Brockwell Park

Infobox park

---

image size=350px
caption=A hut in Brockwell Park
park=Brockwell Park
location=London
coordinates=coord|51|27|03|N|0|06|27|W
size=128.5 acres (0.5 km²)
status=Open all year

Brockwell Park is a 128.5 acre (0.5 km²) park located in Herne Hill, bordered by Brixton Water Lane, Norwood Road, Tulse Hill and Dulwich Road in South London. It is home to the annual Lambeth Country Show. The park also commands great views of the skyline of the The City and Central London. At the top of the hill within the park stands Brockwell Hall.

History

Brockwell Hall was originally built between 1811-1813 when the area was part of Surrey and was the country seat of glass merchant John Blades Esq. The land and house was acquired by the London County Council (LCC) for public use in March 1891.

In 1899 the LCC acquired a further 43 acres of land north of the original park, so the park now borders Dulwich Road. In the 1920s, there were 13 cricket pitches in the park, which attracted crowds of up to 1,500. Brockwell Park is home to the Galton Institute.

The band 'Red House Painters' once wrote a song about the park, aptly named "Brockwell park", which featured on the most recently produced compilation album of demos and live recordings, 'Retrospective'.

Facilities

Brockwell Park contains a number of amenities:
* The Brockwell Lido, an open air swimming pool
* Several duck ponds
* A café, inside Brockwell Hall at the top of the hill
* A bowling green
* A BMX track
* A walled garden
* Tennis courts
* Football pitches
* A paddling pool
* A children's miniature train ride

External links

* [http://www.brockwellpark.com Friends of Brockwell Park]
* [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=49778 Survey of London entries on Brockwell Hall and Brockwell Park (1851)]
** [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=49849 Plan and elevations of Brockwell Hall]
* [http://www.ideal-homes.org.uk/lambeth/herne-hill/brockwell-hall-1820.htm Image of Brockwell Hall in 1820]