Southwark Park

You can find out about Southwark Park activities ^{(PDF, 938kb)} here.

Opening times

Southwark Park's gates open daily at 7.30am. Closing times vary throughout the year; see our opening times page for more information.

Location

Gomm Road, London, SE16 2ET

Entrances into park:

• Jamaica Road
• Lower Road
• Southwark Park Road
• Gomm Road

How to get there

Tube - Bermondsey or Canada Water
Bus - 1, 47, 188, 199, 225, 381, 395, P13
Car or bike - car park located at Hawkstone Road.  Bikes can be parked at Hawkstone Road and Gomm Road

Facilities and features

• cafè - information point, toilets, baby changing facilities and disabled access, contact 020 7064 8115
• children's play room (ages 0 to 5, ages 0 to 8 during school holidays) and their parents or carers, contact 020 7231 3755
• boating lake
• bandstand - hosts a number of events and concerts during summer
• Cafe Gallery Projects (CGP) London art gallery exhibits contemporary art and launches new talent
• wheelchair access - available throughout the park and at the cafè
• trail map for Southwark Park ^{(PDF, 746kb)}

Southwark Park Café

The new Southwark Park Café is now open serving hot and cold foods, drinks and Gallo ice cream. Come and see and taste our full menu range. Café operated by Ocean Guild Ltd.

The café opening hours are:

Winter / Spring: (October to March)

• Monday to Friday 9am to 4:30pm
• Saturday & Sunday 8am to 4:30pm

Summer (April to September)

• Monday to Sunday 8am to 7pm

Sports facilities

• Southwark athletics centre
• bowling green - open from April to September (call 07745 267667 to book)
• football - open from August to March; booking required (fees and charges apply)
• tennis courts - booking

History of the park

Southwark Park first opened its gates to the public in 1869, and was one of the earliest parks to be opened by the Metropolitan Board of Works. The design of the park is attributed to Alexander McKenzie and covers an area of 25 hectares.

The park boasts London's first public memorial to honour a working class man - a drinking fountain to commemorate Mr Jabez West, a member of a local Temperance Society.

The Ada Salter Garden was opened in 1936 by the London County Council. It was personally designed by Ada, who was at that time on the LCC in charge of London parks. She called it the Old English Garden, but after her death in 1942 the LCC renamed it the Ada Salter Garden in her honour.

In 2001, the park underwent a major refurbishment with £2.5m from the Heritage Lottery Funds.

Many parts of the park were restored to their former glory, including a new bowling pavilion and a new children's play area. The lake was finally restored to its original pre World War II size and the main gates were repaired.

Help us improve Southwark Park

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the improvements we're proposing to the cafe, toilets and other facilities, as well as options for landscaping the nursery site close to Gomm Road. Find out more about the future of the park.

Located in Bermondsey, Southwark Park offers fantastic wide-open spaces, perfect for playing games, picnics, walking or just enjoying the scenery.

The Green Flag Award winning park offers a wide range of sporting facilities, a new cafe and an art gallery. There's also a lake and wonderful gardens.

Get involved

Get involved and join The Friends of Southwark Park. The Friends of Southwark Park support the park and organise events.
If you'd like to help, contact us on 07882 641 923 or by post:

The Friends of Southwark Park
c/o Mayflower Hall
1 Neptune St
London
SE16 7JP

Page last updated: 18 July 2022