My Local Area
I live in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, which is in East London and boarders onto the County of Essex.
One of my favourite places to go is to Wanstead Park which is not too far to walk to on foot. Wanstead Park is now looked after by the Conservators of Epping Forest, it was once famous for having as its principle feature a large mansion built in 1715 and the following years for Sir Richard Child. It was designed for him in the new "palladian" style by the great architect Colin Campbell. The grounds around the house were as splendid as the noble dwelling they were intended to enhance, having avenues of trees, an ornamental canal, and a decorative summer house that survivers like one of the stable blocks, and the massive stone pillars that carried the main gates - to this day.
The house itself has vanished its fate being sealed when it was inherited at the end of the eitheenth century by a child named Catherine Tylney Long, who having come into an income of £80,000 per year was one of the richest persons in England.
The rub came when Catherine grew up and wearing a wedding dress that cost seven hundred guineas, married a worthless young rake named William Pole Wellesley. Within ten years, Wellesley had got through practically all his wifes immense fortune ( chiefly by gambling ) and as a result the house and its contents had to be sold in an auction that lasted for thirty two days. Less than two years after the house was demolished - it changed hands merely as building materials - the heart broken lady was dead and her three children had been madeb Wards in Chancery. Pole Wellesley married again, but his second wife was no better than the first at keeping him in the luxury to which he thought he was entitled and she ended her days in the workhouse.
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Even closer to home, well 100 metres or so is the model boat pond on Wanstead Flats, sadly negelected and no longer watertight, although with the recent heavey rains and waterlogged ground it is currently full of water again and has a few passing water fowl making the most of it. Good news though is that after many years of campaigning the Corporation of London is to spend £442,000 on restoring it with the intention of it benefiting wildlife. Designs and consultation are to take place during 2001 but work won't commence until 2002 for completion by Autumn 2002. |
18/02/01