We did a talk at the Haringey History Fair at Bruce Castle Museum on behalf of the Friends about the history of Lordship Rec. It went down well, with up to 80 people attending (standing room only!).
We showed our 2007 film about the Rec: http://www.lordshiprec.org.uk/video/ And we circulated the information below explaining how we are bringing history alive through the current regeneration of the Model Traffic Area and Shell Theatre, and the river restoration…
The following is just a rough summary of the history of Tottenham’s largest open space. Apologies if key points missed out, or some facts wrong!
– Friends of Lordship Rec (2012)
1800s-1900s Downhills manor/estate straddles area – to become Downhills Park and Lordship Rec in the 20th century. Included Moselle River and adjacent ornamental lake (thought to be on the site of a Saxon ‘moat’). Green spaces were also known locally as ‘uplands’, ‘downhills’ and ‘mount pleasant’ at different times.
1910-20 Tower Gardens Estate built. To the south there are allotments + river + marsh + a ‘Broadwaters’ farm
1932 Lordship Rec created by Tottenham Council.
1936 10,000 local people attend Lordship Rec grand opening
1938 Model Traffic Area (MTA), unique in UK, opened.
1940 Downhills Shelter (in southern part of park) suffers wartime bomb direct hit. 40+ local people killed. Continue reading “Lordship Rec – past, present and future”