Althone Gardens

Althone Gardens opened in the 1980s between Wheatstone House and Munro Mews on the Wornington Green Estate. It was torn down in the first phase of the Portobello Square development. Some of its trees now line the street of Bonchurch Road. The new garden continues to go through changes as the regeneration progresses.

The old park was big. Bit for kids. Bit for dogs. Bit for weirdoes. Not a problem. Bit for everyone. And there was enough space for football playing at the same times as the dogs walking. Sometimes fifteen at a time. There was another special dog area, but no-one wanted to use that 'cos it was mucky, but it was useful if a dog came in who didn't socialise well.”

 

Excerpt from In Memory of Leaves
2014 by Natasha Langridge
A tree offers shade to people on the right inside Althone Gardens. Centre and left are a few people seated on the grass, in conversation. To the right is a bench where two are seated, one lady has a face mask. A poodle sniffs the grass. In the foreground is the photographer’s shadow. In the background is the side of the glass frontage to Watts House and the broken remains of a walkaway that would have led to Lionel House before it was demolished. Photo taken by Constantine Gras 2020.
The original Athlone Gardens in Autumn. A brown table with attached benches sits on the grass to the fore. A circular pavilion with a brown roof, known as the ‘witches hat’ to locals, stands in the background. Tall trees with abundant yellow and orange leaves edge the central expanse of green lawn. Photo reproduced from The United Estate of Wornington Green, 2008.
View of Athlone Gardens from a window at Wheatstone House. An ornamental dragon sits inside on the white window ledge. Through the half open window, there is a late blooming cherry tree and a group of men seen standing in discussion on the expanse of green grass beneath its curly branches. Photo by Natasha Langridge, 2014.
To the fore five men play dominoes as they sit around a brown table. Two look towards the camera. Three are deep in concentration. To the right is the lower half of Wheatsone House. A concrete path winds though the centre. A blackboard leans against a brick wall to the left in the background. Photo reproduced from The United Estate of Wornington Green, 2008.
An array of autumnal trees stand in the green grass as two dog walkers chat in the background while four small dogs run about. Photo reproduced from The United Estate of Wornington Green, 2008.
'Vote Noel Clarke' is graffitied in blue letters on a white wall in the basketball court that once stood behind Althone Gardens. Between Noels first and second name is a gold graffitied BAFTA award. Beneath that in black letters reads text 82058. To the front is the grey concrete court floor. Above is a silver fence. Photo by Junior Tomlin 2012.
Snow covers the floor of the basketball court highlighting the multi-colours of the two graffitied walls. A metal fence rises above the back wall. Trees and the snow covered cone shaped roof of the witches hat in the original Athlone Gardens can be seen through it. Photo by Junior Tomlin 2012.
View of Althone Gardens from Chesterton House on a snowy day. Tiny snowflakes fall in front of the camera lens. To the left are the windows and balconies of Chiltern House and the broken off remains of the Lionel House walkway. To the fore is the snow covered grass and swings in the park. The cream new builds in Faraday Road stand in the background. Photo by Hannah Hutch 2018.
In the foreground Natasha Langridge poses in the newly located Athlone Gardens in a red dress with a log of wood (from the cherry tree down in the original Athlone Gardens). She looks towards the left of the picture thoughtfully. Behind her to the left is the side of Trellick Tower and closer right is the remains of Lionel House walkway above the housing developers hoardings with advertising slogans. Photo by Yui Mok 2014.
The view from 12 Chesterton House during Carnival. To the left are lush verdant green trees. In the centre and right is a green fence running down the centre of Athlone Gardens. At the back is a throng of Carnival goers dancing to the sounds coming from huge speakers and behind them are the cream coloured new builds on Faraday Rd. Photo by Natasha Langridge 2019.
A frost covered grass to the fore. In the centre are nine members of the famous dog walking club sitting on and standing around a bench in coats and scarfs. Three dogs are close by. One called Fidel shares the bench with them as they pose for the camera. A green railing fence is behind them above which is seen AK Foods on Portobello Rd and Lloyd Williamson School on Telford Rd. Photo by Kevin Percival 2019.
A view in Athlone Gardens from the Portobello Road side. Newly laid table tennis pitches stand beneath a leafy mature tree. Two other trees stand in the background in front of the red bricked Chesterton and Chiltern Houses. To the right is the fenced off and demolished Lionel House walkway and the side of the glass entranceway to Watts House. In the centre a woman sits on a park bench placed on a neat pathway. Photo by Constantine Gras 2020.