Walks Near Dulwich: 12 Routes From the Great North Wood to the Thames

There are 12 walks within easy reach of Dulwich in this guide, with distances, opening times and winter hours. The ones most people head for are Sydenham Hill Wood and Cox’s Walk, the biggest surviving piece of the old Great North Wood; Nunhead Cemetery, 52 acres of Victorian woodland with a view of St Paul’s; One Tree Hill; and the Green Chain Walk, which strings them together between Crystal Palace and Nunhead.

All are free. Winter closing times arrive early and change every few weeks, so check before a late afternoon walk.

The Dulwich woods

Sydenham Hill Wood and Cox’s Walk

London Wildlife Trust calls its oldest reserve “a unique mix of new and ancient woodland in Dulwich, with remnants of Victorian gardens”. The 11-hectare wood holds more than 200 species of trees and plants. You can follow the old Crystal Palace railway track bed to a closed tunnel, now a bat roost, find a Victorian folly, and cross Cox’s Walk, an oak avenue laid out in 1742, on the footbridge in the photograph above. The trust says paths are uneven with many steps, gates stop wheelchair users, and dogs must be on a lead. Open at all times; the trust suggests April to July or September to November. Main entrance on Crescent Wood Road, SE26 6LS; Cox’s Walk starts on Lordship Lane by Dulwich Common, where the 176, 185, 197, P4 and P13 stop.

Dulwich Wood

Next door, Dulwich Wood is privately owned and managed by the Dulwich Estate, which names it as one of three surviving fragments of the Great North Wood in Dulwich. The two woods were split by the railway in the 1860s. For anyone who cannot manage steps, this is the way in: London Wildlife Trust says the Dulwich Wood entrances on Low Cross Wood Lane and Grange Lane are wheelchair accessible, the ground is flat, and it leads into the lower parts of Sydenham Hill Wood. There is free parking at Grange Lane. Sydenham Hill station is about five minutes from the Low Cross Wood entrance, though the station itself has steps and a steep slope. London Wildlife Trust runs occasional free guided walks here. Low Cross Wood Lane, SE21.

Dulwich Park circuit

The 29-hectare park, created in 1890 from farmland known as “five fields”, keeps many of its old boundary oaks, according to Southwark Council. The perimeter path is the obvious loop, and dogs may go off the lead on it. The American Garden’s rhododendrons are at their best in May, and there is a winter garden planted for colour now. A walking group meets inside College Gate every Wednesday at 10am. Toilets are by the main car park, in the Francis Peek Centre and behind the Dulwich Clock Café (8am to 5.30pm, 6pm on Saturdays). Gates open at 7.30am. Five gates, including College Road, Court Lane and Rosebery Gate on Dulwich Common. College Road, SE21.

Green Chain Walk, Section 11: Crystal Palace to Nunhead

The long one. Transport for London lists Section 11 of the 50-mile Green Chain as Crystal Palace to Nunhead Cemetery. TfL’s Go Jauntly route puts it at 8.7km (5.4 miles) and about three and a half hours, and warns it is “very steep and hilly in parts”; Inner London Ramblers give 5.9 miles. It runs through Sydenham Hill Wood and Cox’s Walk on its way to Nunhead. Their list also includes a short branch, 11a, from Dulwich Park to Sydenham Hill Wood: 1.3 miles from West Dulwich station to Sydenham Hill station. The route is linear, so plan a train or bus back. It starts at Crystal Palace station.

East Dulwich, Peckham and Nunhead

Peckham Rye Park and Common

A Victorian park and an older common side by side. Southwark describes ornamental gardens, flowing streams, woodland and a lake, “an ideal location to relax and partake in a gentle stroll”. There is the formal Sexby Garden with rose pergolas, a Japanese Garden opened in 1908, and an arboretum, which is a dog-free zone. The Round Café opens 8am to 6.30pm, and there are toilets and baby changing near Strakers Road and by the adventure playground. The park opens at 7.30am and closes at times that vary through the year; the common never shuts. Small car park on Strakers Road. Peckham Rye, SE15.

Dawson’s Heights, East Dulwich

A short, steep climb rather than a long walk. Southwark describes Dawson’s Hill Park as a wildlife area that “is very steep and has amazing views over London”, looked after with the Dawson’s Hill Nature Reserve group. Open at all times. Entrances at Dunstan’s Mount and Mount Adon Park; the 176 stops on Lordship Lane, and East Dulwich and Forest Hill are the nearest stations. Street parking on Dunstan Road. One Tree Hill, below, is close by to the east. Dunstan Road, SE22.

One Tree Hill, Honor Oak

The name comes from the Oak of Honor on the summit, under which Elizabeth I is said to have picnicked, Southwark says. The oak inside the railings was planted around 1905 to replace the original. The council lists it as a nature reserve with many ancient trees. It is a hill, so expect a climb to the oak. Nearest station Honor Oak Park; the P4 and P12 buses pass. Brenchley Gardens, SE23.

Nunhead Cemetery

One of London’s “Magnificent Seven” Victorian cemeteries, opened in 1840 and now a Grade II* listed Victorian burial ground. The Friends of Nunhead Cemetery describe 52 acres on a hillside. The main avenue leads to the imposing, now roofless, Anglican Chapel while, off the main lime avenue, curved paths lead into woodland and “carved angels peer through a covering of ivy”. From the top of the hill there is a view of St Paul’s Cathedral. Nunhead Cemetery is a designated nature reserve. Some paths are uneven and muddy after rain, so the Friends recommend wearing stout shoes. Free parking is by the main gates. Open daily, 8.30am to 4pm from November to March, with longer opening hours in summer.

Free guided tours run on many Sundays through the year, starting at 2pm. As well as a general tour there are themed tours such as Cemetery Symbols (on 15 November), Military themed walks, Nunhead & the Music Hall, and a Forest Tree Trail tour on 22 November. An annual open day takes place on the third Saturday in May. More details of upcoming events are on the Nunhead Cemetery website. Linden Grove, SE15 3LP; Nunhead station is under ten minutes away.

Corrected 9 November: the tour on 22 November is the Forest Tree Trail tour, and guided tours run on many Sundays rather than every Sunday.

Herne Hill and Camberwell

Brockwell Park, Herne Hill

Lambeth Council describes “a large park set within a hilly landscape”, with a chain of ponds, ancient oaks, a walled Old English flower garden and wide open meadows. The paths pass historic buildings including Brockwell Hall, the lido and the 19th-century Tritton clock tower. The park opened to the public in 1892 and holds Green Flag and Green Flag Heritage awards, and London in Bloom has named it Park of the Year. It is also a borough Site of Importance for Nature Conservation. Open 7.30am to 15 minutes before sunset. Herne Hill station is a short walk from the Norwood Road gate. Norwood Road, SE24 9BJ.

Burgess Park, Camberwell to Peckham

Southwark’s largest park, at 56 hectares, stretches from Camberwell and Walworth to Peckham and the Old Kent Road on land that was once factories, streets and the Surrey Canal. The council says it reopened in 2012 after an £8 million redesign. There is a marked 5km route around the park, signed with butterfly symbols on the path and recycled iron markers, and a weekly parkrun. Chumleigh Gardens’ world gardens are free to visit, with dogs on leads. Dogs must also be on a lead by the lake. Toilets at Chumleigh Gardens, the Addington Square tennis pavilion cafe, the sports centre, the BMX track and the lake. Always open. Albany Road, SE5.

By the river: Bermondsey and Rotherhithe

Southwark Park, Bermondsey

A Grade II listed park of 63 acres near the Thames, opened in 1869 and one of the earliest from the Metropolitan Board of Works, according to Southwark. The council says there is wheelchair access throughout the park and at the café. On the way round you pass the lake, the Ada Salter Garden (1936), the bandstand, the 1897 caryatids from Rotherhithe Old Town Hall near Jamaica Gate, and Southwark Park Galleries. The Pavilion Café, run by Colicci, opens 8am to 4pm in winter, and there are toilets with accessible and baby changing facilities next door. Gates open at 7.30am. Canada Water, Surrey Quays, Rotherhithe and Bermondsey stations are all close. Gomm Road, SE16 2ET.

Canada Water to Greenwich: Stave Hill and the Thames Path

The riverside walk. The Ramblers’ route runs 6.2 miles (9.9km), about two and a half hours, graded leisurely. It starts at Canada Water station and goes through Russia Dock Woodland, then up Stave Hill, a viewpoint with a 360-degree view of London. From Rotherhithe it follows the Thames Path to Greenwich. Southwark says the woodland was made in 1980 from a dock that imported timber from Norway, Russia and Sweden, and still has the old capstones and mooring chains. Its ponds and channels attract kingfishers and herons, and a bronze relief map of the docks stands on Stave Hill. The route is linear, so you return from Greenwich. Salter Road, SE16.

How we chose

These are the walks people around Dulwich search for, all within easy reach of SE21, SE22, SE24 and SE15. Details come from London Wildlife Trust, the Dulwich Estate, Southwark and Lambeth councils, the Friends of Nunhead Cemetery, Transport for London and the Ramblers, and each is linked in its entry. Where two bodies give different distances for the same route, both are given. We have left out the Horniman Gardens, which is in our playgrounds guide, and Ruskin Park, which is better suited to a short stroll than a walk.

Look after a wood, park or route that should be here, or spot something that has changed? Email newsdesk@dulwichtoday.co.uk.

For more locally, see things to do in Dulwich, what’s on in Dulwich this month, October half term in Dulwich, our guides to Dulwich playgrounds and parks, pubs for after the walk, cafes and Sunday roasts, and the Dulwich business directory.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best woodland walk near Dulwich?

Sydenham Hill Wood and Cox’s Walk, run by London Wildlife Trust, and the neighbouring Dulwich Wood are the largest surviving part of the old Great North Wood. Sydenham Hill Wood is open at all times, dogs must be on a lead, and the paths are uneven with many steps. The flat Dulwich Wood entrances on Low Cross Wood Lane and Grange Lane are the step-free way in.

Is there a long walk from Dulwich that links the parks?

Yes. Section 11 of the Green Chain Walk runs from Crystal Palace to Nunhead Cemetery through Sydenham Hill Wood and Cox’s Walk. Go Jauntly’s TfL route puts it at 8.7km (5.4 miles) and about three and a half hours; Inner London Ramblers list it at 5.9 miles. A short branch, 11a, links Dulwich Park to Sydenham Hill Wood in 1.3 miles.

Which walks near Dulwich are open after dark?

Sydenham Hill Wood, Dawson’s Heights, Peckham Rye Common and Burgess Park are open at all hours. Dulwich Park and Peckham Rye Park open at 7.30am and close at times that change through the year, Brockwell Park closes 15 minutes before sunset, and Nunhead Cemetery shuts at 4pm from November to March.