Everything you need to know about Burgess Park

Southwark is lucky enough to have multiple parks and open spaces dotted across the borough. Burgess Park is one of South London’s largest and is one of six parks connecting to east Walworth Green Links via a network of safe and quiet walking trails and cycle routes. Easily accessible by foot, Burgess Park is just a 20-minute walk from Elephant Park and has a variety of features and activities for you and the family to enjoy. 

It’s a great way to dust off the cobwebs and get out and about in nature. Kicking off with the weekend, Saturday mornings are for Park Run. The volunteer group come together every week at 9am to walk, jog, or run a fun 5k around the park. 

The group meets outside the park tennis courts and is a friendly community where you can meet new people, run together or walk the 5k while enjoying nature. It’s free for anyone to join but they do ask that you sign up to let them know you’re going. If this sounds like it’s for you, find out more on the Burgess Park Run website. 

If you’re looking for something more casual and less organised, the park has ample space to explore by foot. There’s a lake with waterside pathways, the manicured Chumleigh Gardens, an outside gym, and a café for refreshments when you’ve walked up a thirst!

Burgess Park is home to a number of sporting facilities that can be booked by the public. 

Within Burgess Park, you’ll also come across a huge BMX track which is home to Peckham BMX Club. And it’s not just any BMX club… the club has produced Champions such as Kye Whyte who won silver in the Winter Olympics!

There are also tennis courts, a cricket pitch, skate park, football pitch, rugby pitch and coarse angling at Burgess Park Lake. All require booking in advance which you can do via the Southwark website. 

For lovers of flora and fauna, Burgess Park has two distinctly beautiful areas to visit. 

Chumleigh Gardens is a relaxing space, specially designed to reflect the cultural diversity of the local area. The ‘world gardens’ feature plants and species common in Mediterranean, Islamic, Oriental, African and English gardens – and when in full bloom, we challenge you to find a lovelier place to spend a moment. 

The wildflower gardens are less manicured but equally as lovely. Tall plants grow free, encouraging pollinators like bees and butterflies to move from plant to plant. There are walking trails through the wildflower gardens, so you can feel like you’re a million miles away from the heart of an urban city. 

The Park Life Café is located at the heart of the park, close to Chumleigh Gardens, and serves hot and cold food as well as a range of refreshments and snacks. 

To make your way to Burgess Park by foot or bicycle from Elephant Park, follow Walworth Road until you reach the junction with Albany Road, and you’re at the park. If heading there by car, the nearest postcode is SE5 0RJ. The car park off Albany Road is currently closed, as it’s being used as a COVID Testing Centre. 

To find out more or to view the park map, visit the Southwark website.