Battersea Park
battersea park acre hectare green space battersea london borough wandsworth london situated south bank river thames opposite chelsea opened park occupies marshland reclaimed thames land formerly used market garden park grade ii listed register historic park garden prior area covered park known battersea field popular spot duelling march duke wellington earl winchilsea met battersea field settle matter honour came time fire duke aimed duelling pistol wide winchilsea fired air winchilsea later wrote duke groveling apology separated river narrow raised causeway field consisted low fertile marsh intersected stream ditch chief crop carrot melon lavender way lavender hill famous battersea bunch asparagus running along riverside field industrial concern wharf including pottery copper work lime kiln chemical work increasingly railway site battersea power station partly occupied famously bawdy red house tavern patronised charles dickens access via rickety wooden battersea bridge ferry chelsea bank spurred partly local vicar partly thomas cubitt builder developer whose yard across river still marshy undeveloped area pimlico bill submitted parliament form royal park acre battersea park act vict c passed £ promised purchase land commission improving metropolis acquired acre battersea field acre became battersea park opened remainder let building lease park laid sir james pennethorne although park opened varied somewhat pennethornes vision park success depended successful completion chelsea bridge declared open queen victoria honour road alongside eastern edge park called victoria road linked queen road victoria circus queen circus victoria road queen road later became queenstown road prince wale road prince wale drive laid along southern boundary albert bridge road constructed along western side park came management newly formed london county council park hosted first exhibition football game played rule recently formed football association january member team chosen president fa pember secretary e c morley included many wellknown footballer day park home leading amateur football team wanderer fc winner first fa cup park also hosted historic london v sheffield football match march th division war memorial eric kennington unveiled field marshal lord plumer anglican bishop southwark cyril garbett commemorates men killed listed missing presumed dead whilst serving british army th division grade ii listed war antiaircraft gun barrage balloon installed help protect london enemy air raid shelter dug part park turned allotment much needed vegetable pig farm also set maintenance park reduced war effort took priority september battersea park hosted big punk rock concert featuring strangler several guest among peter gabriel skid strangler booked stripper show visual aspect recalled photographer barry plummer lad audience got bit carried away also stripped completely naked eventually police called took young lady particular british artist marion coutts recreated battersea along regent hyde park set asymmetrical pingpong table interactive installation fresh air – film dalmatian filmed battersea park stand st james park northern part park transformed pleasure garden part festival britain celebration well new watergarden fountain new feature included treewalk consisted series raised wooden walkway linked tree houselike platform suspended branch number tree popular attraction included guinness clock designed jan le witt george far tottering oyster creek branch railway another part transformation addition battersea funfair roller coaster swing roundabout attraction funfair leading attraction roller coaster ride known big dipper opened wooden construction suffered major fire closed five child killed injured battersea park funfair disaster may one train became detached haulage rope rolling back station antirollback mechanism failed colliding train closure jetstream ride sold trusthouse forte owner belle vue zoological garden manchester night scene funfair ghostly empty featured opening title scene television series journey unknown site funfair levelled became site travelling fair exhibition site battersea evolution formerly battersea park event arena host exhibition conference christmas party park home small childrens zoo boating lake bandstand allweather outdoor sporting facility including tennis court running track football pitch four west london hockey team use allweather astroturf pitch including wanderer hockey club centre park pump house gallery housed fourstorey grade ii listed victorian tower owned wandsworth council western side two cricket pitch home king road cricket social club club whose member wear distinctive orange cap seen playing saturday sunday park site london peace pagoda erected buddhist monk look pagoda daily basis replica bronze statue dog focal point historic vivisectionrelated brown dog affair erected moved woodland walk near old english garden – park underwent £ million refurbishment funded part heritage lottery fund reopened june prince philip dog walk fame inaugurated park winter garden next albert bridge road commissioned friend battersea park designed dan pearson studio opened mayor boris johnson march unveiled plaque designed steve bunn rca sculpture school james robert pulham constructed waterfall rocky stream cave shady seat peninsula part park patented anthropic rock pulhamite first example unique rock landscape london park waterfall running lake since due natural degradation difficulty providing energy pump sculpture commemorating th anniversary terror attack unveiled mayor london boris johnson park hosted one seven national foodie festival – august masterclasses performed chef levi root ed baines burlesque show restaurant tent city beach popup cinema narrow strip along eastern edge park two smaller nearby area designated battersea park nature area local nature reserve area three hectare variety woodland bird specie including blackcap bullfinch specie butterfly several stag beetle invertebrate specie include hoverfly volucella zonaria battersea park railway station queenstown road battersea battersea power station tube station battersea park illustrated history friend battersea park isbn sexby john james battersea park municipal park garden open space london london e stock pp – simmonds henry battersea battersea london ashfield battersea park conservation area appraisal management strategy report wandsworth council friend battersea park map park battersea park childrens zoo battersea society battersea festival garden themagiceye joyland history battersea park