History
The Grade II* listed Brockwell Hall was originally built between 1811-1813 when the area was part of Surrey and was the country seat of glass merchant John Blades Esq. The land and house were acquired by the London County Council (LCC) in March 1891 and opened to the public on 2 June in the following summer, led by the local MP Thomas Lynn Bristowe. At the unveiling, he died of a heart attack on the steps of Brockwell Hall.
In 1901 the LCC acquired a further 43 acres (17 ha) of land north of the original park. In the 1920s, there were 13 cricket pitches in the park, which attracted crowds of up to 1,500. Brockwell Park was home to the Galton Institute.
A bust of Thomas Bristowe was returned to the Park and unveiled on its 120th birthday, 2012.
Read more about this topic: Brockwell Park
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—Malcolm Bradbury (b. 1932)