Sutcliffe Park


Sutcliffe Park is a 16.7 hectare public park in Eltham in the Royal Borough of Greenwich in London. A large part of the park is a local nature reserve and a Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade II. Fauna include dragonflies, damselflies, kingfishers, snipe and reed warblers. The River Quaggy runs through the park, and it has an athletics track and outdoor gym. It received a Green Flag award for 2012-13.

History

The site was formerly known as Harrow Meadow. It was prone to flooding, and in the 1930s, when the surrounding area was being developed for housing, Woolwich Metropolitan Borough Council culverted the River Quaggy and laid out the site as playing fields. It was opened as a park in 1937, named after a former borough engineer. The area around the park still suffered from flooding, and in the 1990s the ground level was lowered in part of the park to hold flood waters, while the river was restored to meander at ground level. The scheme also including re-landscaping of the park to emphasise biodiversity and ecological benefits, with wetland areas and a lake. The park was re-opened in 2004.

Access

There is access from Tudway Road and Eltham Road.