Canon's Park

 

Canon’s Corner

Tramway terminus in the 1950s at crossroads for Stanmore and Mill Hill.  An island was formed here for the circulation of the traffic, and on the right was an attractive roadhouse and restaurant standing in a garden.  Road to Watford branched off to the left. A further extension of the tramway had taken from Golders Green and Edgeware to Canons Park in October 1907.

Canons Park.

Canons Park relates to the canons  of  St   Bartholomew's, Smithfield, who were granted six acres of land in Little Stanmore in 1331.

Canons, was built in 1712 and was the residence of the celebrated James Brydges, first Duke of Chandos, but it was pulled down as long ago as 1747.  Brydges's popularity in this neighbourhood was such that it earned him the unofficial tide of ‘The Grand Duke'.  Having amassed a vast fortune as paymaster to the army in the reign of Queen Anne he erected this magnificent building at a cost of £250,000.  The pillars of the great hall were of marble and the locks and hinges of silver and gold.  Notwithstanding his huge losses in speculations connected with the Mississippi and die South Sea Companies in 1718, 1719, and 1720, the duke lived in splendour until his death in 1744.  As no purchaser could then be found for the house it was sold by auction in 1747, but produced no higher bid than £ 11,000.  At that time the grounds covered 400 acres, whereas now they have been reduced to 90 acres.  In 1747 one of the principal lots was purchased by Mr. Hallett, a cabinet-maker of Long Acre, who, with the materials of the old house, erected the existing villa.  In 1786 his grandson sold this estate to Mr. O'Kelly, a sporting celebrity who owned a horse called 'Eclipse', which lived to be nearly thirty years old, and which was the origin and source of its master's wealth.  In gratitude for this, 'Eclipse', when he died, was buried in the paddock fronting his master's house.  Later, Canons Park became the country residence of Sir Thomas Plumer, Master of the Rolls.  In 1898 bought by Arthur du Cros who had founded Dunlop Rubber. Commissioned Charles Mallows to redesign the gardens.  In 1929 it was bought by the Governors of the North London Collegiate School. 

 

The North London Collegiate School was run by Miss Buss in Camden Town.  Needed bigger and bigger buildings.  In 1924 Middlesex County Council gave her the house.  Some of the terrace is there

Temple

The Lake

Two classical summerhouses.  Back to back.

Chandos Estate

Council estate pre-war.

Edgeway way

Abutments for non existent tube to cross northern wastes and viaduct arches. The line would have climbed at 1 in 59 on to a twenty-two arch brick viaduct before crossing a four span girder bridge over the Watford By-Pass.

 

Lake View

it adjoins a body of water actually called The Lake, in Canons Park.

Little Stanmore or Whitchurch

Medcaeval parish which Belonged to Barts Hospital. It had a white stone church.  Eighteenth century Brydges, Lord Chandos.  Held in the Domesday Book by Roger de Rames.  Vast amounts spent on the house.  George I statue now in Leicester Square.  Ended up with racehorse owner

Mill Ridge

Eighteenth century barn

Sterling Avenue

Line of reserved line of Northern Extension, There was also a half built viaduct south of the Watford Way

Stone Grove

Marked thus on Greenwood's map of 1819 and the Ordnance Survey map of 1877, no doubt originally referring to woodland around the 10-mile stone, marking the distance from Marble Arch. on Watling Street  which is  here actually now also called Stonegrove.

118 Edgeware District Reformed Synagogue.  1960s. Good, boldly detailed three-storey group of red brick with aggregate-faced bands and brown boarding.  1960s, with many later extensions.  By Hildebrand & Dicker.

Eclipse's grave

Lake

Day Almshouses 1828; a row of eight.  A symmetrical, gabled Gothic group, cement-rendered only buildings in the Parish.