The History of Mary Datchelor Playing Fields
The site is owned by Dulwich Estate, with DPS holding the leasehold and renting it out to other community members such as Kingsdale.
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The playing fields have supported children’s sport and outdoor learning for generations. Both DPS and Kingsdale have used the fields for decades, sharing the space for lessons, fixtures and community activities.
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The fields are an important green space for young people and the local community. Our proposals aim to protect this green space and ensure the facilities are fit for the future.
The site today
The playing fields flood regularly, meaning the fields cannot be used for around 130 days each year.
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Lessons, fixtures and PE are frequently cancelled or reorganised at short notice, which causes disruption. Waterlogging damages surfaces, limits teaching opportunities and limits community use.​
The pavilion is outdated, inaccessible for people with disabilities and no longer meets modern sporting requirements. Tennis courts and other surfaces are worn, uneven and unusable for parts of the year.​
The condition of the site limits opportunities for the 3,500 pupils at DPS and Kingsdale, and these issues will worsen without investment.
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