Hayes Lake

Hayes Lake

The Labour controlled Hayes Urban District Council was fully committed to the establishment of open spaces and the need for "town planning" as Hayes developed. Accordingly Hayes has a larger number of open spaces than most areas within London

"The Lake" one of the most charming natural beauty spots in Hayes is to be acquired by Middlesex County Council and Hayes Urban District Council as a public open space and it will provide Hayes with some thing that will be entirely different from any open space already in existence

the chief feature of this new park will be the lake itself, which at one time was an old gravel pit, now gives the appearance of a natural stretch of water, bordered on one side by a rich well kept lawn, and on the other three by a delightful wooded walk, while in the middle stands a small island.

On the other side of the drive facing the lawn and the more open "shore" of the lake is a fine old house in which Mrs Shackle resided until her death in February 1936.

Beside the house and behind the high wall which borders the drive, is another magnificent lawn at the end of which is a bed of fine roses and beyond that are vegetable gardens and seed beds, bordered with rhododendrons.

The source of the water in the lake has never been definitely established it is said that it is fed by springs, but it is also known that pipes drain into it from a number of surrounding fields.

The greater part of the vegetable gardens will be taken up by the proposed town planning road, but the remaining 2.5 acres will present excellent opportunities to the Parks Superintendent and the Parks Committee of the Hayes Urban district Council.

The present owner of "The Lake" at Hayes is Mr F. C. Gray who for over forty years was in the employ of Mrs Shackle and when she died. Mrs Shackle left him the house and grounds.

for over forty years Mr F.C. Gray has known and enjoyed the quietude and seclusion of this beautiful old house and the garden for which he has cared through all those years. He looks forward to spending the years of his retirement in a little house he has bought not far away, that he might frequently visit the park that has been almost his life's work and see it more or less as he has always known it.


Hayes Urban District Council and Middlesex County Council agreed to pay 50% each for the "compulsory" purchase of 3.45 acres Hayes Lake site, the remainder of the land being purchased by George Wimpey & Co for housing development, which has already commenced

1.5 acres was water (Hayes lake)
2.55 acres (including Hayes lake) was to made into a park
0.9 acres to be used for town planning road

NOTE
given that locals were expected to "doff" their caps to Mrs Shackle, it must have given great pleasure to have acquired her land for the people of Hayes


NOTE

on the death of Mr Samuel Philip of the Cottage, Harlington, in February 1936, it was reported that he was a member of the biggest market Gardner's in Middlesex. Having with his brother acquired Cold Harbour Farm and Court Farm turning them extensively into Strawberry growing. Truckloads of strawberries going to Covent Garden as well as,Wales and Scotland on a daily basis

When the first World War broke out a large proportion of land adjoining Hayes station was given over to the Munitions factory, while the greater part of the remainder was given over to growing corn.

By the 1930's much of the land had been acquired by builders, the Town field estate, Hayes now the Council estate.

(his father John Philip had built the bakehouse and corn shop adjoining Vine house in the 1830's and set up the horse drawn bus which ran between Colnbrook and Housnslow)