COUNTRYSIDE

Beyond The M25

Some Londoners regard the movie Straw Dogs (1971) as being a documentary that justifies their never going out beyond the metropolis's M25 orbital motorway.

See Also: ROADS

Commons

The Open Spaces Society.

The Commons Preservation Society was renamed the Open Spaces Society.

Drowned Villages

Ruislip Lido was created principally as a reservoir to feed water into the canal. The hamlet of Park Hearn was drowned in order to allow it to be created

1923 King George VI Reservoir near Shepperton swallowed Astleham.

It is alleged that buildings can be seen if the water level drops.

Farming

First evidence of Neolithic farming is from the north side of the Blackwall Tunnel.

Farm Street

Farm Street in Mayfair was named after Hayhill Farm.

Location: Farm Street W1J 5RF (orange, turquoise)

Gores

A gore is a triangular unploughed portion of an irregularly-shaped field that has been ploughed.¹

Location: Kensington Gore, SW7 2AP (red, blue)

¹. Kensington Gore is the name for the fake blood that is used in theatrical, television and cinematic work.

Highbury Barn

The Highbury Barn is a pub. Bus services used a terminus.

Location: 26 Highbury Barn, N5 2AB

Fields

-in-the-Fields Churches

The names of the West End churches St Martin-in-the-Fields and St Giles-in-the-Fields's names retain their bucolic origins.

Location: 6 St Martin's Place, WC2N 4JH (red, turquoise)

See Also: CHURCH OF ENGLAND CHURCHES

Website: www.stgilesonline.org www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org

Moorfields

Location: Moorfields, EC2M 6TX (blue, purple)

St George's Fields

In 1815 Bedlam moved to a new purpose-built structure at St George's Fields in Lambeth.

Location: The Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road, SE1 6HZ

Smithfield

Smithfield was a field between the River Fleet and the City walls. The City was on higher ground.

Location: West Smithfield, EC1A 9PQ (orange, brown)

Tothill Fields

Tothill referred to a raised mound of land. By the 16^thC Tothill Street had had substantial fashionable dwellings built along it. Tothill Fields was used both military and leisure pursuits until at least the late 18thC. During the 1830s and the 1840s the Fields were built upon.

Location: Tothill Street, SW1H 9NA (red, white)

Greens

A number of greens have survived the engulfment of their districts by the expansion of London, e.g. Kew Green, Paddington Green, Richmond Green, and Turnham Green. Others did not endure the urbanisation process.

See Also: FOLK TRADITIONS Maypoles

Website: www.oss.org.uk/what-we-fight-for/village-greens (The Open Spaces Society)

Islington Green

Location: Islington Green, N1 2XH (orange, brown)

Knightsbridge Green

On the northern side of Brompton Road the line of buildings goes northwards for about fifteen metres and then slowly rejoins the main line of the street. This space and the alley that runs north of it are known as Knightsbridge Green. They are all that is left of what was once the green of a Middlesex village that was absorbed into London long ago.

Location: Knightsbridge Green, SW1X 7QL (blue, red)

Leyton Green

Legally, Leyton Green is part of Epping Forest. The space is maintained by the Corporation of the City of London.

Stepney Green

Off Mile End Road is Stepney Green. It was part of Mile End Common. Now it consists of three interlocking gardens.

Location: Stepney Green, E1 3JJ (red, pink)

Turnham Green

Do Acton Green and Chiswick Green derive their different names because they lie in different parishes? And where is Turnham Green?

Location: Chiswick High Road, W4 5DT

Hatches

Hatch may derive from hitch-gate, a gate to stop cattle wandering into woodland. It appears in the placenames Chingford Hatch and Hatch End.

Heathland

Kent never had enclosures.

Heaths around London. A side-effect of enclosure: 1831 last highway robbery.

Hills

Croydon - saffron crocus valley

Tooting and Tothill may derive their names from a look-out mound.

Marshes

Black Fen

Black Fen is an area in far south-east London. Possibly towards Bexley.

Erith Marsh

In the 13^thC the monks of Lesnes Abbey drained Erith Marsh.

Fenchurch

Location: Fenchurch Place, EC3M 4AJ (blue, red)

Frognal

Frognal was named after its frog population.

Hockley in the Hole

Hockley in the Hole - Farringdon Road, northwards before Clerkenwell to the west - Back Hill Herbal Hill junction where the bottoms of the hill meet. Possibly named after Hockcliffe in Bedfordshire which had a reputation for flooding and having poor roads

Views

See Also: HERITAGE Richmond Hill

What A View

Upon one occasion Joan Martin (1915-2018), a G.P., took a Paddington-based Guide pack to the countryside. When they came across a striking vista, she suggested to some of them that they might wish to admire the view. One of the asked what a view was.

David Backhouse 2024