Description
Avenue Park was once part of the grounds of Avenue House, a fine C18th house which was demolished in 1949. It adjoins Cranford Community Park, which lies on the other side of the River Crane. The grounds were requisitioned during WWII after which Heston and Isleworth Borough Council took possession of the property and spent over £10,000 on its layout for a public park, which included a rest garden and children's playground. In the north end of the present park is a woodland area, and trees bordering the Crane river include oak, ash, willow and alder.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Avenue House Grounds |
|---|---|
| Site location | High Street, Cranford |
| Postcode | TW5 |
| What3Words | ///salad.deeper.tummy |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Hounslow |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 8am - dusk |
| Facilities | play areas, tennis, football pitches |
| Public Transport | Tube: Hounslow East (Piccadilly) then bus. Bus: 105, 111 |
| Research Updated | 1 November 2005 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Avenue House was once the residence of John Graham, a barrister related to the Scottish Montrose family, who was a friend of the artist George Morland and the playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan, who lived at Lacy House in Isleworth. The grounds once had a fine avenue of oak trees, a number of which had been grown from acorns taken from the crops of pheasants that Sheridan had shot at his estate at Polsden in Surrey and sent to John Graham in 1808. A plaque to this effect was uncovered on an ivy-covered arch while the park was being laid out. Although the archway had to be pulled down due to its dilapidated condition, three of the oak trees remained of the avenue when the park was opened as Avenue House Grounds in 5 April 1952. Before the speeches were completed 'sixty small girls and boys dashed along the pathway and stormed the kiddies' playground'. In August 1954, in the year which saw the breaking of the 4-minute mile, the Council opened its first Sports Arena on land adjoining Avenue House Grounds, costing c.£2,000 to construct, but this was eventually closed in 1972.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ102773 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 15.76 |
| Site Ownership | LB Hounslow |
| Site Management | John Laing Integrated Services; Friends Group |
| Dates | C18th, 1948-52; 1954 |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Hounslow |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Cranford Village |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Borough Importance I (River Crane in north) |
| Green Belt | Yes |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Key Park |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
Cranford was once a fine country estate, owned from 1618 to 1918 by the Berkeley family, who made alterations to the house and grounds. Cranford House, their summer seat, was demolished in c.1944 and in the 1950s the remains of the estate became a public park, now called Cranford Countryside Park. Fragments of the former landscape that remain include the early C18th stable block, part of a Ha-Ha, crinkle-crankle wall, walled garden, icehouse and parkland trees.
There has been a church here since Saxon times and St Dunstan's remains a small remote church, despite its alarming proximity to the M4. From 1618 the Manor of Cranford was owned by the Berkeley family and Cranford House was adjacent to the church. There are fine memorials inside the church, including those of the Berkeley family. The churchyard has a good collection of specimen trees including large Wellingtonia, cedar, yew and limes.
Harlington is referred to in the Domesday Book in 1086 and St Peter and St Paul's Church is the old parish church. Harlington Manor had various owners including Ambrose Coppinger who entertained Queen Elizabeth I here in 1602. The monuments in the churchyard are mainly C19th. A fine old yew tree to the south was the subject of elaborate topiary until 1825 and there is another ancient yew to the north and a yew walk on the west axis. In 1871 an extension of the churchyard was established to the west by Harlington Burial Board.