Kennington Park
The park has areas managed for their heritage value as well as ones with a more modern layout. There are many mature and historic trees, as well as open areas and those managed for wildlife and biodiversity. The park has a popular café, an 'old English' flower and herb garden, rose beds and a new 'Green Link' which now connects the older Victorian park to the newer extension.
Children's facilities include a dog free play area and the Charlie Chaplin adventure playground which has wheelchair access. There is also a small children's play area nearby at the historic St Mark's Churchyard.
Kennington Park offers a wide range of sports facilities including tennis courts, basketball, netball and an all weather floodlit facility for football and hockey. Young people and local cricket clubs are also able to use the Kennington Community Cricket Ground.
Address: Kennington Park Road, SE11 4BE
Tube: Oval (Northern Line), 0.1 miles (0.2km)
Rail: Vauxhall, 0.1 miles (0.2km)
Bus: 3, 36, 59, 133 155, 159, 185, 333 and 436 (to/from Brixton, Camberwell, Elephant and Castle, Lewisham, Peckham, Vauxhall and Victoria).
Location map for Kennington Park
Facilities
- Adventure playground
- Children's play area (dog free)
- One O'Clock Club
- Paddling pool
- Café
- Dog exercise area
- Flower gardens
- Sports facilities:
- All weather pitch - Astro turf / 3G pitch - chargeable / booking required
- Basketball court - free / no booking required
- Cricket nets - free / no booking required
- Cricket wicket pitch - free / no booking required
- Football grass pitch - free / no booking required
- Football tarmac pitch - free / no booking required
- Hockey court - chargeable / booking required
- Netball court - chargeable / booking required
- Skateboard facilities - free / no booking required
- Tennis courts - the following charges are payable at all times:
Adults £5/hr; Under-16s £2/hr.
Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) manages sports bookings in our parks. Please call them on 0845 130 8998 to make a booking.
- Toilets
- Friends of Kennington Park - email: FoKenningtonPark@aol.com.
Opening times
The park opens by 7.30am each morning and is closed approximately 15 minutes before sunset. See opening and closing times
New developments in Kennington Park
The Friends of Kennington Park have successfully raised more than £240,000 from a range of sources, for a community–led project to improve the park's play facilities and create a natural space for local youngsters to enjoy. The Friends will be working in partnership with Lambeth Council to refurbish the playground with new equipment and re-landscape it, creating a more natural setting.
Lambeth Council has secured over £20,000 from the SITA Trust's 'Enriching Nature' landfill tax programme to create areas of wildflower- rich meadow grassland in Kennington Park. This project will not only compliment the playground restoration project, but also enable the council to increase local people's access to nature and biodiversity. According to the Greater London Authority, Kennington Park is in the centre of an 'Area of Deficiency in Accessible Natural Greenspace', so by creating the meadow and enhancing the playground, existing deficiency will be reduced or removed and therefore assist Lambeth and London in delivering on their respective 'Biodiversity Action Plans'.
History of Kennington Park
Kennington Park was first opened in 1854 and lies between Kennington Park Road and St Agnes Place. It had previously been called 'Kennington Common', and until 1800 was the site of public executions as well as being the South London 'speakers corner'. Methodist founders George Whitefield and John Wesley are some of the illustrious orators to speak at the Common and are reputed to have attracted a crowd of 30,000.
Friends of Kennington Park
The Friends of Kennington Park represent those who live around and use the park, playing an important role in its management and development for present and future generations. The Friends organise regular meetings, events and activities within the park and publish leaflets and guides about Kennington Park and the local area.
To find out more or join, please go to the Friends of Kennington Park website.
Help us look after Kennington Park
Lambeth Parks and Green Spaces manages Kennington Park and it is patrolled by Lambeth Park Rangers. The park comes under the area patrolled by the Oval Safer Neighbourhoods Team of the Lambeth Borough Police, who work in partnership with Lambeth Council, Park Rangers and the Friends of Kennington Park to ensure that it provides a safe and welcoming environment.
Kennington Park welcomes responsible dog walkers, but there are dog free areas such as the children's playground, sports facilities and formal gardens. This is for the comfort and safety of children and their carers, and also helps to protect local wildlife. There is an area within the park specifically allocated for exercising dogs off the lead without disturbing others.
For more information on Kennington Park and how to help us keep it clean, green and safe please contact us on 0207 926 9000 or email us at parks@lambeth.gov.uk.
Further information