Cator Park is named after the Cator family which once owned land which encompassed a vast area around Beckenham and Blackheath. John Cator (1723-1806) had bought Blackheath Park and its mansion in 1783. He had been made Lord of the Manor of Beckenham in 1773 and was to supervise the building of Beckenham Place which became his home: Doctor Samuel Johnson was a friend and frequent visitor. Locally, the land became landscaped parkland in the style of Capability Brown and, much later, in the Aldersmead area, the private Kent House Pleasure Gardens. This found a new identity as a public-access park in the 1930's. There are three large grassed areas, the larger one used for sports and football practice. The Rivers Pool and Beck converge and flow through the centre of the park -a lovely pedestrian bridge allows you to watch the moorhens and ducks who nest in the park, or to play a game of pooh sticks. the river is canalised in concrete with iron railings it is not accessible within the park, although if you follow the river / green chain walk towards Lennard road, cross over and you will find a pleasant shady area where you can let the dogs paddle as the banks are low. Volunteers have planted many spring bulbs over the years, so March and April we are awash with colour. There are also little pieces of art work that can be found around the park including an Owl Hunt! See how many you can find? Shade is provided by some beautiful oak, pine and ash trees, and the park features a fine specimen of a crack willow. Newer trees include a fruit orchard planted in 2017 and 30 Silver birch, Rowan and Wild Cherry have been planted since 2020. The park is lovely for picnics, flying a kite, or a game of rounders, and to simply watch the world go by from one of its many park benches- and it’s a calm oasis away from the town centres of Penge and Beckenham. The nearest Cafe and toilet is Kent House Coffee and Flowers, at Kent House station, a 5-minute walk away.