SOUTH LONDON PARKS 
1 57 
seen at night, at one time scared the neighbourhood, 
and enticed the adventurous. The only historical 
incident, connected with the fields, is the duel fought 
there in 1829 between the Duke of Wellington and 
the Marquess of Winchelsea ; the latter having person¬ 
ally attacked the Duke during the debates on the 
Catholic Emancipation Bill. The Duke aimed his 
shot through his adversary’s hat, who then fired in 
the air, and the affair of honour was thus settled. 
Battersea Fields were approached, in those days, by the 
old wooden Battersea Bridge which had superseded 
the ferry; the only means of communication till 1772. 
The present bridges at either corner of the Park have 
both been built since the Park was formed. 
Like Victoria Park, Battersea was administered 
with the other Royal Parks, in the first instance. The 
Act of Parliament giving powers to the “ Commis¬ 
sioners of Her Majesty’s Woods” to form the Park 
was passed in 1846, but so much had to be done to 
the land, that the actual planting did not begin until 
1857. The ground had all to be drained, and raised, 
and a proper embankment made to keep out the river. 
Just at this time the Victoria Docks were being exca¬ 
vated, and the earth dug out of them was conveyed 
to Battersea. Places were left, to form the shallow 
artificial lake, mounds raised, to make the ground round 
the water undulating, and the rest of the surface of 
the Park levelled. Altogether about a million cubic 
yards of earth were deposited in Battersea Park. The 
extent is 198 acres, and from the nature of the 
ground, except the artificial elevations near the lake, it 
is quite flat. The design was originally made by Sir 
James Pennethorne, architect of the Office of Works, 
