Hidden history to be revealed in East End parkland project
Press report by Paul Donovan
published December 2006
It was one of the great houses of the day, comparable to Versailles or Blenheim Palace, yet in just 10 years one man destroyed Wanstead House due to his wanton extravagance.
The man was William Wellesley Pole, the nephew of the Duke of Wellington, who married Catherine Tylney Long, the heiress to Wanstead House and the estate funded from the wealth of the East India Company.
Catherine was the richest woman in England with an income in 1800 of some £80,000 a year but Wellesley Pole made short shrift of the money.
Just nine years after one of the most lavish parties ever thrown at Wanstead House in 1814 to celebrate the exile to Elba of Napoleon, the house and all its contents were put up for sale to pay Wellesley Pole’s debts. There were no buyers so the house was demolished and sold for building stone. Today the only remnants of the house are the cellars in a bunker on the golf course and gate posts. Among the many who enjoyed the park in the past have been Queen Elizabeth I and Mary I, Sir Thomas More, US founding father Benjamin Franklin and the Duke of Wellington.
The park survives today in all its historic glory, visited daily by people from the London area and beyond. This year marks the 125th anniversary of the park being given over to the people of London by Queen Victoria. A short walk from Wanstead or Snaresbrook stations on the Central line, the park remains one of the hidden jewels of London.
A group of local activists have been granted lottery funding to bring the park to life in the local community. Known as the Wanstead Parklands Community Project (WPCP) the group has been busy organising historical events in the park like Roman and Tudor weekends. The funding will result in DVDs on the history and modern day life of the park, as well as a website, a number of books and leaflets.
The group includes local film maker Stuart Monro, Tricia Moxey, the former information officers for the Corporation of London and Epping Forest, Alan Cornish, a local author, Paul Witnall, Ralph Potter of the West Essex Archaeological Group (WEAG), Stephen Pewsey, a management consultant at the British Museum, Mark Galloway, secretary of the Wanstead Historical Society, John Alvin, vice chairman of WEAG and Peter Lawrence of Woodford Historical Society make up the WPCP.
"Once you get to know the park it becomes the most fascinating place," said Stuart, who is keen to involve the local community as much as possible in recreating scenes from the past and telling stories of the present as part of the project.
In the days before Josiah Childs used the East India Company millions to build the last Wanstead House in 1715, the location was a regular attraction for the monarchy. Previously a large manor house, during the reigns of Charles I and James I the country was run from Wanstead for a short period of time. Elizabeth I would hunt in the grounds and meet the Earl of Leicester there. She also previously met briefly with her sister Mary in Wanstead before she moved on to take up the Crown. The area was first enclosed as a deer park in 1215.
Later James Bradley and Rector James Pound erected a telescope on the 100 foot London Maypole brought in a cart under instruction from Isaac Newton. "It was from observations made using the Wanstead telescope that the final proof that the earth went round the sun was obtained," said Stuart. The site where the telescope was erected now forms part of the grounds of Wanstead High School. Stuart hopes that the school will want to play a part in re-enacting some of the old scenes.
"Copernicus and Galileo came before him but it was Bradley who nailed it," said Stuart. "Bradley later became Astronomer Royal and there is a plaque marking his life on the wall near Somerfields."
There is also rumoured to be a Roman Villa under the park. The group are looking to purchase a magnometer out of the lottery funding so that this can be located.
The aim over the next year is to produce a DVD with six different chapters for periods of the park’s history. Members of the group from the local historical societies will also produce a number of books on the subject. "The idea is to get local people involved to recreate the history. We want their stories. Any old videos or photos would be welcome. It is so important to get people involved from their own position," said Stuart. "There are the walkers, the fishermen, the dog walkers, and Wren Society – all will have stories to tell."
Another element of the project will involve getting local people and schools playing part in re-enactments of scenes from the past. "There is the story of when William Wellesley Pole stood with his friends dressed in Robin Hood lincoln green and threw crowns to the people from the top of the Eagle pub – that would be a good scene to re-enact," said Stuart.
The idea for building the last house arose due to a rebellion by the weavers of Spitalfields who rioted because their cloth was being undercut by products being brought in from India by the East India company.
"The weavers rioted outside Parliament, came to Hackney Wick and marched to Wanstead. The press gangs were then brought in and forced the leaders into the Navy," said Stuart. "It was from this that Childs decided to build the last house because he did not feel safe."
When William Wellesley Pole moved into the house he locked the gates and attempted to stop people crossing the land. "A Mr Wilson from East Ham came up with a locksmith, broke the gates and crossed the land. The case went to court and the people’s right to roam was upheld," said Stuart, who hopes this will be another scene that can be re-enacted as part of the DVD.
The Wanstead Parklands Project certainly promises to create some excitement over the next few months. Stuart Monro is a strong believer that unless people know where they have come from they have little idea of where they are going. This project offers the chance for local people to get involved in creating a lasting living record of Wanstead Park and the surrounding area.