Parks and playgrounds directory

Location

South Norwood, main entrance off Albert Road, extends as far as Elmers End Road in the north east. The tram service for the park stops at Harrington Road - Route 2.

Area

125 acres, 50.59 hectares.

Facilities

• wild flower meadows
• wetland and lake
• viewing mound
• children's playground
• pitch and putt (out of operation indefinitely whilst provision of the facility is under review)
• visitors centre (currently closed for refurbishment)
• designated cycle path (part of the Water Link Way) running through the park
• toilets including facilities for radar keyholders are available (currently closed as part of refurbishment works)
• car park and several designated bays for the disabled
• The Kiosk Community Café: every Saturday 9am to 2pm

Visitors and education centre

The visitor and education centre building has been closed and inaccessible since an incident of arson. We are working with officers from relevant services to explore options to reinstate and improve the infrastructure of the building.

We are also considering proposed suggestions from an interested group of individuals and the local councillor.

Information on how we aim to proceed will be publicly available before any final decisions are made. Updates will be provided both on this page and with on-site information displays.

Download a map of South Norwood Country Park (PDF, 6.7MB).

History

The site was a sewage farm from the middle of the 19th century until 1966 when it fell into disuse. It was declared Metropolitan Open Land in 1982.

The country park itself was opened in 1989 after the creation of the pond and wet meadow. With a range of different habitats, the country park is a haven for wildlife and an important site for nature conservation. It is a local nature reserve.

The park has an excellent bird record with over 100 different species being sighted each year. The large wetlands attract a wide variety of birds.