Our second walking tour on Saturday hosted by Isobel Durrant had us walking through the social and horticultural history of Camberwell.
We were taught so much about the evolution of the area, from where we began in Burgess Park which was once home to market gardens and a windmill for producing the grain grown in the area to the renovated and preserved green space it is today. We visited Sceaux Gardens where we became aware of how the site formerly belonged to Camberwell House, a home for those considered mentally unwell in the 1800s. The House formerly stretched 20 acres, home to flower beds, fruit and vegetable growing, areas which were tended to by patients during their stays.
Along the walk we stopped off at
- Caspian Street Allotment
- Elmington Estate community garden
- Benhill Road Nature Garden
- The Secret Garden (on the D’eynsford Estate)
- Brunswick Park
- Sceaux Gardens
- Lucas Gardens
Finishing up our walk being greeted by the growers of the Ruskin Park community garden to coffee and tea in the sunshine.
These walks always leave us with a new perspective on the streets we walk down, as we become aware of how we are a part of the changes in the history of our local areas.