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The history of Little Venice

By Julia Wilson

Little Venice is described by visitors or locals as ‘a hidden gem of London’. Dating back to the early 1800’s, the area has seen changes and modernisation whilst preserving most of its original features and a picturesque identity.

Origins of the Name

The name ‘Little Venice’ has been in frequent use since the second half of the last century. Its origin is sometimes attributed to the Victorian poet and playwright Robert Browning who lived at Beauchamp Lodge, 19 Warwick Crescent in the period 1862-1887. Browning spent part of his life in Italy and died near Venice in 1889. The small island in the middle of the Little Venice Pool at the meeting point of the Regent’s and Grand Union’s Canals is named after him.

In a letter dated 1966, Lord Kinross stated that “It was not Robert Browning who first compared ‘Little Venice’ as we call it now to Venice. It was instead Lord Byron who wrote that there would be nothing to make the canal of Venice more poetical than that of Paddington were it not for its artificial adjuncts”. Lord Byron (1788-1824) is regarded as of one of the greatest poets and leading figure in the Romantic movement.

Little Venice forms the southern part of Maida Vale. Maida (Vale) takes its name from the Italian town of Maida in Calabria where, in 1806, the British won a victory over Napoleon. A pub called ‘The Maida’ used to be located along Edgeware Road until the early 2000’s whose hanging board used to show a likeness of General Sir John Stuart, who was made Count of Maida by King Ferdinand IV of Naples and III of Sicily, after the victory at the same battle. In 2018, the former The Truscott Arms, has been renamed The Hero of Maida, [3].

Architectural Influences

The area started to flourish after completion of the Regent’s Canal in the early 1800’s. In 1811 John Nash (one of the foremost British architects of the Regency and Georgian eras) produced a masterplan for the Prince Regent to redevelop a large area of central north London. As a result, the Regent’s Canal was included in the scheme, running for part of its distance along the northern edge of Regent’s Park, [1]. The canal was completed in 1816. At that time Paddington was just a village on the outskirts of London.

The character of the neighbourhood is defined by the Regency style with white stucco buildings. Delightful examples of these can be found on Blomfield Road facing the Regent’s Canal, Warrington Crescent or Randolph Road.

On the eastern banks of Regent’s Canal at Little Venice is Rembrandt Gardens, also known as Warwick Avenue Gardens. These pretty gardens feature plenty of fauna and in spring countless hyacinths and tulips bloom, originally planted in the 1970s on the 700th anniversary of the founding of Amsterdam, the ‘Venice of the North’.

Notable Residents of the Past.

The late Michael Bond used to live on Maida Avenue overlooking the Canal.

Sigmund Freud lived at the Colonnade Hotel with his wife and his youngest daughter Anna for the summer whilst their house in Hampstead was renovated. In honour of his stay, the hotel renamed the best suite the “Sigmund Freud Suite.”. On the 23rd June 1912, Alan Turing was born in the same building. Turing was an English Mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst and scientist best-known for helping decipher the code created by German Enigma machines in the Second World War, and for being one of the founders of computer science and artificial intelligence.

Katherine Mansfield stayed as a music student at Beauchamp Lodge (no. 2 Warwick Crescent) 1908-9.

References

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regent%27s_Canal

[2] http://www.colonnadehotel.co.uk/our-history.html

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Venice,_London

Calling all local Photographers and Artists!!

Your local magazine Maida Unveiled is hosting a competition for all local Artists and Photographers.

We’re asking entrants to get up close and personal with the area of Little Venice and Maida Vale… The theme is “a seasonal reflection of the area” This is for our Spring/summer edition.

Our Magazine is distributed all over the local area reaching a wide audience and the winner gets to feature on the front cover!

This competition is open to all ages and levels.

Please send a copy of your work with a short (100 word max) caption.

Entries (and queries) are to be emailed to the address below.

Deadline is the 1st of April.

Good luck !

[email protected]

Christmas Carols

We are delighted to announce that the Autumn/Winter edition of Maida Unveiled is fresh off the press. If you are yet to have read the hard copy please follow the (members only) link to view the online version.
We are also pleased to announce that this years carol service will be held on the 10th of November at St Mary’s church, Paddington Green. All are welcome for a seasonal occasion reflecting the diversity of the area, supported by the Choir and Musicians of St Saviours School. We hope you will stay on at the end for some festive refreshments!

Heathrow expansion meeting.

There will be a public meeting (tomorrow evening) the 3rd of September- its a chance to ask any questions with regards Heathrow’s proposed expansion, including early growth and later a third runway. The meeting has been set up by a local group who are in opposition to the runway proposal.
The meeting will be at 6.45 for 7 pm on Tuesday 3 September at St. Stephens Church, Westbourne Park Road, W2 5QT. Paul Beckford of the 3rd Runway Coalition will speak. If you are unable to attend the meeting then you may wish to visit no3rdrunway.co.uk to explore further.

Five Kingdom street-we need to act now!

Important! Newly proposed 5 Kingdom Street building will seriously damage our conservation area – its taller and its design makes it appear too bulky and intrusive – see pics below
Concerned residents should visit the Westminster City Council planning portal and register their objection to application number: 19/03673/FULL
Or follow the link below
Act now! We don’t want a repeat of the (star wars) Brunel building further intruding on our skyline!
https://idoxpa.westminster.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=PRI4SHRP2NK00

Orange and Towering over Warwick avenue.

W9W2 Book Club/ Little Venice Literary Society – new members welcome.

Established since 2006; meets on the first Tuesday in the month from 10:30 or 11:00 am at the home of one of our members. Meetings normally last about two to two and a half hours, depending on the liveliness of our discussion

We take it in turns to bring a selection of books from which by a show of hands we decide which book we will read that month. The person who brought the books then introduces the discussion. We are a friendly and informal Group, looking to welcome new members.

Interested? Please contact Maureen at: [email protected]

A chance to put forward ideas for a new community leisure and cultural space in Paddington.

British land is bringing forward proposals for the final plot of land on Five Kingdom street. The new office building will host a space called ‘The Box’ which is currently open for ideas with regards to how to utilise the space in a way which can benefit the local community. It is our chance to have a say, give feedback, and shape the future.

So please have a look at the dates and locations below, and bring along some ideas and lets get a conversation going.

Monday the 25th of February;3.00PM-8.00PM, 258 Harrow Road, Paddington,W2 6PY.

Tuesday the 26th February; 12.00pm-3.00pm, Sheldon Square, Paddington, W26PY.

Saturday the 2nd of march; 10.00am-3.00pm, The Amadeus Centre, 50 Shirland road, W9 2JA.

“INDEPENDENT PARALLEL APPROACHES (‘IPA’) IN THE EARLY MORNING”. Plane unacceptable.

PLANE UNACCEPTABLE – we think so too!

PLANE UNACCEPTABLE – we think so too!
With thanks to PRACT, joint community body that focuses on Transport matters in our area and also to SEBRA, our neighbouring Amenity Society… Heathrow are consulting on new flight paths for Heathrow’s existing 2 runways – Independent Parallel Approaches. In a nutshell, this could result in significant extra aircraft noise for the W9W2 area well in advance of the building of the third runway. The letter from John Walton on PRACT and sent to our MPs, lays out more detail Below;

“ INDEPENDENT PARALLEL APPROACHES (‘IPA’) IN THE EARLY MORNING”

I am writing on behalf of P – R – A- C – T (PRACT), a consortium of four recognised wide-area amenity societies in the Borough of Westminster, whose combined areas cover most of London W2 and W9.

Consultation misleading on ‘IPA’

We regard the form of this consultation as [highly] misleading in regard to ‘IPA’., in several respects. It is presented as if one particular form of increasing the two-runway airport’s capacity has official approval, so that only details are at issue. We do not believe this to be the case.
It is also presented as probably introducing, prematurely, changes in flight paths between holding areas and the final approach, depriving huge areas of both north and south London of sleep. We do not understand the need for [ or practicality of] such changes from the existing flight paths, if ‘IPA’ were to be introduced (with only the existing two runways).
Other communities – relief from daily alternation disappears. It appears incontrovertible that the communities living under the final approaches to both runways would have the relative calm of daily alternation shattered every single morning that the wind is coming from the west, as is usual.

Lack of publicity: consultation period is too short

We object strongly to the limited publicity given to the consultation. We think that all households affected should have received a leaflet about it. Further, in regard to ‘IPA’ we regard the form of the questions as misleading in asking, in considerable detail, about particular flight paths within a ‘design envelope’, whose approval with the existing two runways is not yet assured. We think that there should be a longer period than eight weeks for responses. We note that twelve weeks is the period usually set for central Government consultations.

Failure to clearly identify the comparison between the ‘before’ and ‘after’ situations.

There is no specific information for particular postcodes about the existing situation (decibels, etc). People need to be able to compare now with then. The present situation might seem obvious for some – no overflights – but not for all. There should be specific worked examples of the likely impact of the proposals in particular postcodes.

Possible third runway
As regards the impact of a possible third runway, we regard the consultation as premature. [ It serves to disguise the impact of ‘IPA’.]

Conclusion
We ask that the consultation be redesigned to make it clear that ‘IPA’ in the early morning is not yet decided, and be launched again with extensive publicity and worked before and after examples. I am copying this to the MPs for the Cities of London and Westminster and for Westminster North, to the Mayor of London, to the Civil Aviation Authority, to the London Assembly Member for West Central and to the Councillors of the five Wards covering our area.

W9W2 want to thank John Walton for his detailed view and action letter above. So, to summarise, Heathrow are consulting on new flight paths for Heathrow’s existing 2 runways – Independent Parallel Approaches. Noise pollution will affect us all. Please Click on the link below, to take action.

What can you do?

If you haven’t already done so, then respond to the Heathrow Consultation via their website:https://afo.heathrowconsultation.com/

“BUS-ted?”

TFL plans are a Further threat to already dangerous Pollution levels

Transport for London will soon be closing down London’s iconic Victoria Coach Station and are considering, amongst a number of options, relocating it to Royal Oak.

Victoria coach station was opened in the 1930s and attracts Millions of Visitors a year. If moved to our area, that is a lot of people, potential for an increase in traffic volume and air pollution in the midst of a residential zone. Together with the reported changes to Heathrow flight Approaches over London this could be significantly alarming for local residents. Especially as there are a number of primary schools so close by; and air pollution levels are already at dangerous levels.

There is also concern that it will certainly change the character of the area. So, What can we do? And how can we take action at this early stage? Please take the time to make your views known to our elected representatives to encourage them to continue to oppose exploration of this proposal by TFL
To sign the Labour Petition, follow this link: https://www.westminsterlabour.org.uk/?page_id=419&preview=true
To sign the Conservative Petition, follow this link: https://www.westminsterconservatives.com/campaigns/save-bayswater-village-stop-royal-oak-coach-station.

A public meeting is being held on the 5th of March (tonight) to bring local people up to speed with the campaign. It would be great to see you there!

TONIGHT, Starting at 7.00 pm, Porchester Hall, Porchester Road, Westminster W2 5HS.

THE GOLDEN FIELDS OF LITTLE VENICE.

A historical walk though Little venice…

The late Hans Norton was the great local historian of Maida Vale and anywhere else that he took a sudden interest in. He produced a mass of work. And even now, in some of his posthumous papers, are we finding fascinating insights into the history of the area. This story is about the great fields that predated the naming of the area after the Battle Of Maida and the coming of the canals. Where Little Venice and the Grand Union Canal now provide only a hint of rural calm there used to be rolling fields, Great Church Field, Little Church Field and Parson’s Field, and the site of Warwick Avenue Tube station was originally the turning circle of the massive farm carts required. We have, myself, Robert Bruce, and the indefatigable (past) Chairman of the Society, Elizabeth Virgo, walked the route Hans suggested in his paper on the subject. It has taken time. As with many local historians Hans saw things to be clear which often are not nearly as clear to we plodders down the historic byways. So bear with me as I try to bring the past to life. Off on the journey.

Follow me…

Possibly the best place to start, because it gives you a clear view of the only part of the fields which still exists, is behind the Little Venice Sports Centre. You reach this via Crompton Street, just off Edgware Road on the south side of the canal. Walk into the park beyond. This is the old burial ground reaching down to the church of St Mary’s in the lee of the Westway flyover. But originally it was plain agricultural fields. In the north-west corner of this park there is a raised area which Hans thought was probably the site of the old Manor House, built possibly to replace a very much earlier one, in the early 18^th century. Parkland, orchards and the kitchen garden would have stretched to the north, up to where the school is today.

The main area of the park you are in was what would have been Little Church Field. When you reach the point where you are roughly on a line with the entrance to the primary school in Park Place Villas on your right you are on the southern boundary hedgerow of both Little Church Field and what across to the west was Great Church Field. The north-south boundary of the fields ran just to the east of Park Place Villas. Go down to the church, turn right and walk round into St Mary’s Terrace, pausing to doff your hat to the statue of our Emeritus Chairman/President, Christopher Bond and his creation, Paddington Bear.

When you arrive at Fulham Place, the road to John Aird Court, on your left, you have reached the same dividing hedgerow that you had crossed in the park. And to the south of the road and extending westwards would have been Parson’s Field. Walk down Park Place Villas and turn left onto Maida Avenue and stand and look northwards to Warwick Avenue Tube station. This is the site of the great and ancient farming route. The old Harrow Road, which still runs past behind you, was the main trading artery. Farmers needed to get their produce to market. So a road was needed to get to the fields from Harrow Road, and back again. This is why Warwick Avenue is so wide at the bottom where the tube station and the church now are. Farmers needed to be able to turn their carts, once laden and pulled by four horses, around to head back to the Harrow Road.

With this vision of bucolic bliss and hard, hard work in your mind retrace your steps along the canal, all the time reminding yourself that it didn’t exist when the fields were in full production. The north-south boundary between Little Church Field and Great Church Field ran down the west side of what is now the Catholic Apostolic Church.

On the other side of the canal the boundary runs between 23 and 22 Blomfield Road. No 23 would have been in Great Church Field and No 22 would have been in Little Church Field. The northern boundary of the field ran westwards along the line of Randolph Mews and, continuing on the other side of Warwick Avenue, along what is now Warwick Place. In fact you could happily stand with a pint of beer outside the Warwick Castle pub and imagine yourself looking over the hedge into the field.

It was the building of the Grand Union Canal, Paddington Basin and the Regent’s Canal that sounded the death knell for the fields. The canal went straight through them. Paddington Basin was established as an industrial trading hub in 1801. The Paddington to Camden Town section of the Regent’s Canal was opened in 1816. In 1824 the Bishop Of London allowed the building of houses in the area. The farmers, raging against change, refused to pay rent on the fields that had effectively been cut in two.

Into Paddington Basin came slates from Llangollen, cement from Rugby, gypsum from Surrey, wood from Scandinavia and Portland stone from London Docks. This is why there is still the old builders’ merchants, Travis Perkins, by the canal. And it is also why a building boom took off in Paddington in the early to mid-nineteenth century.

But it is still possible to stop, stand by a tree, and imagine the rural landscape with its fields and its hedgerows, horses and carts. You just need to know where to look.

We owe an enormous thanks to the late Hans Norton for providing the research from which this article is derived.