The Rookery

The Rookery is an attractive, formally-landscaped area with an ornamental pond, flower and herbaceous beds, and a rock garden with streams. It has a café and is surrounded by Streatham Common.

The Rookery is not just a formal garden: it also has areas of woodland that are important for biodiversity and environmental education.

Address: Covington Way, SW16 3BX
Train: Streatham Common/Streatham
Bus: 50, 60, 109, 118, 159, 249, 255
See a location map for The Rookery

Facilities

• Café
• Flower gardens
• Sports facilities:
  - Tennis courts - charges apply during the following hours only:
  Monday-Friday: 4pm-9pm
  Sat, Sun, Bank Holidays: 9am-7pm
  Adults £4/hr; Under 16s free.
  Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) manages sports bookings in our parks. Please call them on 0845 130 8998 to make a booking.
• Toilets
• Ponds
• Water feature
• 'Friends of' group (Friends of Streatham Common).

Opening times

The park opens by 7.30am each morning and is closed approximately 15 minutes before sunset. See opening and closing times

History of The Rookery

The Rookery sits on the site of area formerly known as the Streatham Spa, where people would drink water from local springs for their medicinal and healing properties. The Streatham Spa and formal gardens used to be in the grounds of a large house called The Rookery. When the popularity of the spa declined, local residents campaigned to buy the Rookery and save it and the surrounding woodland for use as a public open space.

The Rookery became a public garden and opened formally on 23 July 1913. Because of its heritage and unique character, the garden is on English Heritage's Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.