Type public park Created 1905 (1905) Website lewisham.gov.uk Phone +44 20 8318 3986 | Location London, England Status Open year round Area 13 ha | |
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Operated by London Borough of Lewisham Address The Lodge, Stainton Rd, Catford SE6 1AN, UK Hours Open today · 7:45AM–4:30PMMonday7:45AM–4:30PMTuesday7:45AM–4:30PMWednesday7:45AM–4:30PMThursday7:45AM–4:30PMFriday7:45AM–4:30PMSaturday7:45AM–4:30PMSunday7:45AM–4:30PM Similar Manor House Gardens, Forster Memorial Park, Hillingdon Court, Stan Country Park - Lon, Winn's Common Profiles | ||
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.
Contents
Mountsfield park springtime
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.