Cator Park is named after the Cator family which once owned a vast area od land around Beckenham and Blackheath. John Cator (1723-1806) had bought Blackheath Park and its mansion in 1783. He had been made Lord of the Manor of Beckenham in 1773 and was to supervise the building of Beckenham Place which became his home: Doctor Samuel Johnson was a friend and frequent visitor.
There are some beautiful oak, pine and ash trees, and the park features a fine specimen of a crack willow. Newer trees include a fruit orchard planted in 2017 and 30 Silver birch, Rowan and Wild Cherry have been planted since 2020.