Evening star., 1901-08-10
LONDON BREATHING SPOTS.
Public Gardens and Fairgrounds I'm
the English Capital.
From the Humanitarian.

Public Gardens and Fairgrounds I'm
the English Capital.
From the Humanitarian.
About the year 1870 the need for gardens
and Fairgrounds In the crowded districts Of
London was becoming very urgent. The
churchyards and burial grounds had been
closed for interments for nearly twenty
years. Over one hundred had been built
upon, but more than three hundred re-
mained and 1t was felt that these grounds.
at any rate might be made of some use.
During the next few years the movement
for converting the closed graveyards into
open gardens gradually made progress,
and there is one garden in London. the
churchyard of st. George Smith he-east,
which has been in daily use for upward Of
twenty-five years Toward the close OF
1852 efforts were made to gather together
those who were interested In open spaces.
and to collect funds for dealing in larger
and more concentrated manner with the
provision of breathing grounds in London.
This was the beginning OF the Metropolis
tan Public Gardens Association.
The association has carried through over
four hundred successful undertakings, in
Guiding the entire or partial laying out OF
one hundred and twenty five recreation
grounds in London. 1t mas placed thous-
ands of seats in public sites and planted
thousands of trees. 1t has given grants
to thirty gymnasia, has erected about fifty
drinking or ornamental fountains, has pro-
NOTED schemes for acquiring large open
spaces on every side Of the metropolis,
most Of which schemes involved the col-
lection of many thousand pounds; has pro-
NOTED and opposed bills In parliament, and
is recognized as the chief center for the
diffusion of information relating to OPEN
space matters by the public press, and by
the public bodies in London, in the prov-
inces, on the continent and in the colonies.
There are now in London and its inn
mediate neighborhood three hundred and
sixty public recreation grounds, varying in
size from Epping forest, which, with Wan
stead flats. is over 5000 acres in extent, to
little city gardens and fairgrounds meas
uring an eighth or tenth of an acre These
include one hundred plots Of ground which
have been used for interment, parish
grounds, Of which the largest is eleven
acres and the smallest Few yards square.
Among the recreation grounds shady
and well-kept gardens, with seats, flower
beds and fountains; public Fairgrounds for
children, provided with gymnastic ap-
paratus, giants strides, swings, bars, ETC.:
richly timbered private parks and estates
that have been presented to or bought for
the people; portions of the marsh lands
and lammas lands of East London, which
form such valuable grounds for foot ball
and cricket; little resting places under the
shadow Of the city churches, and vacant
plots Of land in odd corners of the metrop-
oils, which have been turned into recrea-
tion grounds, instead of being used as
building sites or builders yards. There is
not a suggestion for beautifying the Lon-
don streets or adding to the open spaces
which is too small to be worth taking up,
while no scheme yet put forward is SO
large that 1t can be considered to overstep
the need for breathing space or fresh air
which is increasingly felt by the dwelIers
builders, at any rate. never cease their
activity.