Description
Barra Hall Park was formerly the grounds of Barra Hall, a Jacobean-style mansion built in 1872 and originally called Grove Lodge. In 1923 Hayes and Harlington UDC acquired the site, using the mansion as its Town Hall. The grounds became a public park, for a time known as Town Hall Park. By 1928 the park had a cast iron bandstand, cast iron shelter together with other facilities. An open-air theatre in the park became derelict and in c.2005 was later by a modern theatre.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Barra Hall Park; Grove Lodge |
|---|---|
| Site location | Church Walk/Freemans Lane/Botwell Lane/Woodend Green Road, Hayes |
| Postcode | UB3 2NH |
| What3Words | ///sample.call.winter |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Hillingdon |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | tennis, playgrounds, basketball court; car park |
| Events | Various events including music, drama and other entertainment. |
| Public Transport | Tube: Uxbridge (Piccadilly, Metropolitan) then bus. Rail: Hayes & Harlington then bus. Bus: 195, H98, U4 |
| Research Updated | 1 January 2011 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Barra Hall Park adjoins the churchyard of St Mary the Virgin (q.v.) and was formerly the grounds of Barra Hall, a Jacobean-style mansion built in 1872 and originally called Grove Lodge. Alderman Harvey Coombe, later Lord Mayor of London, lived here in the late C18th. In 1871 Robert Reid purchased the house; an auctioneer and surveyor, he claimed to be a descendent of the Reids of Barra and consequently changed the name of the house to Barra Hall. He enlarged and refaced the building in 1875. After his death in 1921 his son sold the property to a foundation of nuns.
On 20 December 1923 Hayes and Harlington Urban District Council purchased Barra Hall and its grounds for £5,700 from Ethel Penfold, using the house as its Town Hall, the grounds becoming a public park. The ornamental iron gates on Church Walk still have the inscription 'Hayes and Harlington Town Hall'. Initially known as Town Hall Park, facilities included a playground, tennis courts and a paddling pool; it was opened on 23 February 1924 by Jessie Matthews, a well known star of the music hall . When Hayes UDC was integrated into the new LB Hillingdon in 1965, the old Town Hall was no longer required as such although it remained in council use. Since October 2005, following refurbishment, the house has been used as a SureStart Children's Centre.
Landscaping in the park includes a notable horse chestnut walk, remains of yew shrubbery with holm oak and cedar near Barra Hall, one or two good parkland trees, Scots pine, walnut and a number of oaks. A Rose Garden was created near the house, recently refurbished through the work of the Barra Hall Regeneration Committee and local residents, and is surrounded by low, scalloped brick walling with pergola entrances. There was a successful open-air theatre in the park but this later became disused and derelict. The Regeneration Committee had plans to restore it and it now been replaced with a modern theatre. Now renamed Barra Hall Community Development Committee, the group continues to conserve the park and its facilities, including the hall. The film 'Bend it Like Beckham' was filmed here.
On 20 December 1923 Hayes and Harlington Urban District Council purchased Barra Hall and its grounds for £5,700 from Ethel Penfold, using the house as its Town Hall, the grounds becoming a public park. The ornamental iron gates on Church Walk still have the inscription 'Hayes and Harlington Town Hall'. Initially known as Town Hall Park, facilities included a playground, tennis courts and a paddling pool; it was opened on 23 February 1924 by Jessie Matthews, a well known star of the music hall . When Hayes UDC was integrated into the new LB Hillingdon in 1965, the old Town Hall was no longer required as such although it remained in council use. Since October 2005, following refurbishment, the house has been used as a SureStart Children's Centre.
Landscaping in the park includes a notable horse chestnut walk, remains of yew shrubbery with holm oak and cedar near Barra Hall, one or two good parkland trees, Scots pine, walnut and a number of oaks. A Rose Garden was created near the house, recently refurbished through the work of the Barra Hall Regeneration Committee and local residents, and is surrounded by low, scalloped brick walling with pergola entrances. There was a successful open-air theatre in the park but this later became disused and derelict. The Regeneration Committee had plans to restore it and it now been replaced with a modern theatre. Now renamed Barra Hall Community Development Committee, the group continues to conserve the park and its facilities, including the hall. The film 'Bend it Like Beckham' was filmed here.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ094810 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 11.06 |
| Site Ownership | LB Hillingdon |
| Site Management | Green Spaces Team; Barra Hall Community Development Committee |
| Dates | 1872; 1920s |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Barra Hall |
| 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 | Hillingdon |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Hayes Village |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Borough II or Local Importance |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | No |
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
There has probably been a church at Hayes since the C9th and St Mary's was at the centre of the old village, near the Manor House. There are remnants of the medieval building although the church was restored in 1873. The churchyard retains its rural character and fields separate it from the main road. Well-planted with ancient yews, lime trees and specimen conifers, particularly at the boundaries, it is maintained with rough grass and wild flowers. There is a good collection of tombs from the C18th as well as old wooden graveboards and a C16th lych gate.
Once the site of a private house with a formal garden and walled kitchen garden, it was later given to Hayes & Harlington UDC and in 1961 it was established as Hayes Botanic Garden. It was extended in 1990 and renamed The Norman Leddy Memorial Garden in the 1990s, after Hillingdon's former Assistant Director of Parks who died in 1993. The garden has a fine collection of exotic trees and shrubs, with a pond, bog garden and woodland.
Hayes Park is the landscaped park of a Victorian mansion, which was replaced by offices and a research centre for Heinz Corporation post-1961. There are a good number of C19th and possibly earlier oaks in the grounds, now augmented by Leylandia clumps. Around the lawn is a brick ha-ha and to the north and east is woodland of Hayes Shrub. Heinz has since sold and then re-leased the site from the subsequent owner.