nature Garden

Benhill Road Nature Reserve Entrance Gate, Helen Monger, 20 December 2020

Benhill Road Nature Reserve Signpost showing Map of Site, Helen Monger, 20 December 2020
2020
Benhill Road Nature Reserve Information Board about Habitats, Helen Monger, 20 December 2020
2020

Click a photo to enlarge.

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.

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