Waterlow Park - WikiHQ

thumb|right|240px|View of the [[City of London from Waterlow Park.]]

Waterlow Park is a park in the southeast of Highgate Village, in north London. It was given to the public (i.e. the London County Council) by Sir Sydney Waterlow, as "a garden for the gardenless" in 1889. It is located to the west of Swain's Lane.

Description

The park is set on a site on a hillside south of Highgate Hill. It is named after the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Sydney Waterlow.

The site offers views across the City of London. It has three ponds all fed by natural springs.

History

The land has been laid out as gardens since the seventeenth century and contains many mature trees.

Lauderdale House sits at the edge of the park. It was built around 1580 and subsequently owned by the Dukes of Lauderdale. It is now used as a tea room and for functions and arts events and is surrounded by formal gardens. The original timber-framed structure has been extensively modified from its original sixteenth century construction, and none of the interior remains in its original state. It was the home of Earl (later Duke) of Lauderdale in the 17th century. There is a local tradition that Nell Gwyn, the mistress of King Charles II lived there at a later date. It reopened in 2005 and is now managed by the London Borough of Camden.

Features

A bronze statue of Sir Sidney Waterlow is located in the park. It was constructed by Frank Taubamn, and shows Waterlow holding a hat, umbrella and key, the latter of which symbolises his donation of the land to public property. There is also an abstract art piece, Image, designed by Naomi Blake and installed in 1979.

Cultural references

The park was referenced by Ian Hunter of Mott the Hoople in their song "Waterlow", from the 1971 album "Wildlife".

References

Citations

Sources

External links

http://www.waterlowpark.org.uk Friends of Waterlow Park
Waterlow Park wildlife, May 2008