South East Walker June 2017 a Walk in the Park
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SOUTH EAST No. 98 June 2017 Publicwalker path victory at Harrow ocal residents, backed by known as numbers 57 and 58 in the had argued that Harrow Council the Open Spaces Society, London Borough of Harrow, which should make the school reopen the Lthe Ramblers and Harrow have for centuries run in direct lines path, as required by law but instead Hill Trust, have defeated plans by across the land now forming part of the council chickened out and elite Harrow School to move two its grounds. agreed to allow the school to move public footpaths across its sports Footpath 57 follows a north - the path around the obstructions. pitches, all-weather pitches and south route between Football Lane Footpath 58 runs in a direct line Signs point the way from Football Lane. tennis courts. The objectors and Pebworth Road. The school between the bottom of Football fought the plans at a six-day obstructed the footpath with tennis Lane and Watford Road, and objectors represented themselves. straight towards it. The proposed public inquiry earlier this year. courts surrounded by fencing in the school applied to move it to a Appearing as objectors at the diversions are inconvenient and The government inspector, Ms 2003. For nine years, the school zigzag route to avoid the current inquiry were Kate Ashbrook of considerably longer'. Alison Lea, has now rejected the even padlocked the gates across configuration of its sports pitches. the Open Spaces Society and the Says Kate Ashbrook, General proposals. another section of the path but Alison Lea refused the proposals Ramblers, Gareth Thomas MP, Secretary of the Open Spaces Harrow School wanted to move reopened them following pressure principally because of the impact of Harrow councillor Sue Anderson, Society and Footpath Secretary for the two public footpaths, officially from the objectors. The objectors the changes on public enjoyment, Paul Catherall of the Harrow Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes in particular the loss of views which Hill Trust, Brent councillor Keith and West Middlesex Area of the Harrow West MP, Gareth Thomas, Perrin, and local residents. Others Ramblers: 'It has taken local people called 'spectacular' in his evidence submitted written objections. 14 years of strenuous campaigning to the inquiry. The paths provide A particularly valuable against the might of Harrow direct walking routes to Harrow- contribution at the inquiry came School to save these footpaths, on-the-Hill with its impressive from long-standing local people, with their splendid views and sense church-spire, whereas the views who said: 'As residents of almost 80 of purpose. Now we shall press from the diverted routes were, the years standing we can testify that the council again to ensure that inspector said, 'unexceptional'. the footpaths pre-date much of the Harrow School reopens the blocked She also considered that the school local built environment. They have Footpath 57. We shall be fortified had exaggerated the benefits of the been actively used by local people to by the inspector's decision - the proposed diversions, reach St Mary's church or the many council can no longer avoid taking At the public inquiry, the school hostelries and other interesting action to resolve this mess.' was represented by a QC, assisted buildings that make up the village After the inspector announced Footpath 58 takes a direct line from here towards the church spire at Harrow-on-the Hill by a junior barrister; the council on the hill. It is natural to set her decision, Harrow School had six ahead. was also legally represented, but the one's eye on a destination and walk weeks to decide whether to appeal. Strong, sturdy and reliable memorial gate the gate was installed by members village, as a parish councillor for 16 commemorating the of Godalming & Haslemere years and council chairman for 12 A life and work of Denis Ramblers, a group which Denis years. Besides his local activities, Holmes, a long-time Godalming helped to found in 1974 and in Denis served the Ramblers more and Haslemere Rambler, was which he was active for over 40 widely, becoming Chairman of dedicated by his widow Susan years. Denis died in February 2015 Surrey Area for seven years. He on 9 March. She said the gate and his memorial service at Elstead became Footpath Secretary for all was a fitting memorial to her parish church a month later was the southern parishes of Waverley husband as it was 'strong, sturdy packed, with standing room only. Borough and when he gave this and reliable' like Denis himself. At the gate commemoration up after 20 years, his workload The new gate near Elstead, ceremony , Jenny Caddy, Chairman was such that it had to be divided replaces a stile on a footpath which of Godalming & Haslemere among three people! runs from Fulbrook Lane to the Ramblers, introduced Pat Murphy, Denis actively contributed to Elstead Mill pub, avoiding 200 Chairman of Elstead Parish the original waymarking of the At the gate dedication. Left to right Pat Murphy, Chairman of Elstead Parish Council, metres of the busy B3001 which Council who spoke about Denis's Greensand Way in south west Susan Holmes, Denis's widow and Jenny Caddy, Chairman of Godalming has no footway. Made of solid oak, contribution to the life of the Continued on page 2 & Haslemere Ramblers. Photo: David Hamill 2 South East Walker June 2017 A walk in the park ravis Elborough's was a gated private park for the the lives of the urban poor - and celebration of public opening decade and a half of its its thanks to the foresight our Tparks, A Walk in the life. Victorian forebears and campaigns Park: The Life and Times It was not until 1845 that by the likes of Octavia Hill to save of a People's Institution is London received its first purpose- areas of open ground like Epping published in paperback on 1 built public park. Victoria Forest and Hampstead Heath, June. We invited him to tell Park in Bow, was laid out on an that the capital is blessed with us more about an institution outlying area of common ground such a diverse array of greenery. increasingly under threat and market gardens, part of In fact 47% of London is As Fanny Price puts it in Jane which was nicknamed Botany green space, making it one of the Austen's Mansfield Park, 'to sit Bay as it was where criminals greenest cities in the world for its in the shade on a fine day, and evading transportation were said size. look upon verdure' is 'the most to hide out. Intended to serve For parks and public gardens perfect refreshment'. The verdure the poor and potentially cholera- are more than just pleasant spots Price admires and the park that ridden dockland communities for metropolitan dilettantes like supplies that book with its title of the East End and raise you and me and dossers (and belong to that most distinguished property prices in the area, it was doggers) to while time away in. of categories, the private English designed by Nash's protege James On a practical level they lower country estate. Such parks date Pennethorne, who also gave the the ambient temperature of cities, back to the hunting ranges of capital New Oxford Street and aid water retention and so reduce the middle ages with the word Battersea Park. the risk of flooding and provide itself deriving from the Norman- In Battersea, the parish vicar, habitats for wildlife. Even setting French for an enclosure for 'beasts the Hon and Rev Robert Eden, aside these not inconsiderable of the chase.' was instrumental in seeing environmental pluses, parks And for centuries London parks the district's eponymous fields largely continue to be one of those too reeked of feudalism, with (posthumously recalled by rare institutions that are open to British monarchs, in particular, one London antiquarian as a all and free at the point of entry. remaining unstinting in snaffling 'flat and unbroken wildness of They embody an ideal of civic previously accessible land in the some 300 acres' and 'the resort life that is increasingly imperilled capital and adding it to their store of costermongers and roughs') by the present government's of greenery. Charles I blocked transformed into the elegant park cuts and more generally by the off several local footpaths and that endures to this day. commercialisation of public removed acres of parish grazing Chief among Eden's arguments space. (The words 'garden' and A Walk in the Park: The Life and Times of a People's Institution by Travis ground when he walked in was that 'a lung' for the district 'bridge', mysteriously spring to Elborough. Available in paperback (Vintage, £10.99) and hardback (Jonathan Richmond Park in the 1630s. It offering 'healthful recreation' mind here...) Cape, £18.99). Reviewer William Boyd in the Guardian said 'This is a fascinating, informative, revelatory book. The full review can be read at https://www. was 1904 before the public got full would make such people 'orderly' But with budgets squeezed by theguardian.com/books/2016/jun/18/a-walk-in-the-park-the-life-and-times-of-a- access to the park again. And it by implanting 'feelings' of self- austerity measures many local peoples-institution-travis-elborough-review. You can also listen to a soundtrack (of was only the vigilance of Robert worth and responsibility he authorities around the country sorts) to the book - with park(ish) tunes from Tom Lehrer to Tribesmen and John Walpole, Britain's de facto first maintained that were currently have been forced to trim funds Coltrane to the Nick Straker Band - at https://soundcloud.com/user-704316389/ travisparkmixmultioptomastering-01 Prime Minister, that prevented being 'deadened by dirt, by drink for non-mandatory services.