Mountsfield Park

Mountsfield Park is a public park in Catford, near to Hither Green within the London Borough of Lewisham. The nearest railway stations are Hither Green, Catford and Catford Bridge.

Mountsfield Park
Mountsfield Park opened in 1905 and has been greatly enlarged. It is a key park in Lewisham. photo: Stuart Cankett, geograph.org.uk
Type	public park
Location	London, England
Coordinates	51°26′50″N 0°00′22″W
Area	13 hectares (32 acres)
Created	1905 (1905)
Operated by	London Borough of Lewisham
Open	8am-sunset
Status	Open year round
Website	lewisham.gov.uk

History of the park

The core area of the park was originally part of Mountsfield, a substantial house and grounds, built in 1845 for the noted microlepidopterist and entomologist Henry Tibbats Stainton by his father as a wedding gift. The house and some 2.5 hectares (6 acres) of parkland lying to the south of it were bequeathed for a park by his widow in 1903, with the park opening to the public in August 1905.[1]

Over time, the park was substantially enlarged, with land bought from the School Board for London and further allotment land acquired. An area used for a short time as a football ground by Charlton Athletic FC was added to the park in 1923/4. A bombed row of houses in George Lane was added after World War II and a further tranche of land formerly used as playing fields by Catford Boys School in Brownhill Road was added in 1994.[1][2]

The house itself, which stood in the north-east corner of the park, was demolished in 1905, but stables and outbuildings were retained and used as park keepers’ buildings until a fire destroyed them in 1969. A former museum for Stainton’s entomology collections was a tearoom until its demolition in 1981.[1]

Layout and notable features

Today, the park extends to 13 hectares (32 acres) and there are entrances on Stainton Road, Brownhill Road, George Lane and Carswell Road. The biggest gates to the Park are on Carswell Road. Facilities include football pitches, tennis courts, ball court and children’s play area. Because of its size, location and parking, it is often used for large events, including Lewisham Borough Council’s People’s Day event in July, typically attracting crowds of over 30,000.[3]

The park also includes a bandstand, community garden, meadow grassland, and Edwardian rose garden, while areas of high ground offer views west over Catford and towards Crystal Palace. It is considered a key park by the borough and has a park keeper on Saturdays and Mondays.

Panorama of the park

References

1. "London Gardens Online". London Gardens Online. 1905-08-07. Retrieved 2013-07-15.
2. "Mountsfield Park, Hither Green, c. 1910 | Lewisham Galleries". Ideal Homes. 2010-09-29. Retrieved 2013-07-15.
3. "Lewisham Council - Mountsfield Park". Lewisham.gov.uk. Retrieved 2013-07-15.

External sources

• Lewisham Council Mountsfield Park page
• Friends of Mountsfield Park
• Mountsfield Park archaeological impact assessment by the London Museum, detailing park history and topography