Extracts from “A View of Gladstone Park & Dollis Hill House” by Juliette Soester & Cliff Wadsworth; Willesden Local History Society; 2002.
Towards A Public Park.
It was chiefly the loss of sports grounds at Neasden by the arrival of the Great Central Railway towards the end of the 19th century that motivated local public backing for a new park at Dollis Hill. Hence, there was very strong support at Neasden for the idea that the District Council should buy from the Finch family the part of their estate that lay south of Dollis Hill Lane, for £50,000. However, considerable opposition to the proposal, mainly on cost grounds, arose from other parts of Willesden, largely driven by the editor of the Willesden Chronicle from his office in South Kilburn.
In the end the issue was resolved at an inquiry held by an inspector from the Local Government Board. He recommended acquisition of the land. Middlesex County Council agreed conditionally to put up £12,500 towards the cost (see Appendix 2); London County Council, £3,000; Hampstead £1,000; and Hendon £500, while the Ecclesiastical Commissioners made a £5,000 loan available on easy terms. Willesden Council was left to find the rest of the money from their ratepayers and from donations. It would eventually cost nearly £52000.
APPENDIX 2 – CONDITIONS OF M.C.C. CONTRIBUTION 1899.
Your Committee beg to submit the following resolutions which have been passed by the Middlesex County Council, in connection with the proposed acquisition of the Dollis Hill Estate as a Public Park and Recreation Ground:
That an intimation be given to the Willesden Urban District Council, that the County Council will be prepared to contribute a sum equal to one-fourth (not exceeding £12,500) of the cost of the purchase of Dollis Hill House and about 98 acres of land attached thereto, for the purpose of a recreation ground, subject -
(1) To the whole of the 98 acres being dedicated and maintained as an open space for ever.
(2) To no buildings being erected on any part of the land except with the consent of the County Council which consent shall only be granted on condition that such buildings be used for purposes ancillary to the use of the land for the above purpose.
(3) To the conveyance containing covenants to the satisfaction of the County Solicitor, for the due maintenance of the house and ornamental grounds, and the trees during the occupancy of the present tenant, and until the property comes into the possession of the Willesden Urban District Council.
(4) To the Willesden Urban District Council entering into a covenant to repay to the County Council the entire contribution (less any sums raised from time to time by County rate in the Parish of Willesden towards the contribution) made by the County Council, in the event of Willesden becoming a County Borough, or otherwise altering the financial relations between the County Council and the Willesden Urban District Council.
(5) To any necessary deed, in a form approved of by the County Solicitor, being entered into between the two Councils, embodying the above conditions.
[WDC Minutes]
The contract to purchase the house, garden, and estate from “Robert Augustus Finch and others” was signed by the Council on 9th August 1899, and soon afterwards, notices to terminate existing tenancies (except that for the house and gardens) were sent out. Despite some reservations by local Conservatives, on 12th December 1899 it was formally agreed to name the park after W.E. Gladstone who had spent so many happy hours there. Purchase was completed early in 1900.
Robson’s Contribution.
The Earl of Rosebery, recently twice Prime Minister, had promised to perform the opening ceremony on Saturday 25th May 1901, but was prevented from attending by the death of his mother, the Duchess of Cleveland. In his absence the park was declared open by the Earl of Aberdeen, who was accompanied by Lady Aberdeen, their son, Lord Haddo, and their daughter, Lady Marjorie Gordon. Stanley Ball (Clerk to Willesden District Council), who was present at the grand event, recorded some of the other notable people seen that day:- Miss Helen Gladstone, Sir Henry and Lady Campbell-Bannerman, Sir Ralph Littler (Chairman of the Middlesex County Council), Sir Hugh Gilzean-Reid, Lord Glenesk, The Earl of Meath, Sir Alexander Binnie, The Countess of Warwick, Sir Andrew Clark, Mr. Torrance (Chairman of the London County Council), Judge Rentoul, Alderman Piobbam (the Chairman), Dr. J.Crone, J.P. (WDC Chairman), Councillor W. R. Dunn (Chairman of the Parks Committee), Councillor Fripp, Councillor Cockburn, and County Councillor W. B. Luke, J.P.
Once it had been agreed that Gladstone Park should become a reality, the main planning was handed over to Oliver Claude Robson the District Council Surveyor who was to serve for 43 years, 1875 – 1918. Robson’s first major pleasure ground project had been Roundwood Park which opened in 1895. In this he had to convert poorly drained farmland into the gem which we know today. The much larger Gladstone Park was to prove a rather less challenging undertaking. It was decided to leave the northern part of new park in its “original and natural beauty”, and devote the section south of the railway to sports. The latter was to prove useful to Robson since it was levelled with slop (road refuse), for which he was always short of landfill sites. Hedges and ditches dividing these southern fields were obliterated but some trees were left standing.
Robson had little laying out work to do but provided boundary fencing, a children’s playground (gymnasium), 103 seats, conveniences, stabling, pavilions for football and cricket clubs, water supply, and 2900 feet of roadways. All the old farm ponds on the estate were filled in to depth not exceeding 2 feet for safety reasons, and some later converted to children’s paddling pools. (These subsequently became a problem to the Council, perhaps for health reasons, and were dispensed with in 1920).
Cleverly, Robson waited for the public to mark out what he called “trespass paths” across the park before converting them to metalled pathways. Some plantations in Roundwood Park were thinned and the surplus trees transplanted at Gladstone Park. Hundreds of plane trees were set along the pathways.
A major event for Willesden was the provision of its first public swimming bath, which Robson designed in 1902 and estimated would cost £2489 6s. (According to the Willesden Guide 1905/6, the actual cost was £2569 6s 5d.) It was based on Harrow School swimming bath, which representatives of the Council had visited and approved. All the construction work, which commenced on 2nd March 1903, was carried out by the Engineer’s Department without the intervention of a contractor, thus providing work for the local unemployed.
The irregular oblong-shaped bath covered an area of 17020 square feet, the total length being 246 feet and the average width 74 feet. The depth below water level ranged from 3 feet at one end graduating to six feet at the other. The sides sloped at an angle of 27 degrees and the bottom and sides were covered with a skin of six inches of Portland cement concrete, and an inch of cement rendering formed the upper surfaces. Excavated material deposited round the bank made a seven feet slope, between which and the bath a 10 to 15 feet path of monolithic paving, kerbed with blue brick coping was laid.
Water for the 400,331 gallon capacity bath was supplied from the Water Company’s main in Dollis Hill Lane. Upon the path at either end, and in the centre, dressing boxes were erected, consisting of open sheds divided into six by four foot boxes, with four foot half doors. There were two diving boards at the deep end, and a small 10 feet square caretaker’s room. The entrance to the bath was by a flight of steps 12 feet wide over the bank, and around the exterior slope a high fence was erected.
Speedy construction allowed the Earl of Aberdeen to declare the pool open on Saturday afternoon 18th July the same year. Initially, the public was not charged for entry on certain days to encourage use of the facility. Robson was not pleased with a certain minority of swimmers, writing in 1906;
“Large crowds have attended the bath and the habits of some have been far from cleanly decent. The desirability of ceasing the use of the bath as a free entertainment is now under consideration of the council”.
In the summer of 1903 Mr G.Bailey was appointed caretaker of the pool at a salary of 30 shillings a week with the understanding that Mrs Bailey be available upon any day set apart for ladies bathing.
The new sports pitches (11 for cricket and 7 football, served by 7 pavilions giving accommodation to 32 clubs) were immediately in great demand and had to allocated by ballot. A stream running down the eastern boundary was culverted as early as 1906 when All Souls College offered £300 towards the estimated cost of £700. Culverting of Slade Brook along the southern boundary was not to be started until the winter of 1920-21.
By 1908/9, Robson had added a bowling green and 4 tennis courts. Dollis Hill House was renovated at an estimated cost of £616 11s 6d, and the ground floor let to a contractor for the sale of refreshments. The park constable occupied the rear portion of the house.
The following year the Surveyor converted the former fruit and vegetable garden attached to the house into an Old English garden, which was to become one of the park’s star attractions. Robson probably erected a sundial, provided by Cricklewood & District Improvements Association in 1907, at the centre of the garden.
As early as 1905, an iron drinking fountain was offered by the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain & Cattle Trough Association. It was agreed that pillar should be fixed near the gymnasium, but various delays, including its display at the Imperial International Exhibition in 1909, meant that the fountain was not ready for erection until 1910. Both drinking fountain and Old English garden were opened together on Thursday July 14th at 6-30 pm.
For many years there had been worries about the level crossing over the M&SWJR where the public were exposed to danger from the trains. There was an intention to provide two subways under the railway to improve communications between southern and northern sections of the park but, although the Midland Railway Company raised no objection to the work, it never materialised. However, in October 1912 the Council entered into an agreement with the Midland for the erection of a footbridge to replace the old crossing.
Willesden eventually were to pay £1425 of the full cost of £1681 15s 2d. and, to finance this, managed to obtain a loan from the Local Government Board. Work was completed in the last two months of 1913 or early in 1914. After complaints from Dudden Hill Estate Association, Robson was authorised to fix lighting on the bridge and its approaches.
Many other works by Robson were completed before he took a well-earned retirement in 1918.
Other Early Events
Hardly had the Council become owners of the park when they had to have a small part of it dug up. By an Act of 1897, the New River Company had permission to build a 42 inch underground aqueduct across the land close to the railway. This was part of a grand scheme to bring water from Staines to the New River district at Fortis Green. Work was carried out about the time of park’s opening and in May 1902 the Council received £1151 in compensation which went towards swimming bath costs. Construction had minimal long-term effect on the beauty of the parkland.
“Give and take” agreements were made with adjacent landowners (All Souls College, Mrs Nicoll, Mr E. Mudgley) in the early years to straighten the park boundaries on the east, west, and south sides. An offer by Mr Owen Owen to sell 20 acres of land adjacent to the park was not accepted. Later, in 1913, he had plans for a model village on the site but these were refused since no drainage had been provided.
The Boer War was still in progress when the park opened. Willesden District Council permitted Middlesex Volunteer formations to use the steep grassy slopes of the newly opened park for manoeuvres and, even after the war ended in May 1902, military exercises regularly took place there. For example the 21st Middx Volunteers under Colonel W.N.Davies used park for drill on Saturday evenings from 1904.
On a lighter note, on 30th June 1903, a Mrs Kingston was given permission to enter the park in her donkey carriage.
A grand festival was held in the park on July 24th 1902 to celebrate the Coronation of Edward VII when many thousands of children attended. Open-air stages were erected for music, together with theatrical and acrobatic displays. In the evening there were balloon ascents, and a grand display of “daylight fireworks”. The park was again the focus of celebrations for the Coronation of George V on Thursday 29th June 1911. This time the fireworks were replaced by music from three brass bands thoughout the afternoon and early evening, sports involving grass track running and swimming races in the bath. Again, the main paticipants were school children.
For the first 10 years or so grazing of the park was let to a Mr H.Burgess of Edgware, initially at £70 then at £35 per annum when the available area was reduced. This saved the Council money in grass cutting costs. However, sheep grazing was discontinued in 1910/11 since the animals were interfering with the house grounds, there was a possibility of their eating poisonous plants which had grown up, and there were difficulties in keeping the perimeter fencing perfectly secure. Despite this decision many further requests for grazing rights were to be received by the Council.
Mr G.E.Cloke wanted to graze bullocks in 1917 and two years later an application for poultry farming was also refused. Perhaps the wildest suggestion was to be made by Cllr. Hill J.P. in 1932 when he proposed that a herd of deer be established in the park.
Although the opening of the park did increase the number of people using Dudding Hill station, passenger services on M&SWJ railway stopped on 1st October 1902, never to recommence. Gladstone Park had to wait for another rail service until 1/10/1909 when the Metropolitan Railway opened Dollis Hill. B.Andrews of the railway company reported that their new station was to be lettered “Dollis Hill for Gladstone Park”. Much later, in 1930 Gladstone Park District Association wanted to change the name of this station from Dollis Hill to “Dudden Hill for Gladstone Park” The railway company did not wish to abandon the name Dollis Hill but were prepared to change to “Dollis Hill and Gladstone Park”. It was so known for short while, (1931-33) until reverting to the present “Dollis Hill”.
Whilst writing about transport, perhaps a connection with aviation should be recorded. Early in 1909, the Outdoor Committee recommended to the Council that Mr F.Taylor be permitted to experiment with a flying machine model in the park after closing time for up to 10 evenings to be agreed with the Engineer. No report of the outcome was recorded in the Council minutes.
Food In The Park.
From the outset, park users expected to be refreshed during their perambulations. Mr A.L.Guinoniere, who was involved in the catering at Roundwood Park, offered £8 per annum for refreshment rights for the 1901 season at Gladstone Park. He was followed in 1904 by Mrs M.S.McCarthy who was permitted to sell food and drinks from tents she supplied, providing her prices were as listed in the Council-approved tariff. She continued until, in 1909, the tender of Mr Alfred Bowyer (£60 per annum) was accepted. He replaced the tents with wooden chalets and it looks as if this bid included use of the ground floor of the house that Robson had recently adapted for refreshment purposes.
Perhaps Boyer had overestimated the profit on refreshment sales since he had difficulty in paying his rent. In 1911 he had his licence revoked and Mr Robert Hendrick and Mr Charles Taylor of No 3 High St. Hampstead agreed to pay £40 per annum from the beginning of 1912 for 7 years. Hendrick was given permission to hire chairs for the lawn outside the house, to install a telephone, and to sell programs for performances by a private quartet. They too had problems and were given a months notice to quit early in 1913.
The Council reduced the refreshment licence fee again, this time to £20 per annum, which was accepted from Mr C.F.Taylor and Mr Ling for 1913. But soon afterwards war broke out and they had to vacate the house to permit its conversion to a hospital.
The next year a temporary refreshment chalet was permitted in lieu of the Dollis Hill House facility on “the north side of the railway near the tennis courts”.
Early in 1925 the tender of W.H.Gaze & Sons of Kingston (£613) was accepted by the Council to build two refreshment chalets. Probably these were the one in the south-eastern part of the park and that outside the swimming baths. When in 1927 the house had been adapted for cafe use once again an early manager was a Mr L. Greeves who was to run the restaurant for much of the inter-war period.
His contract was renewed for another 5 years in 1932 at £155 per annum. Soon afterwards he offered to pay an additional £40 per annum for use of certain living accommodation at the house and agreed to decorate the same. He also staffed the refreshment stall outside the swimming bath at £15 per annum.
These extracts were kindly supplied by Cliff Wadsworth, co-author, with the late Juliette Soester of the book “A View of Gladstone Park & Dollis Hill House” from which they were taken.
If you would like to read the full version of this book you may purchase a copy or obtain other historical information from the website of the Willesden Local History Society.
Photographs courtesy of Brent Parks Service.
