Southwark Park
Opening times
Southwark Park's gates open daily at 7.30am. Closing times vary throughout the year; see our opening times page.
Location
Gomm Road, London, SE16 2ET
Entrances into the park are at:
- Jamaica Road
- Lower Road
- Southwark Park Road
- Gomm Road
All entrances are for pedestrians only except Jamaica Road gate which takes you onto Southwark Park Road (where you can park for a limited time), and Hawkstone Road Car park.
How to get there
Tube - Bermondsey, Canada Water, Surrey Quays or Rotherhithe station
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
- the Southwark Park Pavilion Café is separate from the toilets - the toilets are next door (there are separate male, female, and disabled access/baby changing toilets)
- playground for children up to age 14
- Rotherhithe Children & Family centre - phone 020 72131 3755
- boating lake operates in the summer season
- bandstand - hosts a number of events and concerts during the summer
- Southwark Park Galleries exhibits contemporary art and launches new talent, open 11am to 5pm every day except Monday and Tuesday; phone 020 7237 1230
- wheelchair access - available throughout the park and at the cafè
- trail map for Southwark Park (PDF, 746kb)
Southwark Park Pavilion Café
The new Southwark Park Pavilion 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.
Opening times:
October to March
- 9.30am to 4.30pm every day
April to September
- 9am to 7pm every day
Sports facilities
- Southwark athletics centre
- bowls club - open from 2pm to 4pm except for Sunday; phone 07598232496 to book
- sports pitches - email SouthwarkLeisureInfo@southwark.gov.uk with any questions or to book
- tennis court booking
- find out about Southwark Park activities (PDF, 1.4mb)
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 Fund.
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: 11 October 2023
