Dulwich by name; in no way dull by nature. Approximately ten minutes’ walk – or a few stops on the bus if you’re feeling lazy – from North and West Dulwich train stations, is Dulwich Park: a 30 hectare oasis of fun.
Created in 1890 by the Metropolitan Board of Works – an elected body responsible for ensuring the city’s infrastructure could withstand its rapid growth – Dulwich Park was originally known as ‘five fields’: a disparate collection of farmland and meadows. Once those five fields became one park it became a favoured walking spot of Queen Mary, and there’s a gate named after her on the south side. Between 2004-2006, the park was restored to its former Victorian glory following a grant from the lottery, and it’s now a Grade II listed space. What a lovely bit of history. But what can you get out of Dulwich Park today?
Quite a lot actually. From 7:30am every day, you can enjoy a huge range of activities. Feeling sporty? There’s tennis courts, an outdoor gym and ping pong tables all primed for use. If you fancy exploring, but not on foot, you can also hire bikes from the London Recumbent Cycle Hire.
Herry Lawford/Flickr
Dulwich Park also has a boating lake where you can hire pedalos and rowing boats from April to October. Perfect for a mess about with some mates or a romantic addition to a picnic date – as long as one of you can row, of course. If not, you can always drift… but make sure you’ve got some Keats up your sleeve to ride it out.
If you haven’t taken your own provisions – or you just want more – you should definitely stop at the Dulwich Clock Cafe. Slap bang in the middle of the park, it’s a beautiful, airy space where you can enjoy handmade sourdough pizzas, homemade cakes and excellent coffee until 7:30pm in summer and 4pm in winter.
In short, Dulwich Park has loads to do – or of course you can do precisely nothing, except laze about and enjoy what nature has to offer in one of London’s great green spaces. And just a few minutes away are other delights like the Dulwich Picture Gallery and the Dulwich Beer Dispensary, where you can grab an evening drink at their famous taproom.
There’s a reason why all the people love a bit of park life.
NOTE: Dulwich Park is open daily from 7.30am – you can find out more, see suggested walking routes and more, HERE.
Dulwich Park | College Road, SE21
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