Forster Memorial Park, is a public park in
London Borough of Lewisham
Lewisham () is a London boroughs, London borough in south-east London; it forms part of Inner London. The principal settlement of the borough is Lewisham. The local authority is Lewisham London Borough Council, based in Catford. The Prime Merid ...
. It takes up the land between Bellingham Road and Whitefoot Lane,
Catford
Catford is a district in south east London, England, and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Lewisham. It is southwest of Lewisham itself, mostly in the Rushey Green and Catford South wards. The population of Catford, includ ...
– the park and surrounding roads form Southend or Southend Village. The nearest stations are
Bellingham and
Beckenham Hill.
History of the park
The land where the park now stands was donated by
H.W. Forster, first
MP for
Bromley
Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is south-east of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 87,889 as of 2011.
Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, c ...
and later
Governor-General of Australia. The Forster family had lived at Southend Hall from the early 19th century (now demolished, but located near the junction of Bromley Road and Whitefoot Lane) and had a large estate covering what was then a rural outpost of London in the county of
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
. The land for the park was donated in memory of H.W. Forster’s two sons, Alfred and John Forster, who died in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, and was formally opened by his daughter in 1922.
The park was expanded again in 1937, when further land to the north was bought from the Forster Estate Company.
Layout and notable features
The park, which is accessed from Whitefoot Lane, extends to and is unusual for an urbanised area in that its central area of open grassland is surrounded by
relict
A relict is a surviving remnant of a natural phenomenon.
Biology
A relict (or relic) is an organism that at an earlier time was abundant in a large area but now occurs at only one or a few small areas.
Geology and geomorphology
In geology, a r ...
ancient woodland. This wood includes
ash
Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...
,
hornbeam
Hornbeams are hardwood trees in the flowering plant genus ''Carpinus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The 30–40 species occur across much of the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
Origin of names
The common English name ''hornbeam ...
and
oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
trees. The woodland’s shrub layer has been found to include some
wild service tree
''Sorbus torminalis'', with common names wild service tree, chequers, and checker tree, is a species of tree in the mountain ash or rowan genus (''Sorbus'') of the rose family (Rosaceae), that is native to Europe, parts of northern Africa and we ...
, a rare species in the UK that is almost exclusively found in ancient woods and hedgerows.
The area has been managed since 1999 by the borough’s environmental taskforce. Their work includes removal of invasive species, such as
sycamore
Sycamore is a name which has been applied to several types of trees, but with somewhat similar leaf forms. The name derives from the ancient Greek ' (''sūkomoros'') meaning "fig-mulberry".
Species of trees known as sycamore:
* ''Acer pseudoplata ...
, and restoration of a more natural landscape.
The park includes a children’s play area,
BMX track, cycle route and
cycling proficiency area and a football pitch.
There is an active Friends of Forster Memorial Park.
See also
*
Excalibur Estate
References
External sources
History of Southend Village, including historic maps
{{Parks and open spaces in London
Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Lewisham
Downham, London
Protected areas established in 1922
1922 establishments in England