4.8
Wildland
1–2 hours
Time
Check
Cost
—
Feel
Why it's Wildland
4.8A 16-acre park where a remnant of the Great North Wood shares the hillside with the grounds of two former grand houses. Its story includes a major woodland fire in 1976—and the return of plants and animals to the cleared ground.
For an urban park, Beaulieu Heights has a substantial woodland character and a layered past: its trees belonged to the Great North Wood, then formed part of the grounds of Hazelwood and Beaulieu Lodge. A pond and open space add variety, while the account of woodland recovering after the 1976 fire gives the landscape a story beyond a simple green escape.
Find your way
Open map17 Wilkinson Gardens, London SE25 6BN
Opening map…
Know this place a little better?
The experience
Explore the woodland and open space, and look for the pond. The council records a history stretching from the Great North Wood through two former house grounds to the park’s creation in 1938 and its opening to the public after the war.
Things to do
Explore the woodland
Walk among the park’s extensive woodland, described by Croydon Council as part of the former Great North Wood.
Find the pond and open space
The council lists both a pond and open space among the park’s features.
Trace the park’s changing landscape
Consider how the woodland moved from Great North Wood to the grounds of Hazelwood and Beaulieu Lodge, before the land became a public park.
Make a day of it
Quick escape · 1–2 hours
Quick woodland escape
- 01
Enter from South Norwood Hill or Auckland Rise.
- 02
Explore the woodland and open space.
- 03
Look for the pond before heading back.
Half day · Half day
Woodland and local history
- 01
Explore the woodland and pond.
- 02
Use the council’s history as a guide to the landscape’s changing role: Great North Wood, house grounds, and public park.
- 03
Allow time to consider the area affected by the 1976 woodland fire and its subsequent recolonisation.
Verified history
Croydon Council says the woodland formed part of the Great North Wood and later the grounds of two large houses, Hazelwood and Beaulieu Lodge. A map of 1800 showed the area belonging to the Archbishop of Canterbury; by 1870, the woodland was similar in extent to today’s. The park was formed from the houses’ gardens after the land was acquired from the Church Commissioners in 1938, and opened to the public after the war. In August 1976, a hot summer fire destroyed more than an acre of oak woodland. The council records that the cleared area was reinstated and its plants and animals soon recolonised it.
Hidden details
A woodland that returned after fire — More than an acre of oak woodland was destroyed in the hot summer of 1976. Croydon Council reports that the area was reinstated and plants and animals soon recolonised it.
The old house grounds — The park was formed from the gardens of Hazelwood and Beaulieu Lodge. The council notes that Beaulieu Mansion remains at the top of the hill and was used as a hotel for many years before becoming an old people’s home.
When to go
· No specific best time is established by the available evidence. The woodland is locked at night.
The available source does not identify seasonal highlights or recommend particular months.
Check conditions before visiting; path surfaces and weather-related access information are not specified in the available source.
What to look for
Look for the contrast between extensive woodland, the pond and open space. The council’s history also points to the area’s connection with the Great North Wood and to woodland that recolonised ground cleared after the 1976 fire.
The story
Industry
Best time to go
Check locally for seasonal conditions; no specific best season is established by the available source.
No specific time of day or seasonal highlight is confirmed in the available sources. Note that the woodland is locked at night.
How long to spend
1–2 hours
Perfect for
Walkers
Before you go
Practical information
Opening & access
Croydon Council lists pedestrian entrances from South Norwood Hill and Auckland Rise. The woodland is locked at night; check current access arrangements before visiting.
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Parking
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Toilets
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Food & drink
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Dogs
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Accessibility
The source confirms pedestrian entrances but does not describe paths, surfaces, gradients or step-free access. Check before visiting if access requirements matter.
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Cost
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Water
Pond
Gallery
Place photographs
Keep exploring
Around Beaulieu Heights
Within 50 km · approximate straight-line distances
Source image5.2Stambourne Woodland Walk
Auckland Road and Church Road, Upper Norwood, London SE19 2PY
0.6 km away
Place photograph5.2South Norwood Lake & Grounds
Woodvale Avenue, South Norwood, London SE25 4AN
0.6 km away
