This historic parkland contains a range of habitats, including extensive ancient woodland, acid grassland, ancient trees and various wetlands. Wetland features include one of the few remaining natural sections of the River Ravensbourne, an old pond and a small area of willow woodland. The golf course in the park has a number of ancient oak trees and the roughs contain acid grassland.The site includes a Local Nature Reserve. Bromley: Walk for Life project uses this site a Walking the Way to Health (WHI) scheme; see link for details.
Local Wildlife Site
Accessible Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation
Beckenham Place Park
Borough: Lewisham
Grade: Metropolitan
Access: Free public access (part of site)
Area: 96.26 ha
Description
Wildlife
The woodland has abundant bluebells and a number of locally uncommon plants, including Solomon's-seal, wild service-tree and scaly male-fern, as well as a wide range of fungi. The pond vegetation includes bittersweet, yellow iris and trifid bur-marigold, which is very rare locally. The roughs on the golf course support several locally rare species, such as dwarf gorse, trailing St John's-wort and blinks.The breeding bird life includes sparrowhawk, kingfisher, tawny owl, all three woodpeckers, stock dove, ring-necked parakeet, blackcap, chiffchaff, goldcrest, nuthatch, treecreeper and spotted flycatcher.The insect life is also of importance, including several rare beetles and the purple hairstreak butterfly. There are uncommon lichens in the old willow woodland.Facilities
Information (visitor centre, run by the Friends of Beckenham Place Park); car parking; historic features; toilets; refreshments; waymarked walking route.
Roosting tawny owls © Nigel Reeve
View across Beckenham Place Park © Ian Yarham
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