4.0 Survey & Analysis
4.1 Introduction
Prior to the development of the Masterplan for Mayow Park a thorough
survey and analysis of the site was carried out. This included site visits,
desk based research and a walkabout with stakeholders. Findings have
been brought together under the following headings:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
A welcoming park
A place to be active in
A place to be involved in
A safe and secure place
An interesting place
A clean and well maintained park
A sustainable/ biodiverse park
These themes are aligned with the Green Flag award themes and will
be revisited in the Masterplan proposals section and in due course the
Management Plan for the park.
The aim of the survey and analysis has been to identify issues, areas of
concern and opportunities for the site whilst at the same time
undergoing stakeholder consultation, which has served to enhance our
knowledge of the park
4.2 Description of the park – layout and facilities
Mayow Park, originally named Sydenham Recreation Ground, is the
oldest municipal park in Lewisham and is just over 6 hectares in size. The
park has a bowls club, two tennis courts, a children’s play area and a
central field that has been used traditionally for cricket. The original
drinking fountain installed at the opening of the park is still in place,
although it does not function. It also boasts a fine pavilion building
which is unfortunately in an increasingly bad state of repair and is
presently not accessible to the public.
One of the most striking characteristics of the park is its tree cover,
particularly the large ‘boundary’ oaks which have survived as mature
specimens from former estate fields since before the park’s opening in
1878. The setting for these trees is a park that is principally amenity
grassland with some semi improved, neutral grassland.
The park has more than 20 veteran pedunculate oaks (Quercus robur),
which represent the finest collection of such trees in the borough of
Lewisham outside Beckenham Place Park. These provide the main
conservation interest of Mayow Park and a defining collective feature
that is unique to Mayow Park among other municipal parks in London.
Very old trees, especially oaks, are particularly valuable for wildlife as
they provide a tremendous variety of different niches, including sap
runs, dead wood, holes, rot and fissures in the bark. A high diversity of
invertebrates is usually associated with such trees, including many
beetles whose larvae feed on dead wood. Amongst these are the stag
beetle (Lucanus cervus), a UK and London Biodiversity Action Plan
priority species. This impressive beetle is often seen in the park on
summer evenings.
A number of other scarce insects have been recorded here, including
the nationally rare sycamore fungus beetles Cicones undatus and
Synchita separanda, and the nationally scarce ant Lasius brunneus.
The park also has a good number of other fine, mature trees which
date back to the initial landscaping of the park. These include: cedar
(Cedrus sp.), pines (Pinus spp.), monkey-puzzle (Araucaria araucana),
holm oak (Quercus ilex), hybrid black poplar (Populus x canadensis),
lime (Tilia x europaea) and tulip-tree (Liriodendron tulipifera).
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These trees have been noted by Lewisham’s tree officers and although
they have not been given TPO status, are covered and protected
through LB Lewisham’s planning regulations (Tree Survey Appendix 13).
Additionally the park has good areas of dense planted shrubbery
composed mainly of exotic species located chiefly on the boundaries
of the park. Overall, a good range of birds are attracted to the site. A
number of these nest here, including many of the species familiar in
parks and gardens as well as the slightly less common nuthatch, great
spotted woodpecker and coal tit.
The layout of the park has not changed since opening and paths
circumnavigate the park around its central oval.
The park is surrounded by residential areas and access is not hampered
by busy roads. To the north the park is flanked by the Dacre housing
estate and to the south the Sydenham Thorpes conservation area.
The oval field area has an open characteristic with mown grass. This is
flanked by a rough grass area to the east of the park. The children’s
play area is modest in size and lies to the west of the park with an
adjacent picnic area.
The facilities of the park are generally clustered to the south near the
pavilion. These consist of the tennis courts and the bowling green, the
former aviary site and the pavilion.
The perimeter fencing and shrubs adjacent to the edges of the park
are in places dense and overgrown. Gaps appear in the fence line
and the original intent of the shrub beds has been lost in some cases.
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4.4 Survey and analysis themes
Mayow Road South
Mayow Road North
A welcoming place
Entrances
Entrances incorporate more than just gateways and the following
features and structures all contribute in varying degrees towards
people’s perceptions of Mayow Park as a welcoming place.
Mayow Park has four entrances located in each corner:
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Mayow Road North
Mayow Road South
Recreation Road
Silverdale
Each entrance retains many features contemporary with the park’s
original construction. Key elements such as gates and pillars remain in
varying degrees of repair. Three entrances have identical gates and
brick pillars. Mayow Road North has no pillars but the same gates.
Mayow Road south entrance pillar was recently damaged and
repaired using modern brick and different mortar and jointing to the
original. The capping stone had not been put back at time of our visit.
The impact of each entrance is diminished by poor surfacing and
threshold paving details. It is clear from historical images, that the
triangular plant beds opposite each entrance were filled with exotic
and manicured vegetation offering visitors a warm welcome. These
beds are sadly devoid of ornate vegetation today and the original
designed impact has been lost.
Recreation Road
Silverdale
Signage
A key element of making the park welcoming is making it accessible
not only as a physical space but also intellectually through enabling
greater understanding of setting and direction.
Presently signage is located randomly throughout the park with no
coordination in terms of design, direction, historical interpretation and
factual information. This diminishes the public’s understanding of the
park’s historic significance and sense of place, can disorientate people
unfamiliar with the locality and can confuse with no clear definition or
sequence of information provided.
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There are no signs in the locality to direct people to the park or make
passers by aware of its existence.
Furniture
Furniture within the park comprises seating and a “suite” of litter bins
and dog bins. None of the original seats remain. Furniture is tired and
unconnected with the park in terms of design and materials used. Seats
are not inviting for the visitor to stay and linger in the park - they are
purely utilitarian.
Paths
The park has a simple layout that lends itself well to the gentle sweep of
the natural landform. The path layout is entirely the same as the day on
which the park opened. In places the surfaces have completely
eroded to leave the original hoggin exposed under several layers of
asphalt.
Poorly surfaced paths, causing discomfort and reducing the
compliance of the park as an accessible space serve to diminish the
welcoming nature of the park
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Buildings
Mayow Road South entrance is the most welcoming of all four due to
the presence of the Pavilion, a mock Tudor affair which is an important
historic feature and a key focal point.
The Pavilion has gradually deteriorated through neglect and lack of
purpose. A new growing tea garden has recently been created by
Envirowork, bringing much needed life back into what had become a
rather dead corner of the park and the new park keeper is using the
building as a first step in its refurbishment.
Other buildings in the park are low key maintenance structures
associated with the Envirowork compound adjacent to the Pavilion
which are reasonably well screened. New container accommodation
has recently been installed next to the bowling green for use by the
bowls club.
A place to be active
As the original deeds state Sydenham Recreation Ground was
designed in pursuit of outdoor active recreation and not merely as a
pleasure garden. In its current form, Mayow Park retains much of this
ambition with several specific activities designed into its layout,
alongside informal activities such as walking and jogging.
Play area
The current play area developed post 1951, offers a safe haven for
parents and small children and is very popular and well used. It
contains basic play equipment and some areas for seating and
picnicking. There is a lack of other play facilities in the area and the
current play area does not cater for 8 – 13 years old. The play area
holds potential and opportunities and the Friends of Mayow Park have
secured £70,000 from the LB Lewisham Playbuilder/Pathfinder play
programme to make improvements. Groundwork London has been
appointed to take their proposals forward to implementation.
The play area is located at the furthest point from the main site
entrance and cluster of activity by Mayow Road South, the pavilion,
and bowling green and tennis courts. It suffers from lack of natural
surveillance by other park users because of this. The adjacent picnic
area is, oddly, cut off from the play area rather than integrated within.
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Tennis
The tennis courts are a well used and free facility. They do not have an
organised club or user group. The physical site offers basic facilities for
park tennis. The courts would benefit from repair and improvement as
access arrangements and boundary fencing and detailing are poor.
The change in level required for the courts has resulted in an ugly,
exposed concrete foundation that has a negative impact on the park
at detail level.
Cricket
The oval green is a perfect setting for cricket and is well used by
organised groups. There are plans for further development of cricket
facilities from Envirowork. Refer to page 21 for a more detailed
description of Envirowork’s relationship with the park. There is presently
a rather tired cricket wicket cage in the south west corner of the site
that does not appear to be well used. This will most likely be removed
entirely when the new cricket facilities are installed. It is visually intrusive
on entering the site from Recreation Road.
Bowls
The bowling green is a dominant feature within the park due to the
presence of mature evergreen foliage defining its regular boundary in
an otherwise sinuous park layout. The club is one of the most active
and organised groups in the park. Their facilities form part of the active
cluster in the south east corner of the site.
Football
The central Oval accommodates informal and organised football
activity n the park. Lewisham Youth FC run team activities here from
under 7’s up to under 18’s at youth level.
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Informal activity/ jogging/ walking/ dog walking/cycling/outdoor
gym/fitness training
Walkers, cyclists, joggers, and dog owners form some of the main
unrepresented user groups in the park. The layout of Mayow Park with
good entrances on each corner affords gentle, sinuous and
connective pathways for these activities with only slight changes in
level. The main issue facing these groups are the state of the path
network’s surfacing which is addressed above. There are no cycle
parking facilities in the park at present.
A place to be involved
The Park currently enjoys many groups of stakeholders that help
facilitate events and activities. Picnic in the park, tree walks and
consultation events have all taken place in the last 12 months.
It is important to develop this engagement by ensuring that there are
opportunities for all the community to visit and use the park, especially
young people. This can be achieved by the provision of better play
facilities, natural play opportunities and provision of older play
equipment. Parent and carers should be catered for by providing
sufficient benches, tables and shelter.
Education
Mayow Park is rich in biodiversity, and many local people celebrate its
mature trees. A tree identification trail could be installed in the park
that is aimed at both adults and children. A Mayow Park nature activity
pack could also be produced to engage younger park users.
Volunteering
There are various volunteering opportunities including – restoring the
planting around the perimeter of the park, clean up days. These could
be organised in collaboration with Envirowork, Friends of Mayow Park
and LB Lewisham in training as well as through organisation and
participation in community events and activities.
Want to Stay
Regular events and educational activities as outlined above help to
increase community sense of ownership and involvement in the park
along with the possible refurbishment and use of the Pavilion building
which would act as the hub for community activity.
A safe and secure park
Staff present on site
A park keeper position has recently been created for the park by LB
Lewisham and feedback from the friends group and others has been
that there is a vastly improved perception of security and care within
the park. LB Lewisham and the grounds maintenance managers
Glendale made a commitment to provide a park keeper by March
2010. The presence of Envirowork and the bowling club who populate
the park offers further surveillance and therefore a sense of security.
Overgrown shrubs
Vegetation blocking views within the park is not a major problem;
however there are issues with the boundary vegetation. Overgrown
dense shrubs near the bowls club provide opportunities for nefarious
activity and create a fearful atmosphere for visitors. In addition, breaks
in the vegetative boundary of the park allow entry into the park other
than via the main gates. Management of the boundary vegetation
through selective clearance, pruning and replanting of more
appropriate less aggressive species could be carried out through
community activities with local organisations and volunteers.
An interesting park
Heritage/ Signage and Interpretation
If there is one thing that makes Mayow Park outstanding, it is its trees;
remnants of old hedgerows that have been allowed to grow to
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maturity. They still clearly demonstrate the historic field pattern of the
land as it was before the site became a park.
Fascinating facts have emerged during the background research for
this study that are not readily available to every day park users at
present. Mayow Park’s history is not apparent to site visitors, requiring
some form of interpretation. This includes:
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Tree information
History of the park’s creation
Historic photos and plans
Some heritage features are lost, such as the aviary, original furniture,
planting beds and others are no longer functioning such as the drinking
fountain and Pavilion. The photographic and cartographic records
provide us with clear reference to reinstate where feasible, these lost
features.
New signage has been produced for the main entrance however this
has not yet been installed. The content of these signs is directional and
functional. A coordinated suite of signs that contain factual and
interesting material relating to the park as described above would be
desirable.
Colour
The main colour theme of Mayow Park is green. Generally a good thing
but this was not always the case. Old photographs suggest that upon
entering the park there was a blaze of colour to greet you in each of
the triangular plant beds. There is very little alternative colour in Mayow
Park and this is a striking absence.
A clean and well maintained park
The park has been maintained to the standard set out in the 2000 Parks
Contract by Glendale Grounds Management. This has since been
reviewed and Glendales are contracted by Lewisham for a further 10
years.
There has been no apparent delight in the way the park has been
managed and the new Green Space Management and Maintenance
Contract 2010 - 2020 sets out to address deficiencies in the current
contract. The new contract that commenced in March 2010 provides
an on-site park keeper which has brought an immediate improvement
in standards of care in the park. The council’s aspiration is for Mayow
Park to achieve Green Flag status by 2012 / 2013 that will include a
specific management plan detailing how the contractor will improve
the service and raise standards. The management plan will consider
how key stakeholders interact with the park and in particular the
arrangement with Envirowork Lewisham for management of the former
compound area.
The fabulous mature trees require some attention to remove damaged
or dead branches; there are several trees that are dead but have not
yet been removed. A recent survey has been carried out by LB
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Lewisham to record and assess the quality of these trees and this will be
used in the development of the management plan to highlight
amongst many things, their impact on local biodiversity (Appendix 11).
Paths
The park’s paths surfaces are continually deteriorating to the point that
they are no longer compliant with DDA regulations in places. They
require urgent repair in the short term but as part of a longer term
mission, they require careful realignment, resurfacing, edging and a
development of a hierarchy through the masterplan process.
Bins
Bins and treatment of litter in the park is generally basic. Rudimentary
bins are dotted throughout without any real consideration of
positioning. There is no obvious composting or recycling facilities
apparent in the main park.
Sense of pride
The active Friends Group, Sydenham Society, Bowling Club and other
organisations that use the site, clearly demonstrate a sense of pride in
Mayow Park. They organise activities such as picnic in the park, tree
dressing events, bird watching and tree walks, fundraising for
improvements and acting as the eyes and ears of the community on
problems such as antisocial behaviour, drinking and drug taking.
Local campaign blogs state that the park is “neat and tidy and much
cherished by the local residents”, clearly demonstrating a sense of
local pride.
Increased awareness of the issues relating to the park and its
underlying history are essential in encouraging a continual stream of
interest, local pride and a clear sense of place for park users and
visitors.
A sustainable/ biodiverse park
Under this definition the development of good management regimes
and the creation of opportunities for sustained community involvement
are crucial. Lower maintenance regimes and erosion of facilities have
governed the way the park has evolved in appearance and to some
extent, how it functions. This has led to erosion in the quality of
experience and value to the local community. Sustained
improvements to the park have to be supported by Stakeholders and
the local community to assist in fundraising, organising activities, and
being vigilant for the park.
Sustainable materials
A management plan would set objectives on specification and use of
materials to ensure correct standards are met.
Green building
The management plan should contain objectives that cover future
building specifications and can set the bar high in terms of what is
acceptable from a sustainability point of view.
Composting and recycling
There are no obvious signs of onsite composting, rain harvesting or
recycling facilities as stated above. Again this should be a key
objective within the management plan.
Nature enhancement and preservation
The park has much to recommend it as a site with good biodiversity
potential. Its mature tree canopy offers great scope to conserve and
enhance habitats. The meadow area is a positive management
approach that could be designed better into the park through a
careful mowing regime and a designed approach to path making and
edging. There is further scope to spread the meadow habitat to the
wider, less well used fringes of the park.
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4.5 Survey and Analysis Summary
Theme Headings
1. A welcoming
park
2/3. A place to be
active in/ A place to
be involved in
Opportunities
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Refurbish & upgrade the quality
gateways
 Upgrade threshold paving to
define park from street
 Bring back some of the glorious
entrance horticulture
 Introduce a coordinated suite
of site specific and external
connective signage
 Refurbish paths to recreate the
original sweeping curves
 Introduce a suite of furniture
 Support a business case to
encourage use of the Pavilion
as a public facility housing cafe,
wcs, changing rooms, events
hire, tea garden etc
 Use periphery spaces to site
boundaries for natural play
 Consider relocation of the
existing play area to a site closer
to the Pavilion if refurbished
 Consider introducing older
children’s play facilities as part of
overall proposals
 Consider integrating picnicking
facilities with play facilities
 Upgrade the tennis courts
surfaces, fencing & access
arrangements
 Disguise the change in level by
introducing new shrubbery
 Improve the Oval turf to
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4. A safe and secure
place
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5. An interesting
place
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accommodate sporting activity
& improve drainage
Develop a coordinated
calendar of events to support
the use of the Oval
Relocate cricket nets
Consider screening or cladding
the new bowls containers
Ensure paths are safe &
resurfaced
Develop a hierarchy of
pathways in the park
Encourage community &
stakeholder engagement
through volunteering, education,
accessibility & inclusion
Provide cycle parking to
encourage cycling to and from
the park
Consider appropriate use of
lighting and check the feasibility
and impact
Assess current shrub cover,
species and habitat, and
consider management regime
to ensure clear views and safe
planting zones
Welcome the new park keeper
Introduce historical
interpretation
Introduce new seating and
furniture with link to historical
furniture
Develop a marketing plan for
the park to advertise its heritage
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
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6. A clean and well
maintained park
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7. A sustainable/
biodiverse park
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Refurbish heritage features in the
park
Bring more colour into the
planting palette of Mayow Park,
taking inspiration from historical
park photos
Deliver higher horticulture an
standards
Develop a management plan
specific to Mayow park
Record, assess and action work
to the trees and vegetation
within the park
Further develop active links with
Envirowork Lewisham
Refurbishing paths surfaces and
developing a hierarchy of walks
Implement sustainable
management practices in the
park
Use marketing opportunities from
LB Lewisham and Glendale to
promote the park to a wider
audiences
Develop a management plan
specific to Mayow park
Conduct an ecological survey
Management & simple
maintenance to boundary
species
Creative mowing regimes of the
meadow area and extend to
other park areas
4.6 Recommended actions
Detailed Background Research
To develop comprehensive funding applications further research
and background studies will be required to support a well
considered approach in the realisation of the masterplan proposals.
These will include:
Management Plan- comprehensive management plan that is
bespoke to Mayow Park, taking into account the proposals that are
emerging from this masterplan.
Tree Survey - comprehensive mapping, assessing, grading and
actions to feed in to the management plan and masterplan
objectives, including potentially placing TPO’s on the veteran oaks.
Ecology Survey – carry out a Phase One habitat survey of the park,
and take this to further detail recommendations such as a bat
survey if findings suggest further research would be beneficial.
Topographical Survey – Essential to plot the features of the park, its
levels, trees and paths in an accurate and measured way for use in
future detailed proposals.
Heritage Assessment – this will be required if future funding bids to
bodies such as the Heritage Lottery Fund are to be made. There are
clearly some local historians who could become involved in this as a
defined project.
Community & Stakeholder Engagement
This is an ongoing process that will take a momentum when support
for the masterplan proposals is gained. This could tie in to a phased
programme of actions in the long, medium and short term as a
means of sustaining community support and keeping expectations
measured.
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Business plan for the Pavilion
Support the development of a comprehensive business plan
alongside interested parties for revitalisation of the Pavilion which
will require a structural survey, refurbishment costs, running costs and
soft market testing business operators and possible investment. This
will be essential in bringing the Pavilion back to active use. There are
several case studies of similar structures revitalising London parks
and this will be viewed by all leading funders as an essential criteria
to any funding application. Envirowork’s business plan for the
Pavilion refurbishment is attached as appendix 7 and this is at
present being considered the council.
Further develop the partnership with Envirowork
Further develop partnership opportunities with Envirowork, the
Council and Glendale to manage delivery and development of
services in the park.
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4.7 Opportunities Plan
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