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 18th 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.

Brrrr grab your scarfs hats and sparklers and ‘fall’ in line. The W9W2 Autumn updates are here!

Now that the summer is well behind us and autumn is here, it seems time to update PWMVS/W9W2 members on news from the society and also some dates to look forward to.

Now that the summer is well behind us and autumn is here, it seems time to update PWMVS/W9W2 members on news from the society and also some dates to look forward to.

In terms of updates a few headlines from updates shared at the recent committee meeting.

– In view of financial health and membership numbers your society is in good health – with a positive trend in terms of both balance at the bank and in terms of signed up members.  This is particularly important to note as some 18 months ago we agreed at the AGM to adopt a voluntary donation and registration approach ( as opposed to a compulsory paid up membership model) as a way to increase the number of members of our community who actively participate.  In light of this we remain particularly grateful to those of you who continue to make voluntary donations to support our work.

Planning

– In terms of planning applications, the planning sub committee continues to meet regularly, typically weekly, to review planning applications in our area.  Our approach is to be supportive of works that enhance the liveability of properties in the area for modern family needs, increase space available for residents and increase the number of front doors in our special and convenient area, so long as it is done in a manner that doesn’t detract from the amenity for residents nor represent short term opportunism.  We also continue to work as active members of the liaison groups for both significant local developments, such as West End Gate.  We also continue to have active engagement with the large local landlords, such as British Land at Paddington Central to help ensure the right balance of considerations is taken into account as that area comes increasingly to life as active community and area of recreation.

-Highways –

Under Paul Newman’s guidance, we continue to work closely with WCC and their contractors regarding the Highways agenda for our area.  Part of this is around annual priorities for works; part is around trying to smooth the day to day execution of highways works eg as pertains to parking suspensions etc.  As ever, if you have particular comments, then please do send an email to [email protected] and we will try and support accordingly.

Looking forward; a few headlines:

– Our annual Community Christmas Carols, in association with St Saviours school, will be held on Tuesday December 11th at St Mary’s Paddington Green, with support from British Land.  More details and a reminder will be sent nearer the time
– Maida Value Studios (MVS).  As you may have heard (link?) the BBC announced their intention to vacate MVS.  This significant change for the neighbourhood requires our engagement and so we are working to set an open meeting with the BBC and other parties to discuss options and preferences.  More to follow
– finally, we are conscious that the email format may not be able to do full justice to the interesting content and people that we are lucky enough to have in our area.  With that in mind we are at the early stages of producing a periodical, in line with other societies such as ours, to highlight what our area has to offer residents and visitors alike.  If you have any suggestions or would like to help out please do email [email protected]

So, thank you for your ongoing support- we work steadily and quietly to sustain and build on all that we enjoy in the PWMVS/ W9W2 area.  Please feel free to forward this to your friends and contacts in the area and encourage them to sign up – remember, its free!
https://w9w2.co.uk/join-us/

Hold the boat! The little Venice canal cavalcade is coming to town!

Make way! make way! Canal voyaging vessels shall be collecting together on the 5th of May! For three days a whole heap of fun is to be had on the shores of Little Venice..

On the May Bank Holiday weekend (5th-7th) the tranquil waters of Little Venice pool will spring to life via the ‘Canal cavalcade’.The event has been running since 1983 and has attracted people from far and wide, and is an annual delight for local residents. There will be activities for all the family with a pageant of boats, live music, kids activities, competitions, Morris Dancers, a real ale bar, a wide selection of food! Not to mention one of the highlights being the dusk ‘Boat illumination parade’

Admission is Free, the event is run by IWA volunteers.

A link to the programme-

*This year’s explosion of ducklings will be bobbing about amidst the fun. Please do remember to bring peas if you want to feed them- bread is not their natural diet and causes difficulties.

Opportunity to discover the secrets of your family tree…

Is your family driving you mad? Perhaps it’s time to find out where they really came from…

Did your Great great granny invent the pogo stick? Do you have a long lost uncle Roger? At 14.00 hours on Saturday the 19th of may, there is a free introductory session at the City of Westminster Archives Centre. The session is aimed showing participants how to get started and make the best use of the archives and their collections. For anyone who has not already ventured into discovering their own family tree it is an ideal opportunity to get started.
To book a place:
Please call 02076415180 or email [email protected] .
There is also more information on www.westminter.gov.uk/archives.