William Cook

The false paradise of Metroland

<em>William Cook</em> has moved to Metroland. He contemplates John Betjeman’s vision of it

Sir John Betjeman. Photo: Getty Images

Gaily into Ruislip Gardens runs the red electric train…

Near the end of the Metropolitan Line, where London dwindles into woods and meadows, stands a Tudor manor house, built within the moat of a motte-and-bailey castle. Now a quaint museum, charting the history of the farms that once surrounded it, this modest landmark shares its name with the local Tube station, Ruislip Manor.

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