Covering a whopping 98 hectares, beautiful Beckenham Place Park is the Borough of Lewisham’s largest green space. As well as areas of ancient woodland and sweeping grass verges, you’ll also find the gorgeous Georgian Beckenham Place Mansion here, filled with pastel pink and baby blue interiors. The building has recently been renovated as an arts, cultural and community centre by the people behind Copeland Park and the Bussey Building with a record store, bar, cafe, artists studios and regular pop-up events.
In 2019, a £6.8 million renovation project brought an open swimming lake to the park. The council refilled the park’s lost Georgian lake, which was originally created by Beckenham Place Mansion’s former resident John Cator in 1800 before being filled in in the twentieth century. The purpose-built open-water hangout will be open all year round from Tuesday to Sunday for swimming and boating with lifeguards in the summer. Currently, a three-hour swimming session costs £3 (or £2 for concessions) and must be booked online in advance, here.
The multi-million-pound project also created a new wet woodland, hoped to become a brand new ecological environment for wildlife, and renovated the old stable block with a light, airy cafe run by the team from Look Mum, No Hands.