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The young people at the DIY skateboard park by the derelict Grove Tavern on Dulwich Common have been very busy. Not only are they improving and updating the jumps on their skateboard park they have also made a kitchen garden among the brambles on the Lordship Lane side of the site. They are growing veg (including mushrooms in an old abandoned fridge!) for the Barry House refugee centre in Barry Road. Do say hi if you're passing, they are happy to chat and tell you what they are up to.
The shortlist for the New London Architecture 'Don’t Move Improve!' awards 2022 has been announced here with Dulwich and the surrounding area well represented. Fifteen renovation projects have been shortlisted as some of London’s best home improvements including in East Dulwich (Curve Appeal), Little Brownings, Tulse Hill (Tuscan Veranda), Herne Hill (Coffered House) and Forest Hill (Transitions). Finalists and overall winner will be announced in May.
Next time you are out on a walk take a look at the beautiful Yoshino cherry trees in Winterbrook and Stradella Roads. You can learn more about them here.
5 April 2022, 8pm
The latest in our online local history talks covers Dulwich's radical past. Dulwich would perhaps not normally be viewed as an area in which you would find many Republicans, Suffragettes and Pacifists. Join Duncan Bowie, a member of the local history group, to learn about some of the political activists and social reformers connected to Dulwich, many of them women, who were active at a national and international level.
The cost of a ticket is £5 but if you need a free ticket email
Buy your ticket here.
Join the London Wildlife Trust for its Spring Orchard Event on Saturday 19 March, from 11am-3pm. London Wildlife Trust welcome the local community to the orchard to celebrate the beginning of Spring. Activities on the day will include crafts including making bird feeders and plant pots, and more. There will be a tour of the orchard at 12.00pm. There will also be live music from local folk band Larkin the Woods (timings tbc). Drop in any time, no need to book. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. This event is free but donations are welcome. All profits are invested into London Wildlife Trust’s conservation and education work and the care of its nature reserves.
Our online Local History talks started in January 2021 and are a huge success. They reach a growing number of members, other Dulwich residents and even people further afield as we have had online attendees from Europe and the US. Feedback on the talks is always excellent and over 1,500 tickets have been sold, meaning that something like 3,000 people have attended, as many ticket holders watch with someone else. And this doesn’t include the people who watch the recordings on YouTube afterwards, who number over 1,000 so far.
The talks have raised over £6,000 for local charities including £1,700 for St Christopher’s Hospice, £1,100 for King’s College Hospital charities and £2,200 for Bell House educational projects. The talks also contribute to fulfilling the Dulwich Society's charitable objective of increasing awareness of what makes Dulwich special.
Read more: On the Street Where You Live: local history talks
Have you seen the post box toppers that have been appearing in Dulwich recently? They are crocheted by ‘guerrilla yarn bombers’ and placed on top of post boxes to brighten the neighbourhood and delight passers-by. Every topper is different and some even have lights inside. The Royal Mail has welcomed the toppers, saying 'We love seeing the various post box toppers that that different groups have showcased in communities across the UK'. Check out our Twitter feed for more toppers.
Abbeyfield House, 89-91 Stradella Road, London, SE24 9HL is a sheltered home for the elderly. Applications are now open for people over the age of 70 who are reasonably active and mobile and able to live independently but in need of companionship, support and healthy home-cooked food in a friendly community. The house offers: independent living within a secure setting; six comfortable 2-room flats and one studio flat, all with en-suite facilities; pleasant communal dining area with large well-tended garden; optional programme of activities and events; strong links to the local community and affordable, all-inclusive fees. For more information please visit Abbeyfield Dulwich
Abbeyfield Dulwich is affiliated to The Abbeyfield Society, a charity established to relieve loneliness in the elderly. Please note Abbeyfield Dulwich is not a care home or nursing home and is not suitable for people with dementia.
You may have seen the DIY skateboarding park in the car park of the increasingly derelict Grove Tavern on Dulwich Common. A group of young people made the skate park during lockdown last year and have been highly respectful of the site, keeping it tidy and litter free. You can read more about them here: thegrovediy.com. The younger members of the project, who are around 10-16 years old, have made a short five minute film about their project which you can watch here.
The Dulwich Society unveiled its latest information board on Saturday 19 February 2022. During World War Two, Camberwell Borough Council announced that it was collecting metal railings from churches, houses and other buildings to be turned into weapons. Some of those railings were used to make stretchers for the dead and injured. After the war the stretchers were themselves recycled and turned back into railings which were installed on the East Dulwich Estate, Dog Kennel Hill. When the estate was refurbished the stretchers, now more than 70 years old, were mostly removed but some were retained.
Read more: Unveiling of the stretcher railings information board
Following Storm Eunice and the heavy winds last week, a number of trees fell in Dulwich including on Greendale, Croxted Road and Ruskin Walk. You can report fallen or dangerous trees in Southwark on 02075255000 or email
The Dulwich Society & Dulwich Park Friends recently contributed £2,500 each to the relocation of a path and gate in the wildlife conservation area of Dulwich Park. This was to protect three English oaks likely to be over 250 years old. The work has now been completed and the path reinstated. The remainder of the cost was funded by £5,000 from Southwark Trees Department and £5,000, from Southwark Council’s Cleaner Greener Safer fund.