About Burgess Park

History of Burgess Park

At 46 hectares, Burgess Park is the largest park in Southwark and one of the largest public parks in South London

The Park was created between the 1950s and 1980s to help transform one of Southwark's most densely populated areas in the wake of the second world war blitz.

The park grew steadily, taking in hundreds of demolished dwellings, thirty streets, a few factories, churches, and filling in an old canal.

It was always intended that the park would have regional importance yet its management and funding over the years have failed to deliver this ambition and although it is an important part of many local people's lives there is a consensus that the park has never been 'finished'.