Ladywell Fields is a large public park in the Borough of Lewisham in South East London. It stretches for about one mile between Ladywell and Catford. It comprises three adjoining fields covering some 54 acres of mature trees, bushes, grassland and formal leisure areas. The River Ravensbourne and two rail lines run through it. It is well-liked and used for a range of leisure purposes. It is home to a wide variety of animals and plants.
Ladywell Fields has a long and interesting history. The site is mentioned in the Domesday Book, as “30 acres of meadows in the Manor of Lewisham”. Eight-hundred years later, with the arrival of the railway station in 1857, Ladywell began to develop as a suburb of London. The flooding of the River Ravensbourne and its water meadows was unwelcome and the land was taken into public ownership and drained. In 1889 Ladywell Recreation Ground was purchased for the Parish.
Fast forward another hundred years, Ladywell Fields was a traditional municipal park of indifferent standard. In a bold departure, it was decided to re-establish the natural character of the park. In 2007-8, £400,000 of works, known as QUERCUS, were carried out in the north field to divert the river through the middle of the park. A major £2m project followed, funded by the London Development Agency, and won 'best new public space' in the London Planning Awards 2011. In 2016, Ladywell Fields was recognised as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation by Lewisham Borough Council.
Map data from OpenStreetMap