THE PARISH CHURCH TO RUSHEY GREEN. 1338 
Medusa Road, Blagdon Street and Felday Road were formed on 
the site of the gardens. 
Next to the Almshouses is a house, now converted into a shop, 
on the site of the old Workhouse. 
From this point to Hawstead Road the frontage was occupied 
by the house known as ‘‘ Springfield,” with its stabling, etc. The 
house remains converted into shops (Nos. 20 and 22 Rushey Green). 
Another villa, part of the same property, occupied the site of 
Bradgate Road, and the grounds extended in the rear to the 
Mid-Kent Railway. They were laid out for building about the 
same time as the Priory Estate, under the title of ‘‘ Springfield 
Park”; Bradgate Road, Holbeach Road, NelgarJe Road, Silvermere 
Road, Brookdale Road and Springfield Park Crescent being, for 
the most part, built thereon. 
It was at ‘‘Springfield” that the rivulet commenced which 
formerly flowed down the side of the High Street, and passed into 
the Ravensbourne at Lewisham Bridge, near the ‘‘ Roebuck ” Inn. 
Along its banks were many fine elm trees, and the appearance of 
the High Street is stated by those who remembered it in the days 
referred to, as more like a road through a park. In 1855, when the 
main sewer was being constructed, the water was drained off. The 
space formerly occupied by the stream was then fenced in, and 
planted, and it is these plantings which still give a distinctive air 
to the High Street. They are one of the assets of the Borough, 
and the local authorities might do more to make them a really 
attractive feature of the place. It is to be hoped that any attempt 
to curtail them will be rigorously opposed. 
At the corner of Hawstead Road is the Grammar School for 
Girls, which is built on a part of the gardens of ‘‘ Springfield,” 
purchased with the proceeds of the sale of the ground granted out 
of the Colfe Estates The school owes its origin largely to the 
Rev. Joseph Prendergast, p.p., Headmaster of Colfe’s Grammar 
School, who left a sum of about 45,coo for the purpose. This 
was augmented from various other local educational charities, and 
the buildings were erected in 1890. They were enlarged by the 
London County Council in 1907. 
It will now be necessary to take a survey of the eastern side 
of the High street, from the St. Mary’s National Schools. The foot- 
path by the side of these schools is an ancient right of way, and 
led eastward over Kemps Hill, Ryecroft, and Hocum Pocum to 
Lee High Road. 
Lewisham Park, with the ground at present (1908) used as 
allotment gardens, is the property of the Earl of Dartmouth, as 
Lord of the Manor, and originally formed part of the great 
‘* Southfield ” of the Manor. The name was perpetuated in the 
villas erected at the southern corner near Mount Pleasant Road 
(Nos. 359 and 361). The earliest mention of the field is in a grant 
about the year 1260, by one William le Plummer, of Leueseham, te 
John, called ‘‘Ferdebin,” of all his land in the field called 
