Burgess Park

Burgess Park is one of the most unusual green spaces in London because it was not built on empty land or preserved from an old estate. Instead, it was carved out of a dense, existing urban neighborhood that had been devastated by heavy bombing during the Second World War. The area was once a labyrinth of terraced houses, factories, and streets, which were systematically demolished to make room for this massive park. Even the Grand Surrey Canal, which once cut through the heart of the local industry, was filled in to create the expansive, level landscape you see today.