Recent History

Recent History. . , Recent History , ‘Farthing Downs , it is as though we walk along the smooth, rounded back of a huge animal, in mutual isolation from humankind. , Written by Helen Corke. , , This beautiful observation was made by Helen Corke about a walk she made in 1911 with her friend, the famous novelist DH Lawrence, when they were both teachers in Croydon. , , Originally owned by Edmund Byron, Lord of the Manor, the City of London Corporation purchased the land in 1883. Although the landowner changed, the way the land was managed didn't; livestock still grazed an open landscape. , , With the outbreak of Worid War II this view dramatically altered when a large number of anti-glider ditches were constructed across the open space. and the surrounding area took many blows from hostile bombs and falling aircraft during the war. , , ( photo captions ) , - Places where bombs struck Farthing Downs ( black circles ) , - View of the Downs in the early 20th Century Photograph courtesy of Roger Packham