CAMBRIDGE COUNTY GEOGRAPHIES DA WEST LONDON 4^ ^y-f'^c I If ^ ^Jes-^J , ,terseA^ TIlc. CajrCbrulge, University Tress Copyright, iretrrge.fidlip &Sen j CAMBRIDGE COUNTY GEOGRAPHIES General Editor: F. H.'H. Guiixemard, M.A., M.D. WEST LONDON Wrr.iM z"i^ri \\K CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Hoiltion: FETTER LANE, E.C. C. F. CLAY, Manager (EtJtnburgrj : 100, PRINCES STREET Berlin: A. ASHER AND CO. Ufuijia: F. A. BROCKHAUS ia.fto #ork: G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS Bomlmp an* Calcutta: MACMTLLAN AND CO., Ltd. All rights reserved Cambridge County Geographies WEST LONDON by G. F. BOSWORTH, F.R.G.S. With Maps, Diagrams and Illustrations Cambridge : at the University Press 1912 T>*£ Camfarttigf: •RINTED BY JOHN CLAY, M.A. AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS 3 0.3 1 - CONTENTS i. County and Shire. The County of London. The word London : its Origin and Meaning . . i 2. General Characteristics. Position and Natural Con- ditions. Why London is our Capital ... 6 3. Size. Boundaries. Development. History of Growth. London of the Romans, of the Saxons, of the Normans. Medieval London. Stuart London . 12 4. London Parks, Commons, and Open Spaces in the N.W. and S.W 20 5. The Royal Parks— St James's Park. The Green Park. Hyde Park. Kensington Gardens. Regent's Park 30 6. The River Thames. The Embankment. The Wandle. The Bridges 38 7. Rivers of the Past. The Westbourne, and the Tybourne, or Tyburn ...... 54 8. The Water-Supply of London — Past and Present . 57 9. Geology . . . . . . . • .61 10. Natural History . . . ... . . -65 a 3 vi CONTENTS PAGE ii. Climate and Rainfall. Greenwich Observatory and its Work . . . . . . . .72 12. People — Race. Dialect. Settlements. Population . 83 13. Industries and Manufactures ..... 90 14. Trade. The Markets. The Custom House. The Exchanges. The Bank of England. The Royal Mint 95 15. History . . . . . . . . .103 16. Antiquities — Prehistoric, Roman, Saxon . . .114 17. Architecture — (a) Ecclesiastical. Medieval Churches. Wren's Churches. Chapels Royal . . -125 18. Architecture — (b) Ecclesiastical. Westminster Abbey 137 19. Architecture — (c) Domestic. Royal and Episcopal Palaces : The Tower, Westminster, Whitehall, The Savoy, St James's, Kensington, Buckingham, Lam- beth, and Fulham. Houses: Staple Inn, Holland House, etc. . . . . . . . 149 20. Communications — Ancient and Modern. The Thames formerly the Normal Highway of London. The Thames Watermen . . . . . .163 21. Administration and Divisions. The City of West- minster. The London County Council. The Port Authority. Trinity House . . . . .174 22. Public Buildings — (a) Parliamentary and Legal. The Houses of Parliament. Royal Courts of Justice. Inns of Court . . . . .179 23. Public Buildings — (b) Government and Administra- tive Offices in Whitehall and Parliament Street. Somerset House. Spring Gardens . . -193 CONTENTS vii PAGE 24. Public Buildings — (c) Museums and Exhibitions. British Museum, Natural History Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, India Museum, Imperial Institute ........ 200 25. Public Buildings — (d) Art Galleries. National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery of British Art, The Wallace Collection . . .211 26. Public Buildings — (e) Hospitals. St Thomas's, St George's, Charing Cross, Royal Military Hospital, Foundling Hospital . . . . . .216 27. Education — Primary, Secondary, and Technical. Foundation and Collegiate Schools. The University of London . . . . . . . .222 28. Roll of Honour . . . . . . .228 29. The City of Westminster and the Boroughs in the North-West and South- West of the County of London . . . . . . . -250 Area and Population . . . . . -259 Index ......... 262 ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE A View of London as it appeared before the dreadful Fire in 1666 ......... 4 The Embankment looking Citywards from Charing Cross. {Phot. Frith) 7 Ancient London and its Surrounding Marshes . . 9 Plan of Old London: showing the Wall and Gates . 16 A Party of Pilgrims (from MS. Reg. 18 d ii in the British Museum) 18 Highgate Ponds. [Phot. Frith) 22 Hampstead from Parliament Hill. {Phot. Frith) . . 26 Parliament Hill, Hampstead. {Phot. Frith) . . .27 The Lake: Battersea Park. {Phot. Frith) . . .29 The Queen Victoria Memorial. {Phot. Sport and General) 32 Hyde Park, the Serpentine. {Phot. Frith) ... 34 The Broad Walk, Kensington Gardens. {Phot. Frith) . 35 Regent's Park. {Phot. Valentine) 3 7 Fair on the Thames, February 18 14 . . . • 40 The Thames from Richmond Hill. {Phot. Frith) . . 42 " The Doves " ........ 44 Hammersmith Bridge. {Phot. Stern) .... 46 The Statue of Boadicea on the Thames Embankment. {Phot. London Stereoscopic Co.) . . . ?^u\n\ 48 The Water Gate, Embankment Gardens . ^.no . 49 Waterloo Bridge. {Phot. Valentirie) .u>\'\) . . [ UiBth^uihi^ The Streams of Ancient London . . . irAal rftedrm&J ILLUSTRATIONS View of the Conduit at Bayswater .... The London Basin ....... Sir Hans Sloane, M.D. ...... Sea Gulls on the Embankment (Phot. Sport and General) Greenwich Observatory. (Phot. Frith) The 30-inch Reflector at Greenwich ... Italian Quarter, Hatton Garden. [Phot. E. G. Wood) Old Silk-weavers' Houses in Church Street, Spitalfields (Phot. Bridgen) Pottery-making, Doulton's Works .... Covent Garden. (Phot. Valentine) .... Covent Garden Porters. (Phot. E. G. Wood) The White Tower. (Phot. Frith) .... The Monument. (Phot. Frith) . ... Palaeolithic Flint Implement found in Gray's Inn Road Enamelled Bronze Shield ..... Roman Boat, found near Lambeth, 191 1. (Phot. Sport and General) ....... London Stone, Cannon Street ..... Sir Christopher Wren ...... St Clement Danes, Strand ..... St George's Church, Bloomsbury .... The Roman Catholic Cathedral, Westminster. (Phot Valentine) ....... Westminster Abbey. (Phot. Frith) .... Shrine of Edward the Confessor, Westminster Abbey (Phot. Frith) Coronation Chair, Westminster Abbey. (Phot. Frith) The Savoy Palace, 1661 . St James's Palace. (Phot. Frith) .... Kensington Palace. (Phot. Frith) .... Buckingham Palace. (Phot. Frith) .... Lambeth Palace. (Phot. Frith) ILLUSTRATIONS xi Fulham Palace. (Phot. E. Cook) Northumberland House . Holland House. (Phot. Frith) Joseph Addison Roman Roads in Ancient London The Seven Bishops on their way to the Tower St Pancras Station. (Phot. E. G. Wood) Blackfriars Bridge. (Phot. Valentine) Design for the London County Hall The Houses of Parliament. (Phot. Frith) House of Lords. (Phot. Frith) .... The Mace and Purse, House of Lords. (Phot. Frith) House of Commons. (Phot. Frith) .... The Law Courts. (Phot. Frith) .... Westminster Hall. (Phot. Frith) .... Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford . Lincoln's Inn Gateway. (Phot. E. G. Wood) . In Gray's Inn Gardens ...... The Horse Guards. (Phot. Frith) .... The Foreign Office. (Phot. E. G. Wood) The War Office. (Phot. E. G. Wood) . Trafalgar Square looking N.W. (Phot.\ Frith) Somerset House. (Phot. Frith) .... The British Museum. (Phot. Valentine) Natural History Museum, South Kensington. (Phot. Frith The Imperial Institute. (Phot. Frith) The National Gallery and St Martin's Church. (Phot Frith) The Tate Gallery. {Phot. Frith) . . St Thomas's Hospital. (Phot. Frith) Chelsea Hospital: the Dining Hall. (Phot. Mansell) The Foundling Hospital : the Chapel . . St Paul's School ....... PAGE 158 i59 160 162 165 168 170 1 72 175 179 181 182 183 186 188 189 190 192 194 196 197 198 199 201 205 210 2 1 2 214 217 219 22 1 226 Xll ILLUSTRATIONS University College. {Phot. Art Illustration and Reproduc tion Co.) .... John Henry, Cardinal Newman Lord Beaconsfield . Edward Gibbon Edmund Spenser Ben Jonson .... John Milton .... Alexander Pope William Blake Samuel Pepys .... John Ruskin .... Michael Faraday Joseph Mallord William Turner John Leech .... Diagrams .... 227 231 233 235 237 238 239 240 241 242 245 246 247 248 260 MAPS West London, Topographical „ Geological Rainfall Map of England Front Cover Back Cover 75 The illustrations on pp. 44, 49, 131, and 192 are reproduced from Literary London by courtesy of Mr T. Werner Laurie ; that on p. 82 is from a photo kindly supplied by Sir W. Christie; that on p. 93 from a photo supplied by Messrs Doulton and Co., Ltd; the design on p. 175 is reproduced by kind permission of The Building Nevus; thanks are also due to the Bishop of London for the photo on p. 158 and to Mr S. Bewsher, Bursar of St Paul's School, for that on p. 226. The portraits on pp. 231, 233, 240, 241, 242, 245, 247 and 248 are from photographs by Mr Emery Walker; that on p. 237 is reproduced by kind permission of Pembroke College, Cambridge. i. County and Shire. The County of London. The word London: its Origin and Meaning. The main divisions of our country are known as counties, and, in some instances, as shires. When the word shire is used, it is added to the county name. For instance, we speak of the county of Kent, or of the county of Bedford ; but while the word shire is not added to the name of Kent, it may be to that of Bedford. Thus we write the county of Bedford, or Bedfordshire, but not the county of Bedfordshire. Such an expression would be wrong and superfluous, for the word shire is now prac- tically equivalent to the later word county. Although, however, we now call all the divisions of England and Wales counties, that title is not historically accurate. Some counties, such as Kent, Essex, and Sussex, are really survivals of various old English kingdoms, and for more than a thousand years there has been but little alteration either in their boundaries or their names. The divisions now known as Bedfordshire, Hertford- shire, and Wiltshire are so called because they were shares B. W. L. I 2 WEST LONDON or portions cut off from larger kingdoms. Thus Bedford- shire and Hertfordshire were shares or portions of a very large kingdom known as Mercia, while Wiltshire was a share or portion of Wessex. It is not necessary to enlarge further on this distinction, but it is well to have a correct idea of the origin of our counties. For many years it was wrongly stated that Alfred divided England into counties. The statement is incorrect, for we know that some of the counties were in existence before his time, while others were formed after his death. It may be stated here that the object of thus dividing our country into counties was partly military and partly financial. Every shire had to provide a certain number of armed men to fight the king's battles, and also to pay a certain proportion of the king's income. In each case a "shire-reeve," or sheriff as we now call him, was appointed by the king to see that the shire did its duty in both respects. After the Norman Conquest, the government of each shire was handed over to a count, and from that time these divisions have been called counties. In England the divisions or ancient counties numbered forty until the year 1888. Then it was decided to form the Administrative County of London, under the pro- visions of the Local Government Act of that year. It is to be noted that, although London is the latest of the forty-one counties, it is not known as an " ancient " county, for it was constituted an administrative area from parts of the ancient counties of Middlesex, Surrey, and Kent. Thus it comes about that London, the capital of the British Empire, the greatest city in the world, and COUNTY AND SHIRE 3 once the capital of the county of Middlesex, is now an Administrative county. There is another London, which is often called " Greater London," but with that we do not propose to deal, as that enlarged area takes in many parishes and districts that are outside the boundaries of the ad- ministrative county, and extend into Hertfordshire and Essex. Now with regard to the name London^ there is great diversity of opinion as to its origin and meaning. We shall not, however, be wrong if, in giving some of the opinions on this subject, we state that the earliest historic monument of London is its name. The word Londinium first appears in Tacitus under the year a.d. 61 as that of an oppidum not dignified with the name of a colony, but celebrated for the gathering of dealers and commodities. It follows from this early notice that Londinium must have been founded long before a.d. 6i, and historians have come to the conclusion that the Roman oppidum was built on the site of an earlier Celtic village, and that the name Londinium is the Latinised form of Llyn-Din^ i.e. the lake-fort. Some writers have endeavoured to explain the name from other Welsh roots, but nothing is so uncertain as the origin of some place-names. Geoffrey of Monmouth thinks that London was called Caer-Lud after a King Lud of Celtic history, and even some recent writers have come round to this view and say that London means Lud's-town. This last derivation may be mere con- jecture, although it is in harmony with tradition. i — 2 fcj t, & "i^i «s COUNTY AND SHIRE 5 It may be mentioned that Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote early in the twelfth century, and gives a legend of the founding of London. This describes how Brutus came over from Troy and formed the plan of building a city. When he came to the Thames he found a site on its banks suitable for his purpose. There he built a city, calling it Troia Nova^ i.e. New Troy, which was afterwards corrupted into Trinovantum. As time passed on, King Lud built walls and towers round the city; and when he died, his body was buried by the gate which is called in the Celtic speech " Porthlud," but in the Saxon " Ludesgata " — our Ludgate. Here then we have the legend of the origin of London in pre-Roman days, and it may be founded on some genuine folk-stories of Celtic origin. At any rate, it explains the fact that the Roman attempt to change the name to Augusta completely failed, for the early name Llyn-din, or Caer-Lud, held its own in the affections of the Britons. Whatever conclusion we reach with regard to the origin of the name London, we feel sure that it was a village of some importance before the Roman occupation, as prehistoric and early relics are often found on the site. Thus it comes about that London has almost an unbroken record extending over 2000 years, and whether as Llyn-din, or Augusta, or Londinium, or London, occupies a commanding place in our country's history. 6 WEST LONDON 2. General Characteristics. Position and Natural Conditions. Why London is our Capital. There may be doubts as to the origin of London and the exact meaning of its name, but there can be no doubt as to its two thousand years of unbroken history and that it exerts a great fascination over the imagination of Englishmen. It has been well remarked that "London has a charm all her own ; it is that of a history as romantic and as interesting to Englishmen as that of Ancient Rome was to the Romans. As Ancient Rome once was, so is London now the centre of civilisation." In this chapter we shall first glance at some of the general characteristics of London, and then pass on to consider its position, and why it came to be chosen as our capital. There are people who would argue that London is a most unsuitable site for a capital, but we have to remember that it has stood the great practical test of centuries and has won its way to the foremost place against the competition of other cities that were officially favoured. Thus York was the chief Roman centre of administration, and Winchester was the chief town of Wessex and became the capital when the kings of Wessex were supreme over all England. It is sometimes easy to give the characteristics of a city or of some place of historic interest. But in dealing with London we have to think of at least two cities, round which have grown numerous towns that would GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS 7 each be considered large in the provinces. The im- mensity of London is so overwhelming, and its variety is so amazing, that we are not surprised to find how differently London is characterised by poets and historians. Wordsworth was charmed with the sight of London The Embankment looking Citywards from Charing Cross from Westminster Bridge, and in one of his sonnets exclaims : — "Earth has not anything to show more fair; Dull would he be of soul who could pass by A sight so touching in its majesty"; Byron looked upon it as "A mighty mass of brick, and smoke, and shipping." A French writer calls it "a province in brick " ; and one of our own literary men 8 WEST LONDON characterises it as " a squalid village." Heine, the great German writer, gives his idea of London as "a forest of houses, between which ebbs and flows a stream of human faces, with all their varied passions — an awful rush of love, hunger, and hate." There is some truth in each of these various attempts to give an idea of London, but of course they are all short of leaving the correct impression. Probably no one man is capable of giving a true picture of London, for there are so many aspects of the modern city. Its immense population and the strange variety of races are sure to have their effect on one class of observers. Others will be struck by the contrasts between the princely palaces of the rich and the filthy hovels of the poor, or between the magnificent squares and the squalid slums. In no other city in the world is there such a striking difference between historic buildings which date from the Conquest and the modern structures of stone and marble which have sup- planted the wooden houses of the Stuart period. Such, then, are a few of the most remarkable charac- teristics of London as it is to-day. It is not possible to deal further with this subject in the present book, so we will proceed to consider the position of London and what effect the choice of the site of the City by the early founders has had on its subsequent prosperity. It will be well to look at an early map of the capital showing the marshes on either side of the Thames. We shall then get some idea of what the Thames was like in British days. Then, the river must have looked like a broad lake with here and there a small island rising out GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS 9 of the water. When the tide was high, the river was converted into an arm of the sea, while at low water it was a vast marsh through which the stream wound its way in irregular fashion. It has been estimated that at Ancient London and its Surrounding Marshes least half of modern London is built on this marsh, which extended from Fulham on the west to Greenwich on the east. In those far-off days the marsh was the resort of wild duck, wild geese, herons, and other water birds flying 10 WEST LONDON over it in myriads. Altogether we can picture the site of London two thousand years ago as a dreary and desolate place, and one of the first questions that arises from this knowledge is, How came London to be founded on a marsh ? There are many reasons why London was founded on the present site, and if we consider a few of them it will help us to understand its growth and development. Of course we are referring to the site of London as it was in the time of the British founders, and at the period of the Roman Conquest. The evidence goes to show that the earliest centre of the City was on the east side of the Walbrook at the head of London Bridge. Now taking that district as the nucleus of the early city, we find that London was built on the first place going up the river where any tract of dry land touched the stream. We also find that it is a tract of good gravel soil, well supplied with water, and not liable to flooding. These were most important considerations in selecting the site of a city in those early days, just as they are at the present time. It will be seen that this area of good land was chosen on the river Thames, so that the waterway was a means of defence, and a highway which could be traversed both up and down by means of the British boats. The site was not very near the sea, and that fact was also an advantage, for the small boats of the Britons could not venture on the waves of the Lower Thames. There is no doubt that the place was founded on a site about 60 miles from the coast, because it was not open to attack from the enemies who came over the sea. It is here GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS 11 'worth mentioning that London and Thames are both Celtic words, and are the only names remaining in this area to remind us of the British occupation. There is one other reason we may consider in this connection. London was placed on a tidal river, and thus it carried boats laden with merchandise or passengers far up the river to the west, and far down the river to the east. We may be sure that the Britons made use of the tide, and the Romans, who had been accustomed to the nearly tideless waters of the Mediterranean, soon learnt the value of the ebbing and flowing of the Thames. Thus we may conclude that the earliest site of London was on land about 50 feet above the level of the tide, and the position was admirably adapted for defence, for it was almost impregnable. Green, in The Making of England, remarks that London " sheltered to east and south by the lagoons of the Lea and the Thames, guarded to the westward by the deep cleft of the Fleet, saw stretching along its northern border the broad fen whose name has survived in our modern Moorgate The 'dun' was in fact the centre of a vast wilderness. Beyond the marshes to the east lay the forest tract of southern Essex. Across the lagoon to the south rose the woodlands of Sydenham and Forest Hill, themselves but advance guards of the fastnesses of the Weald. To the north the heights of Highgate and Hampstead were crowned with forest masses, through which the boar and the wild-ox wandered without fear of man to the days of the Plantagenets. Even the open country to the west was but a waste. It seems to have formed the border-land between two 12 WEST LONDON British tribes who dwelt in Hertford and in Essex — its barren clays were given over to solitude by the usages of primeval war." Besides the geographical reasons that account for the greatness of London, there are also historical and political reasons for its prosperity and development. Bristol and Liverpool on the west, and Plymouth and Southampton on the south, are equally well placed, and have enjoyed exceptional facilities for the cultivation of foreign trade. But while these and other towns have been fettered by the action of their feudal lords, London has had no over- lord but the king. The City has always had rule over its own district, and was not controlled by any outside power. Thus it comes about that London has distanced all rivals, such as York and Winchester, and now stands without a peer, the capital of the British Empire and the greatest city of the world. 3. Size. Boundaries. Development. History of Growth. London of the Romans, of the Saxons, of the Normans. Medieval London. Stuart London. As we have already seen in a former chapter, England was formerly divided into 40 geographical counties, but in 1888 it was decided to form the Administrative County of London. The number of Geographical Counties is now 41 ; but England is also divided by the Local Government SIZE BOUNDARIES DEVELOPMENT 13 Act of 1888 into 50 Administrative Counties. Some of the larger counties were then divided into two or more portions, so that the old idea of 40 counties has become obsolete, and we now speak not only of Sussex and Suffolk, but also of East Sussex and West Sussex, of East Suffolk and West Suffolk. It is well to make this point quite clear, so that we may understand London's position as a county. Of the 41 geographical counties in England, London is the most recently formed, it is the most important, and it is the smallest in point of size. A reference to the diagrams at the end of the book will illustrate its area compared with that of England and Wales. London contains 74,839 acres or 116*9 square miles, and is thus about -jl^ of England and Wales. The heart of the county is called the City of London, and this is about one square mile in area. A glance at the map of the County of London will show that it is an irregularly-shaped area divided into two unequal parts by the many windings of the river Thames : the northern portion is entirely formed from Middlesex, while the southern portion has been taken from both Surrey and Kent. The northern portion contains about two-fifths of the entire area, but it is in many respects the more important of the two divisions. The length of the county measured from Hammer- smith on the west to Plumstead on the east is about 17 miles, while the breadth from Holloway in the north to Streatham in the south is about 1 1 miles. It will be noticed that there is a small portion of the county on the 14 WEST LONDON Essex side of the Thames. This is known as North Woolwich, and before 1888 this district was part of Kent although it is actually in the county of Essex. Except on the east side, where it is bounded for some miles by the river Lea, the boundaries are not physical. Middlesex forms the boundary on the north and partly on the west, while Surrey bounds it partly on the west and south, and Kent partly on the south and east. Before we go further, it will be well to understand that the present volume on the western portion of London includes all the district west of the boroughs of Islington, Finsbury, City of London, Southwark, and Camberwell, and has an area of 33,070 acres. This western portion of London comprises 13 out of the 29 boroughs into which the county is divided. Ten boroughs in the western portion are on the north of the Thames, and the remaining three lie south of that river. The southern portion is much larger than the northern portion, although it is not so important, for we must always remember that, for many centuries, London as a city was only built on the north bank of the Thames. The line of division that is chosen for this volume is purely arbitrary, and is merely for purposes of convenience. In the eastern portion we get the City of London with its surrounding boroughs, and in the western portion we have the City of Westminster and its neighbouring boroughs. Lewisham in the western portion, and Wool- wich in the eastern portion, are the largest boroughs ; and Holborn in the western, and Finsbury in the eastern, are the smallest. SIZE BOUNDARIES DEVELOPMENT 15 Having given these facts and figures relating to the size of the present County of London, we may briefly glance at a little history as to its growth and development from the earliest times. It would be quite impossible within the limits of this book to go into details ; but we can give a few ideas as to its size and condition at three or four turning points in its history. In British times we must fall back on conjecture, but we have also the aid of geography and geology. The foundations of the facts that prove the condition of the earliest London are the waste, marshy ground, with little hills rising from the plains, and the dense forest to the north. The position of the town on the Thames proves the wisdom of those who chose the site, although the frequent overflowing of the river must have hindered its progress. Under the Romans, the city became the chief residence of merchants and the great mart of trade. The Romans probably built a fort where the Tower now stands, and afterwards the walls surrounding the town were erected. Then Londinium took its proper place among the Roman cities of Britain, for it was on the high road to York and the starting-point of most of the Roman roads in Britain. The two chief events in the history of Roman London are the building of the bridge and the building of the wall. The exact date of the building of the wall cannot be given, but we know that in 350 a.d. it did not exist, while in 368 a.d. the town with its villas, its gardens, and its township was enclosed. A reference to the map will show the circuit of the wall, with its gates and C ^ .£5 12 SIZE BOUNDARIES DEVELOPMENT 17 forts. London within the wall occupied an area of about 380 acres, and was about 3 J miles in circumference. This Roman wall round London was of the utmost importance in the history of the city, and even to this day it forms in part the City boundary. When the Roman legions left Britain, London had a very mixed population of traders. The inhabitants were defenceless and at the mercy of the invader. The Saxons conquered the eastern portion of England, and named it Essex. London became the capital of the East-Saxon kingdom. Saxon London was a wooden city, surrounded by walls, which probably marked the same enclosure as the Roman city. In the seventh century the city had become a prosperous place, and was peopled by merchants of many nations. It was a free trading town, and was also the great mart of slaves. In the eighth and ninth centuries it was frequently harried and laid waste by the Danes, but the great turning-point in its history was in 886 a.d., when King Alfred restored it and introduced a garrison of men for its defence. From this year to the present time London has;been in the front rank of our cities, and at the Norman Conquest it became, without a rival, the capital of England. The further growth and development of the city were now very marked, and William I granted a charter to William the Bishop, and Gosfrith the Portreeve, who is supposed to be Geoffrey de Mandeville. If we want to get further particulars of the growth of London, we must refer to the literature of the fourteenth and subsequent centuries. London places are frequently B. W. L. 2 18 WEST LONDON mentioned in Piers Plowman ; while Hoccleve, Gower, Lydgate, and Chaucer are invaluable to the student of early London life. The London Lickpenny, a work often attributed to Lydgate, is a valuable record of London A Party of Pilgrims {From a MS in the British Museum) life at the end of the fourteenth century. In it are related the adventures of a poor Kentish man who went to London in search of justice, but could not find it for lack of money. Chaucer gives us many pictures of the London of his day, and the portraits of the pilgrims in the Prologue SIZE BOUNDARIES DEVELOPMENT 19 to the Canterbury Tales show us the men and women who were to be seen daily in the streets of London. When we come down to the Stuart period, we find that London had about 150,000 people in the reign of James I, and in the reign of Charles II we are told that " the trade and very City of London removes westward, and the walled City is but one-fifth of the whole pile." Lord Macaulay made a special study of the state of London in 1685, and the following extract from his History of England gives a very picturesque account of the condition of the City more than two hundred years ago. He writes thus : — " Whoever examines the maps of London which were published towards the close of the reign of Charles the Second will see that only the nucleus of the present capital then existed. The town did not, as now, fade by imperceptible degrees into the country. No long avenues of villas, embowered in lilacs and laburnums, extended from the great centre of wealth and civilisation almost to the boundaries of Middlesex, and far into the heart of Kent and Surrey. In the east no part of the immense line of warehouses and artificial lakes which now stretches from the Tower to Blackheath had been projected. On the west, scarcely one of those stately piles of building which are inhabited by the noble and wealthy was in existence; and Chelsea... was a quiet country village with about a thousand inhabitants. On the north cattle fed, and sportsmen wandered with dogs and guns over the site of the borough of Marylebone, and over far the greater part of the space now covered by... Finsbury and the Tower Hamlets. Islington was almost 2 — 2 20 WEST LONDON a solitude ; and poets loved to contrast its silence and repose with the din and turmoil of the monster London. On the south the capital is now connected with its suburb by several bridges, not inferior in magnificence and solidity to the noblest works of the Caesars. In 1685, a single line of irregular arches, overhung by piles of mean and crazy houses, and garnished, after a fashion worthy of the naked barbarians of Dahomey, with scores of mouldering heads, impeded the navigation of the river." Lord Macaulay wrote this interesting sketch of Stuart London more than 60 years ago, when the population of the metropolis was under two millions. Since Macaulay's time London has increased enormously both in area and population, and the contrast between the early Victorian London and that of to-day is almost as striking as that drawn by the great Whig historian. Although a term has been put on its extent by the Act of 1888, its popula- tion has increased and, as we shall see in subsequent chapters, its development in trade and commerce is also progressive. 4. London Parks, Commons, and Open Spaces in the N.W. and S.W. If we look at any map of London showing the parks, commons, and open spaces within its boundaries we shall at once realise that Londoners are very fortunate in being so well provided with municipal "lungs." The first idea of many people who do not know London is that the LONDON PARKS COMMONS 21 Metropolis is nothing more than a wilderness of brick and mortar. This, we shall find, is far from being true ; and probably no other capital in the world has such extensive breathing spaces for its people as ours. The finest and largest parks are, as we might expect, in the western portion of the county; but we must remember that the people in the north-east have Epping Forest, which, although in Essex, is yet maintained by the City Cor- poration and is known as London's Playground. Now first we will endeavour to get a good idea of the extent of London's parks and open spaces; then we will consider some of their characteristics ; and finally we will pass in review those that are situated in the western portion of the County of London. The parks, commons, and open spaces within the County of London have an extent of 6588 acres, of 8*8 per cent, of the entire area. They are owned and maintained by the Government, the City Corporation, the London County Council, the various Borough Councils, the Conservators of Putney and Wimbledon Commons, the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association, and various other public bodies and persons. The London County Council and the City Corporation also own and maintain forests, parks, and open spaces outside the county, and in some instances we shall specially refer to them. The Government own and maintain Hyde Park, St James's Park, the Green Park, Kensington Gardens, Regent's Park, Greenwich Park, Woolwich Common, and other smaller spaces. The City Corporation own and maintain Highgate Wood, Queen's Park, Kilburn, within LONDON PARKS COMMONS 23 the county, and Epping Forest, Burnham Beeches, and West Ham Park outside the county. The London County Council are responsible for Battersea Park, Bostall Heath and Woods, Brockwell Park, Clapham Common, Hackney Marsh, Hampstead Heath, Victoria Park, Tooting Common, Wandsworth Common, Streat- ham Common, Wormwood Scrubs, and many other open tracts. It recently came into possession of Hainault Forest, a most beautiful piece of woodland in Essex ; and not a year passes without one or more parks and open spaces either being presented to the public or bought by the London County Council. The various Borough Councils maintain such open spaces as disused burial grounds, recreation grounds, gardens in squares, and small commons. We can realise what a boon all these parks and open spaces must be to London when we remember that many Londoners can never get far away from their place of work or home all the year round. To thousands of men, women, and children the parks and open spaces in the great city afford their only place of recreation and give them some idea of what the country is like. It has been a great advantage to London to have these open spaces for public resort, for there is no doubt that through them the love of Londoners for flowers and birds has been de- veloped. Although Englishmen have not often been in the front rank as great architects, there is no doubt that they have gained a reputation as landscape gardeners ; and in our London parks we may see some good examples of landscape gardening. It has been the aim of those who 24 WEST LONDON laid out the parks to make them as natural as possible. A walk in Regent's Park or Kensington Gardens will at once show what beautiful tracts of woodland they are, and what care has been displayed in preserving their natural characteristics. In most of the parks, certain portions have been laid out as flower gardens, and the varied colours of the tastefully-arranged beds form charming pictures. Besides the finest trees and beautiful flowers, the Parks also have the great attraction of bird life, but of that we shall read in another chapter. In some of the London parks, perhaps, there has been a tendency to make too many straight rows and formal walks, but this cannot be said of the commons, or of such a tract as Hampstead Heath. The commons have a distinct charm in their natural beauty and in their freedom, as opposed to the artificial character and restrictions of some of the parks. These commons are also part of the history of the county, and take us back to the time when the land was tilled in common. Not many years ago, there was a desire to build over these commons ; but of late a better spirit is abroad, and now every effort is made for the preservation of open spaces in and around London. In this western portion of the County of London we find the following are the largest open spaces north of the Thames : — Golder's Hill, Hampstead Heath, Parlia- ment Hill, Ravenscourt Park, Waterlow Park, and Wormwood Scrubs ; and south of the Thames : — Batter- sea Park, Brockwell Park, Clapham Common, Streatham Common, Tooting Common, and Wandsworth Common. These are all under the management of the London LONDON PARKS COMMONS 25 County Council, and we will devote the remainder of this chapter to a brief review of them. The parks owned and maintained by the Government will be considered in the next chapter. Golder's Hill is a picturesque park of 36 acres, ad- joining Hampstead Heath. The grounds have stately trees and some fine specimen shrubs. Near the mansion is a small lake with water-lilies, affording a quiet retreat for moorhens and other waterfowl. A little stream runs through a valley whose sloping banks are covered with grasses and wild flowers. A portion of this valley has been set apart for some red-deer, while another en- closure is reserved for the pea-fowl and an emu. Hampstead Heath is regarded as the finest of London playgrounds, and at holiday times it is visited by many thousands of people. It has a fine position on the north- western heights of the county, and covers an area of 240 acres. It was acquired in 1871 after much agitation and discussion in the law courts, and was dedicated to the public in the following year. It is very undulating in character, and the portions which are covered with gorse and undergrowth are very picturesque. The most famous view is from Spaniards-road, which crosses the Heath at its highest point. Hampstead Heath is well supplied with water, and the various ponds are used for bathing, fishing, and model-yacht sailing. At various parts en- closures and plantations have been formed as sanctuaries for bird life. Parliament Hill and Fields adjoin Hampstead Heath, and the surroundings of this fine open space of 267 LONDON PARKS COMMONS 27 acres are very beautiful. It has been thought by some writers that the name Parliament Hill suggests that the place was formerly used for the meeting of the folk-moot. There is a tumulus known locally as the Tomb of Boadicea. This, however, was more probably raised by the Romans as a boundary mark. Ravenscourt Park is at the western end of Hammer- smith and contains an ornamental lake, and an avenue of Parliament Hill, Hampstead stately elms. A walled garden has been laid out with old English flowers and forms a quiet retreat. Waterlow Park of 26 acres, on the southern slope of Highgate Hill, was for many years the home of Sir Sydney Waterlow, who gave it to the London County Council for a public park. The park is undulating, and has old cedars and many other well-grown trees and shrubs. Animal 28 WEST LONDON and bird life is encouraged, and the old English garden is always gay with flowers. This park has interesting his- torical associations, and Lauderdale House, which has been restored, dates from the seventeenth century. It takes its name from the Earl of Lauderdale who lived here, and there is a tradition that for some time it was the residence of Nell Gwynn. Wormwood Scrubs is a great common, 193 acres in area, on the western border of the county. Part of it is used for military purposes, and is divided from the portion to which the public have free access by a belt of trees. Battersea Park has an area of nearly 200 acres, and is the largest municipal park of London. It is on the right bank of the Thames between the Chelsea and Albert Bridges, and was formed by the Government in 1846 from Old Battersea Fields, a low-lying marshy tract. The chief feature of the park is the sub-tropical garden, which is planted in the summer months with palms and other similar plants. Another portion of the park has been planted with examples of the commoner natural orders for botanical study, and adjoining this is a garden where an attempt has been made to naturalise some of the hardier wild flowers. There is an enclosure for deer, and a small shelter for owls; while on the lake will be found many varieties of water-fowl. The river frontage of the park is about three-quarters of a mile in length, and affords a promenade with views of Chelsea on the other side of the river. Brockwell Park occupies the slope of a hill rising LONDON PARKS COMMONS 29 from the Norwood and Dulwich Roads to Tulse Hill. Its charm is due to its natural beauties, although much has been done to make it useful to the residents in the neighbourhood. The Old Garden was formerly the kitchen garden of the mansion, and is now surrounded by high walls covered with roses and other flowering creepers. The garden is laid out in the formal geometric The Lake : Battersea Park style, and the old-fashioned herbs and plants, the quaint sun-dial, and the picturesque well and bucket give the impression of a typical old-world garden. Near the house there is an aviary stocked with pea-fowl, pheasants, doves, and squirrels. Clapham Common of 220 acres is fairly level, and is much used for games. Streatham Common is situated 30 WEST LONDON at the southern extremity of the county, and from its higher ridges fine views of the surrounding country are obtained. The upper part of the common is covered with gorse, brambles, and other undergrowth, and being undulating is one of the most picturesque places in the south of London. Tooting Common really consists of two commons — Tooting Bee and Tooting Graveney — which are sepa- rated by an avenue of fine trees. It is a large open space of 217 acres, but suffers from being cut up into three separate areas by railway lines. Wandsworth Common has an area of 183 acres, and forms a small portion of the extensive waste lands that formerly belonged to the large manor of Battersea and Wandsworth. Although it is much intersected by roads and railways, the common has many attractions. A good deal of planting has recently taken place, and the old gravel pits have been utilised for the formation of a sheet of water. 5. The Royal Parks— St James's Park. The Green Park. Hyde Park. Kensington Gardens. Regent's Park. West London has a larger area of open spaces and parks than East London, so it is necessary to give an additional chapter on the Royal Parks which are THE ROYAL PARKS 31 owned and maintained by the Government. Westmin- ster has the whole of St James's Park, the Green Park, and Hyde Park; while Kensington Gardens are divided among Kensington, Paddington, and Westminster. Regent's Park is in the boroughs of Hampstead, St Marylebone, and St Pancras. St James's Park is the most beautiful and aristocratic of the London Parks, for round it are the royal palaces and some of the finest houses. An eminent French writer describes St James's Park as a genuine piece of country, and of English country ; with huge old trees, real meadows, and a large pond peopled with ducks and water- fowl; while cows and sheep feed on the grass, which is always fresh. Henry VIII first formed it from a marshy meadow belonging to the Hospital for Lepers. It was replanted and beautified by Charles II, and finally arranged by George IV much as we see it to-day. On the north side of the park is the Mall, the ancient fashionable promenade of London before Rotten Row became the mode. The Mall has been recently re-con- structed in connection with the Queen Victoria Memorial. It is now 200 feet wide, of which space 65 feet in the centre are devoted to the Processional Road from Tra- falgar Square to Buckingham Palace. At the eastern end it is entered by a fine triple arch designed by Sir Aston Webb. St James's Park has charming views of the public buildings at Westminster, and seen through the trees one has glimpses of the grey old Abbey, of "Cloud-capt towers and gorgeous palaces." 32 WEST LONDON The park is of special interest to the lover of birds, for the lake is the haunt of a large collection of water- fowl of many species, whose breeding ground is Duck Island. This beautiful park has many historical memories. Charles I, attended by Bishop Juxon and a regiment of The Queen Victoria Memorial foot, walked on January 30, 1648-9 through the park from St James's Palace to the scaffold at Whitehall. In this park, Cromwell took Whitelocke aside and sounded him on the subject of a King Oliver. Some of the trees, planted and watered by Charles II, were acorns from the royal oak at Boscobel ; and the Merry Monarch kept a menagerie and some aviaries in Birdcage Walk, the road THE ROYAL PARKS 33 which borders the Park on the south. It was a favourite pastime of Charles II to come here with his dogs and feed his ducks. x The Queen Victoria Memorial is at the west end of St James's Park. It is a large semi-circle laid out as an ornamental garden, with architectural and sculptured additions. The central object is the fine monument of the Queen by Sir Thomas Brock, R.A., which is visible from the extreme east end of the Processional Road. The Green Park is an open area of 53 acres between St James's Park and Piccadilly. Its name well describes the park, for it consists of pleasant greensward, with some shrubberies and flower-beds. In the time of James I much of the area covered by this park was a farm, and it was reduced in size by George III, who annexed part of it to add to the grounds of Buckingham Palace. The road connecting St James's Park with Hyde Park and skirting the garden wall of Buckingham Palace is known as Constitution Hill. Near the upper end of this road, Sir Robert Peel was thrown from his horse and killed ; and in this road Queen Victoria was fired at on three occasions. Hyde Park is reached from the Green Park by crossing Piccadilly. It is one of London's great lungs, and has an area of 364 acres. The park is entered from Piccadilly by a triple archway designed by Decimus Burton, and erected in 1828. The name is derived from the Hyde, an ancient manor of that name, which belonged to the abbots and monks of Westminster till the dissolu- tion of the religious houses by Henry VIII. It then b. w. l. 3 34 WEST LONDON became the property of the Crown, and for much of its present beauty it is indebted to William III and Caroline, wife of George II. It was Queen Caroline who formed the sheet of water called the Serpentine, and the carriage drive along the north bank is called the " Lady's Mile." The bridle road running from Apsley House to Ken- sington Gardens is Rotten Row, probably a corruption Hyde Park, the Serpentine of Route du Roi — King's Drive. The flower-beds are always an attraction, and the rhododendron show in June is specially famous. The entrance to the park from Oxford Street was by the Marble Arch, which was moved from Buckingham Palace in 1851, and re-erected here. It is a triumphal arch in the style of the Roman Arch of Constantine, and its bronze gates are admirable. THE ROYAL PARKS 35 Recently it has been found necessary to make an open space around the Marble Arch, and this has been done by setting back the Park entrances. Now the Marble Arch is quite isolated and meaningless, for it is no longer the entrance to the Park. In 1 85 1, the Crystal Palace, or Great Exhibition Building, covered nearly 19 acres on the south side of The Broad Walk, Kensington Gardens Hyde Park, and near its site rises the Albert Memorial, the national monument to the Prince Consort. It is a gothic cross or canopy designed by Sir Gilbert Scott, and its spire reaches a height of 175 feet. An enormous amount of money — £120,000 — was lavished on it, but its success as a work of art is much questioned. Kensington Gardens are continuous with Hyde Park, 3—2 • 36 WEST LONDON but there is a great difference between them, for the Gardens are more rural and have much finer trees. A recent writer on London well says that Kensington Gardens are a paradise of lovely sylvan glades and avenues, hardly less picturesque than St James's Park. Many other writers have paid their tribute to these gardens. Matthew Arnold felt their charm, and in one of his sonnets he writes : — "in this lone, open glade I lie, Screen'd by deep boughs on either hand; And at its end, to stay the eye, Those black-crowned, red-boled pine trees stand." Kensington Gardens were laid out in the reign of William III, and originally consisted of only 26 acres. Other monarchs have added to them, and now they have an area of 275 acres. The bridge over the Serpentine separating the Gardens from the Park was designed by Rennie, and erected in 1826. Adjoining Kensington Gardens on the west is Kensington Palace, of interest as a royal residence, and specially noteworthy as the birthplace of Queen Victoria. Regent's Park is the largest of the London parks, being 472 acres in extent. It is part of old Marylebone Farm and Fields, and was laid out in 181 2 from the plans of Mr John Nash. The Park derives its name from the Prince Regent, afterwards George IV, who intended building a residence here, and Regent Street was designed as a communication from it to Carlton House. Pleasant paths run in every direction over Regent's Park, and the two principal roads, the only THE ROYAL PARKS 37 carriage drives, are called the Outer and the Inner Circle. The former, two miles in length, encircles the park, while the latter, in the middle of it, encloses the Botanical Gardens. These are very pretty, and in May and June large flower-shows are held in them. They have attached to them an interesting museum and Regent's Park collections of orchids and sea-weeds. The chief road in the Park for pedestrians is the charming Broad Walk, which extends from Park Square on the south to Primrose Hill on the north. It is bordered with trees, and the southern portion is laid out with beds of flowers. The lake in the western half of the park is picturesque and has numerous water-fowl. The chief attraction of 38 WEST LONDON Regent's Park is in the Zoological Gardens, the most complete in the world. The Zoological Society was founded in 1826, mainly by Sir Humphry Davy and Sir Stamford Raffles, and the present Gardens were opened in 1828. Darwin and Huxley studied here, and the Gardens now contain a very full series of vertebrate animals. On the east side of the park is St Katherine's Hospital, with its chapel. Founded centuries ago, it stood originally near the Tower, but was removed here in 1827, to make room for St Katherine's Docks. Separated from Regent's Park by two roads and the canal rises Primrose Hill, which has been planted and laid out with walks. From its summit may be gained extensive views over London. 6. The River Thames. The Embank= ment. TheWandle. The Bridges. In an early chapter we read that London was founded on a site about 60 miles from the coast, and we also learnt that " London " and " Thames " are the only Celtic words remaining in this area to remind us of the British occupation of our country. Now, as the Thames has played such an important part in the growth and develop- ment of London, it will be necessary to devote a little time to the study of this, our greatest river. A recent writer has said that " The river has made London, and London has acknowledged its obligations to the Thames. It was the Silent Highway along which the chief traffic THE RIVER THAMES 39 of the City passed during the Middle Ages.... The river continued to be the Silent Highway until the nineteenth century, when it lost its high position. With the con- struction of the Thames Embankment the river again took its proper place as the centre of London, but it did not again become its main artery." The Thames, indeed, with its tides and its broad shining waters, has always been the source of London's wealth, and has been well named by one poet " Father Thames," and by another writer the "Parent of London." Throughout our history and literature the Thames plays a prominent part, and we shall find in the pages of this volume many references to it. With English poets it has been a favourite theme, and we find such expressions as u The silver-streaming Thames " of frequent occur- rence, while Denham has sung its praises in some noble couplets : — "O could I flow like thee, and make thy stream My great example as it is my theme : Though deep yet clear, though gentle yet not dull, Strong without rage, without o'erflowing full." The watermen of London were long famous, and many were the sports on the Thames that gave colour to the life of Londoners. There are many records of the Thames being frozen over in severe winters, and some of the Frost Fairs on the ice were of considerable duration. One of London's historians of the sixteenth century gives us some idea of the plentifulness of the fish caught in the Thames by London. " What should I speak," says Harrison in 1586, u of the fat and sweet salmons, daily - • - * ! % ^ >**« ¥/ ^S mml 1 1 i =* / -^' THE RIVER THAMES 41 taken in this stream, and that in such plentie as no river in Europe is able to exceed it?" The first salmon of the season was generally carried to the King's table by the fishermen of the Thames. A sturgeon caught below London Bridge was carried to the table of the Lord Mayor ; if above bridge, to the table of the King or Lord High Admiral. London has had great pageants on its river, and in Stuart times the Dutch ships were brought on its stream almost within gunshot of the Tower. Queen Elizabeth died at Richmond, and her body was brought in great pomp by water to Whitehall. Nelson's body, too, was carried in great state by water from Greenwich to White- hall. Many a state prisoner, committed from the Council Chamber to the Tower, was taken by water : and we all remember that striking scene in our history, when the Seven Bishops were carried by the Thames to the Tower. Almost as a sequel to the last event, James II himself fled from London by water, and, in his flight, threw the Great Seal of England into the Thames. Such, then, are a few of the historic landmarks which draw our attention to the river that has made London the capital of the British Empire. It will be seen by a reference to the map that the Thames divides London into two unequal portions. It is navigable and tidal throughout its course through London ; and from its source in the Cotswold Hills to the Nore the direct length is 120 miles, although with the windings it is probably 220 miles in length. The Thames, or Tamesis as it was once called, is the THE RIVER THAMES 43 earliest British river mentioned in Roman history. Its name, as we have seen, is of Celtic origin, and its derivation is probably the same as that of the Tame, the Teme, and the Tamar in other parts of England. The upper part of the main stream is often called the Isis, and not the Thames, until it has received the waters of the Thame near Dorchester in Oxfordshire. In its upper course it passes through some of our finest agricultural country, while below London Bridge it is one of the most im- portant commercial highways in the world. The Thames begins to feel the tide at Teddington, and from there to the Nore, a distance of 681 miles, the tide ebbs and flows four times in the day. The force of the tide is very great, and its power can be seen at Blackfriars Bridge, where the water swirls round the piers and rushes through the arches like a mill-race. The Thames enters the County of London at Ham- mersmith, where a bridge crosses the river to Barnes on the right bank. From this bridge westwards, almost to Chiswick, the riverside is known as the Lower Mall, and the Upper Mall. Some of the old houses along this portion of the Thames are now the headquarters of boating and sailing clubs. The Lower Mall is separated from the Upper Mall by a little creek spanned by a wooden foot-bridge. Near this is " The Doves," a little old-fashioned inn, but formerly a coffee-house, where the poet Thomson is said to have written his Winter. On the western side of the Lower Mall is Kelmscott House, intimately associated with William Morris, poet, craftsman, and socialist. Morris named his house on the 44 WEST LONDON Upper Mall after his residence on the Upper Thames. Mr Mackail, in his Life of Morris, says that "the The Doves hundred and thirty miles of stream between the two houses were a real as well as an imaginative link between THE RIVER THAMES 45 them. He liked to think that the water which ran under his windows at Hammersmith had passed the meadows and gray gables of Kelmscott; and more than once a party of summer voyagers went from one house to the other, embarking at their own door in London, and disembarking; in their own meadow at Kelmscott." From Hammersmith Bridge the Thames bends and makes a semi-circular curve in which Fulham is enclosed. On the right bank are the West Middlesex Reservoirs and the grounds of the Ranelagh Club. On the left bank are Fulham Palace and Bishop's Park, and a little to the east the Thames is spanned by Putney Bridge. Putney is the headquarters of many rowing clubs and presents a scene of great activity in the season. It is also the starting-point of the race which is rowed every year between Oxford and Cambridge. The Boat Race as it is always called, without further definition, has been rowed since 1839, and is one of our national institutions. A little distance eastward of Putney Bridge, by the riverside, is Hurlingham House, with spacious grounds, beautiful gardens, and a lake of four acres. Here it is that the Hurlingham Club has its polo, tennis, and other sports, which attract large numbers of the upper classes in the season. Before the river turns north it is crossed by Wandsworth Bridge, and onwards to Battersea Bridge this section of the river is known as Battersea Reach. On the left bank there is Chelsea with its Embankment and its avenue of plane trees, and the Royal Hospital, one of the most stately of Wren's build- ings. Across the river is the greenery of Battersea Park,