The Tarn

The Tarn is a small green space on Court Road between Mottingham and Eltham in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It covers nine acres and contains a public garden, a bird sanctuary and a lake surrounded by woodland. The site was once part of the Great Park, a royal deer hunting ground used for centuries until the English Civil War. In the 18th century it was known as Starbuck’s Pond. The garden opened to the public in 1935 after the local council bought the land from the Royal Blackheath Golf Club. The Tarn remains largely unchanged since the 1930s and offers a quiet place to walk. A circular path crosses a wooden footbridge over the lake and continues around the water’s edge. Benches, shelters and a public toilet building stand near the western entrance. An 18th-century ice well, now a listed structure, can be seen beside the lake. The park is wheelchair accessible, with wide paved paths on most sides. The lake covers two acres and is fed by streams from the golf course and Little Quaggy. Two small islands lie at the western end, while weirs and drainage channels run along the eastern shore. The bird sanctuary occupies the wooded north-eastern half of the site and is home to many species, including mallards, parakeets and swans. A butterfly garden sits just north of the footbridge, and foxes, squirrels and bats are often seen. The whole site links to the South East London Green Chain, making it easy to reach by train or bus.