Description
In 1936 land near St Mary's Church in Northolt was acquired by the MCC and the local council for public open space, which became Belvue Park. Situated adjacent to the parish church are notable earthworks of the moated medieval manor house, excavated in the 1950s and '60s that provided evidence of Saxon occupation. Fragments of Iron Age pottery, as well as Roman roof tiles have also been found at the highest point of the park.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Northolt and Greenford Countryside Park |
|---|---|
| Site location | Ealing Road/Rowdell Road, Northolt |
| Postcode | UB5 6AD |
| What3Words | ///strict.liability.forms |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Ealing |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Tube: Northolt (Central). Bus: E10, 90, 120. |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Belvue Park slopes towards Rowdell Road, an informal recreation space, with good views of the surrounding area. Northolt was a rural parish from the C13th and originally consisted of three hamlets, Northolt Village, West End and Wood End, of which only Northolt recognisably survives; Western Avenue was built across the parish in the 1930s. It used to be known as Northall, complementing neighbouring Southall, and was agricultural until the Paddington Canal was built in 1801, although speculative building on the farmland did not begin until the 1920s. The canal stimulated excavation of brick-earth, the last brick works closing in 1939.
Situated adjacent to the parish church are notable earthworks of the moated medieval manor house of Northolt, excavated in the 1950s and '60s. This provided evidence of Saxon occupation and pagan burial, with three graves excavated containing beads and other artefacts by the skeletons . The manor was given to Geoffrey de Mandeville after the Norman Conquest, remaining in that family until the C13th, apart from a brief period in 1217 when it was forfeit to Henry III. It is thought that the manor's timber buildings were replaced by a stone house in the late C13th when it was owned by the Botelers family. Richard II acquired the manor in the 1390s and endowed it to Westminster Abbey in 1399. The manor house appears to have been rebuilt twice in the C14th, within a new moat, but was demolished by Westminster Abbey. A brick manor house was built to the north of the moat in the C16th, later called Northolt Court,
In 1935 when house building was accelerating following the arrival of the railway and farmland was being built, part of the land owned by the parish and the manor house site were acquired by the local council for public open space. In 1963 the manor house site formed part of Belvue Park.
Belvue Park and Northolt Manor are part of the Northolt and Greenford Countryside Park, which was created by Ealing Council in 1996 and comprises a number of parks, playing fields and countryside sites.
Situated adjacent to the parish church are notable earthworks of the moated medieval manor house of Northolt, excavated in the 1950s and '60s. This provided evidence of Saxon occupation and pagan burial, with three graves excavated containing beads and other artefacts by the skeletons . The manor was given to Geoffrey de Mandeville after the Norman Conquest, remaining in that family until the C13th, apart from a brief period in 1217 when it was forfeit to Henry III. It is thought that the manor's timber buildings were replaced by a stone house in the late C13th when it was owned by the Botelers family. Richard II acquired the manor in the 1390s and endowed it to Westminster Abbey in 1399. The manor house appears to have been rebuilt twice in the C14th, within a new moat, but was demolished by Westminster Abbey. A brick manor house was built to the north of the moat in the C16th, later called Northolt Court,
In 1935 when house building was accelerating following the arrival of the railway and farmland was being built, part of the land owned by the parish and the manor house site were acquired by the local council for public open space. In 1963 the manor house site formed part of Belvue Park.
Belvue Park and Northolt Manor are part of the Northolt and Greenford Countryside Park, which was created by Ealing Council in 1996 and comprises a number of parks, playing fields and countryside sites.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ132840 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Ealing |
| Site Management | LB Ealing Leisure & Parks Service |
| Dates | 1936 |
| Listed Structures | SAM: Northolt Manor moated site |
| 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 | Ealing |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Northolt Village Green |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Northolt Manor: local nature reserve |
| Green Belt | Yes |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Area of Archaeological Interest |
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
St Mary the Virgin Church dates from c.1300 although there may have been an earlier church of some sort. The parish originally consisted of 3 hamlets, Northolt Village, West End and Wood End, of which only Northolt recognisably survives. The church, set on top of a small hill overlooking Northolt Village Green, is reached by a lime tree walk from a gate at the bottom. In 1718 a pair of external buttresses were constructed on the west wall as it was feared the church was in danger of falling down the hill. The C14th font was given by Sir Nicholas Brembre or Brember, Lord of the Manor, who was executed at Tyburn under Richard II in 1388. His headless body reputedly haunted his old manor thenceforth on the anniversary of his death. Situated adjacent to the churchyard are notable earthworks of the moated medieval manor house, excavated in the 1950s and '60s.
Northolt was once known as Northall, complementing neighbouring Southall. The area was primarily agricultural until the Paddington Canal was built in 1801, stimulating excavation of brick-earth. The parish was originally 3 hamlets, of which only Northolt Village recognisably survives, its Memorial Hall and surrounding greens held under Trust by the villagers following a trust deed set up in 1927. A few buildings remain from the old village and the Green has some prominent trees and a canalised stream running through it. Near the parish church, Northolt Village Rest Garden is laid out with flower beds and lawn, overlooked by the old Willow Cottages.
Islip Manor Park was created on the former grounds of Islips Manor, whose history dates back to a C14th estate of the Ruislip family, Ruislips Place. It was renamed Islips Manor when the Lord of Northolt Manor purchased the estate in 1629. In 1853 it was purchased by antiquary George Harris who laid out the grounds and rebuilt the house, which remained in his wife's family after his death in 1890. Ealing Town Council purchased house and grounds in 1929; the house was used as a clinic and the grounds opened as a public park. There are vestiges of the C19th planting, with many fine trees, and the municipal layout included new planting, a bowling green and modest modern flower garden.