Swanley History Group – May 2016 meeting
Down a broad driveway lined with rhododendron bushes, off winding Beechenlea Lane, stands an impressive Victorian Gothic building. It is now the home of Parkwood Hall Co-operative Academy, a residential school - the latest phase in the history of this fine building, the subject of the May meeting of Swanley History Group.
In appearance, Parkwood and its grounds of 70 acres remains much the same as it did when opened in 1893, as the convalescent home for seven principal London hospitals. That is apart from the absence of many trees, including majestic specimens of Cedar of Lebanon, which were lost during the great storm of 1987. The architect was Edward Blakeway L’Anson. Within the grounds are The Entrance Lodge and also The Bungalow, originally owned by Major Fanning – an extra storey was added later when it became the Nurses’ Home. Another founding trustee, Ebenezer Homan, donated £5000 towards the cost of the Chapel.
Faultless dedication describes the actions of one of Parkwood’s founding trustees, Peter Reid, who was born on 4 January 1826 in Perth, Scotland. It is uncertain how, as the son of a millwright, he became a member of the Stock Exchange and provided £100,000 of his own money for the building and endowment of Parkwood. Until the 1960’s his portrait took pride of place in the entrance hall. Does anyone know where it is now?
In 1917 Peter Reid died, leaving £20,000 in his will for the upkeep of Parkwood and bequeaths to various members of staff. He had no family and is buried in the churchyard of St. Pauls, Swanley Village.
We enjoyed seeing photographs of staff through the years, including maids and nursing assistants, who in 1893 earned £20 a year with uniform and return train tickets to London twice a month.
During her presentation Esme Hodge also showed photographs of patients relaxing in the grounds, in the wards and sitting under the Colonnades. The beautiful surroundings must have seemed like heaven to patients arriving from the poorer parts of London. It was here that some of the 287 children, made homeless by the explosion of the munitions factory in Silvertown in 1917, were accommodated for five months. During World War 1 soldiers and sailors with horrific facial injuries were sent to convalesce at Parkwood from the Queen’s Hospital, Sidcup. Visiting entertainers during World War 2 included Max Bygraves and a famous band leader called Geraldo. Photographs from this time show tin hats and gas masks on view in the wards.
After Parkwood was taken over by the NHS in 1947 changes were to follow. From 1966 to 1968 it became a training centre for 64 Junior Firefighters doing a two year course. From 1970 to the present day it has been a residential special school run first by the Inner London Education Authority and later by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. We would be interested to hear from anybody who has photographs or had connections to Parkwood in past times.
Christina Tyler
Programme Organiser
Down a broad driveway lined with rhododendron bushes, off winding Beechenlea Lane, stands an impressive Victorian Gothic building. It is now the home of Parkwood Hall Co-operative Academy, a residential school - the latest phase in the history of this fine building, the subject of the May meeting of Swanley History Group.
In appearance, Parkwood and its grounds of 70 acres remains much the same as it did when opened in 1893, as the convalescent home for seven principal London hospitals. That is apart from the absence of many trees, including majestic specimens of Cedar of Lebanon, which were lost during the great storm of 1987. The architect was Edward Blakeway L’Anson. Within the grounds are The Entrance Lodge and also The Bungalow, originally owned by Major Fanning – an extra storey was added later when it became the Nurses’ Home. Another founding trustee, Ebenezer Homan, donated £5000 towards the cost of the Chapel.
Faultless dedication describes the actions of one of Parkwood’s founding trustees, Peter Reid, who was born on 4 January 1826 in Perth, Scotland. It is uncertain how, as the son of a millwright, he became a member of the Stock Exchange and provided £100,000 of his own money for the building and endowment of Parkwood. Until the 1960’s his portrait took pride of place in the entrance hall. Does anyone know where it is now?
In 1917 Peter Reid died, leaving £20,000 in his will for the upkeep of Parkwood and bequeaths to various members of staff. He had no family and is buried in the churchyard of St. Pauls, Swanley Village.
We enjoyed seeing photographs of staff through the years, including maids and nursing assistants, who in 1893 earned £20 a year with uniform and return train tickets to London twice a month.
During her presentation Esme Hodge also showed photographs of patients relaxing in the grounds, in the wards and sitting under the Colonnades. The beautiful surroundings must have seemed like heaven to patients arriving from the poorer parts of London. It was here that some of the 287 children, made homeless by the explosion of the munitions factory in Silvertown in 1917, were accommodated for five months. During World War 1 soldiers and sailors with horrific facial injuries were sent to convalesce at Parkwood from the Queen’s Hospital, Sidcup. Visiting entertainers during World War 2 included Max Bygraves and a famous band leader called Geraldo. Photographs from this time show tin hats and gas masks on view in the wards.
After Parkwood was taken over by the NHS in 1947 changes were to follow. From 1966 to 1968 it became a training centre for 64 Junior Firefighters doing a two year course. From 1970 to the present day it has been a residential special school run first by the Inner London Education Authority and later by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. We would be interested to hear from anybody who has photographs or had connections to Parkwood in past times.
Christina Tyler
Programme Organiser