| Author |
Message |
Hoppy
Joined 05-12-2005
| | Posted on Friday, 26 January, 2007 - 07:52 pm: | |
Hello,
Does anyone on here live on either Duncombe or Lowther Hill? Do you have access to that private park thing? |
Megan
Joined 05-03-2004
| | Posted on Monday, 29 January, 2007 - 10:37 am: | |
you can only access it if your house backs onto the private gardens, unfortunately i live on the wrong side of the road!! |
Hoppy
Joined 05-12-2005
| | Posted on Monday, 29 January, 2007 - 11:20 am: | |
Has anyone ever been in there? |
Loneranger
Joined 29-10-2005
| | Posted on Monday, 29 January, 2007 - 06:04 pm: | |
Yes...but never to be seen again. |
Ghis
Joined 02-01-2007
| | Posted on Monday, 29 January, 2007 - 06:15 pm: | |
I have been in there. But you can only access it if you know someone who lives in one the houses with gardens backing onto the park. There are a lot of mature trees, tables for picnics and sometimes they have concerts. We were lucky enough to be in the same situation when we rented in North London with a similar secret park, where we also had a tennis court and a rose garden. You can see it on the satelite pictures on the Google Maps website. Suprisingly there are a lot of those 'secret gardens' in London. |
Davidwhiting
Joined 07-12-2003
| | Posted on Monday, 29 January, 2007 - 06:50 pm: | |
Don't forget however, that there is a covenant on each property on the edge of the park, so they all pay for its upkeep.
Perhaps it's not all that surprising. When the London suburbs were developed, land was relatively cheap. Was it better value for a builder to put houses around the existing field pattern, where there were already roads and services and leave the centre undeveloped? In some cases, this has led to the existence of large areas of background now coming forward for sometimes controversial development. In others, did the builder have the bright idea of selling the field in the middle to the householders on the perimeter. Does Steve Grindley have any information on this style of development here and elsewhere? |
Woody
Joined 31-10-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, 30 January, 2007 - 08:51 am: | |
Let's hope this green oasis can be saved from the property developers. No doubt they will have spotted it from from one of their helicopter overflights. As for backland development if it involves the loss of trees, wildlife and open space it is always controversial. |
Davidwhiting
Joined 07-12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, 30 January, 2007 - 08:55 am: | |
I suspect the trust arrangements would make it all but impossible for the park to be developed.
d |
Brian
Joined 18-04-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, 30 January, 2007 - 09:40 am: | |
Yes I agree whilst our planners try to squeeze more houses into every nook and cranny they forget quality of life for existing residents. These green oasis's are the like blood of SE 23 |
Michael
Joined 04-03-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, 30 January, 2007 - 10:12 am: | |
One such development, which the Forest Hill Society will be opposing, is behind London Road: http://acolnet.lewisham.gov.uk/LEWIS-XSLPagesDC/ac olnetcgi.exe?ACTION=UNWRAP&RIPNAME=Root.PgeResultD etail&TheSystemkey=49238
It is not a large green area, but it has some mature trees that would be in the way and there are no plans for proper access to the site, other than a footpath beside the Capitol.
People living around London Road or Derby Hill may wish to submit their views to the council by next week. |
Stevegrindlay
Joined 24-10-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, 30 January, 2007 - 05:56 pm: | |
With reference to Dave Whiting's post, rather surprisingly the "secret park" was intended for a church. The extract from Stanford's map of 1862, which I've uploaded makes this clear:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/133/374596728_37e08 8efe0_b.jpg
The map also shows that the estate was purchased by the Conservative Land Society, which seems to have existed for no other reason than to rig votes.
The society was formed, like others of different political persuasions, as a result of a loophole in the 1832 Reform Act. This Act gave the right to vote to men who owned freehold property. Therefore political parties had an incentive encourage their supporters to own their own homes. They did this by buying estates on the fringes of urban areas, dividing them into plots and selling them, but only to people who would be likely to vote for them. Brockley Park was one such estate. |
Calvin
Joined 20-02-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, 30 January, 2007 - 06:29 pm: | |
That is really fascinating. I'm looking forward more than ever to the guided walk next month, Steve. |
Robwinton
Joined 07-06-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, 30 January, 2007 - 08:12 pm: | |
I'm guessing that the walk will be very busy. I too am really looking forward to it.
Thanks for the information Steve. |
Fhssecretary
Joined 12-10-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, 30 January, 2007 - 10:47 pm: | |
Steve Grindlay is proposed for "Most Fascinating Man in Forest Hill".
Sorry BD |
Michael
Joined 04-03-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, 31 January, 2007 - 08:40 am: | |
More details about the historical walk through Forest Hill can be found at http://www.foresthillsociety.com/2007/01/forthcomi ng-meetings-and-events.html
It is happening on Sunday 25th February, so you might want to make sure you have put it in your diary. |
