Preparing to visit BPP

Everyone is welcome in Beckenham Place Park, and we have 96 hectares of it, so plenty of space for all! There are periods when the park, like most green spaces, is busier and we rely on all visitors to play their part when sharing this beautiful space.

The motto when visiting any green space should always be

“leave it as you found it”

We want visitors to have a positive experience at Beckenham Place Park and below are some tips for being a responsible visitor so that everyone can have a great day in the park!

Travel

Travel sustainably - walk, cycle or use public transport if you can. Car parking space is very limited and the park is well-served by public transport and cycling routes.  

Plan your journey ahead - visit Travelling to Beckenham Place Park for full details.

If you must drive to the park, please be advised that there is a new Lewisham-wide cashless car park system. We strongly advise downloading the app and registering in advance of your arrival to the park.  

Social Gatherings

As the weather warms up, many groups of families and friends chose to have their get togethers and celebrations in the park. Picnics, birthday celebrations and many more gatherings can be seen on any given weekend.

We ask visitors to observe the following:

·        Please don’t bring confetti or balloons to the park – unlike a hall for hire or your own home, these cannot be easily removed, and are dangerous to wildlife and nature  

·        Don’t bring gazebos for private events in the park as this presents a health and safety hazard with potentially serious consequences. There’s plenty of shade under trees, and many trees in Beckenham Place Park.  

·        Take your rubbish and recycling home. The reason we ask this is that during periods when there are many picnics in the park there is simply not enough resource to keep up with demand. The bins get full quicker and subsequent visitors leave the rubbish next to the bin. Wildlife and even pests can then get into the bags and wind can blow it further away. As a rule of thumb think… “If I can bring it, I take it back”

Note also that no fires are permitted in Lewisham Parks.

More about gatherings can be found in the FAQ section of the website

Toilets

Public toilets are located in the Homestead Courtyard. The toilets inside the Mansion are open on days when there are events in the Mansion such as Peckish and the vintage fair.

Dogs

Dogs are welcome everywhere in the park. In some areas, dogs must be on leads. Please observe this rule even if you believe your dog is well-behaved when off lead.

Note also that this new Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) has come into effect in June 2024, and includes dog-related anti-social behaviour.

Food and Drink

The park has two cafés, serving hot and cold food and drinks.

The Homestead Café in the Homestead Courtyard, near the public toilets, serves take away oven baked pizza, craft beers, non-alcoholic beverages, Marshfield organic ice cream, cakes, parties and hot drinks

The new Homestead café Kiosk in the Playground serves soft serve ice cream, hot drinks, cakes and pastries.

The Mansion Bar and Café offers takeaway as well as eat in service with a range of burgers, cakes, drinks, beers and cocktails on offer 

On occasion there are also markets serving a range of food and drink, and a Mansion Bar and Café trike selling Hackney Gelato.

We strongly advise not patronising other businesses that do not hold a permit to trade at the park.  Here’s why.

Waste

Please use the bins provided for your all your rubbish, including dog mess. There are also recycling bins across the park and in the Homestead Courtyard, or you can take your waste home to recycle more widely.

If you’re hosting a picnic in the park, please take your rubbish with you. It will be lighter than when it was brought in and it will make a huge difference to the park! This is more important than you might think - see here why

Hot weather?

You can find multiple taps for free water refills across the park.

Any questions?

You might find an answer to your question in the FAQs page on the website. If you can’t find an answer there, here are the contact details.