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Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park provides an impressive backdrop to the Imperial War Museum and is the home of the Tibetan Peace Garden. It has held a Green Flag award since 2012.

Opening times

Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park is open at all times.

Location

The park is located at Kennington Road, SE1. The entrances are St Georges Road, Lambeth Road, Kennington Road and Geraldine Street.

How to get here

You can travel by:

• tube and train, Elephant and Castle and Lambeth North
• bus 3, 12, 53, 148, 453, C10, 344, 360, 59, 159
• bike, cycle racks by the sports pavilion and museum's main entrance; cycle hire stations on Geraldine Street and Kennington Road

Find detailed accessibility information about Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Sports Facility.

Facilities and features  

• toilet located at the kiosk
• playground to allow children up to age 14
• picnic areas - tables on both sides of the park and by the kiosk
• Art in the park - sculptures in the Tibetan Peace Garden by Hamish Horsley and Soviet Memorial by Sergei Shcherbakov
• garden features include mature trees, a small woodland, a community orchard, a world garden, a nature area and wildlife pond open by appointment and an Ice Age Tree trail

Sports facilities

• sports centre, sports area comprises a five-a-side football, basketball and netball which are available to hire throughout the week; learn more about Southwark Leisure
• tennis courts
• free for all multi-use games area  
• outdoor gym, recently renovated in 2023 by Fresh Air Fitness, new state of the art equipment designed to keep you active
• find out about Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park activities (PDF, 1.1MP)

History of the park

Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park opened in 1934. Viscount Rothermere, in memory of his mother, gifted the land to the "splendid struggling mothers of Southwark." The park surrounds the Imperial War Museum on the site of the former Bedlam Hospital.

The Soviet War Memorial was unveiled in 1999 to commemorate the loss of 27 million citizens of the former Soviet Union in WWII.

Also in 1999, His Holiness the Dalai Lama opened the Tibetan Peace Garden on 13 May; the Tibet Foundation commissioned the Peace Garden to provide a tranquil space for contemplation and reflection.