Croydon Ducks - Beckenham Place Park

Croydon Ducks - Beckenham Place Park - 2012

Latest update: 5th June 2012

External Links: Council Information Park Map Friends of Beckenham Place Park Google Map

Beckenham Place Park is a 200 acre park including a public golf course, woodland, meadows, a pond and a river. It is less than
a mile north of Kelsey Park, but in the London Borough of Lewisham instead of Bromley. The river Ravensbourne that leaves the
north of Kelsey Park flows up the western edge of Beckenham Place Park toward the Thames. There is a very active Friends of
Beckenham Place Park group that is trying to get Lewisham Council to improve the park, and which runs a visitor centre in the
Mansion near the car park on Sunday afternoons. The is a Croydon Tramlink station at Beckenham Junction, just south of the
park, while Beckenham Hill and Ravensbourne rail stations are at opposite ends of the park.

There are entrances around the park, and a private road through the park to a car park, mainly for golfers. There is a railway line
running through the middle and stations around it. The main vehicle entrance is from Beckenham Hill Road past a lodge at the
north west corner of the park, with the car park half way down the park next to various buildings. There is another car park in the
north east corner off Old Bromley Road, and road parking in Westgate Road at the south centre of the park, and Ravensbourne
Avenue at the south east corner next to Ravensbourne Rail Station and the river. The park is hilly, with the woodland the highest
point.

The park is split into three parts vertically, the east contains the golf course and a small pond, the centre is woodland with the railway
line separating it from open meadows and the river at the west. There is only a single crossing over the railway line inside the park
near the northern end, otherwise you need to leave the park for roads at north or south to cross from east to west.

4th June 2012, the river Ravensbourne has a reasonable flow of water after recent rain, but no signs of wildlife other than dogs.

Everything is very green, had expected to see the odd duck along here, but not this year (or well hidden).

The river continues through the park.

Taken from the bridge at the north end of the park, saw some Mallards here last year, could be around the corner.

The pond near the park Mansion house is still the same as last year, totally covered in green duck weed, saw a single male Mallard
but he swam back to shore before I got a photo.

Because the pond is fully fenced and on a golf course, few people probably come to feed ducks here, maybe why it's so quiet.