High Elms Country Park

High Elms Country Park is a 250-acre nature reserve with oak and beech woodlands, chalk meadows, formal gardens, and a golf course set in the North Downs landscape. The grounds display a mix of open grasslands and wooded areas that shape how the park feels as you move through it.

The estate began in 1809 when London banker John William Lubbock purchased the land and later built an Italian-style mansion on it. The original house burned down in 1967, but the grounds have since become the nature reserve that exists today.

The education centre offers programs about the plants, animals, and conservation work happening in the park through guided walks and exhibitions. Visitors can directly engage with information about what grows and lives here and why the landscape matters to the local area.

Two parking areas are accessible from High Elms Road, and visitors can use the Green Roof Café for refreshments. The walking trails are available to those using all-terrain wheelchairs, making the park accessible for people with varying mobility needs.

The grounds contain several listed structures including gate piers, decorative railings, Cuckoo Lodge, an Eton fives court, and a Victorian grotto. These older elements are scattered across the site and hint at its past as a private estate.

Location: London Borough of Bromley

GPS coordinates: 51.35100,0.07500

Latest update: December 9, 2025 18:40