Grove Park

This area was mainly woodland until the 18th century, when the trees were cut down. Many of them were burned to make charcoal, hence the name Burnt Ash for part of the area. After the trees had been cleared, Burnt Ash Farm covered much of the present Grove Park area and the only inhabitants were a few farm labourers and their families. A smaller farm, near Somertrees Avenue, was called Grove Farm and was to give its name to Grove Park.

In the mid-nineteenth century much of the land was dug up for earth to make bricks, and houses began to be built. Grove Park station opened in 1871 and made the area an attractive one for commuters; many more houses were built. But farming, particularly dairy farming and plant nurseries, continued.

Lewisham Council built the Grove Park Estate in the 1920s, acquiring Chinbrook Meadows for a recreation ground. Private housing was also built between the wars; the railway to central London was electrified in 1926, making the journey to central London faster and therefore encouraging commuters to live in Grove Park.

The last farmland was built on in the 1960s; however, private sports grounds as well as Chinbrook Meadows provide open spaces.

Open Spaces:

Archive Collection pages with connections to Grove Park:

People with connections to Grove Park:
Edith Nesbit (1858-1924), author of children's books such as 'The Railway Children', lived in Baring Road. A footpath leading to the Hither Green Nature Reserve is called Railway Children Walk.

Pages with connections to Grove Park:

For more information, pictures and maps, see our Ideal Homes webpages at
