Tuesday 8 September 2020

London Visits pre lockdown, Piggeries, Potteries, Dovecotes and Equidae … part 5 …


We move west from Arundel Gardens (built 1862/63) … where from the title you can hold your nose as the stench assails you … probably until the late 1800s …



Ladbroke Grove in 2006 - full of
Carnival goers ...
To the west is Ladbroke Grove a (new) north-south main route established by the Ladbroke Estate over forty years: 1820s – 1860s after the infamous Hippodrome failed … further west from ancient Porto Bello, which wandered through rough pasture land.

 

1823 plan for the development
of the Ladbroke Estate - an
early plan:  it consists of a large central
circus with radiating streets and garden
squares (or paddocks).  {Interesting
naming ... circus and paddocks - perhaps
the plan gave Whyte the idea for
the opportunity to build
the Hippodrome}



This was the depository for all peoples at the lower end of the scale of life … those ‘dossing down’ as they attempted to make a living in the ‘hum-drum’ developments spreading out from the Hyde Park area … tradesmen of all sorts … handymen, carpenters, woodworkers, builders, labourers, etc …





… then to add to the mix there were the locals trying to make a living with their piggeries, dovecotes, chickens … set up near the brickworks on the heavy clay soils of the Hippodrome – useless for horses, but wonderful for bricks.


Brick lining for the sewers in the late 1800s

The horse-racing had established stabling, places for carts … for the horses as well as the developing trades needed for the Great Exhibition, Hyde Park, in 1851 and subsequent building expansion as it spread westwards.




In the booklet ‘Arundel and Ladbroke Gardenthe houses were described as of great architectural merit … built using bricks from that heavy clay found in quantity just to the west of Ladbroke Grove, and no doubt by the local navvies desperate for work on the new housing.


Great Western Railway (broad gauge  -
Metropolitan Class) 1850s .... very early:
(the tube now is narrow gauge) 
It was at this time that the railways were being built, later the tube (Underground) lines were being added, and the sewage system … 




River Thames and marked in black are the planned
sewers for London.

... Bazalgette’s sewer system … a necessity in 1858 when cholera became rife in England.






The 'Silent Highwayman' on the
effluent filled River Thames in the 1800s

All effluent was left to trickle away into streams and tributaries before reaching the main river of London ‘The Thames’.  





One even went under Buckingham Palace kitchens … before common sense and realisation kicked in.  Foul … by the way it was only 160 years ago …


Beehive Kiln - all that remains of the
brick kilns of the 1800s


The bricks were a major and integral part of London’s development in the 1800s … houses, sewer tunnels, railway and tube works – bridges, tunnels, embankments – all used brick linings …






The Piggeries, Chickens, Doves and Pigeons would have been a large food source … vegetables and fruits would have been brought in along the lanes – Porto Bello, and similar … sheep, geese and cows out from the rural fields …


Vegetable stall at Borough Market
in south London ...

Not much remains to remind us of these times … but my tired legs took me westwards – it would have been kinder if I could have walked straight over … 


... but no – I found myself in the morass of recovered footpaths – I too zigged and zagged along … once again getting lost.


I ended up asking – I have a smart phone, but don’t much like using it! – I did eventually find my way through.


Making Skep Beehive shaped
baskets in England
I didn’t go looking for ‘the extremely rare Beehive kiln: so-called because of its domed roof, similar in appearance to the beekeeper’s straw skeps used to catch swarms of bees and also the inside appearance being like a honeycomb’.     (see above)



Today Pottery Lane is in an area of one of London’s most fashionable and expensive neighbourhoods … but in the mid-19th century it lay at the heart of the wretched and notorious slum known as the “Potteries and Piggeries”.


As with most modern cities … the residents of today tread on the land that dirty and dissolute vagabonds used to exist on … ever hoping for a better life.


George Orwell lodged in Portobello
Road in 1927
So much change in such a short time … it was interesting to, in my mind, realise that to the west of where I used to live (Arundel Gardens) is probably more refined now than life in that northern part of the Ladbroke Estate.




Having found my way over … we now come across an area and its squatter residents trying to establish an Independent Republic in 1977 … well that I didn’t know …


Portobello Road curving away
… with, of course, some other fascinating snippets of London life – it’s now quite upmarket … and we will get to the art gallery after we’ve explored the squats …



The Programme for the
Summer Olympics 1908


Beyond the next north-south main route lay another development … set up in the early 1900s … White City – an exhibition area for the Franco-British Exhibition 1908 and the 1908 Summer Olympics: 





... our first Olympic Games to be held in Britain (again, a note … Rome was selected as the host city – but Mount Vesuvius erupted in April 1906 devastating Naples … funds for the Games were diverted to the reconstruction of Naples – Britain came to the rescue).



An illustration from the frontispiece of
Orley's Farm - illustrated by
John Everitt Millais (1861)
So our dissolute and vagrant opportunists had plenty of choices to make a living, joining forces with the early building entrepreneurs of the 1900s.


Life is interesting … I’m so glad ‘I sweated my poor feet and humbled my hips’ to get over there … I’ve stumbled on rather a lot …





Pastoral countryside ...
to the urban areas of London


Well I’m stopping now … interesting snippets coming up as well as some stunning art work …



HorsmansWest London – a family’s archive of builders covering the changing of the guard in the Ladbroke Estate area … views of Portobello in its early days ... 


Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

29 comments:

Terra said...

This is a fascinating post. I love history and especially that of England. I love the novels of Anthony Trollope and whenever London of the 1860s to 1890s is mentioned I think of him and the characters, rich and poor, in his novels.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Well, at least that area is much cleaner now.
London was much smaller then but can you imagine what it took to put in those sewer lines?

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Phew - I was exhausted just thinking of the area you covered! Lots of little historical snippets tickle the interest... Thanks for that!!! YAM xx

Elephant's Child said...

Loved traveling with you (as I always do) with my hips and back not complaining.
It was the crowd which took my eye. A crowd that we have not seen for many, many months.
I love that the affluent have now claimed what was previously a poorer area. It happens here too. Probably the most expensive area in my planned city was originally set aside for the poor, and has large blocks - so that they could keep a few animals and grow vegetables.

Liz A. said...

Ah yes, I have read about the stinky Thames. I guess it took a bit of time to figure out not to send sewage into the river that goes through the city.

Joanne said...

on the backs of the downtrodden, a city perseveres. It's funny how the rankest, piggiest sections become the swankiest. Always an ebb and flow in the evolution. Thanks for the wanderings, pictures, and stories. You earned a meal from this, for sure. Or at least a healthy tea. Thanks!

Botanist said...

Yes, how things change. Whenever I visited London I always loved the tube network. The sense of history there (even if it's only a hundred years or so)

Rhonda Albom said...

Thanks for the tales of how the London neighbourhoods transformed over time. It's hard to imagine what life must have been like 100-200 years ago.

Hels said...

The building of White City must have revolutionised that part of London and 1908 must have been a very exciting year - both the Franco-British Exhibition and the 1908 Summer Olympics. From 1908 until WW1 broke out, I would love to have seen the Imperial International Exhibition etc. And imagine the white marble cladding used on the pavilions.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Terra – thank you … it’s been quite interesting to write up an overview on a bit of the development and change that occurred in those times. Anthony Trollope, as you mention, was a great novelist, who was able to describe the world and the people around him. You’ve reminded me … I must look out his stories once again.

@ Alex – yes it is in much better condition now – as is urban London. Bazalgette was extraordinarily visionary … and yes the Victorians achieved incredible feats of surveying, engineering … and building in many ways.

@ Yam – I’m still really only about half way through this trip that day – I was shattered by the time I got home. Delighted the snippets tickle the interest …

@ EC – so pleased to read you got your hips and back in order … so you could travel vicariously with me along this day of going from one place to another.

When the Notting Hill Carnival was on in the 1970s … I avoided it back then – you can imagine my thoughts on those crowds now: not my scene.

It’s interesting how towns develop … I bet those blocks are the most sort after houses today – room for gardens and allotments. Interesting as it’s a new town …

@ Liz – yes the ‘stinky Thames’ … so much was being learnt about life in the 1700 - 1800s - so much knowledge came about then … so many disciplines split away into new areas – in fact now it’s still happening …

@ Joanne – yes the downtrodden are drawn to the edges of life, yet over time development comes about … as you say … an ebb and flow of humanity over time – which allows for life to evolve.

No meal that day … snacks along the way … no sitting to relax – even when I got home … it took me 36 hours to feel easier re my legs and body! But a good journey – I’m glad I made the effort.

@ Ian – yes … lots of change – which the tube network definitely helped. I’ve thought about writing that up too … a project for lockdown later on perhaps.

@ Rhonda – I agree so much change which is difficult to take on board … the quotes I’ve used in these posts about the Ladbroke Estate area give an inkling … yet I never mentioned the two wars – and the effect they had on the people and on London.

@ Hels – I saw mention about the white marble cladding … but felt I was writing out of the Ladbroke Estate area and didn’t want to go there too much – but felt it was worth mentioning as to major events in the first decade of the 1900s – and why the Olympics came to London in 1908 …

Thanks to you all … so pleased you seem to be enjoying joining me vicariously on this wander through the Ladbroke Estate … take care, stay safe and all the best - Hilary

Deniz Bevan said...

Oh! I'd forgotten about the 1908 Olympics. That seems like it would be such a good setting for a story or two...

David M. Gascoigne, said...

I am quite sure, Hilary, that as a consequence of all the walking you have been doing, your thighs are svelte, shapely and toned. I expect to see you in commercials for tights any time now. It may have been strenuous, but very rewarding nonetheless , to have visited all these areas from your past, evoke memories and invite comparisons. Gentrification of poor and rundown areas of a city seems to be a process going on around the world, and if it can be achieved without mass evacuation of poor neighbourhoods, it is all to the good, I say. Perhaps we may look forward to more of these nostalgic peregrinations?

Computer Tutor said...

A lot of great pictures and thoughts. I have to admit, I got stuck on the crowd picture. Will that become nostalgic, "back in the day" sort of stuff? Or will we manage to move on? Just don't know yet.

retirementreflections said...

I absolutely love travelling with you, Hilary. You are a fascinating tour guide with an incredible eye for extraordinary details!

Mason Canyon said...

I love learning tidbits of history throught your post, Hilary. Thanks so much for sharing.

Sandra Cox said...

Fascinating as always, Hilary. Snippets of info and history I had no idea of. Hope you put your feet up when you got home.

D.G. Kaye said...

Thank you for this entertaining (even if a bit smelly, lol) history lesson Hilary. I loved reading about the snippets of old London and progress. Hugs xx :)

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

This one of the most interesting post I have read recently

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Deniz – yes I’d forgotten about Vesuvius erupting in 1906 and thus needing to relocate the Games from Rome in 1908. As with other places – that area has all been redeveloped at least once, and probably twice or more since …

@ David – my thighs were in better shape before I reached this time of my life … but thank you for the thought! It really stretched my poor little body – but yes well worth it and I pushed myself on … walking pavements isn’t that comfortable.

I agree re the forced evacuations … we’ve had those over times here – the building of the tube, and then some roads, train lines – we need to move forward … and this country doesn’t have masses of land to move into … so the government makes decisions … rightly or wrongly.

I’ve thoughts about peregrinations … I’ll draft some ideas up and perhaps ask commenters … I’ll see!

@ Jacqui – thank you … it’s been interesting to write up – I probably shouldn’t have put the crowd picture first – I was just staggered to see it … the volumes of people who were there waiting to join the Carnival – past the end of my road too … Now of course – who knows what the future holds for crowds …

@ Donna – thank you … just a gentle wander through an area I used to know reasonably well …

@ Mason – thank you … it’s interesting reminding ourselves about how much has changed …

@ Sandra – thank you … we forget about how much changes as our society moves on; my feet stayed up for 2 days … I was exhausted!

@ Debby – great … it was fun to write up – but to remember how that area came into being … I’m sure it was really smelly – but how much progress the Victorians gave us with their technical abilities and new ways of doing things.

@ Jo-Anne – just glad you enjoyed it …

Thanks – I now wonder what will happen in the future to areas like Notting Hill in this pandemic age. Just happy you all seemed to appreciate the changes that came about 250 – 100 years ago …

Thanks to you all for visiting and commenting – it’s an interesting time – what the pandemic will do to our cities now and in the immediate future … take care and stay safe - Hilary

Susan B.Rouchard said...

Lovely Hilary. Learnt a lot. Far cosier than to trundle through Peter Ackroyd’s London, biography... which I never managed to finish. Will be sending this to my eldest daughter who now lives in London. Thanks again. Happy Autumn inspiration.

Murees Dupè said...

I always love hearing about your travels. I too find it interesting how land and areas once synonymous with blood, sweat and tears can be so quickly revamped that the next generations know nothing about it's origins. But I love this kinds of history. How senatation worked, how people truly lived. Thank you for sharing, Hilary. Stay safe.

Anonymous said...

I love that you traveled on the footpaths, zig-zagging through, and didn't rely on your smartphone. To me, it makes it even more of an adventure as you roam the paths that so many wandered before - romantic almost. Have a wonderful weekend!

Warmly,
Elsie

bazza said...

Hilary, you must have had a fabulously rich stockpile of material in hand before Covid changed the world!
CLICK HERE for Bazza’s righteously rebarbative Blog ‘To Discover Ice’

Susan Scott said...

A lovely and interesting bit of history Hilary thank you! Just shows what progress can achieve :)

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Susan – many thanks appreciate your supportive comment. It’s easier to look at London in sections … I wrote about going down the Thames from Westminster to Greenwich … that was fun to write about. I’ve got some books on London to read sometime! – but Peter Ackroyd’s isn’t one … I hope your daughter enjoys this wander …

@ Murees – it’ll be interesting for you to read about London as you live in the Cape area – I enjoyed reading about how Simon van der Stel established the Cape as a trading nation as nations established trading routes to the east. It is so much easier to learn history slowly and bring those puzzle pieces together.

@ Elsie – those footpaths are now pavements: hard on the feet. I don’t use my phone or have a sat nav – use my brain, such as it is! But for me it’s easier than peering constantly at a screen … (I failed here – and needed to ask!).

@ Bazza – good to see you … I do have a huge stockpile of material around to write up – but I couldn’t have done these without the net, and Wiki to just confirm my thoughts. I won’t be going ‘off line’ for lack of subjects!

@ Susan – excellent – yes one can see progress here in London – often we find more when we excavate … and I know other cultures had their own ways of life, on which the British and Europeans established their ‘brands’ … I’m finally enjoying history!

Thanks to you all – we’re about to have a beautiful week ahead here in the south-east … what we call an ‘Indian Summer’ (coined from the USA) … and I’m enjoying the beautiful weather. All the best - Hilary

Empty Nest Insider said...

Hi Hilary, Sorry you hurt your feet on this interesting historical tour. It’s incredible how much the area has changed for the better.


Julie

Yolanda Renée said...

History does have a dirty past. LOL I can't imagine not bathing or living in filth but once it was the norm. Yuck! Love the history lesson though!

Hope you are doing well, lockdown is hard, even for those of us that love solitude!

Erica/Erika said...

Hi Hilary, I don’t easily absorb historical facts unless I also read about the characters and stories of the time period. I have read about the smell of the Thames. We are in the middle of watching Outlander right now, and I can’t help but wonder how people did not likely brush their teeth or bathe often. Your post also makes me realize how much has changed, even in my lifetime. You also bring to light the necessity of a sewer system to mitigate epidemics and pandemics. A fascinating post!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Julie - my feet, calves, hips and body were exhausted by the time I'd finished this day-trip ...

I agree - so much change in London ... and there will be even more ...

@ Yolanda - history has a dirty past as you say ... and yes I hate not having a shower or bath every day ... I agree - Yuck - sadly some people still fall into this territory ...

All well for me - a bit switched off I suppose - but other than that ... all ok ...

@ Erica - oh, I couldn't get to grips with history at school - but now I'm delighting in it - and getting to grips with all parts of the world - to my surprise.

Outlander was muddling to me - but I probably wasn't concentrating enough ... but loved the music - and I've watched a fair amount - they had it on repeat here recently.

So much has changed - I guess we'd all survive in 'our time' as we happen to be born into our era - it'd be normal ... but I'm glad we're out beyond the post war years - I prefer comfort and technology ...

Yes the sewer system was a game changer for London and then the rest of the UK ...

Take care the three of you - thanks for visiting ... Hilary