Brookmill Park

The park began life in 1880 as a small recreation ground near the Kent Waterworks' reservoir, which supplied water to homes in Deptford and Greenwich, drawing water from the Ravensbourne. In the 1920s, part of the by then disused reservoir was infilled and added to the area, creating Brookmill Park. Nearby housing in Brookmill Road was destroyed during World War II and cleared ground was used to enlarge the park, which re-opened in 1951 as Ravensbourne Park. In 1965, Lewisham and Deptford were amalgamated into one London borough and the park reverted to its earlier name of Brookmill. During DLR extension to Lewisham in the 1990s, the River Ravensbourne was rerouted. Most of the park to the…

The park runs parallel to the River Ravensbourne along its eastern side and Brookmill Road on the western side. It covers an area of 1.92 ha, or 3.6 ha if the River Ravensbourne is included. Part of the former reservoir remains as a small lake within the park – this had been drained but was reinstated after a local campaign. The footpath and cycle path in the park are part of the Waterlink Way, which runs through Lewisham and Bromley. They also form part of National Cycle Route 21, which extends from the River Thames at Creekside to Eastbourne.