canons park estate limited CPEL NEWS Spring 2019 Photo: Simon Kindler It’s been a while since our last newsletter – for which we WHO ARE WE? apologise – but we hope that this edition will bring you up to date on all that is happening on the Estate and what our plans are for The CPEL Committee is comprised of the following Residents: the future, as well as providing useful information about how to Myra Stephens – outgoing Chairperson get the best out of this little oasis of calm in which we are all Madan Ahluwalia – Treasurer privileged to live. Julian Kostick – Legal affairs As you will see from the following pages, the Estate has a Darren Simons – CanonsTalk, Website, Membership fascinating history and the Committee is keen to preserve its Edwin Solomon – Estate land, Security, Sponsorship, unique landscape and facilities for everyone to enjoy. Over and Special projects, Newsletter above maintenance of the Estate (see right) our activities and Michael Stephens – Lake Access / Keys projects over the years have included the setting up of a parking Tony Bennett – Trees, Environmental issues, Security scheme to discourage commuter parking, lobbying the council for amenities such as litter bins, signage and paving repair, dealing Thanks to all our committee members who carry out these time-consuming and often delicate tasks on a voluntary with anti-social behaviour by setting up a weekend security patrol, basis, together with many other aspects of maintenance not and much, much more. mentioned above, such as overseeing our two lakes and But we can’t do this alone and we always welcome help from their surrounding woodland, and handling often complex other Residents, even if they don’t wish to officially join the issues such as insurance and planning. Committee (although new members are always very welcome!). In particular, we are looking for people who are willing to offer If you need to contact any member of the Committee their ad hoc professional advice on specialist topics such as planning, Email addresses can be obtained from the CPEL website: conse rvation, legal and financial issues, to help us with our work. www.canonsparkestate.com We are also hoping to revive our tradition of holding social events Many thanks also to our newsletter editor, Sharon Graham, such as family fun days and Bar B Qs, musical evenings, bridge and to committee members who provided articles and games or visiting speakers, all of which help to promote better photos for this edition. commun ity spirit, where neighbours get to know and look out for each other. Perhaps you would like to suggest an event and get We want to hear from our Residents- adults and children! involved in coordinating it? If so, please do contact us via the If you would like to submit a short article and/or photos for website or in person. our next newsletter please send them to: Lastly may I urge any Residents who are not members of the [email protected] CPEL to join up and pay towards their share of looking after the where they will be considered for publication. Estate, as well as enhancing it by supporting new projects that we cannot afford at the moment – we could do so much more with better funding and we will all benefit from the results. The cost of printing this newsletter has been partly covered Edwin Solomon by advertising revenue. THIS PAGE SPONSORED BY Contact Benjamin Stevens for all your property requirements. ‘We are delighted that Benjamin Stevens has agreed to sponsor the Edgware branch: works around the Seven Acre Lake’ T: 020 8958 1118 CPEL E: [email protected] W: www.benjaminstevens.co.uk 2 A MESSAGE FROM OUR OUTGOING CHAIRPERSON, MYRA STEPHENS Dear Residents, The Seven Acre Lake is the largest water body in the borough of Harrow and is classified as a Grade 11 nature After too many years to count I have decided to stand conservation area, only one stage lower in status than down from the CPEL Committee and will not be Bentley Priory. Because of wide-scale flooding throughout seeking re-election at the AGM in March. the country in the early 2000s, the Environment Agency (EA) has now mapped every waterbody in the country, I first started attending meetings in 1992 and soon became Social Secretary. At that time social events something which had never been done before. However, in 2000 the EA started to investigate the use of our lake as were frequent, but the highlight of the year was the fun day and BBQ at the Seven Acre Lake, where we often part of the Silk Stream Flood Alleviation Scheme. had more than 100 people attending. As you can Purchase of the Seven Acre Lake imagine this was a huge logistical operation and always dictated by the weather, although I can only After many years they abandoned the idea as they remember one year when it was a total washout. deemed it too difficult to administer. Part of their reasoning Over the years we have had an antique valuation was that they expected us to give them the reservoir for evening, an historian talking about her research for her £5 and in exchange we would be allowed access! The book about Canons ( a joint event with the Friends of upside of all this was that the study generated a wealth of Canons Park), family Bar B Qs by the Seven Acre information about the history, flora, fauna and ecology of L ake (see below, right), classical music evenings and the lake, which has been very helpful in planning for future a Jubilee tea party, to mention but a few. In those days 3maintenance and conservation. the CPEA (as it was then) was still very social and A change in law about monitoring the state of a reservoir sociable. and reporting a breach of a dam was introduced by the Restoration of the Grade 11 listed gate pillars EA. Our lake is classified as a large raised reservoir and we must adhere to their regulations for monitoring, so it is I became Chairwoman in 1998 and my first project inspected every year by a statutory reservoir engineer and was to organise the restoration of the 18th century, his findings must be acted upon. Grade 11 listed white gate piers at the entrance to Canons Drive. In the past they had been painted with Between my two tenures as Chairperson, two other modern paints which didn’t allow the brickwork to dry members of the committee have acted as Chairmen: out. The piers are hollow and filled with building rubble Julian Kostick was Chairman from 2008-9 and Robert which soaks up water like a sponge. Graham became Chairman from 2013 to 2017. It was Robert who instigated the security scheme and the CPZ, The old plaster work was blown and flaking off. On and saw us become a limited company, now known as the advice of English Heritage these piers were CPEL, rather than the CPEA. stripped back to the brickwork and new mortar was applied and lime washed. The cost of this work was I would like to thank them and our committee members met by charitable donations and the fine brickwork past and present for all their hard work and support during was left exposed on the Edgware Court side. my various tenures as Chairperson. I hope that the Committee goes from strength to strength in maintaining this beautiful and unique estate and that once again we can create more social endeavours to enhance the community spirit within the area. Myra Stephens On behalf of every Resident, we wish Myra a happy and relaxed retirement and thank her for her many years of dedicated care towards the Canons Park Estate. Above left: Along with the water features, the Gate Piers at the entrance to Canons Drive are the only surviving visible remnants of the Brydges estate. Until well into the 20th century, the lodges were still inhabited by estate workers. Subsequent demolition of the lodges to allow access to Canons Drive has left only the outer piers. The Portland stone urns and gates were sold off and replaced with the smaller finials from the inner gate piers. Above right: The pillars during restoration in 1988. THIS PAGE SPONSORED BY Mondays to Saturdays: 9.30am – 6pm Sundays: 10am to 2pm Flower arrangements for every occasion 65 Station Road, Edgware Middlesex HA8 7HX Our service caters for those t: 020 8952 7007 m: 079 308 65666 who leave it to the last minute e: [email protected] w: www.yasmineflorist.co.uk for every occasion. 3 A HISTORY OF THE CANONS PARK ESTATE The original estate on this land was named after the Augustinian canons of St Bartholomew in Smithfield, who owned the Manor of Stanmore in 1086. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the estate passed to Sir Hugh Losse in 1644. He built a house here although its location is not known. In 1696 the estate became the property of James Brydges and his wife Mary. As MP for Hereford and then Paymaster General to the Forces, Brydges amassed a large fortune and was regarded as one of the richest men in Britain. After Mary died in 1712, Brydges and his new wife Cassandra Willoughby (see below) began to enlarge Canons, laying out their palace and grandiose gardens between 1713 and 1720. In 1719 Brydges became 1st Duke of Chandos and Canons became a focus for fashionable society, with much cultural and social activity taking place. The duke became a patron of Georg Frideric Handel, who from 1717 to 1720 was composer-in-residence at Canons, where he wrote The Chandos Anthems, and often performed in St Lawrence Church.