i82 LONDON PARKS & GARDENS 



been made by the generous donor of the Park in the 

 deed of gift to the London County Council in 1891. 



Quite outside these crowded districts, yet within the 

 County of London, lie three more Parks maintained by 

 the County Council. The one nearest the heart of 

 London is Manor Park, or Manor House Gardens, be- 

 tween the High Road, Lee, and Hither Green Station, 

 opened in 1902. There are 8i| acres here attached to the 

 Lee Manor House, a substantial building in the Adams 

 style, now used as the Public Library. The Gardens slope 

 gently away from the house to a large pond — or lake as 

 the Council would prefer to call it — and beyond to a 

 rapid little stream, the Quaggy, a tributary of the 

 Ravensbourne. Beyond the Quaggy's steep banks, well 

 protected by spiked railings, is a flat green devoted to 

 games. The chief beauty of this little Park is four 

 magnificent old elms and a few other good trees — 

 beech, chestnut, Robinia speudo acacia^ &c. In the 

 spring of 1907 the pond was in process of cleaning, so 

 no rooks had ventured to build within the Park, but 

 just at the gates a large elm in a small garden had been 

 favoured by these capricious birds, and their hoarse voices 

 were making a deliciously countrified sound. 



The other London County Council Parks are in what is 

 still nearly open country, although rows of villas are being 

 rather rapidly reared in the district. Eltham is one of 

 these. It is at present not enclosed with massive iron 

 railings, but the wide, flat stretch of smooth turf, studded 

 with patriarchal trees, is left untouched, except that a few 

 spaces have been levelled for games. This Park of 41 

 acres was bought in 1902, the Borough of Woolwich pay- 

 ing half the cost of purchase — £^600 — with the Council. 



Still further into the country is Avery Hill, with 



