SEnine
HISTORIC ELTHAM
Aerial view, 1970s
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Sutcliffe Park
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This once ugly ducking has matured
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Mechanical Engineers were based.
into a park that has won the Green
A guardhouse protected the site
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and the Women’s Voluntary Serv-
Flag Award, writes John Kennett...
ice was on hand to provide meals
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for the army personnel. After the
war some of these buildings were teur Athletic Associations stand- Road were demolished in the late
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occupied by squatters who had ards, was installed and opened 1980s as were the bowls pavilion
nowhere else to live. Until 1988 by Lord Luke, Chairman of the Na- and other buildings by the dis-
tional Playing Fields Associa- used bowling-green but regular
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tion, on 26 June 1954. An ath- events included the November
letics meeting followed which firework displays and the fun fairs
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included the Kent County Jun- of George Irvin and Lewis Gray.
ior One Mile Team Champion- Most activities ceased for the
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ship with teams from Aylesford construction work by the Environ-
Paper Mills, Blackheath Harri- ment Agency, in May 2003, which 21
ers and Cambridge
Harriers.
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Local schools
and clubs used the
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football, cricket and
running track facili-
Women’s Voluntary Service personnel in WW2
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ties while devotees
of tennis and bowl-
one building survived as a chang- ing used the courts and
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ing room for sporting activities. green alongside Eltham
Other parts of the park were Green Road. In Septem-
Mini-golf course, 1980 31
used for growing hay for horse feed ber 1965 the park was
while land to the north of the park flooded after heavy rainfall and transformed Sutcliffe Park into 33
and on the adjacent Harrow part of the Quaggy’s retaining the nature reserve we enjoy to-
Meadow sports field, along- concrete wall collapsed and in the day, however most of the Harrow
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side Eltham Green Road, early 1970s it was decided to cover Meadow sports field will be sacri-
was taken for allotments over the water course – or was the ficed for housing in proposals for
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as part of the wartime ‘Dig reclamation of lost footballs caus- redeveloping the Ferrier Estate.
for Victory’ campaign. The ing a problem! The only reminder
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writer’s father had one of of the water course was some All pictures from the
the plots and transported willow trees planted by the river’s
John Kennett Collection
his young son there in a edge.
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Three aeroplanes await
passengers, Harrow
homemade wheelbarrow. Britain’s first
Meadow, 1928
When the plots were rein- 18 hole mini
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stated as a sports ground it golf course was
was a suitable venue for the installed near
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Greenwich Shows held dur- the running
ing the 1960s and 1970s. track in 1980 47
Sutcliffe Park was reo- but its fortunes
pened for sporting activi- soon waned
ties in April 1949 with four cricket for its private
pitches and three full size football promoter. The
pitches for the 1949/1950 winter vandalised toi-
season. A running track, to Ama- lets in Eltham
Fun Fair, 1997
Take an interest in local events
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