Danson Park is the name of a park located between Welling

Welling

Welling is a district in the London Borough of Bexley, South East London. It is a suburban development situated between Shooter's Hill and Bexleyheath north of the A2 road and 10.5 miles east south-east of Charing Cross.-History:...

 and Bexleyheath in the London Borough of Bexley

London Borough of Bexley

The London Borough of Bexley lies in south east Greater London, and is a borough referred to as part of Outer London. It has common borders with the London Borough of Bromley to the south, the London Borough of Greenwich to the west, across the River Thames to the north it borders the London...

, and the name of the electoral ward

Wards of the United Kingdom

A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...

 that covers the park and the surrounding area.

At 78 hectares, it is the largest public park in the London Borough of Bexley and one of the most important in the area. The landscape was designed and laid out by Nathaniel Richmond, assistant to Capability Brown

Capability Brown

Lancelot Brown , more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English landscape architect. He is remembered as "the last of the great English eighteenth-century artists to be accorded his due", and "England's greatest gardener". He designed over 170 parks, many of which still endure...

 from 1761 to 1763. At its centre is a picturesque 7.8 hectare lake to the south of Danson House

Danson House

Danson House is a Georgian mansion at the centre of Danson Park, to the west of Bexleyheath in the London Borough of Bexley, south-east London.-18th Century:...

. The Danson Stables public house

Public house

A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...

 is also located in the park. The Boathouse (function suite and restaurant) is near the lake.

The park is located at . Rochester Way, the A2 road

A2 road (Great Britain)

The A2 is a major road in southern England, connecting London with the English Channel port of Dover in Kent. This route has always been of importance as a connection between the British capital of London and sea trade routes to Continental Europe...

 marks the southern boundary of both the park and the ward.

Once a year, for two days the park plays host to the Danson Festival a large scale event which can attract up to 30,000 visitors to the park. The festival includes many stalls such as arts, crafts, charities and others. There is also a fun fair with various rides. The festival usually runs on the first weekend of July each year. The main focal point of the festival is the main stage on which various local artists perform, in addition to some big names. Past festivals have seen the likes of The AllStars

The AllStars

The AllStars is a collective of session musicians based in London, England, who between them have worked with international music artists such as George Michael, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Massive Attack, Jennifer Lopez and Amy Winehouse....

 with Jocelyn Brown

Jocelyn Brown

Jocelyn Lorette Brown is an American R&B and dance music singer...

, Alexander O'Neal

Alexander O'Neal

Alexander O'Neal is an American R&B singer. He is best-known for the songs "If You Were Here Tonight" and "Fake", and the duets with Cherrelle, "Saturday Love" and "Never Knew Love Like This".-Biography:...

, X-factor's Rowetta

Rowetta

Rowetta Idah , also known as Rowetta or Rowetta Satchell, is an English singer. She was originally a backing vocalist for the Happy Mondays, recording and touring with the band from 1991-2000...

, and Peter Andre

Peter André

Peter James Andrea , better known by the stage name as Peter Andre, is an English-born Australian musician, singer-songwriter, television personality and businessman. As a recording artist, he has achieving four top 10 UK albums and ten top 10 singles.-Early life:Andre was born at Northwick Park...

 and Katie Price. The festival is run by Bexley Council.

The one hectare Danson Park Bog Garden is a Local Nature Reserve

Local Nature Reserve

Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...

.

External links

• Danson Park Photos
• The Friends of Danson Park
• Danson Festival Website
• Danson Park - Bexley London Borough Council
• Danson Park ward at Bexley.gov
• Danson Park ward map at Bexley.gov
• Developments since 1890
• Welling Website
• Restoring one of the miniature railway engines from the railway that ran in the park