A HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX 



it was opened in 1889. It contains a wealth of well-arranged trees, both 

 ancient and modern. There is also a small deer inclosure. 



Finsbury Park, 1 15 acres, which was opened to the public in 1869, 

 lies on the south-east side of the parish of Hornsey. It is well-wooded 

 in parts, and includes a portion of the site of old Hornsey Wood. 

 Hornsey Wood was within the ancient deer park of Hornsey that 

 belonged to the bishops of London. 



One of the latest additions to London's parks, acquired by the 

 County Council, is Springfield Park, Clapton, 32 J acres, which was 

 purchased in 1904 for jCs7> 2 37 The ground is very finely timbered, 

 and overlooks the River Lea. 



Wormwood (formerly Wormholt) Scrubbs, in the north-west 

 suburbs of London, is a common of 193 acres, purchased by the War 

 Office and transferred to the Metropolitan Board of Works in 1879, 

 reserving a certain part for military purposes when required. A belt of 

 trees now marks the division between the military ground and that to 

 which the public have the exclusive right. Its former bare appearance 

 has of late years been greatly improved by the planting of many hundreds 

 of trees. 



Ravenscourt Park, 32 J acres, at the western end of Hammersmith, 

 was acquired for the public in 1887; its principal feature is a noble 

 avenue of stately elms. 



The grounds of Fulham Palace first became famous in the time of 

 Bishop Grindal (1559-70), who was a great gardener. According to 

 Fuller, the tamarisk was brought into this country by the bishop about 

 1560 : 



It was brought over by Bishop Grindal out of Switzerland (where be was in exile 

 under Queen Mary) and planted in his garden at Fulham, where the scite being moist 

 and fenny well complied with the nature of this plant, which since is removed and 

 thriveth well in many other places yet it groweth not up to be timber, as in Arabia, 

 though often to that substance that cups of great size are made thereof. 107 



To Bishop Aylmer belongs the discredit of destroying a great number of 

 elms in the Fulham grounds. It is stated by Aubrey that ' the bishop 

 of London did cutt downe a noble crowd of trees at Fulham. The 

 Lord Chancellor told him that he was a good expounder of darke 

 places.' 108 An information was laid against him for cutting down timber 

 that belonged to the see, and he was restrained from doing so by order 

 of the council ; the information was laid by one Litchfield, a court 

 musician, whom the bishop had annoyed by refusing to give him twenty 

 timber trees. Strype, however, defends the bishop against the charge of 

 any considerable felling of the elms about the palace. There seems 

 to have been a certain amount of clearing after a visit from Elizabeth, as 

 the queen complained that her lodgings there were kept from all good 

 prospects by the thickness of the trees. 109 



The grounds of Fulham attained to great and deserved celebrity in 

 the days of Bishop Compton, (16751713) ; there was probably at that 



107 Fuller, Worthies, 35. " Aubrey, Brief Lives, \, 74. 



109 Feret, Fulham Old and New, Hi, 129. 



244 



