Forum Topic

Shalimar, Horn Lane

Afternoon folks!Does anyone know of a picture of Thomas Pakenham (d.1846) somewhere that might exist who rebranded the building to what became known as the Shalimar, Horn Lane. He did so as it reminded him of the Shalimar Gardens in Delhi, India. I'm trying to see if his gardens may have been laid out like the one in Delhi. Lastly does anyone know when the present Shalimar Lodge was built. Thank-you!

Abdul Tailor ● 1205d11 Comments

Many Thanks GlynneI've sent you an email just now.

Abdul Tailor ● 1193d

Hi Bob, thanks for this useful info about Julian Avenue. Would you mind letting me know the source? I hadn't seen it before, keen to have a look.

Glynne Steele ● 1198d

Hello Abdul, we haven’t yet unearthed a picture of Thomas Pakenham (1787-1846) who, according to RNG (Gwilym) Rowlands in the 3rd edition (1997) of his ‘Acton From A to Z’, resided at Shalimar House on what is now the top end of Julian Avenue for the last four years of his life (1842-1846). This is different, of course, from Shalimar Lodge which is at the bottom of Shalimar Gardens (renamed from Pembridge Road in 1904) adjoining Horn Lane, and which was built sometime after WWII bomb damage around that section of Horn Lane and Shalimar Gardens. I’m sorry I don’t know when that building was constructed - it’s probably late 1960s. I do have a picture of Thomas P’s father, Admiral Sir Thomas Pakenham (1757-1836), Thomas was his 3rd son. Wikipedia link here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Pakenham_(Royal_Navy_officer)I also have a picture of his grandfather, Thomas Pakenham 1st Baron Longford (1713-1766). Wikipedia link here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Pakenham,_1st_Baron_Longford. If you message me directly, I'll send them to you.Our Thomas P was married in Madras (now Chennai) in 1815 to Isabella Mary Wetherall (1727-1827), (daughter of Frederick Augustus Wetherall of Castlebar House Ealing) whilst working as an officer of the East India Company, listed in that company’s records for that year. He also makes an appearance in the ‘Regimental Book of His Majesty’s Seventy Second’ (foot soldiers) 15 years earlier in 1800, being described as follows - height 5’5” of fair complexion, round visage, blue eyes and fair or brown hair. Thomas P is also a descendent of the current 8th Earl of Longford, Thomas Francis Dermot Pakenham (b.1933) who is a historian and writer, and a cousin of Harriet Harman - Wikipedia entry here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Pakenham_(historian).RNG Rowlands suggests that Thomas P’s house ‘Shalimar’ was named after Shalimar (or more correctly Shalamar) Gardens in Lahore, part of modern-day Pakistan. However, there are many gardens named Shalimar in the region, such as the one in Kashmir at Srinaga, along with another behind the University in Delhi. ‘Shala’ refers to ‘pleasure’ and ‘mar’ to ‘the place to live in’ so is undoubtedly a popular name. Without definite evidence, it’s hard to know which one Pakenham may have been inspired by - though it does seem clear that he renamed the house built originally on part of Acton Farm, because there seems to be no record of it under that name prior to his residnce there. Hope that helps!

Glynne Steele ● 1198d

"Acton a-z" by RNG Rowland, 1994 edition? p59. It should be in the Local History Library when it is allowed to reopen. The author says the original Shalimar was in Lahore and built by Shah Jehan. It was a private estate now Springfield Gardens between Horn Lane, Creswick Road and Lynton Road owned by a relation of the Duchess of Wellington and the Irish earls of Longford but redeveloped as housing , education and recreation, presumably latter half of the nineteenth and early twentieth century but no precise dates.

John Stuart Gallagher ● 1198d

Thank you for these links. Very helpful and interesting.

Mrs.Kyria- Josephine Sewell ● 1198d

There's quite a few references to Shalimar. Sadly none with what your need. You've probably read the Shalimar residents list in Records and recollections of Acton by Henry Mitchell, of Acton, England (1913)https://archive.org/details/recordsrecollect00mitc/page/n8/mode/2up?q=acton+shalimarlikewise Acton (1913) published by the Acton Gazette:https://archive.org/details/b24886816/page/158/mode/2up?q=shalimarand seen it on the maps at the NLS, with the driveway: (https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=16&lat=51.51314&lon=-0.27160&layers=171&right=BingHyb)There may a painting tucked away of Thomas Pakenham as he was related to the Earl of Longford.

David Scott ● 1198d

Many thanks folks,The school appears to have been the Acton Collegiate, but the current North London branch has no information of it which is a shame! Thomas Pakenham remains a bit of a mystery at the moment!

Abdul Tailor ● 1200d

Thanks for this. Very interesting, actually fascinating! The house at 48 Shalimar Gardens has now been divided in to three living apartments. Two 1 bedroom apartments are £475,000 each. The two bedroom apartment is £675,000. I questioned the estate agent who had listed the house as Victorian. Now, from your post I can see that I was right in doing so as it seems that the house may not have been built until time of King Edward V11. The estate agent has now changed the details on their website.

Mrs.Kyria- Josephine Sewell ● 1201d

Folks,Julian Avenue :  The old mansion called Shalimar was offered for salvage in May 1905 and demolished. This  would have cleared space on west side of Julian Avenue where 42 to 86 now stand. Building started soon afterwards; in  December 1905 they were being advertised “houses for sale Julian Ave £50 down some summer built and available for immediate occupation”. Shalimar Gardens : The mansion flats likely date from 1903 and the houses at the west end date from 1906On the nights of 28, 29 30 September and 12 October 1940 the area was badly hit by enemy action, severe damage was caused on Horn Lane, Julian Avenue, Shalimar Gardens and Hereford Road.  153 Horn Lane was hit on 14 October, leaving a crater at end of back garden of 153, 20’ wide. The building was wrecked and had to be demolished. The current Shalimar Lodge now stands there. 2-12 Shalimar Gardens were left in a dangerous state and had to be demolished.rgdsBob

Bob Surtees ● 1203d

Hello Mr. Tailor. When I moved to Shalimar gardens in 1994 there was an old lady who lived next door to me. She had lived here during W.W.2 and remembered the bomb landing on Horn lane which destroyed the previous houses where Shalimar lodge now is. She said that the crater left by the bomb was very deep and you could have stacked two double decker busses in it. I asked her " gosh, weren't you frightened? " and she replied that the people who lived here then were too tired to be frightened! She said most of the men were away fighting, the children had been evacuated and the women worked in the factories. She said she worked long hours in a factory down near Acton Park ( now access storage company) and when she got home she made tea and went to bed. It was exhausting times. From your post, it seems you might possibly know all of the following already. There were two wonderful local historians named Tom and Averil Harper Smith ( both now deceased) who did research into all things to do with Acton. They did extensive research about Thomas Pakenham ( 1787- 1846) and about other owners of the house named Shalimar. Shalimar gardens is apparently built on the original driveway up to the house which was a girls school around 1887 and pulled down to make room for Julian Avenue housing around 1904-I'm not exactly sure when. The Harper Smiths state that a governor of India had also named his house Shalimar so Pakenham might have taken the name from that. Thomas Pakenham is buried in St. Mary's church Acton ( near Morrisons) and his will can be read on the internet. There is a famous picture of Shalimar house Acton which is produced in some of the Acton history books.

Mrs.Kyria- Josephine Sewell ● 1203d

Hello Mr. Tailor. When I moved to Shalimar gardens in 1994 there was an old lady who lived next door to me. She had lived here during W.W.2 and remembered the bomb landing on Horn lane which destroyed the previous houses where Shalimar lodge now is. She said that the crater left by the bomb was very deep and you could have stacked two double decker busses in it. I asked her " gosh, weren't you frightened? " and she replied that the people who lived here then were too tired to be frightened! She said most of the men were away fighting, the children had been evacuated and the women worked in the factories. She said she worked long hours in a factory down near Acton Park ( now access storage company) and when she got home she made tea and went to bed. It was exhausting times. From your post, it seems you might possibly know all of the following already. There were two wonderful local historians named Tom and Averil Harper Smith ( both now deceased) who did research into all things to do with Acton. They did extensive research about Thomas Pakenham ( 1787- 1846) and about other owners of the house named Shalimar. Shalimar gardens is apparently built on the original driveway up to the house which was a girls school around 1887 and pulled down to make room for Julian Avenue housing around 1904-I'm not exactly sure when. The Harper Smiths state that a governor of India had also named his house Shalimar so Pakenham might have taken the name from that. Thomas Pakenham is buried in St. Mary's church Acton ( near Morrisons) and his will can be read on the internet. There is a famous picture of Shalimar house Acton which is produced in some of the Acton history books.

Mrs.Kyria- Josephine Sewell ● 1203d