The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-18 00:00:00

matches have been played betweeen the Ist of May
and 30th of September of the present yeah: - Other
large open spaces are used for the drill and exercise
of the troops stationed at Chelsea New Barracks, as
also of various Volunteer corps. The district police
are drilled here also. Portions are set apart for trap
ball, rounders, and other games ; and when the
cricket season terminates football is commenced,
and is continued throughout the year. With the
exception of a small space used by the Civil Service
Club, the rest of these grounds are kept by the de-
partment of Woods and Forests. The lake is an
artificial one, and is fed partly by the Thames and
partly by a steam engine, fixed for the purpose of
supplying the park with water for the lodges, drink-
ing fountains, roads, flower beds, urinals, &c. The
depth of the water is too shallow for bathing, being
only 24 ft. deep. A large bathing pond would be as
fully appreciated in this locality as those at Vic-
toria-park are. The lake, however, is extensively
used for boating, the boats being let on hire by Mr.
Greaves of Chelsea.

There is a gymnasium and playground in the
soutk-eastern portion of the park, and on the ground
adjacent to it Sunday and other schools are allowed
to hold their annual treats,which, owing to the faci-
lity of access to the park, by both rail and water,
are annually increasing in number.
The subtropical garden, of some four acres in ex-
tent, did great credit throughout the summer to Mr.
Gibson, who has himself travelled in the East on a
botanical mission for and at the expense of the late
Duke of Devonshire.

The peninsula, comprising an area of 51 acres,
was completed and opened to the public last June.
It is laid out in the English landscape style, com-
bining a series of mounds with gentle slopes, be-
tween which are picturesque vistas. Nearly at its
centre there is a reservoir, which is excavated be-
low the level of the neighbouring springs. The
water from this self-supplied source is as clear as
crystal : it is pumped into an elevated tank which
holds 20,000 gallons, from which are laid service
pipes for the supply of the park.
During the last two years a horse ride has been
formed about 40ft. wide. It commences at Chelsea-
bridge, is continued along the river frontage to near
the West-lodge, and thence to the west-end of the
south drive. This year it is being brought in the
opposite direction to the east end of the same drive,
and will be soon completed. It will probably be
extended along the south side next year, and will
then encircle the park. When it becomes better
known, this will be cne of the most attractive rides
within easy reach of the fashionable parts of Lon-
elon. The advantage of river frontage possessed by
Battersea-park alone is shown by the fact that up-
wards of 12,000 persons have landed at the park
piers on each of several fine Sundays this year.
The tolls on Chelsea and Battersea bridges are a
great drawback to the enjoyment of this park,
although it is frequented by many on the weekdays.
But on Sundays, when the bridge is free, in fine
weather 40,000 or 50,000 people have been in the
park at one time during the last summer. The gra-
tuitous distribution of surplus bedding plants, autho-
rised by the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests,
has been made here, as elsewhere, this autumn.

- Perhaps no greater improvements in the land-
scape gardening way have been made for many years
on the northern bank of the Thames than those re-
cently carried out in Chelsea Hospital grounds, which
were, until of late, nearly in the formation in which
they were originally laid out. The embankment on
the north side of the Thames, the construction of
new approaches to the handsome suspension bridge
at Chelsea, and other public improvements in this
quarter rendered the entire reconstruction of these
grounds necessary. The terraces on the south front,
and, indeed, the whole surface in this part, had to be
raised 4ift. ; and, on tha side nearest Chelsea-bridge,
a depth of filling of from 10ft. to 24ft., was in-
volved. This having been effected, the grounds were
inclosed with a substantial iron railing in front, and
their superficial formation was completed iu 1862.
In carrying out these works some 100,000 cubic
yards of various sorts of stuff were deposited by con-
tract, and the grounds thus made are equal to any
of a like extent near London.

The raising of the ground above-mentioned ren-
dered it necessary either to sacrifice or transplant an
avenue of fine old pollard lime trees, planted in the
centre of the grounds some 150 years ago. It was
decided to attempt their removal, and this has been
effected by powerful machines—four or five tons of
earth being taken with each tree. They have been
formed into two avenues, one on the eastern and the
other on the western side of the grounds ; and so
successfully has this been done that not a tree has
been lost. These grounds arc liberally adorned with
flowering plants, and, being kept in good order,
look very brilliant in summer.
A portion of the grounds occupying the site on
which Ranelagh-house formerly stood is devoted to
the private use of the inmates of the hospital, and
are kept in order by the Lords Commissioners. These
have been recently reformed and laid out at their
expense, in a style corresponding to that of the ad-
joining grounds. Here allotments are set apart for
the pensioners, consisting of a square rod each ; and
they are so successfully cultivated by some of these
men that as much as £lO or £ll has been realised
on one allotment. This is done chiefly by the culti-
vation of the musk plant, of which two and three
crops are obtained in a season, and for which there
is an easy sale to hawkers.

From what we have succinctly and imperfectly
described, it will be seen that, starting from the
south side of Battersea-park, and passing between
the well laid-out grounds of Chelsea Hospital and
new Guards' barracks to the end of Lower Sloane-
street, the commencement of a grand road from
Battersea to Hyde-park has been made. When, if
ever, the connecting link, vid Sloane-street, will be
formed is another question.

Kennington-park is of comparatively recent for-
mation, having been enclosed about 1851. The
space it occupies was known as " Kennington-
common," which had become a thorough public
nuisance, and a source of extreme annoyance to those
who dwelt in its vicinity, who, when the park was
projected, offered to subscribe £5,000 towards its
formation. There are large vitriol works close at hand
which do not promote the luxuriant growth of the
trees and shrubs. They have, however, gradually,
though slowly, improved of late. In laying out this
little park, of 34 acres, an amalgamation of the
plain geometrical and the English styles has been
adopted, the latterhaving been completed about three
years since. It is furnished with a gymnasium and a
playground, which, in that populous neighbour-
hood, are in constant use. There is likewise a hand-
some drinking-fountain, presented by Mr. F. Slade,
of Lambeth, and designed by Mr. Driver. It is con-
structed of polished granite, surmounted by a bronze
casting, which represents Hagar and Ishmael at the
well. There are two large grass enclosures in the
centre of these grounds, in which a very good plan,
and one worthy of adoption elsewhere, is pursued,
to preserve the turf from utter destruction. Different
portions of the park are closed and opened alter-
nately to the plfblic. Were it not for this precaution
there would not be a living blade of grass to be seen
by the end of July ; every vestige of turf would be
tramped to death. By permission of the First Com-
missioner of Works, these open spaces are used for
the inspection of local volunteer corps and other
purposes. The usual floral decorations are carried
out during the season, which, considering the quan-
tity of smoke and deleterious fumes issuing from
the adjoining chemical works, succeed as well as can
be expected. The park is surrounded by a wrought-
iron fence, backed by a privet hedge. No metropo-
litan park is a greater boon to, or is more highly
appreciated by, those who can enjoy its privileges
than that of Kennington.

The origin of Victoria-park was this. In the 4th
and sth yeais of her present Majesty's reign an act
was passed to enable the Commissioners of Woods
and Forests to complete the sale of York-house, and
to purchase with the proceeds a royal park. The
Duke of Sutherland paid £72,000 for the remainder
of the lease of that house, and this money was ap-
plied to the purchase of about '290 acres of land,
situated in the parishes of St. John, Hackney ; St.
Matthew, Bethnal-green ; and St. Mary, Stratford-
le-Bow, county of Middlesex. Nearly one-third of
the acreage mentioned is taken for building ground;
the rest is Victoria-park. Its site had been pre-