| Ruskin Park | |
|---|---|
 Bandstand | |
   | |
| Type | Public park |
| Location | Denmark Hill, Lambeth, London SE5, England |
| Coordinates | 51°27′53″N0°05′37″W / 51.464703°N 0.093729°W |
| Area | 36 acres (15 ha) |
| Created | 2 February 1907 |
| Status | Open all year |
Ruskin Park is a park in the London Borough of Lambeth, London, England, close to Camberwell, Loughborough Junction and Herne Hill.
At the start of the 20th century local residents successfully campaigned for a new public park on 24 acres of land on Denmark Hill, and it opened to the public on 2 February 1907. The park was laid out by the notable parks designer Lt-Col JJ Sexby. Sexby's design included an Old English Garden, an oval duck pond, a bandstand and a bowling green. The bowling green has been replaced by a garden, but the other features remain. [1] In 1910 Ruskin Park was enlarged by the addition of a further 12 acres (5 ha) to the south west.
The existing houses on the site were demolished when the park was created. One of these was Dane House, where, in 1842, Felix Mendelssohn composed Spring Song . [1] There is a sundial in the park commemorating Mendelssohn's visit. [2] The former entrance porch to one of the demolished houses remains in the park, and is Grade II listed. [3]
The park is named after John Ruskin (1819–1900), a poet, writer and a major champion of diverse green spaces as well as of the Arts and Crafts movement, who lived nearby from 1823 to 1871. He gives his name equally to a university, college, museum and square. [4]
During World War I, recruits of the 21st Battalion, London Regiment (First Surrey Rifles) based at nearby Flodden Road in Camberwell, trained in the park. [5]
In 1967, the rock band Pink Floyd used Ruskin Park for their first official photoshoot. [6]
It has a playground, nature area, tennis court, basketball court, football and cricket pitches, and pond. [7]
There is a mural of a common toad on a wall in the park by street artist ATM, which was commissioned by the charity Froglife. [8]
Ruskin Park is open from 7.00am to 15 minutes before sunset every day.
Camberwell is an area of South London, England, in the London Borough of Southwark, 2+3⁄4 miles southeast of Charing Cross.
The London Borough of Southwark in South London forms part of Inner London and is connected by bridges across the River Thames to the City of London and London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It was created in 1965 when three smaller council areas amalgamated under the London Government Act 1963. All districts of the area are within the London postal district. It is governed by Southwark London Borough Council.
Lambeth is a London borough in South London, England, which forms part of Inner London. Its name was recorded in 1062 as Lambehitha and in 1255 as Lambeth. The geographical centre of London is at Frazier Street near Lambeth North tube station, though nearby Charing Cross on the other side of the Thames in the City of Westminster is traditionally considered the centre of London.
Camberwell was a civil parish and metropolitan borough in south London, England. Camberwell was an ancient parish in the county of Surrey, governed by an administrative vestry from 1674. The parish was included in the area of responsibility of the Metropolitan Board of Works in 1855 and became part of the County of London in 1889. The parish of Camberwell became a metropolitan borough in 1900, following the London Government Act 1899, with the parish vestry replaced by a borough council. In 1965 the borough was abolished and its former area became part of the London Borough of Southwark in Greater London.
Herne Hill is a district in South London, approximately four miles from Charing Cross and bordered by Brixton, Camberwell, Dulwich, and Tulse Hill. It sits to the north and east of Brockwell Park and straddles the boundary between the boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark. There is a road of the same name in the area, as well as a railway station.
Brockwell Park is a 50.8 hectare park located south of Brixton, in Herne Hill and Tulse Hill in south London. It is bordered by the roads Brixton Water Lane, Norwood Road, Tulse Hill and Dulwich Road.
Nunhead is a suburb in the London Borough of Southwark in London, England. It is an inner-city suburb located 4 miles (6.4 km) southeast of Charing Cross. It is the location of the 52-acre (0.21 km2) Nunhead Cemetery. Nunhead has traditionally been a working-class area and, with the adjacent neighbourhoods, is currently going through a lengthy process of gentrification. Nunhead is the location of several underground reservoirs, built by the Southwark and Vauxhall Waterworks Company.
Shirley is an area of south London, England, within the London Borough of Croydon. It lies north of Spring Park and Addington, east of Addiscombe, south of Monks Orchard and west of West Wickham, and ten miles south-southeast of Charing Cross. Prior to the creation of Greater London in 1965, Shirley was in the administrative county of Surrey.
The London Borough of Croydon has over 120 parks and open spaces within its boundaries, ranging from the 200 acre (80ha) Selsdon Wood Nature Reserve to many recreation grounds and sports fields scattered throughout the Borough. Croydon covers an area of 86.52 km², the 256th largest district in England. Croydon's physical features consist of many hills and rivers that are spread out across the borough and into the North Downs, Surrey and the rest of South London. Some of the open spaces in Croydon form part of the well-known London LOOP walks where the first section was opened on 3 May 1996 with a ceremony on Farthing Downs in Coulsdon. As a borough in Outer London it also contains some open countryside in the form of country parks. Croydon Council is associated with several other boroughs who are taking part in the Downlands Countryside Management Project. These boroughs are Sutton; and by Surrey County Council; the City of London Corporation; the Surrey districts of Reigate and Banstead and Tandridge; and the Countryside Agency. An additional partner is Natural Britain.
The London Borough of Lambeth, in spite of being close to the centre of London has over 64 areas of parks and open spaces, in addition to 34 play areas and eight paddling pools, within its boundaries. In common with all the London boroughs these green spaces provide "lungs" for the leisure pursuits of the inhabitants.
Kennington Common was a swathe of common land mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth. It was one of the earliest venues for cricket around London, with matches played between 1724 and 1785. The common was also used for public executions, fairs and public gatherings. Important orators spoke there, addressing crowds numbering tens of thousands.
Peckham Rye is an open space and road in the London Borough of Southwark in London, England. The roughly triangular open space lies to the south of Peckham town centre. It is managed by Southwark Council and consists of two contiguous areas, with Peckham Rye Common to the north and Peckham Rye Park to the south. The road Peckham Rye forms the western and eastern perimeter of the open space.
Ravenscourt Park or RCP is an 8.3 hectares public park and garden located in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, England. It is one of the Borough's flagship parks, having won a Green Flag Award. Stamford Brook and Ravenscourt Park tube stations are close by.
The A215 is an A road in south London, starting at Elephant and Castle and finishing around Shirley. It runs through the London Boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark and Croydon.
Loughborough Junction is an area of South London, in the London Borough of Lambeth, which is located equidistant between Brixton, Camberwell and Herne Hill.
Southwark Park is located in Rotherhithe, in central South East London, England, and is managed by the London Borough of Southwark. It first opened in 1869 by the Metropolitan Board of Works as one of its first parks. It was designed by Alexander McKenzie and covers 63 acres (250,000 m2). It takes its name from being in what was the old Parliamentary constituency of Southwark at the time of its opening.
John James Sexby VD was a British civil servant who served as the first Chief Officer for Parks for the London County Council from 1892 to 1909, and was responsible for the creation of many of London's late Victorian and Edwardian parks. He is invariably described as Lt-Col JJ Sexby, although all of his military service was in the Volunteer Force and Lt-Col was an honorary title as his substantive rank was that of a Major.
Eaglesfield Park is a public park situated close to the top of Shooter's Hill, south of Woolwich, in the Royal Borough of Greenwich in south east London.
Northbrook Park is a public park located on Baring Road south of Lee Green and north of Grove Park in the London Borough of Lewisham, southeast London, England. It is roughly 9 acres (3.6 ha) in size, and contains a large central field bounded by trees, a children's playground, with a sandpit and splash pool, a multipurpose game court, two football pitches, outdoor gym equipment and a "legal" graffiti wall. The park was previously a field named Ten-Acre Field, despite actually being 7 acres (2.8 ha), and part of the Baring Estate of Lee. In 1898, Thomas Baring, 1st Earl of Northbrook gifted part of his family's estate to public use in commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. The Park was designed by Lt Col J J Sexby, Chief Officer of the London County Council's Parks Department, then was officially opened on 14 March 1903. In the past the park contained a larger playground, a paddling pool, a pond, a bowling green and a tennis court.
