SOUTH-EAST LONDON 219 



three spaces are Deptford Park, a small space 

 of 17 acres opened in 1897, Southwark Park, 

 Kennington Park, and Myatt's Fields ; the last 

 a small open space of fourteen acres, a gift 

 of Mr. William Minet to the public ; formerly 

 the property of one Myatt, a fruit-grower, and 

 the first to introduce and cultivate the now 

 familiar rhubarb in this country. 



Southwark Park (63 acres) is the only 

 comparatively large breathing-place easily 

 accessible to the working-class population 

 inhabiting Deptford, Eotherhithe, and Per- 

 mondsey. 



How great the craving for a breath of fresh 

 air and the sight of green grass must be in such 

 a district, when we find that this comparatively 

 small space has been visited on one day by 

 upwards of 100,000 persons ! An almost in- 

 credible number when we consider that less 

 than half the space contained in the park is 

 available for the people to walk on, the rest 

 being taken up by ornamental water, gardens, 

 shrubberies, enclosures for cricket, &c. The 

 ground itself is badly shaped, being a long 

 narrow strip, with conspicuous houses on either 

 hand, which wall and shut you in and make 



