St Alfege Park

St Alfege Park is a compact public garden beside St Alfege Church, just off Greenwich Church Street. It combines ordinary neighbourhood park uses with a distinctive historic setting: grass, mature trees, planted beds, paths, seating, a children’s playground and a hardball area sit among the remains of the former church burial ground. The park is a useful place to pause during a Greenwich visit, particularly if you want somewhere quieter than the market, riverfront or the main routes towards Greenwich Park. The surviving gravestones and chest tombs give the space much of its character. They are reminders that this was once burial land associated with St Alfege Church, rather than a purpose-built modern recreation ground. Some stones are arranged around the edges and others remain within the garden, creating an atmosphere that is part park, part historic churchyard. The setting is peaceful but not isolated: buildings and local streets surround it, and the church provides an immediate architectural landmark. For local residents, the park functions as an everyday open space, with room for children to play, informal recreation and sitting. For visitors, it works best as a short, self-guided stop linked with St Alfege Church and central Greenwich. It is not a large destination park and does not offer the broad lawns, viewpoints or major attractions of nearby Greenwich Park. Its appeal is instead in the combination of greenery, play facilities, quiet paths and visible layers of local history. The park is also connected with community stewardship through the Friends of St Alfege Park, who invite local involvement. Its location makes it easy to include in a walking itinerary around Greenwich Market, St Alfege Church, Cutty Sark and the Old Royal Naval College. Allow time to look carefully at the boundary walls, planting and memorial stones rather than treating it simply as a shortcut.