London impressions

Every city has its icons. Some of the urban icons are universally known, like the Eifel Tower, some are mainly known in the locality. Urban icons can also be superseded by new iconic structures; only think of the Urasmus Bridge in Rotterdam that replaced the nearby Euromast tower as the cities most iconic structure.

London is a metropolis consisting of several component cities, each with its own landmarks and urban icons. The Shard now graces the skyline of the metropolis. It is not part of the skyscrapers in the City, nor of those in Docklands, but is placed south of the river Thames near that old icon Tower Bridge. The 2012 Olympics not only gave some iconic sport venues but also gave us the Westfield Stratford City shopping centre, a contemporary pedestrianised completely commercial area (that will surely become the new heart of Stratford). Another iconic emblem of London is the London Eye, a giant Ferris Wheel opposite the Houses of Parliament (another old urban icon). This millennium project quickly became to London what the Eifel Tower is to Paris; an attractive vantage point to survey the urban landscape below.

Arnos Grove, a 1930s Picadilly line suburb

On the northside of Arnos Park a large formal gate marks the entrance from the housing estate. In front of this formal entrance a large circus is situated as a starting point for the central axis of the housing estate: a street called 'Arnos Grove'.

Arnos Park is dominated by oak trees (Quercus robur). The grove that gave its name to the landed estate and subsequently the present housing estate, still survives -but only as a fragment- in the shape of some of these old oaks. It's clear that the older specimens were once coppiced (as was the practice). They have been left to grow freely within the park. This makes for picturesque stands, but greatly diminishes the potential age of the  trees. A plaque on the formal entrance commemorates the foundation of Arnos Park by the Borough of Southgate in 1928.

The park is mainly laid in grass, with planting on the edges. This creates a natural idyll in the middle of the suburban environment. The paths don't follow conventions in park design of the interbellum. This is probably due to alterations in the 1960s or '70s.

The large expanse of grass at the heart of the park creates a great sense of space and locks out the urban environment beyond the green trim of trees. Pymme's Brook runs through the park. This watercourse is large hidden behind trees and shrubbery. Only where one crosses the brook via a bridge does the water present itself. The water has not been maximised in the design of the park.

The large circus at the beginning of the northernmost part of the Arnos Grove estate is planted with trees in grass. The short terraces around is have been placed at an 45° angle thus emphasising the circular shape. The area serves as an extension of the neighbouring park, thus linking the suburban housing directly to the verdant idyll beyond.

The houses have been built in a limited number of types, with varying decor but always with a bay on the front. Here the decor is muted with a brick base and a pebbledashed upper floor in a neutral earth tone combined with a band of hung tiles. Most houses are in a white colour however. In the original design large expanses of grass planted with trees enforce the suburban character of the housing estate.

All the roads were designed with these green verges planted with trees, Here the verges are laid in grass and have been planted with birch trees. The houses form a seemingly continues facade on either side of the street. The houses are predominantly semidetached, but are all close together and often connected by garages and side extensions.

On first glance the buildings all look the same. They are not, but they are very similar indeed. Variation is achieved by using different roof shapes, differently shaped bays (round, angular and square), varying finishes and building details such as porches, feature windows, a secondary bay window and treatment of the corners and eaves.

The ideal of country living was expressed in the spacious front gardens and the planted verges. In this case the verges have been planted with shrubs and hawthorn trees. As everywhere in the London suburbs many gardens have been paved or concreted over to provide parking space. This street shows a glimpse of the original intensions.

In some places the 1930's houses have been replaced by post-war buildings in a sympathetic style, but with less detailed architecture. The colour of the bricks used is much more yellow or more orange than in the original building. The buildings do stand out but not in a very intrusive way.

Along Morton Way for instance all the buildings towards Waterfall Road are of a later date. Because the same spatial configuration was used with large front garden, these building seamlessly blend in to the older parts of the Arnos Grove estate.

Arnos Grove, a garden suburb

The Arnos Grave Estate is a suburban housing estate in Southgate, itself part of the London Borough of Enfield. Historically is was situated on the border between the parishes of Edmonton and Friern Barnet. The area takes its name from an estate called Arnoldes Grove (1551), later known as Arno's Grove*. The grove itself runs to the north of the nearby Arnos Park. Until the 1930s Arnos Grove was largely undeveloped and rural, and not considered to be an area in its own right.

Arnos Grove was, first known as Arnholt Wood in the 14th century and later as Arnolds Grove. The estate was owned by the Nuns of Clerkenwell. In Tudor times a manor was erected on the site, that was replaced in 1719 by a mansion called Arnolds in Cannon Hill. The estate was increased to over 300 acres (1.2 km²) by incorporating the adjoining Minchenden estate. The  house and estate were renamed Arnos Grove.  

The estate was purchased in 1918 by Lord Inverforth with the aim of developing the area. He sold 44 acres (180,000 m²) to the Southgate Urban District Council, which created Arnos Park in 1928. Other parts were subsequently sold off to property developers. The Arnos Grove mansion was also sold in 1928 to the North Metropolitan Electricity Supply Company. The mansion was subsequently enlarged and encased in red brick - it is now an upmarket residential care home called Southgate Beaumont.

On 19 September 1932, as part of the expansion of the London Underground Piccadilly Line to Cockfosters, Arnos Grove tube station was opened. In the years that followed Arnos Grove went from a rural area to being fully developed. Arnos Grove station was the terminus of the line until services were further extended to Oakwood on 13 March 1933. Its name was chosen after public deliberation: alternatives were Arnos Park, Bowes Road and Southgate.

Like the other stations Charles Holden designed for the extension, Arnos Grove was built in a European style using brick, glass and reinforced concrete and basic geometric shapes. This style is also known as brick modernism or aesthetic functionalism.  The ticket hall rises as a circular drum made of brick and glass panels from a low single-storey structure and is capped by a flat concrete roof.

With the arrival of the underground trains the time was ripe for developing this hitherto rural area. The main public facilities and suburban housing at Arnos Grove were built in the 1930s. The area north of Arnos Park was completely built up by 1939. The library and swimming pool, along with Arnos Park, as well as the wealth of facilities at Arnos Grove tube station and the proximity of Arnos Grove to the North Circular (built in 1929) made Arnos Grove a desirable area to live.

The Arnos Grave housing estate is located on both sides of the Arnos Park. The focus is clearly on the northern part however. The valley of the Pymme's Brook is the lowest point with the Green on the north side of the estate at the highest point. The layout of the neighbourhood is symmetrical with a strong main axis connecting both parts. This axis is enforced by an avenue in the Arnos Park. In front of the main gate of the park a circus (large roundabout) links the suburban pattern to the park and also distributes traffic. The semicircular outline is reminiscent of Tower Gardens in Tottenham. Arnos Grove could also be best described as a garden suburb.

One of the main features of Arnos Grove is Arnos Park. Arnos Park is a remnant of the Arnos Grove Estate, and was opened in 1928 after having been purchased by Southgate Council. The Pymme's Brook flows throughout the length of the park, partly along the southern perimeter. The park is mostly laid in grass, although it does contain small parcels of mixed woodland dominated by oak trees. Beyond Arnos Grove tube station a large arched brick viaduct carries the Piccadilly line towards Southgate through the western end of the park.

The old Arnos Grove estate is shown with the red outline. The present day area of Southgate identified as Arnos Grove follows the same boundaries. At the edge of it stands the tube station Arnos Grove (T). North of this the Southgate Borough Counsils reserve of Arnos Park (A). To the south of the station lies New Southgate (N), a Victorian housing development. To the east lies the Broomfield Park housing estate (B) that was developed between 1903 and 1939. Broomfield Park is a remnant of  a landed estate. Although the estates were once covered in woodland and coppice, several mansion were built. The earliest mansions were erected towards the Green (G). These include Mincheden House (1) next to the church (C), Arnholt Wood (2), Arnold House (3), Beaver Hall (4), Cannons (or Culland) House (5), The Coach House (6), Essex House (7), Arnoside Cottage (8), The Cherry Tree Inn (9), Broomfield Manor (10) and Betsile Lodge and Farm (11).

* from Old English grāf(a) meaning twig, this name can be explained as: grove or copse of the Arnold family; Arnold itself means: ruling mightily like an eagle.

Richmond Rut

Autumn is the time the red deer get excited. It is after all time to mate! The process can be observed in the lovely Richmond Park, a former royal hunting ground, now an urban park with no less than 300 red deer and 350 fallow deer. They roam freely in the enclosed parkland and still supply the royal dinner table with venison.