Visit Cedar Park, given to Harrow by Mr Blackwell of Crosse and Blackwell Pickles

I had often driven past the grand gateway and magnificent cedar trees on the Uxbridge Road opposite the Bannister Sports Ground named after Roger Bannister who ran the four minute mile. I had not realised that the cedar park is so pleasant nor that it has such an interesting history.

I like to take a walk every day for health reasons and one day decided I should take a daily walk in a local park of place of interest. The map of north west London's Harrow region offers many walks. You can walk the loop from Hatch End railway station, as far as Grimsdyke House hotel, which was once the home of Gilbert of Gilbert and Sullivan fame.

But I didn't want to walk for half a day. And I had got tired of walking around shopping centres. So I decided to explore some of the parks and earn their history.

The Cedars

The grand gates set between elaborate pillars and curved railings either side are now closed. But you have a choice of entry points, such as the one in a side road offering free parking next to the youth centre.

Near the entrances are panels telling you the history of the park. It was once the home of Mr Blackwell who founded the Crosse and Blackwell pickle company. Mr Blackwell's neighbour was another world famous man, Gilbert, the local magistrate, better known as the writer of the words for Gilbert and Sullivan operas.

both Crosse and Blackwell have fine Mausoleums further along the Uxbridge Road near the entrance to All Saints Church. Inside the church is a bust to Gilbert. Gilbert is not buried there. His wife was cross with him because he died after saving their a young girl, their protege, a young singer and her friend, who had been swimming in the nude in the mansion's garden lake and got into difficulties. The exertion and excitement gave Gilbert a heart attack it would seem.

Gilbert and his wife were buried alongside each with a fine gravestone recalling them and the singer who inherited from them, who is also buried there.

Apparently Gilbert and Blackwell exchanged words when Blackwell's dog ran into Gilbert's land. You can read all about these families on the Harrow Council website and in Wikipedia.

I walked all around the park with my tree guide trying to identify the trees. Of course I could recognise an oak. But what kinds of fir was the fine tall tree with the cones. Silly me, or course it must be the tree which gives its name to the park a cedar.

I must admit that I could hear noise from the nearby Uxbridge Road. But nonetheless it was a very refreshing and peaceful walk.

In addition to giving this land to Harrow for the use of the public, and being buried in the churchyard of the church next to the former Leefe Robinson pub, Blackwell gave the area the land for St Anselm's church in Hatch End, another fine old building surrounded by grand trees.

I was looking for a picture of Blackwell's house. What a pity it is not still standing.

The gates along suggest it must have been a wonderful building.

Photos by Angela Lansbury.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Listed Buildings To Visit And Photograph

If you want to take a daily walk or a free tour of your area of the city where you are living or visiting, look at a map and find the historic buildings nearby. You might pick historic buildings in your nearest high street, or old buildings in the countryside or down leafy side streets.

Map Search
My family did a search in north west London and we were amazed at the number of listed buildings. A great opportunity for a walk and some photography.

St Anselm's Church, Hatch End.
Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Timing Your Trip
If your primary aim is fresh air and free of noise, you might choose to walk early in the morning. A late uncle of mine used to travel the world and take photos (actually colour slides - I still have them) of temples and buildings around the world at dawn.

You might also try gardens and parks with the morning dew. Carry a plastic bag like a dog poop scoop to remove litter from the ground, especially cigarette butts dropped around doorways, for your romantic photos.

Reality Pictures
Other people prefer to show life how it is. They like to reveal that beauty spots are ruined by litter. The french word verite or truth or reality comes to mind. Ralists want to show that third world countries are slums, dumps, poverty stricken, and not the idyllic places of our dreams. I like to take one of each. First the reality, then how it looked after I cleared it.

People Pictures
I also take a place without people and with people. I had an editor who always wanted people in photos. He said people made it interesting.

Local Characters
But you also need the right people. Do you want to show only local people to match the venue. Or tourists enjoying the trip. Or people meeting the locals?

A Chinese magazine might want only Asians. Or they might want only foreigners, because that's what readers aspire to imitate, or because that fits the text. Or because they already have lots of local people and want something different.

Fashions
I found that people in last year's fashions dated a photo. They look untidy with shirts hanging out. They were inelegant. For a fashion magazine the aim would be to include cute characters.

Passers-By
Passers-by are often keen to pose.
They might move and caused blur.

What if you want a natural shot. Even people standing still or slumped can be an anomaly. An amazing number of people shut their eyes, cover part of their faces, glare, stand looking gormless.

Others are in the wrong place with trees and lamp posts growing out of their heads.

They run forward demanding money. Or try to rob you whilst you are taking a photo.

They move hands and wave and cause blur. They move out of shot at the last moment, leaving bits of bodies. You get a disembodied arm or foot as if you are chasing a fugitive.

The solution is to take lots of shots. Choose the best. (This is called bracketing.)

Twilight
I like twilight pictures. I won a competition from Polaroid and a ferry company when we were given Polaroid cameras. I took a statue silhouetted against the still light evening sky.

Angela Lansbury, travel photographer and writer, author and speaker.

More About Mr Blackwell, Co-founder of Crosse and Blackwell, donor to St Anselm's Church and All Saints Church

I was in St Anselm's Church, Hatch End, where I learned that the land for the church had been owned (and then given for the building of the church) by Thomas Blackwell who co-founded Crosse and Blackwell.

I remembered seeing the grave, an impressive memorial, at All Saints Church just in front of the church.

Crosse died first and Blackwell is buried near him.

For a picture of both grave memorials see

http://www.blackwellhall.co.uk/?page_id=274

From this website I learned that Crosse and Blackwell were donors to the church and the founders had decided to have a long path leading up to the church from the road to give the church a country feel.


Drive or take a bus from Hatch End to All Saints Church is further East along the Uxbridge Road.

All Saints Church has a memorial inside it to the other local VIP, magistrate Gilbert, of Gilbert & Sullivan fame.

Reading about the Crosse and Blackwell products, I was amazed how large the Crosse & Blackwell company grew, how many different products, and how big the Branston's pickle brand became, along with the Crosse and Blackwell soups.


The census records list both Crosse and Blackwell and their wives and children and a will. See:
http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Edmund_Crosse

You can see a picture of Blackwell's grave on Findagrave.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=61451958

More about the two families:
http://www.cooksinfo.com/crosse-blackwell

I haven't yet found any pictures of the Crosse or Blackwell families. But every time I look on line I find more information.

Crosse and Blackwell

St Anselm's Church, Hatch End

Photo copyright Angela Lansbury

All Saints Church

  © Copyright John Salmon and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence from Wikipedia

St Anselm's Church, Hatch End, welcomed associated Mrs Beeton, Blackwell the soup mogul, the Spooner family and more

Mrs Beeton, the cookery writer, whose home is commemorated by the plaque in Hatch End High street was one of the well known parishioners of St Anselm's Church. After admiring her plaque take a walk along the bustling high street towards the station and turn down Westfireld Park, a cup-de sac, to the church, which is still an oasis of peace amongst the tall trees and birdsong. It's so quiet you could hear a pine cone drop.

The soup mogul, Mr Thomas Blackwell, famous for Cross and Blackwell soup, owned the land near what is now Hatch End station. (When another station was built, the station in Hatch End was renamed Hatch End and the newer station was called Pinner.)

If you search on Google you'll find several other churches called St Anselm's but St Anselm actually had a connection to this Harrow.

Here is St Anselm

When can you see inside the church?

Pinner Arts Week is 26 Sept to 5 Oct 2014 and at the weekend of Saturday 5 October and Sunday 6 October 2014 there is free entry to Discover St Anselm's. 11-3 pm.
 'Tours highlighting the Louis Davis stained glass windows, Charles Spooner's carved oak rood screen, World War One memorial, Millennium tapestry, embroidered vestments, displays, music and refreshments.'
(For more about the church see next post under construction - come back later for more.)