Westerley Ware
{{Short description|Garden in Kew, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox park
| name = Westerley Ware
| photo = Westerley Ware, by Kew Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 1333216.jpg
| photo_caption = Westerley Ware in 2009
| type = Urban park
| location = Waterloo Place, Kew Green, Kew, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
| coords = {{coord|51.4859|-0.2865|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| area =
| created =
| operator = Richmond upon Thames Borough Council
| status = Open all year
}}
Westerley Ware is a small garden and recreation ground in Kew in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is at the foot of Kew Bridge, between Waterloo Place (a row of houses and flats off Kew Green){{cite web | url=https://londongardenstrust.org/conservation/inventory/site-record/?ID=RIC094| title=Westerley Ware (Richmond)| publisher=London Gardens Trust | date=22 February 2021 | access-date=27 September 2021}} and the Thames riverbank. Historically common land, it has a memorial garden – bordered by hedges – to the fallen in the First World War, a grass area, three hard tennis courts and a children's playground. Since 1939 it has been managed by the local authority, which is now Richmond upon Thames Council.
History and etymology
File:Kew War Memorial Garden, Westerly Ware.jpg
Until the 18th century, Westerley Ware was much larger and was almost certainly used by fishermen as a place to beach their boats and to dry and mend their nets.{{cite book | title=Kew Past | publisher=Phillimore & Co. Ltd. | location= Chichester, Sussex|author=Blomfield, David|author-link=David Blomfield| year=1994 | pages=8–9 | isbn=0-85033-923-5}} Its name refers to the use of netting weirs or "wares" to catch fish.{{cite web | url= https://www.richmond.gov.uk/services/parks_and_open_spaces/find_a_park/westerley_ware_recreation_ground| title=Westerley Ware Recreation Ground | publisher=London Borough of Richmond upon Thames | work=Parks and open spaces | accessdate=25 August 2020}}
Westerley Ware Association
In 1997 local residents in Kew formed the Westerley Ware Association which has raised funds for projects to improve the park and to employ a part-time gardener. In 2007 it successfully raised funds from the Council’s Initiative Fund to install new entrance gates. These were designed and forged by a local blacksmith, Shelley Thomas.{{cite web | url=https://kewtw9.org/community/westerly-ware-association/| title=Westerley Ware | publisher=KewTW9 | access-date=27 September 2021}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.richmond.gov.uk/services/parks_and_open_spaces/find_a_park/westerley_ware_recreation_ground Official website]
- [https://westerlyware.com/ Westerley Ware Association]
{{LB Richmond}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Westerley Ware}}
Category:Common land in London
Category:Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames