Sayes Court Park (also known as Sayes Court)⁸⁰⁴³

Brief Description

Features of Sayes Court Park include a children's play area and mature, late-19th-century plane trees.

History

Sayes Court Park is on part of the former grounds of Sayes Court, a property that was once was within the King’s estates in Greenwich. From the mid-17th century it was the home of the diarist John Evelyn who laid out fine gardens here. After he moved to Surrey, Evelyn let Sayes Court, including for a short time to Peter the Great of Russia in 1698, who was studying ship building at the Royal Dockyard nearby. The mansion was demolished in 1729 and a workhouse built on the site, later converted as almshouses by a descendent of Evelyn. In 1878 he laid out part of the land as a recreation ground initially for his tenants, but later a park of 1.5 acres was opened as a public facility. Requisitioned during World War 2, the park was later re-landscaped by the LCC and opened in 1952.

Visitor Facilities