Gunnersbury Park

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Gunnersbury Park is a park in Brentford ward in the London Borough of Hounslow, in west London, although it has always been regarded by local residents as being part of Ealing. Purchased for the nation from the Rothschild family, it was opened to the public by Neville Chamberlain, then Minister of Health, on 21st May 1926.

1 History
2 Gunnersbury Park today
3 References
4 External links

[edit] History

The name of Gunnersbury derives from Gunylda, the niece of King Canute who lived there until her banishment from England in 1044. Originally a manor owned by the Bishop of London, the Frowyk family occupied it in the 15th century, Sir Thomas Frowyk, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas having been born there in 1460. In the mid 17th century, Gunnersbury was acquired by Sir John Maynard, a lawyer and politician during the time of Cromwell. It was he who built Gunnersbury House, a Palladian mansion modelled on the Villa Badoer, and designed by Webb, the pupil and son-in-law of Inigo Jones. A map of Ealing dated 1777, shows the house in the north-east corner of the park, facing a horseshoe-shaped lake.

The original Gunnersbury House around 1750

Daniel Defoe visited Gunnersbury in 1742. He wrote: “...(The Mansion) stands on an eminence, the ground falling gradually from it to the Brentford Road; from the Portico…you have an exceeding fine prospect of the County of Surrey, the river Thames…and a good prospect of London in clear weather…”

In 1760, the house and estate were purchased for Princess Amelia, favourite daughter of George II. Plans for her to marry Frederic (who later became Frederic the Great of Prussia) came to nothing and when her father died, Amelia lost her apartments at St James Palace. She took a house in Hanover square and bought Gunnersbury House and estate as a country summer retreat. Amelia – George III’s aunt, “that odd and hearty lady” – made Gunnersbury famous with her parties and political intrigues. It was she who landscaped the park in the 18th century style.

Amelia died in 1786, and by 1801 the mansion had been pulled down and the land sold off piecemeal. Fortunately, the majority of the lots seem to have been acquired by only two people, Alexander Copeland, and Stephen Cosser. Two separate estates were then established, each with its own new house. Copeland, who bought 76 acres (most of the original grounds), quickly built the “Large Mansion” which was known, with its grounds, as "Gunnersbury Park". The “Small Mansion” was built virtually alongside, the builders evidently recognising the suitability of the position – an elevated terrace overlooking the horseshoe-lake where the original mansion had stood. The small mansion and grounds were known as "Gunnersbury House".

In 1835, the merchant and financier Nathan Mayer Rothschild purchased the Large Mansion and park shortly before he died. The Small Mansion and its grounds were acquired by the family about fifty years later, finally reuniting the original estate. The Rothschilds extended Gunnersbury further, acquiring most of the Old Brentford Common Field to the west, as well as land to the north. An old clay-pit in the south-west, “Cole’s Hole” was landscaped to become the Potomac lake, and the tile-kiln beside it modified to become a boat-house disguised as a gothic folly.

In 1925, following the death of Nathan’s grandson Leopold de Rothschild, Leopold’s wife, Maria, and son Lionel, sold the 200 acre Gunnersbury estate to the Ealing and Acton borough councils for £130,000. The transaction was fortunate indeed for the local residents. Following the Great War, there was a demand for housing and building land in the area. The Rothschilds could have got a much greater price had the land been sold for that purpose. Disgruntled Ealing ratepayers wrote to the papers complaining about the burden on their rate bills. Even the Brentford and Chiswick Borough Councils (adjacent to Ealing and Acton) commented that since Ealing already had The Common and several other parks, not to mention Kew Gardens close by, another park would be unnecessary. They insisted that the greater part of the land should be used for housing, and opposed the loan of the purchase money to Ealing and Acton from the Ministry of Health. However, civic pride and philanthropy prevailed, and Mrs de Rothschild sold Gunnersbury as a permanent memorial for her husband – under the condition that it was only to be used for leisure – although of the 200 acres, 13 were allowed to be used for building houses. The transaction was very much welcomed by The Times, which commented that “...(Gunnersbury)... will be a place of health and happiness for many...” and that “...security against destruction seems to rest only with such places...acquired…with the help of landowners wealthy enough to be able, and public-spirited enough to be ready, to serve the public need”

When he opened the park, Neville Chamberlain “...rejoiced that the people had come into the possession of so magnificent and historical park...” He bemoaned the failure of earlier generations to recognise the need for open spaces in the towns and cities, when outdoor recreation was the privilege of the few. In the previous year, he said that the Ministry of Health had sanctioned loans of over £1.5M for the purchase of open space, but it was still not enough.

Even Brentford and Chiswick relented the following year, joining Ealing and Acton in joint ownership and management of Gunnersbury.

[edit] Gunnersbury Park today

The Large Mansion

The actions of the Rothschilds and the Ealing and Acton Councils provided the local residents with the park that exists today. There is a substantial open area to the west bordering Lionel Road, which accommodates thirty-six football pitches in the winter. The large mansion is now Gunnersbury Park Museum – opened in 1929 – a showcase for local history and archaeology, costume and fine art. Some memorabilia of The Rothschilds remain, including a number of their horse-drawn coaches.

There is a boating pond nearby, overlooked by a temple folly dating from 1760 – the only eighteenth century building still standing in the park. Opposite this is a large Pitch and Putt next to some tennis-courts. There is an Orangery built in 1836 by Sydney Smirke, who designed the British Museum Reading Room, and the remains of a Gothic fantasy disguising the old stables. Close to the Orangery is what is left of the western half of the Horseshoe Lake – devoid of water now but planned for renewal.

The 18th Century Temple

On the east side of the park, adjacent to the boundary with the North Circular Road is where the Japanese water-garden used to be. It was laid out in 1901 as a home for Leopold de Rothschild’s water lilies. This too is due for restoration. In the south western corner of the park is the Potomac fishing-lake complete with its boat-house folly.

The Small Mansion with the Large Mansion in the background to the left

Princess Amelia’s most famous contribution to Gunnersbury was the bathhouse, a “battlemented Gothic building” still visible in the park near the eastern end of the small mansion. Current research shows that the visible building is 19th century, although the 18th century foundations of the original bathhouse have been identified under the floor.

Older residents of Ealing will also remember Gunnersbury Park as a haven for small boys wanting to fly kites and model aeroplanes and float model boats in the pond, and avoid being evicted by vigilant park-keepers for riding their bikes.

The Boat-House on the Potomac

The large mansion is quite recognisable as the venue for the Police Exhibition in the climax of the Ealing Studios Comedy the Lavender Hill Mob, when the model Eiffel Towers were exposed as being made from stolen gold bullion.

And recognising the cultural diversity of Hounslow and Ealing boroughs, for the last two years, and due again in 2006, the London Mela will be held in Gunnersbury Park – a celebration of South Asian culture with live music, dance, film and fashion alongside market stalls and a selection of food and drink.