Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-07-03
PARKS IN LONDON.
Breathing Spaces That Have Been
Created in Twelve Years.

Breathing Spaces That Have Been
Created in Twelve Years.
The London county council, IL it had
achieved no other good work, would
still deserve some measure of praise
for the wise and regular additions it
has made, and continues to make, to
London's open space.
When the council superseded the
Metropolitan board OF works, in 1899, it
took over the control of 2.a421a acres of
breathing space. Since then only one
year $500 has passed that has not
seen extensive additions to the parks
and recreation grounds of the city,
which now total 3,TT0 acres.
At present the council is negotiating
for the acquisition of seven more open
spaces In different districts. The lars-
est is an addition of iorty-two and a
half acres to Brockwell Park, and an
official of the council informed rep
resentative of the Daily Mail that the
negotiations had been practically COM
pleted
At the time of the councils success
sion to the management of Londons
open spaces the largest was Black
heath, with PCT acres. The most ex-
tensive now is Hampstead heath,
which since the addition of Parliament
hill numbers no less than SOFA acres.
The ninety-three parks, gardens, and
open spaces at present under the juris-
diction of the council vary in size from
that of " Arry's Apply uniting ground,
aforementioned, to the quarter of an
acre at Putney known us the Bridge
shrubbery."
The most eventful year in the history
of open-air London was in 1887, when
the dlIninutIve Bridge shrubhery was
acquired But not solely for that rea-
son; for it was in 1887 that such desira-
BILE places as Battersea Park, Victoria
| Park. Wandsworth Common, and CHS
sold Park became the property of Lon
| don ratepayers. In that one year no
less than ten parks and open spaces
were acquired. This number was ex-
ceetled by one in 1890, but the additions
were by no means so important. Curl
! ously lugubrious is the fact that out
of these eleven new open spaces six
were churchyards, Food for philoso-
piers here.
Including the great parks controlled
h. bodies other than the county council
London generally credited with being
the most ovctcrowded ana stutfiest city
in the world possesses the respectable
total of a.655 acres of public parks gar
dens, and recreation grounds. Roughly
speaking. this gives six and half
square yards of sylvan retreat to every
man, woman. and child in Greater Lon
don-a priceless possession that is. per-
haps, not appreciated 10 its fun worth
Within this vast area four important
provincial towns could be built and
still leave 434 acres, a space equal to
Hyde Park and thirty acres over.
The municipal area of Stafford, Man
chester's thriving ueighbor. * 1920
acres. and il this space are crowded
10l 200 souls. one of the other towns
selected, Burnley. also in Lancashire.
has population of 5S.75l within a
municipal borough of t,ISl acres. Even
then there would be room left in Lon
don's combined open spaces for the two
cathedral cities Durham aud Worces-
ter. Altogeth ar. a population of close
! upon 2el00o could be housed within
,he area Of London's public parks. gar.
deus, and recreation grounds. leaving
Tor the enjoyment of this unbuilt city
verdaut resort a mile and half long
aud tnree-quarters of mile wide
London Mail.