Brockwell Park Walled Garden is an historic gem in South London. Found in the London Borough of Lambeth, Brockwell Park is contained within the areas of Herne Hill, Brixton, Dulwich and Tulse Hill. Passed daily by commuters and enjoyed by the local community, there are many aspects to the park which may not be known. I know I discovered some new facts when I visited.
The handsome early nineteenth century Brockwell Hall that sits at the crest of the hill is a Grade II* listed building. In fact, Brockwell Park contains other listed buildings – the Tritton Clock Tower, the Art Deco Brockwell Lido, the coach house and stables and the Temple folly adjoining the walled garden. The Park itself is also registered as historically important, with a Grade II listing.
The handsome early nineteenth century Brockwell Hall that sits at the crest of the hill is a Grade II* listed building. In fact, Brockwell Park contains other listed buildings – the Tritton Clock Tower, the Art Deco Brockwell Lido, both Grade II listed; the coach house and stables and the Temple folly adjoining the walled garden. The Park itself is also registered as historically important with a Grade II listing.
Dating back originally to the Middle Ages, and owned by the monastic institution of St Thomas’ Hospital between 1352-1537, the layout of the estate as it is familiar today as Brockwell Park, dates mainly from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. John Blades purchased the estate and had D. R. Roper build a new house, the current mansion, in 1811-13. Roper also designed the Temple next to the walled garden. J.B. Papworth, an architect who worked with Blades at his Ludgate glassworks, made various amendments to the Hall during the 1820s.
Brockwell Hall and much of the surrounding land were acquired by the London County Council (LCC) in March 1891. Sadly, Thomas Bristowe, MP for Norwood, who had led the movement to purchase Brockwell Park, collapsed at the opening ceremony in June 1892 and died shortly after.
At the time of purchase, the estate was largely laid out as parkland, with impressive oak trees and elm. The enormous oak tree (Quercus robur) near the Hall is one of the Great Trees of London, and is over 600years old. Unfortunately, the elm trees succumbed to Dutch Elm Disease in the 1970s and, like most British elms, had to be felled. On a positive note, there are still some 4000 elm trees (Ulmus) in Greater London, including one overlooking another local Lido at Tooting Bec.
Walking from the mansion house (where I ate a tasty slice of cake) to the walled garden, leads past the Tritton Clock Tower. This cast iron square tower has a clock face on each side and a plaque to Charles Tritton, MP for Norwood, who presented the clock tower to the park in 1897. Tritton was involved in encouraging the LCC to purchase in 1903 the remainder of the park.
And onto the Walled Garden.
Originally part of the productive area of the estate, the walled garden was the original kitchen garden. Where the community greenhouses are now found were greenhouses and a general propagation area for the estate. A site to grow both ornamental plants for the gardens and to start off tender edible crops that would then be transplanted and grown on in the kitchen garden. The community greenhouses now provide an excellent educational and productive resource, with a ‘show’ greenhouse and raised beds to help with teaching local people how to ‘grow their own’ among other events.
The old walled kitchen garden – and Brockwell Park – was lucky to benefit from the input of J. J. Sexby. Sexby was the Chief Officer of Parks at the London County Council and was instrumental in the adaptation of the Brockwell Estate into Brockwell Park.
He was a man of popular horticultural vision. By which I mean he could see how to sensitively re-use an unneeded area for growing edible produce into an ornamental garden for the local population to enjoy.
Described by the English Heritage Register of Historic Parks and Gardens as a “‘formal but exuberant scheme of massed bedding, rose beds and topiary around a central pool” it is as lovely a walled garden today as it was then. Some of the thanks for this must go to 2012 restoration using Lottery funding.
The formal walled garden created in the late nineteenth century included rose beds, flowering shrubs, topiary, massed bedding of herbaceous perennials and annuals. Rustic arbours and pergolas, provided with seating encouraged visitors to linger and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and scented roses.
Although the original topiary no longer forms a part of the scheme, there is an archway through the mature yew hedge. Smaller topiary bushes mark the corners of some of the crazy paving paths and flower borders.
Roses still abound in the walled garden; pink roses, white roses and red roses all add their delicate scent to the warm air. One of the advantages of a walled garden is that the containment allows for the flower’s perfume to be captured for the visitor to enjoy. And the numerous benches encourage one to sit, breathe in the flowers’ aroma and relax.
The sound of south London traffic is hardly discernible over the humming of the bees busy amongst the dahlias, salvias and other herbaceous perennial flowers. Indeed, the cries of laughter from children running past the gates on their way to the sand and water play areas next to the ponds are a pleasant counterpoint to the singing of blackbirds.
The exotic border is an exciting modern addition, still within the spirit of the original walled garden. Filled with exuberantly colourful tender perennials such as orange canna, purple castor oil plant and the bi-coloured ipomoea lobata. Hardy banana plants (Musa basjoo) both green leaved and purple romp in a statuesque manner.
A raised bed, partly hidden by the dense planting, gives height to smaller plants at the rear of the border. This trick is one which could be used by more traditional herbaceous border planting, and even in productive edible gardens.
Eventually the sundial on the wall reminded me I should be elsewhere, but a return visit is on my list. Spring would be a good time, to see how different the walled garden looks in the fresh season. And I will make more time to spend in the community greenhouse area and explore the outer regions of Brockwell Park, to relish the sight of those wonderful trees.
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