Lost Stories of Ruskin Park London Borough of Lambeth Who is Embrace? Lost Stories of Ruskin Park Embrace Cooperation Ltd is a London-based A Heritage Lottery Fund grant funded this not-for-profit organisation, founded in 2000 community project promoting Ruskin Park. (Embrace Unlimited) and registered as a Volunteers researched and interpreted the company limited by guarantee in 2004. Its key cultural and natural history of the park, its aim is to provide learning schemes for young origins and its links with the nineteenth adults who otherwise may not have been century art critic and social reformer John presented with such opportunities. Ultimately Ruskin. The project ran for one year from this enables them to gain invaluable skills that November 2011. The project aimed to enrich are essential in today’s society. the local communities’ knowledge and use of the park and to encourage underrepresented The schemes provided by Embrace include: local groups into the park. • Renewable energy • Photography The project included: • Personal development • History research and oral history interviews • Film making with local residents • Placements • Poetry workshops • Heritage • Digital photography workshops • Exchange programs • A trip to an exhibition of the art of the • Environmental conservation projects ‘Pre-Raphelites’ • History walks Another important aspect of Embrace is that • Wildlife walks it provides work placements for a variety of • Practical environmental conservation students, giving them the chance to enhance Booklet Credits their future career prospects while contributing The project has clearly shown the rich history actively to their local economy. of the park and highlighted both the continuing Project Management: John Cannell, Oral History Interviewees: Donald Adie, importance of the park to the local area and the Michael Fray, Dirk Bischof. Betty Baxter, Dr Iain Boulton, Ava Jones, To find out more, phone 0207 274 9450 or email ongoing evolving relationship between the park Writing and Research: Aaron Jaffer, Mary Kidd, Susan Köksal, Laurence Marsh, [email protected] and the people of the Boroughs of Lambeth and Hilary Payne, Jude Rosen, Holly Levent. Elizabeth Ochagavia, Margaret Read, Website: www.myembrace.org Southwark. Additional Research: Carolyn Ruston. Jamie Shelton, John Shelton, Michael Shelton. Design: Maria Artamonova, Elena Filippi. Oral History Interviewing: Aaron Jaffer, Project blog website: Proofing: Katrin Magnussen, Jude Rosen, Hilary Payne, Jude Rosen. http://ruskinparkproject.wordpress.com/ Hilary Payne, Nikki Goodman. Interview Recording: Ronit Meranda. 2 3 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• RUSKIN PARK TIMELINE by Holly Levent 1910 1939- 1945 2001-2002 The Mendelssohn Sundial is added marking Extension is used for allotments as part of the The bowling green pavilion is demolished 1842-1871 the location of the house he stayed at in the ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign during the Second following a fire. John Ruskin owns 163 Denmark Hill. In 1840s. A northern strip of land is added World War, encouraging citizens to grow their Praeterita he writes about the landscape that 2003 to the park for playing fields. own vegetables as part of the war effort. later becomes the park. The playground is renovated with addition Air raid shelters are erected. 1911 of new equipment. 1842 Bandstand and promenade are constructed. 1947 German composer, Felix Mendelssohn stays 2005 Former home of John Ruskin (163 Denmark at 168 Denmark Hill where he composes his 1913 The pond is restored. Changing Rooms in the park extension are Hill, hotel named Ruskin Manor at the time) ‘Spring Song’ (originally ‘Camberwell Green’). 2006 constructed. King’s College Hospital opens next is demolished. The house is later demolished to make way The bandstand is restored to its original to the park. for the park. 1951- 1954 specifications, the playground toilets are 1904 1914- 1918 The original lodge (formerly 164 Denmark Hill) refurbished and the old changing rooms The Committee for the Purchase of Ruskin Temporary bridge to Ruskin Park from King’s is demolished and a new one constructed. are converted to a toilet block. New fencing is Park is established by local resident, College Hospital is constructed along with 1971 added around dog-free area and formal gardens. Frank Trier, to raise money to acquire land temporary hospital buildings inside the park to Ownership of park transfers from LCC to the First Annual Ruskin Park Summer Fair is held at Denmark Hill to save it from development meet demand from casualties during the First London Borough of Lambeth. at the bandstand. and create a public park. World War. 1971-1973 2007 1906 1924 Refreshment kiosk constructed near the Centenary celebrations take place including London County Council (LCC) acquires 9.7 Temporary hospital buildings, occupying 5 of bowling green. tree planting, a concert and art workshops. the park’s 14 hectares, are dismantled. hectares of land and park plans are prepared. 2009 1990s 1926 The Green Flag Award is secured for the first time. 1907 Friends of Ruskin Park established. Paddling pool, playground and tennis courts Ruskin Park opens on 2 February. 2010 are constructed along with a football pitch. 1908 London’s Air Ambulance begins using The wildlife pond is created by volunteers An additional 4.8 hectares are acquired 1927 the park as landing area. and the charity Froglife. for the park extension. Pavilion is added next to the bowling green. 1995 2012 1909 1935-1938 McDonald’s attempt to film an advert at the Ruskin Park Café opens. Trees for Cities relocate A drinking fountain is donated by the Events such as British Legion concerts and park’s bandstand, but pull out due to local training and other activities to the park in the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association. entertainment for children take place. protests. former One O’clock Club. 4 5 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• LONDON’S NEW PARK an upper and lower kitchen garden; a fruitful The area is also associated with another great The existence of the park owes much by Aaron Jaffer bit of orchard and change inlets and outlets of nineteenth-century figure, Felix Mendelssohn to a local resident named Frank Trier. woodwalk, opening to the sunny path by the (1809-47). The German composer stayed at 168 Determined to save the land, he formed field, which was gladdened on its other side in Denmark Hill in 1842. The remains of a sundial a committee to campaign for the area John Ruskin and Herne Hill springtime by flushes of almond and double commemorating his visit and the melody he to be made into a park. Trier also came peach blossom.” composed can still be seen in Ruskin Park. up with the idea of naming it after the ohn Ruskin was born in London in the year An inscription, now lost, once read: “Here celebrated intellectual and reformer. J1819. His family moved to Herne Hill when Ruskin went on to become a renowned stood the house where Mendelssohn wrote He shrewdly guessed that the association would he was a child and he lived in the area for much intellectual, art critic, philanthropist, and ‘The Spring Song’.” attract donations from Ruskin’s admirers. of his life. In his autobiography he expressed social reformer of the Victorian era. He was his love for the surrounding scenery: the first Slade Professor of Art at Oxford The committee formed by Trier recommended University where he established the Ruskin that the London County Council contribute “The house itself had every good in it […] It stood School of Drawing. Ruskin’s prolific writings towards the costs of buying the land. in command of seven acres of healthy ground covered subjects including education, political They highlighted the fact that it was […] half of it meadow sloping to the sunrise, economy, history, travel, geology, ornithology, situated amidst some of the most crowded the rest prudently and pleasantly divided into mythology, and botany. The work also includes districts of South London and there were no numerous poems and a fairy tale. His legacy other open spaces between Denmark Hill was equally widespread, influencing areas and the Thames. Within walking distance such as town planning, the arts and crafts of train and tram connections, the park movement, politics, and architecture. Ruskin’s would be “readily accessible even in the ideas on environmentalism and conservation limited time at the disposal of tired workers have particular resonance today. and their children”. Furthermore, little gardening or ornamentation would be 168 Denmark Hill, c1905 courtesy of Lambeth Archive In later life Ruskin moved to the Lake required because the area was already one of outstanding natural beauty. District where he died 1900. Shortly after, the Daily Mail published a letter from the vicar Contributions came from a number of of Herne Hill recalling the time Ruskin had The Idea for a Park sources. Large donations were received spent in this part of London: uskin Park sits on a swathe of land from the London County Council, the “Mr Ruskin during his long life was far more Rwhich once belonged to Thomas Sanders, Commons and Footpaths Preservation intimately connected with this place than any a timber merchant. When the Sanders Estate Society, the Metropolitan Public Gardens other. I am sure that the