Subject

The following text comes from Lauderdale House.

Lauderdale's last private owner was Sir Sydney Waterlow, to whom it was something of a liability. He leased it for a time to St Bartholomew's Hospital as a convalescent home, but by 1883 the house lay empty. In 1889, Sir Sidney gave the house and grounds to the London County Council "for the enjoyment of Londoners", after which the 29 acres of land became a public park. The house was restored in 1893 to serve for 70 years as a Park tea-room and park-keepers' flats. Sadly, during the course of further renovation in 1963, a fire broke out, destroying the roof and much of the interior of the House.