Inventory Site Record

Dickens’ Fields, formerly known as Dickens Square Park is a local park located off Falmouth Road, close to the Rockingham, Lawson and Trinity Newington housing estates. The LCC Rockingham Estate was built in the 1930s and included Dickens Square, although this road pre-dates the LCC estate and is shown on maps from the mid-C19th as Union Square. A number of the streets and terraces of housing here were cleared in the early 1970s and part of the area was laid out as public open space with Dickens Park dating from the 1980s. The need to improve the park, which had become overgrown and was felt to be unsafe, was under discussion for many years and it was eventually re-landscaped and re-opened on 1 September 2021 when it was renamed Dickens’ Fields. Within the park is the Anne Keane playground, named after a local resident who had campaigned for the development of the park. 

Previous / Other name:

Dickens Square Park; Dickens Park

Site location:

Falmouth Road

Postcode:

SE1 4JL

What 3 Words:

spot.daisy.ropes

Type of site:

Public Park

Borough:

Southwark

Open to public?

Yes

Opening times:

unrestricted

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Fitness and outdoor gym equipment, Anne Keane playground

Events:

Public transport:

Tube: Borough (Northern), Elephant & Castle (Northern, Bakerloo)

Citymapper    
Google Map    
streetmap.co.uk

Research updated:

21/11/2022

Last minor changes:

05/12/2022

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. https://www.southwark.gov.uk/parks-and-open-spaces/parks/dickens-square-park

When it was laid out with the surrounding housing in c.1844 Dickens Square was originally called Union Square  Most of the housing survived WWII but was demolished in 1971-2 and the area was designated as Public Open Space. Dickens Square Park was built on an area partly destroyed by a V2 and dates from the 1980s. Many of the self-seeded sycamore trees found in the park were once at the boundaries of streets and back gardens of demolished houses, so provide a link to the past history of the site. The park incorporated an Adventure Playground, but this eventually closed. The need to restore and revitalise Dickens Square Park was under discussion for some time and in 2011 a scheme was granted permission, although this did not come to fruition.

In 2021 landscaping improvements were undertaken by LDA Design landscape architects and main contractor Tilhill Forestry in a project developed with LB Southwark and the local community. As part of the project Butterfly Walk and a new access road were created, together with new entrances and pathways, park furniture, play and sports facilities. The aim was to create a more welcoming, attractive and accessible park that would meet the needs of the local population and visitors, with improved visibility in order to enable passive surveillance from nearby streets and reduce opportunities for anti-social behaviour. Unfortunately 2 Black Poplars were erroneously removed during the improvement works. The new playground is named after Anne Keane, who had lived on the Rockingham Estate and was the driving force behind the origins and development of the park, including an earlier adventure playground on the old Despatch Motors site. The playground is managed by Rockingham Estate Play Association.

The much improved park re-opened to the public on 1 September 2021. The works included improvements to the entrance of the small strip of public land that led to Dickens Square from Brockham Street, previously a wooded natural area with a path running through it, now known as Butterfly Walk. The park is of local importance for nature conservation with 11 bird species, including blackcap and green woodpecker.

Much of the surrounding residential area has been designated as a conservation area, which includes a small area of Dickens' Fields. 

Sources consulted:

LDA Design, 'Dicken's Fields,  Southwark. Design and Access Statement', November 2019; Trinity Church Square Conservation Area Appraisal (no date); https://www.southwark.gov.uk/parks-and-open-spaces/projects-in-parks/dickens-fields; https://www.swlondoner.co.uk/news/22032021-southwark-council-contractors-mistakenly-chop-down-two-trees; http://edithsstreets.blogspot.com/2017/08/borough-newington.html;

Grid ref:

TQ324792 (532422,179296)

Size in hectares:

1.02

Site ownership:

LB Southwark

Site management:

Date(s):

1980s

Designer(s):

LDA Design (2021)

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 (part)

Conservation Area name:

Trinity Church Square

Tree Preservation Order:

No

Nature Conservation Area:

Yes - Local Importance

Green Belt:

No

Metropolitan Open Land:

No

Special Policy Area:

Other LA designation:

OS Greenspace - Public Park