The
Bedford Park
(registered
charity)
For
the protection of the amenities of the earliest Garden Suburb
From Knowledge Comes Care
Forgot to collect your logbook?
The Bedford Park Log Books are part of
the Society’s From Knowledge Comes Care programme which
has been set up in dedication to the memory and tireless efforts of Thomas
Affleck Greeves
(1917 - 1997), the most
important figure in the suburb’s history after its founder Jonathon Carr.
The
foundation of the Bedford Park Society in 1963 and the campaign to list its
houses emanated
largely from Tom Greeves and fellow enthusiast Harry
Taylor, a retired builder. Tom, who with his
wife
Eleanor went to live in Newton Grove in 1951 and stayed there till his death,
came to be known
as the
saviour of
breadth of culture to appreciate both the charm and the originality of the
place when few others did,
and
worked indefatigably on its behalf. The turning point was in 1967, when after
half a century of
decline and neglect and just four years after the formation of the Bedford Park
Society, the majority
of the
houses that formed the suburb’s core, 356 in all, were listed following a visit
by the Ministry of
Housing’s
Inspector, Arthur Grogan, to an exhibition mounted by the Society. It was a
decision of
foresight and consequence, ahead of its time. Subsequently the boroughs of
Hounslow and Ealing
declared Conservation areas in 1969 and 1970 respectively.
with most
of its houses in single-family ownership. Its status in the history of suburban
planning is also
internationally understood.
Listed Building Log Book Collection
If you
are a
contact Peter Murray at secretary (at) bedfordpark.org to obtain a
copy.
© The 