Manor House Gardens *

In the C17th and C18th Lee became a popular place for wealthy London merchants and a number of large country houses were built here of which three survive: Manor House (now a public library), Pentland House, which became a hall of residence for Goldsmiths College, both in Old Road, and The Cedars, Belmont Hill, which is now part of a housing development. The owners of the Manor House site have been well documented since the C15th (see Birchenough 1971). The lease of 1736 describes the site as having a house with a courtyard, coach house, and privy, with pleasure grounds as well as a kitchen garden and an orchard. By 1749/50 William Coleman, a wealthy merchant specialising in the West India Trade, had purchased the property in Lee, which he later bequeathed to his nephew Thomas Lucas on his death in 1771. Lucas (1720-84), also a West India merchant and a director of the South Sea Company, was Treasurer and then President of Guy's Hospital board of governors until his death in September 1784. He is thought to have rebuilt the mansion in c.1771-2, probably to designs of architect Richard Judd, and he may also have made alterations to the gardens in c.1773, and by his death in 1784 additional land had been purchased to the east and south boundaries to expand the garden. The gardens lay to the south of the house and had an ornamental lake dug c.1773, the spoil from which was formed into mounds. In the north-west corner of the public park is one of these mounds, which had been used to make an icehouse. In 1780 Lucas had become MP for Grampound in Cornwall, although he lost the seat in the General Election of May 1784. The seat was taken by Sir Francis Baring, founder of Baring Brothers Bank, who in 1796 purchased the Manor House and grounds from Lucas's widow Eliza. She had remarried John Julius Angerstein, whose art collection later formed the nucleus of the National Gallery. Sir Francis lived here from 1797-1810, and it remained in the Baring family until 1901 although parts of the estate were sold off by Sir Francis's son Sir Thomas Baring, who did not live here and leased the house and grounds to private tenants. The description of the property in the sale particulars includes pleasure grounds, lawn, shrubbery, and refers to a 'sheet of water'. Between c.1884 -1899 it was used as a military training academy. In 1898 Sir Francis Thornhill Baring, 1st Earl of Northbrook, sold the property, then in a 'somewhat neglected state' to the LCC for £8,835.18s 4d. The initial steps to secure the grounds for public use were taken by the Lee Vestry and Board of Works. The Manor House became Lee Public Library and the grounds were opened as Manor House Gardens, Lee on Whit Monday 19 May 1902.

It was decided that nothing should be done to materially alter the park, which was considered attractive and well-timbered, apart from widening footpaths, formation of a new path and provision of fencing, which was undertaken under the direction of Lt Col J J Sexby, Chief Officer of the LCC Parks Department, at a cost of £3,500. The main entrance to the park via a modern gateway situated on Old Road is shown on the OS 1st edition map of 1875 leading to buildings, probably the stables and coach house, which had been removed by 1916 (OS). The layout of the earlier gardens essentially remains, with a winding peripheral path among trees surrounding a central lawn and descending to the lake with an island that is still the major feature of the public park; it is the best breeding site in the borough for waterfowl, including tufted duck. Some trees date from the private gardens, and the park has mature planes, beech, chestnut and robinia. By the mid C20th, lawn tennis courts and a children's playground were provided south of the lake and river as well as additional paths around the lake. Today there are some formal floral displays in the centre of the drive from the Manor Lane entrance, which is flanked by mature lime trees. The grounds slope to the south where the River Quaggy flows east-west towards the River Ravensbourne. The park was apparently so popular that in 1904 local residents complained about the noise made by bands on Sunday evenings and the crowds these concerts attracted. When the GLC, which had replaced the LCC in 1965, was dissolved in 1986, responsibility for Manor House Gardens was transferred to Lewisham Council. In the 1980s a planting scheme of raised beds with scented herbs was laid out to the south of the house.

In 1993 local residents formed Manor House Gardens User Group. In 1999-2000 Lewisham Council successfully applied for funding from Heritage Lottery Fund Urban Parks and received a £727,700 grant towards the £1.1m project to restore the lake and River Quaggy and to introduce a fountain, re-establish the original vistas from the house and introduce a walled flower garden, repair fences, paths, gates and upgrade sports areas as well as convert the former shelter into a rangers office, toilets and café. Work began May 1999 and was completed in 2000. The late C18th icehouse beneath the west boundary was also restored and can be visited at certain times.