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| Stratford Park |
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Until 1998/9 Stratford Park was known as West Ham Lane Recreation Ground. The land for it was bought by West Ham Council in three lots moving from north to south. It was laid out between 1899 and 1903, and the park was opened in stages from 1899. The section of the park which is next to Whalebone Lane was formerly part of the grounds of a grand house named 'Senables' or 'Sanables' which had belonged to the Archdeacon of Essex from the 15th century to the 18th century. By the second half of the 19th century, the house had gone but the estate was still in the possession of the Archdeacon, and included land and houses on the western side of West Ham Lane. The freehold was sold to West Ham Council in 1899. West Ham Recreation Ground was probably the last in the series of parks to be created in West Ham in the 1890s as part of an initiative to create public open spaces as the area was developed for housing. Its original layout is similar to the earlier Canning Town Recreation Ground so it may have had the same designer. Just inside the main entrance was a single tier fountain in a raised pool, which has since been replaced by a three tier granite fountain in a pool at ground level, now restored and with modern cast iron railings around it. The park was in later years extended in the south east corner, and in 1973 a scented Garden for the Blind was opened. Restoration work has been carried out in the late 20th century. |
