Stone Garden Shelter at High Elms Country Park
STONE GARDEN SHELTER AT HIGH ELMS COUNTRY PARK, SHIRE LANE
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1393488
- Date first listed:
- 13-Oct-2009
- List Entry Name:
- Stone Garden Shelter at High Elms Country Park
- Statutory Address:
- STONE GARDEN SHELTER AT HIGH ELMS COUNTRY PARK, SHIRE LANE
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1393488
- Date first listed:
- 13-Oct-2009
- List Entry Name:
- Stone Garden Shelter at High Elms Country Park
- Statutory Address 1:
- STONE GARDEN SHELTER AT HIGH ELMS COUNTRY PARK, SHIRE LANE
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- STONE GARDEN SHELTER AT HIGH ELMS COUNTRY PARK, SHIRE LANE
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Greater London Authority
- District:
- Bromley (London Borough)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ 44585 63220
Reasons for Designation
The stone shelter, High Elms Country Park is designated for the following principal reasons: * It was constructed for Lord Avebury in 1913, contains a memorial inscription and is one of the few structures at his home High Elms directly associated with him, following the destruction of the main house in 1967. * Lord Avebury is a figure of national importance in social reform and heritage history. * It is one of a number of garden structures at High Elms Country Park, some of which are designated at Grade II.
Details
785/0/10156 SHIRE LANE 13-OCT-09 Stone Garden Shelter at High Elms Coun try Park
II Garden Shelter. Constructed in 1913 for John Lubbock, Lord Avebury (1834-1913) as a 79th Birthday gift from Lady Avebury.
DESCRIPTION: It is built into the centre of a low stone garden wall situated to the south west of the mansion and faces south west. It is a rectangular structure built of snecked stone rubble with slate roof. The slates were mainly missing at the time of inspection. It has a curved pediment which originally had a large clock fixed to it and a cambered stone arch flanked by moulded stone lintels behind which is an alcove to contain a seat. The iron railings were added later in the C20. On the rear wall is an inscription in a stone panel fixed above the seat by Lady Avebury.
" 30 APRIL 1913
A BIRTHDAY GIFT TO GREET HIM WHEN HE CAME HOME FROM THE WERY TOWN. FOUR SCORE SAVE ONE HE HEARD AND SMILED HIS THANKS, BUT AH! THE FLAME OF LIFE BURNED LOW; SOON WERE WE LEFT ALONE YET LOVE SURVIVES, AND WHILE THIS CLOCK DOTH CHIME IT TELLS OF LOVE OUTLASTING MEASURED TIME."
HISTORY: The High Elms estate belonged to the Lubbock family from 1809 to 1938. The main house was rebuilt by the Third Baronet, John William Lubbock (1803-1865). His son John Lubbock (1834-1913), who was created Lord Avebury in 1900, inherited the family bank and High Elms estate in 1865. Lubbock had an interest in natural history, which had started with his introduction into Darwin's inner circle and was a member of the Royal Institution, the Geological Society and the Royal Society. He was a Liberal MP for Maidstone between 1870 and 1880 and between 1880 and 1900 represented London University. He championed early closing bills in the 1870s, drafted the Bank Holiday Bill of 1871, the first secular holiday in British history, which was popularly known as "St. Lubbock's Day", and pushed through a bill to preserve Ancient Monuments in 1873. He was also an advocate of voting reform and was one of the founders of the Proportional Representation Society in 1884. When he was translated to the peerage in 1900 he chose the title Avebury after the ancient druidical site which he had long fought to save from being destroyed. Lady Avebury had this garden shelter built as a present for his 79th birthday. Unfortunately Lord Avebury died four weeks later and a memorial inscription on a stone tablet was erected.
SOURCES: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography entry on John Lubbock. Ken Wilson "A place in the Country...High Elms, Downe, Kent." 1982.
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: Stone Garden Shelter at High Elms Country Park is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * It was constructed for Lord Avebury in 1913, contains a memorial inscription to him, and is one of the few structures at his home High Elms directly associated with him, following the destruction of the main house. * Lord Avebury is a figure of national importance in social reform and heritage history. * It is one of a number of structures within High Elms Country Park, some of which are already designated at grade II.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 506981
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 10-Jun-2026 at 21:55:30.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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