Park of the week

206. Lammas Park

This park, the oldest in Ealing, was opened in 1883. The name Lammas originated from “Loafmas Day”, a harvest festival celebrated on the 1st August – I just had to write about it this week, with that date just days away. The festival marked the start of the season when villagers were allowed to graze livestock on fields and commons known as Lammas Lands. The grazing would continue until Candlemas, on the 2nd of February.

In Celtic mythology, Lammas is associated with the god Lugh, a deity representing skill, craftsmanship, and the sun. Lugh's tale speaks of his ultimate sacrifice to ensure the land's prosperity during this season, celebrated in the festival of Lughnasa.

Around 23 acres of Lammas lands on the site were purchased by Ealing Local Board in 1881 when the Borough Surveyor, feared that it might be lost as open space. When the park first opened it was unfenced and people still exercised their lammas rights to graze livestock and there were reports of cattle attacking people. Eventually, in 1890, the Board had to extinguish the right by paying around £100 per acre in compensation to those who had lost their rights. 

By 1905 the park was known as “the people’s park”, because it was largely given over to sporting activities. 
Between the First and Second World Wars, Ealing was known as “the most Sabbath-loving district of London” and the Council had strict byelaws to make sure that Sunday was a day of worship and rest, including prohibition of any form of games in parks. The local Labour party began to stage cricket matches in Lammas Park to test the authority’s reactions. These matches were often interrupted by members of the Sunday Observance Society who would sit on the cricket pitch to protest. It was not until 1941 that games were allowed in parks on Sundays.

During the Second World War it was entirely turned over to allotments. There were also two air raid shelters there.

The park has a nature area with a small pond and shrubs, community orchard, a bowling green, croquet pitch, junior football pitch and a play centre, outside which I saw this sign.

I agree with the sentiments, but would add “…but first of all, to sleep”.

Judith Field

Lammas Park, 30 Elers Rd, London W13 9QD

204. Brent River Park

Brent River Park is a large green space which is divided into two by the River Brent.

It was created as part of the River Brent Restoration Project (a wider flood alleviation) in the nineteen eighties when the Benighted North Circular was widened, from Tokyngton Recreation Ground on the west of the river, opened, and on the east by St Raphael's Open Space. The latter was set out at the end of the Second World War when the first housing on the St Raphael’s Estate was built. To these parks has been added a river path to the north.

On the newly formed riverbanks wetland plants have established - some originally planted but others are colonising naturally. A walk along the open space leads to Wembley Stadium.

In 2012, as part of environmental improvements in the park, a structure known as the Climate Pavilion was built in the park. It has four overlapping roof sections that symbolise the damage done to buildings by flooding, and beneath it are underground ponds that form part of the flood protection system. 

To support wildlife and increase diversity, in the spring and summer months, the grassed areas and flowers are allowed to grow and set seed. Before being cut back in the autumn. This wildflower meadow forms part of Brent’s 7-mile Bee Corridor of wildflowers, set up from 2019-21 with the aim of supporting the dwindling local bee population.

The park has plenty of open green space, a playground and a sports hall. Pebble mosaics are part of the park's features, along walking paths.

There is no car park but parking spaces are available on nearby streets. 

Judith Field

Brent River Park, 174 Vivian Ave, Wembley HA9 6RP

202. Little Dorrit Park

This small sheltered green space in Southwark, with grass, benches and a playground, is named after Little Dorrit in Charles Dickens’ novel of that name, the daughter of the character who was associated with nearby Marshalsea Debtors’ Prison.  The book was based on Dickens' childhood memories of his father's time in the prison. The prison closed in 1842, after which the site had  been Falcon Court, “a horrible rookery of tumble-down dirty hovels”.

It was created as a children's playground and was opened in 1902 at a ceremony accompanied by music from the North London Prize Band. The Thompson’s Weekly News of 2nd February 1902 said that the site, “if not actually the site of the old Marshalsea Prison,,,adjoins it, and was certainly crossed and recrossed by hundreds of poor debtors and their families.” The journalist also wondered “how many of the juveniles who will junket in the new playground will inform themselves of the origin of the name, and ask at the nearest public library for a copy of the novel?”
Possibly because of this connection to the prison, the park is an Archaeological Priority Zone. 

Improvement works were carried out in 2010 by the Little Dorrit Park Group, set up by group of local mothers. Works included playground improvements and landscaping and the park is supported by Bankside Open Spaces Trust, a charity that maintains and promotes green spaces in Southwark and funded by Borough & Bankside Community Council's Greener Cleaner Safer initiative. BOST director said that “a lot of local children live in flats and don't have access to a garden, in summer there's 100 kids in the park at 3.30pm so it needs to sustain a lot of people."
The great, great, great, great grand-daughter of Charles Dickens, Lucinda Dickens-Hawksley, said: "It is wonderful to see Charles Dickens still being commemorated in Southwark, an area that was so important to him. This garden is a superb addition to the Bankside area, especially as it is so important to ensure that London's children have enough green spaces to play in."

Further design work is planned for later this year.

Judith Field

Little Dorrit Park, Marshalsea Road SE1 1EB

200. Ripon Park

Ripon Park, also known as Ripon Way Park, is an 11-acre parkin Borehamwood. 

The land that it now occupies was originally owned by St Albans Abbey, given by Offa, King of Mercia. The builder John Laing purchased a large amount of land in Borehamwood and built estates, with Ripon Park being one such recreation area. The council purchased the land from the British and Dominions Film Corporations in 1955 and established it as a public park.

The park has a children's play area, basketball hoops, and football goals. It has a seven-piece outdoor fitness area including a recumbent bike, treadmill, pull up station, chest press/row combo, and more. Whenever we visit parks that have such equipment, Jack insists on using each piece of equipment once, even those things like flat benches (he usually sits on them). I mainly stand and watch, although occasionally I’ll have a go on a bike as long as nobody else is looking.

There are large areas of mown grass for informal sports and relaxation, tree planting, and a managed wildflower meadow which blooms annually after seeding, enhancing biodiversity. It’s a County Wildlife Site, supporting a diverse range of plant species.

There are also two walking and cycling routes, a shorter “easy access” stroll of 0.1Km and a fitness trail of around 0.6Km. There’s a free car park but no café or toilets. Next to the park is the Three Ways Community Centre, which does have toilets.

Judith Field

Ripon Park, Ripon Way/Arundel Drive, Borehamwood WD6 2ND 
 

198. Holland Park

Holland Park is in Kensington and is the largest park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is within the Holland Park Conservation Area and is an Area of Metropolitan Importance.

It’s spread across 54 acres of what used to be the grounds of Cope Castle, a large Jacobean mansion hidden in the woods. Sir Walter Cope built it in the early 17th century. He became Chancellor of the Exchequer under King James I. It was renamed Holland House after the Earl of Holland’s wife Lady Rich inherited the property.

The house was badly damaged during World War II. One wing was saved and is used as a youth hostel. A section of the front terrace was saved. This is used for the park's summertime open-air theatre productions and classical concerts, such as those staged by Opera Holland Park,  a summer opera company which produces an annual season of performances.

The park includes the most extensive woodland in much of central and west London. Although of planted origin and dominated by non-native trees, the woodland supports an unusual variety of wildlife. Breeding birds include tawny owls, coal tits and bullfinches, while resident mammals include bank voles, rabbits and hedgehogs. 

The northern half of the park consists of semi-wild woodland with a central section of formal gardens, while the southern section is mainly used for sports: there are netball, cricket and football pitches, tennis courts, cricket and golf practice nets and an outdoor gym. 

The central area has an ecology centre, outdoor gym, two playgrounds, toilets, a café and two Japanese gardens. The first is the Kyoto Garden, created to celebrate the Japan Festival in London in 1992. It has peacocks, Japanese maple trees, tiered waterfalls and a lake with enormous koi carp. 

The second is the nearby Fukushima Japanese Garden, a quiet space for contemplation, built to remember those affected by the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

There are several sculptures in the park, but I found this the most eye catching.

It’s by Andrew Burton, made of various metals, placed in the park in 2000. It’s called ‘Annunciation’, but I named it ‘Tekiah gedola on wheels’. 

Judith Field

Holland Park Ilchester Place, London W8 6LU