Slightly further afield, Beckenham Place Park has a couple of wide open fields and fantastic woods that little kids will love for running around and pretending to be… well, anything they like. There is also access to the river than runs clean with a gentle current - you’ll often find several doggies in there having a good old splash around, and I’ve seen various treacherous-but-fun-looking rope swings in the trees above the water. There is a small playground with a water spray and also a small skate park at the Old Bromley Road car park entrance. There’s no cafe or other facilities at present, and it might not be ideal for very little kids as there is walking involved to get to the good stuff, but it’s a great outdoor space.
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Yeah, works fine. Was there with my kids a few weeks ago.
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I have a running class there on a Saturday morning and one morning during the class without warning all the water features went off with noone in sight at 8:30. So they work, but Im not sure if the foot pad triggers do… well I didnt test them. Oh… answered above I see…
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I also used to take my kids to Brockwell Park. Easy parking by the Lido, paddling pool (although that was, erm, about 15 years ago!) playground, lovely walled garden, cafe.
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There is a water play in Brockwell Park too - over the other (Brixton) side of the park - opposite to the Lido.
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One Tree Hill is a hidden gem with the most astonishing views. And Sebastian Roche are telling everyone our secret!
Hi Chris, no problem re the formatting, I did notice they were all 1s after posting but no time to review why!
As for using it as a Wiki article I don’t mind either way, whichever is more helpful -feel free!
I did forget about Peckham Rye, not been there in a while, a real hidden gem.
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Excellent, thanks @Oakr - I have made this a wiki post, so all members of trust-level-1 and above (about half the members) are able to edit and add other relevant parks.
Hey, don’t forget our magical hidden gem that is “Albion Millenium Green” Ssh don’t tell everyone though 
There is also the small playground on Baxter Field
And if you are in Dulwich you might want to visit the “Fresh Prince of SE21”
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/search/fresh+prince+se21
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River Pool Linear Park (starts behind Sydenham Sainsburys) has a river complete with herons and kingfishers and a kids playground. The river path runs all the way down to Wickes in Catford. Great for dog walkers.
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Beckenham Place Park was the most mind-blowing oasis of countryside just outside Catford! A stately home, a council run golf club for poor/normal folk to use, FREE parking - oh, what joy!. Acres of free, wild fields and prairies, a wood full of bluebells in May, an exquisitely well maintained flower garden with tennis courts and totally unspoilt! It was all so free and easy. No cyclists bombing past you knocking you off your feet, nothing ‘focus grouped’ made, nothing gentrified - just sheer peace and quiet. Heather, gorse, wood peckers, rhododendrons, a few dog walkers saying ‘hello’ as you pass each other by - utterly natural and unpretentious. Unfortunately, locals felt it was under-used and the lottery has allowed some ‘big thinkers’ to move in, and hence, changes are afoot, which will yes, get more people there - but probably scare the wildlife off. Also, some people felt golf was an elitist sport (even though it was open to everyone) and that has been closed down. An absolute haven of quiet, unstructured bliss
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Thanks Chris - I’m soooo more tech’y adventurous!
Eeek - the upset about you on Nextdoor rumbles on, and on… you’re famous (or is that infamous?!)
Right on our doorsteps, Dacres Wood Nature reserve is open this Saturday, with native bluebells
as well as some other less likely plants - I dug out a bay tree yesterday from the slope at the south end of the pond, and there’s a camellia nearby, which must be a relic of when this was a large Victorian back garden.
I have some native bluebells in my garden this year for the first time. I wonder if they are making a comeback.
We have had loads for years. It is stopping them that is the trick! 
Native or Spanish bluebells? We’ve always have plenty of the latter, but never the former, until this year.
I enjoy them for a week or so then grumble for months about the damned leaves everywhere.
Don’t know, sorry.
A-ha, well, that’s the point. Native bluebells are under threat of extinction. Spanish ones are not. So a good reason to visit Dacres Woods (trying to get the thread back on topic after I hijacked it).
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