Inventory Site Record

Folkestone Gardens was created in the 1970s on the site of war-damaged housing, and is surrounded by railway lines. The Grand Surrey Canal used to run past the northern end of the park from Camberwell to the Surrey Docks; it was filled in in 1972, having closed the previous year. On undulating ground, the park has grass, woodland areas, a belt of Lombardy poplars along the edge, and a group of sycamores in the centre. In the north-west is a large pond with an island with weeping willow. Among facilities here is a plaza-style skate park and park cafe, located in what was once the park's public toilets.

Site location:

Trundleys Road/Rolt Street/Canal Approach, Deptford

Postcode:

SE8 5JE

What 3 Words:

rushed.gifted.tiles

Type of site:

Public Park

Borough:

Lewisham

Open to public?

Yes

Opening times:

8am - sunset

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Skate Park; play area, ball court, multi-sports pitch, Sylva cafe (open Wed-Sat 8.30am-4pm; Sun 9.30am-4.30pm)

Events:

Public transport:

Rail/London Overground: New Cross, New Cross Gate. Bus: 225

Citymapper    
Google Map    
streetmap.co.uk

Research updated:

03/06/2024

Last minor changes:

06/06/2024

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.lewisham.gov.uk/inmyarea/openspaces; www.deptfordfolk.org

By the early C20th the area was heavily built up with housing, many occupied by railway employees and their families. In 1945 the area was badly bombed, destroying many houses and causing 52 deaths. 

The park is overlooked and completely surrounded by railway lines of the South Eastern Railway and the former London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. The Grand Surrey Canal used to run past the northern end of the site from Camberwell to the Surrey Docks but closed in 1971, and filled in the following year, its location recalled by Surrey Canal Road. At this time, in the early 1970s, Folkestone Gardens was laid out on the site of the war-damaged housing, and named after one of the demolished streets. On undulating ground, the park has grass, woodland areas, a belt of Lombardy poplars along the edge, and a group of sycamores in the centre. In the north-west is a large pond with an island with weeping willow. When it was restored in 1994, some of the pond-side plants were taken from the surplus at Hare and Billet Pond on Blackheath. The pond (2024) is practically invisible due to the density of plants, its location only evident by presence of Canada geese. The park supports a surprising diversity of plants and animals considering its size and location.

In October 2015 work commenced on a new Deptford Skatepark in Folkestone Gardens, replacing the original metal quarter pipe and a driveway installed in 2003 and 2005. The new concrete plaza-style skatepark opened in February 2016; managed by Lewisham Council, it was built by Freestyle Skateparks at a cost of around £240k.

DeptfordFolk was established in 2015 as a parks group for Deptford Park (q.v.) and Folkestone Gardens, to improve the two parks and the routes to them. Since then they have planted trees, introduced new bins and benches, restored the paths in Deptford Park and put on numerous events. Funding from Deptford Challenge Trust in 2016/17 enabled them to survey park users to identify priorities. In 2017 the group teamed up with Lewisham Council and Sustrans to apply for the Mayor of London's Liveable Neighbourhood scheme. In honour of John Evelyn, a project to plant 200 trees throughout the Evelyn Ward was completed in April 2019 with the planting of the 200th tree in Pepys Park (q.v.).

A cafe / restaurant called 'Festa sul Prato' opened in late 2016/early 2017 in what were once the park's public toilets and attracted critical acclaim, with Jay Rayner's review in the Observer Magazine describing the cafe and restaurant as ‘utterly cheery and fun and good-hearted'. By 2020 it had become 'park cafe honle', but it has now re-opened as 'Sylva', named after John Evelyn's eponymous book, and provides seasonal food inspired by Mediterranean and Middle Eastern home cooking for breakfast and lunch. Coincidentally, a plaque to John Evelyn and Sylva has been erected by the path near the cafe, as part of the Deptford Park Art Trail 2021. Initiated in 2021 as part of the Deptford Parks Liveable Neighbourhood Project, the trail of 19 artworks was created for Lewisham by artist Tom Berry and Sustrans with support of Transport for London, and runs along a green walking and bicycle-friendly route between Folkstone Gardens and Fordham Park (q.v.), connecting the Evelyn and New Cross wards. Each plaque and illustration, mounted on a signpost along the route, commemorates an aspect of the local neighbourhood, from its early history, such as Evelyn's connections to the area, to more recent events, such as the devastating New Cross Fire on 18 January 1981, as well as its maritime, social and industrial history. Ideas were collected as a result of meetings, workshops and research at Lewisham's Local History and Archives Centre. Woodpecker Road, the landscaped route of the path between the two parks is itself historic, and existed as Woolfacre or Woolpicker Lane, before housing was built in the area.

Sources consulted:

John Archer, Ian Yarham, 'Nature Conservation in Lewisham', Ecology Handbook 30, London Ecology Unit, 2000; Candy Blackham, 'Green Lewisham' (Clink Street Publishing, 2022); https://www.deptfordfolk.org/; https://tomberry.co.uk/special-projects/deptford

Grid ref:

TQ362778 (536250,177850)

Size in hectares:

2.25

Site ownership:

LB Lewisham

Site management:

Greenscene Department, Glendale Grounds Management; DeptfordFolk

Date(s):

1970s

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:

Yes - Local Importance

Green Belt:

Metropolitan Open Land:

No

Special Policy Area:

Other LA designation:

Public Open Space

Folkestone Gardens: Skate Park to rear, June 2024. Photograph Sally Williams

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