Eurasian blackcap, European green woodpecker, owls, and kestrels, are among the 39 bird species which breed in Grove Park Nature Reserve, and other animals such as bats, grass snakes, hedgehogs, and common lizards also live at the site.

From 1894 to 1899, writer Edith Nesbit lived in a large house named Three Gables on Baring Road, her garden backed up to the railway line and overlapped with what is now the southern part of the nature reserve.

During the mid-twentieth century, up to the 1980s, much of the land was used as allotments and was of particular importance during the Dig For Victory campaign during World War II, when there was also an anti-aircraft battery located on the site.

Although the site had been used informally by local residents for recreation for many years it officially became a nature reserve, in 1984, as Hither Green Nature Reserve when the Lewisham London Borough Council agreed to manage the area under licence from British Rail, then in 1987 Lewisham Council acquired freehold of the land, following a public enquiry the previous year in which planning permission for housing on land just to the north was granted.

Since that year the National Lottery Community Fund awarded the organisation over £30,000, which has paid for new signs, seats, improvements to the entrance and the path, installing bat boxes and a sculpture and several open day activities.

Although there were delays caused by ground conditions, and the COVID-19 pandemic, the site was opened again in November 2020 after the grassland and pathway was returned to its previous state.

In September 2020, it was reported that one of the entry points to Railway Children Walk and Grove Park Nature Reserve was unlawfully closed and locked, and some of the trees had been deliberately damaged.

Planned development to Grove Park Nature Reserve includes increasing the number of paths that access the site from the outside, and constructing a lookout tower overlooking the railway line.

[3][4] The site is mostly woodland, with some shrubland, it is more open grassland on the western side,[5][6][2][7][8] where the ground slopes down to meet an iron fence which separates the reserve from the railway line.

[14] There are also a number of signs inside Grove Park Nature Reserve, telling visitors about the local history and wildlife of the site and surrounding area,[5][15][16][13][8] some of these were paid for by lottery funding.

[20][8] Grove Park Nature Reserve contains a diverse number of trees other plants including, oak, birch, ash, hornbeam, horse chestnut, common lime, poplar,[5][6][2] plum,[8] red apple, privet, snowberry, sycamore, English elm, goat willow, hawthorn,[2] field maple,[16] and blackberry.

[6][8] This woodland was previously a residential garden,[6][8] and contains ash, oak and a small number of hornbeams, horse chestnuts, common limes, and poplars,[6][2] much of which is covered in ivy and is home to many different insects.

[6] The small pond is located in the southern part of the woodland, near the railway line, and has been planted with yellow iris, soft rush, watercress and brooklime.

[6][2] The central area has a small opening of grassland with scattered scrub and wildflowers including meadow vetchling, common vetch,[2] creeping cinquefoil and wild strawberry, left behind from the land's previous use as allotments.

[6] Just north of the opening of grassland is a thicket of plum trees,[8] a remnant of the lands former use as an orchard,[6] which many birds, wasps, foxes as well as local people eat.

[6] Grove Park Nature Reserve is the only substantial area of calcareous grassland in the London Borough of Lewisham,[7][9] and the strip of grassland following the railway line along the southwestern side of the reserve has a continuous tract of tor-grass, a grass which likes calcareous soil and is rare in London being the only site where it grows in the Lewisham borough.

[45] The footpath running along the southern side of Grove Park Nature Reserve, through where Nesbit's garden was previously located has been named Railway Children Walk, in memory of the book and author.

[13][7] In 1987 Lewisham Council acquired freehold of the land, following a public enquiry the previous year which allowed planning permission for housing on land just to the north, called Bramdean Village,[13][7][20] new cul-de-sac roads named Gables Close and Oak Apple Court adjoining the existing road Bramdean Crescent.

[46] On 7 May 2007, £8,292 was awarded for altering the main entrance of site to increase accessibility, and in partnership with Lewisham Council and the Purple Broccoli Theatre, children were offered story telling and exploration of the park; hedge, and bulb planting with help from volunteers also took place.

Visitors built nest boxes for birds and bats, and helped pick litter and clean graffiti, guided walks were put on, and a treasure hunt for children.

[7] The Lottery Fund also gave £9,075 on 5 September 2013 to install signposting around the nature reserve to give visitors directions and information on local wildlife and history.

[14] In September 2020, it was reported that one of the entry points to Railway Children Walk and Grove Park Nature Reserve was unlawfully closed and locked.

[21] It was reported that after Lewisham Council locked the gate temporarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Stuart Oldroyd who was working 3242 Investments Ltd/Tilco, had locked the gate, to the private land behind the Ringway Community Centre with his own chain, blocking the route members of the public, including school children used to access the reserve, even though they had been told previously they had permission to use the land for access.

Councillor Liam Curran, chair of Lewisham Council's sustainable development select committee, was reported as saying blocking the access route was “unlawful” and “shocking”.

[23][17] Planned development to Grove Park Nature Reserve includes increasing the number of paths that access the site from the outside, and constructing a lookout tower overlooking the railway line.