Another shot of the lake at ....

..... Kelsey Park, with the swan family still in view .
The Park opened on May13th 1913, after going through various stages and owners.
The area of Kelsey can be traced back to 12th century, but in 1408it is believed that it was William Kelsiulle who was granted the lease of 2 meadows on which was built a house close to the lower waterfall! In 1472 it was passed on to William Brograve when the estate remained in the family for the next 200years . He made an addition of a chapel and this was granted a licence by the Bishop of Rochester in 1479. In 1688 it passed onto the Barrel family and remained so for a further 4 generations ( over 130 years ) Edward Gross-Smith acquired the estate in 1820 and in 1835 by the Hoarre family, remaining with them until 1909they were a banking family with many contacts, one of whom was the renowned designer Repton, he made extensive landscaping to the 3000 acres . The original mansion had fallen into disrepair and demolished and demolished in the 19th century . In the Hoarse family time 2 lodges, a cottage hospital and a family status chapel was built. The 2nd generation Charles Hoarse on his inheritance set up a Stage Coach service from Beckenham to Sevenoaks in Kent , he drove the horses himself but by 1890 he had lost interest and leased the estate out to a convent, on Charles death Kelsey was sold. The original intention was for a gated prestigious housing estate. Due to the owner of the Beckenham journal ( Tom Thornton ) who ran a successful campaign for Beckenham council they were able to purchase the estate and set up the Park which opened in 1913.
Due to these people who had fore site we have this lovely space, I'm sure there are many more parks that started out as this one did.
The day has been quite calm today, but at 4.55pm it is beginning to draw in.

Happy ..... to have seen the sun again today, and to sap up the last days of summer weather( tho' it's officially autumn).