Beckenham Place Park - 020 8325 8781

Beckenham Place Park is a large park located near Beckenham in the London Borough of Lewisham. It lies close to the border with London Borough of Bromley. It includes a recently closed (31 Oct 2016) 18-hole public (municipal) golf course. The Palladian-style former mansion that gave the park its name now serves as an information centre and golf course clubhouse and cafe.History of the parkBeckenham Manor has medieval origins and is mentioned in the Domesday Book as belonging to the Bishop of Bayeux. In the 17th century, the whole estate was owned by Walter St John, with manorial rights passing to the noted Quaker and MP John Cator in 1773. Records show John Cator acquired land here as early as 1757 and built his house by 1762. His father-in-law, botanist Peter Collinson, visited in September 1762, commenting:"... went, for the first time, to visit my son-in-law John Cater '''' (who married my daughter), at his new-built house, now finished, at Stump's Hill, half-way (on the south side of the road) between Southend and Beckenham, in Kent, began in the spring 1760, on a pretty wooded estate that he had purchased. The plantations about it, all of his own doing, I found in a thriving condition, and when grown up will adorn so stately a house, in so delectable a situation, and make it a Paradise." Cator, reputed to be friends with Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus, introduced many exotic tree species and a lake, which is now dry. Even today, there are reputed to be 60 species of tree on the estate. Cator built the mansion that stands today.

Tags: Stadium, Arena & Sports Venue