Ruskin Park duck pond
Ruskin Park is a large historic park located between Camberwell, Brixton and Herne Hill in South London. The park gets its name from John Ruskin. At the start of the 20th Century local residents campaigned for a new park on 24 acres of land in Denmark Hill, and the famous parks designer J.J. Sexby laid out the site.
Ruskin Park is on English Heritage’s “Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest” (Grade II, GD1826, registered 1987), in recognition of features of notable heritage value contributing to its character and identity. Ruskin Park was officially opened to the public on 2 February 1907, but was enlarged in 1910 by adding a further 12 acres of land to the south. The park contains ornamental and wildlife ponds and formal bedding along with heritage features like the Portico and a splendid collection of ornamental and native trees. Pride of place goes to a delightful wooden bandstand in the centre of the park, which was restored in 2006.
Band stand in Ruskin Park, Lambeth, London
Ruskin Park is important enough to be one of only 1600 registered parks and gardens in the country, of which about 250 are urban public parks, and one of only 145 registered sites in London.
Portico in Ruskin Park, Lambeth, London
Ruskin Park still contains one listed building, the “Portico”, which was retained from the demolished villa, No.168 Denmark Hill, when the park was established before 1907. Although currently unlisted, the nearby Stable Block is an attractive remnant of the old villa landscape retained, like the Portico, in the new park layout. It was abandoned as staff accommodation due to poor condition, but has significant potential for re-use, and there are proposals to redevelop it as a community café, with integral toilets and area for staff use.
