Manor House Gardens

Manor House Gardens
The ornamental pond, island and viewing platform in Manor House Gardens, Lee
Type	Public park
Location	Lee, London, England
Coordinates	51°27′22″N 0°00′22″E / 51.456°N 0.006°E / 51.456; 0.006Coordinates: 51°27′22″N 0°00′22″E / 51.456°N 0.006°E / 51.456; 0.006
Area	3.34 hectares (8 acres)
Created	1773 (1773) (private residence)
Operated by	London Borough of Lewisham
Status	Open year round
Website	lewisham.gov.uk

Manor House Gardens is a 3.34-hectare public park and gardens situated in Lee, in south east London. The park features a walled flower garden, ornamental pond, fountain, ice-house, cafeteria, children's playground, community garden, dog-walking area and tennis courts/multi-purpose sports pitches. There is also a Park Ranger's Office and information point adjacent to the cafe,^[1] and the River Quaggy flows from east to west across the southern part of the park.

The gardens date from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries and much of the original layout remains. The gardens feature a large central lawn with a peripheral path with trees and shrubbery. An ornamental pond at the southern part features a small island and fountain.

The gardens are on the National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens.^[2]

History

The gardens (along with pond and ice-house) were formally laid out in around 1773 shortly after the main house had been built by Thomas Lucas (a merchant and treasurer of Guy's Hospital). The house was then purchased by Sir Francis Baring in 1796 from Mrs Angerstein (the former Mrs Lucas). Baring also bought the Manor of Lee and the house was then known as the Manor House.

The house and gardens remained within the Baring family until 1898 when Sir Thomas Baring, 1st Earl of Northbrook sold the Manor House and estate to the London County Council for £8,835 (almost a million pounds as of 2015). The council noted that the property and grounds were in a 'somewhat neglected condition' and began a restoration project.

Restoration of the house and gardens was completed in 1902 and the gardens were opened to the general public on Whit Monday 19 May 1902. The Manor House became Lee Public Library. The gardens were a popular destination for locals and during the second world war air raid shelters were built within the grounds.

Rear elevation of the Manor House

In 1976 local residents set up the Lee Manor Society. The gardens were beginning to fall into decline as available budgets were being cut. With the dissolution of the Greater London Council in 1986, the gardens were transferred to the London Borough of Lewisham. The following year on 16 October, the gardens suffered extensive damage from the Great Storm of 1987 with many mature trees being toppled.

By the early 1990s, the gardens and facilities were in serious decline and areas were fenced off from the public. The lack of maintenance led to areas of the park being overgrown and the lake became unihabitable for marine life. In 1993, to campaign for the garden's renovation, local residents formed the Manor House Gardens Users' Group. The group spent the next few years campaigning for funds and in 1997 they received a Heritage Lottery Fund award to renovate the gardens. The gardens and facilities were improved and the gardens reopened in June 2000. A new bridge over the Quaggy River was built in 2003.^[3]

The Manor House itself received a further Heritage Lottery fund award and was renovated.

Access

The gardens can be reached from several local roads: Old Road, Brightfield Road, Manor Lane and Taunton Road.

Plants and Wildlife

The lake and island within Manor House Gardens. Wild birds nest on the island.

The gardens feature oak, London plane, cypress, horse chestnut and weeping willow trees and are home to various birds: wren, kingfisher, great tit, rose-ringed parakeet and pigeons. Various areas are devoted to both natural and maintained areas with meadow buttercup, common mallow, ox-eye daisy in abundance. These plants have encouraged a number of butterflies: gatekeeper butterfly, painted lady, small white and red admiral.

The lake has numerous waterfowl: Canada goose, heron, coot and moorhen; as well as marine life in the form of ornamental goldfish.

Logs are set aside with the gardens as home for stag beetles.

Other

The gardens host a farmers' market on the first three Saturdays of each month.^[4]

References

↑ "Manor House Gardens". Lewisham Borough Council. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
↑ "Manor House Gardens". londongardensonline.org.uk. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
↑ "Lee Manor Society". The Lee Manor Society. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
↑ "Lewisham – Manor House Gardens". City & Country Farmers' Markets. Retrieved 30 September 2015.

External links

London Borough of Lewisham

Districts	Bell Green Bellingham Blackheath Brockley Catford Chinbrook Crofton Park Crystal Palace Deptford Downham Forest Hill Grove Park Hither Green Honor Oak Ladywell Lee Lewisham Lower Sydenham Mottingham New Cross Perry Vale Southend St Johns Sydenham Sydenham Hill Upper Sydenham Telegraph Hill, Lewisham

Attractions	Albany Theatre Broadway Theatre, Catford Deptford Market Honor Oak Gallery Horniman Museum Laban Dance Centre The London Theatre The Den (Millwall Football Club) Rivoli Ballroom St. Paul's, Deptford

Parks and open spaces	Beckenham Place Gardens Bridge House Meadows Chinbrook Meadows Deptford Park Downham Park Folkestone Gardens Fordham Park Forster Memorial Park Hilly Fields Park Ladywell Fields Lewisham Park Manor House Gardens Mayow Park Mountsfield Park Pepys Park Sydenham Wells Park

Constituencies	Lewisham West and Penge Lewisham East Lewisham Deptford

Rail stations	Beckenham Hill Bellingham Blackheath Brockley Catford Catford Bridge Crofton Park Deptford Deptford Bridge Elveson Road Forest Hill Grove Park Hither Green Honor Oak Park Ladywell Lewisham Lee Lower Sydenham New Cross New Cross Gate St Johns Sydenham

Other topics	Council Grade I and II* listed buildings People Public art Schools

Parks and open spaces in London

Royal parks	Bushy Green Greenwich Hyde Kensington Regent's Richmond St James's

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Parks and open spaces by London borough

Barking and Dagenham Barnet Bexley Brent Bromley Camden Croydon Ealing Enfield Greenwich Hackney Hammersmith and Fulham Haringey Harrow Havering Hillingdon Hounslow Islington Kensington and Chelsea Kingston Lambeth Lewisham Merton Newham Redbridge Richmond Southwark Sutton Tower Hamlets Waltham Forest Wandsworth City of Westminster

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