Description
Bridge House Pond is an area of public gardens opposite Feltham station, including a Victorian duck pond that was created when the railway was built in 1849, and soil was dug out to create an embankment for a new railway bridge. The pond is surrounded by trees, and has an area of open space next to it. Having suffered years of neglect, a local group, the Friends of Bridge House Pond, has worked to restore the pond and the adjacent gardens.
Practical Information
| Site location | Hanworth Road/High Street, Feltham |
|---|---|
| Postcode | TW13 4AH |
| What3Words | ///decreased.limbs.gaps |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Hounslow |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Rail: Feltham |
| Research Updated | 1 July 2017 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Postcards in the early C20th show Bridge House Gardens, which were also known as Crendon Court Gardens, with paths, flower beds and trees around the pond, with views of Feltham Parish Church behind. The original Bridge House was built c.1860 with the first owner of the land [under the 1800 Enclosures] being Edmund Hill of Gunpowder Powder Mill. By 1888 the house was owned by James Babb, a relative of churchwarden Billy Babb.
The Friends of Bridge House Pond was set up in 2015 to restore the pond and its surroundings, working with Hounslow Council and other stakeholders. In time it is hoped that it will be part of a wider heritage trail, with a café/temporary exhibition space and regular community activities, with links to local schools and arts projects. To do this the group believes that the site must be considered as a whole, and has put together a masterplan that seeks to unify the different elements i.e. the pond and its immediate surroundings, the gardens, the old toilet building, the car park, play area and the planned new retaining wall, within the context of the wider regeneration scheme for Feltham. It is hoped that the initial phase to improve the pond will be completed in 2018.
Feltham's other two ponds are Feltham Pond on Feltham Green (q.v.) and Clymping Dene Pond, which was excavated for gravel to mend parish roads and like Bridge House Pond is fed by rainwater.
The Friends of Bridge House Pond was set up in 2015 to restore the pond and its surroundings, working with Hounslow Council and other stakeholders. In time it is hoped that it will be part of a wider heritage trail, with a café/temporary exhibition space and regular community activities, with links to local schools and arts projects. To do this the group believes that the site must be considered as a whole, and has put together a masterplan that seeks to unify the different elements i.e. the pond and its immediate surroundings, the gardens, the old toilet building, the car park, play area and the planned new retaining wall, within the context of the wider regeneration scheme for Feltham. It is hoped that the initial phase to improve the pond will be completed in 2018.
Feltham's other two ponds are Feltham Pond on Feltham Green (q.v.) and Clymping Dene Pond, which was excavated for gravel to mend parish roads and like Bridge House Pond is fed by rainwater.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ107732 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Hounslow |
| Site Management | Carrillion, Friends of Bridge House Pond |
| Dates | 1849 |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | Np |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Hounslow |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Feltham Town Centre |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Local Open Space |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
Feltham Green is a remnant of Feltham Common; the village of Feltham was previously centred around St Dunstan's Church. The area remained agricultural until the 1920s and was important for growing food to supply London. In the C20th the centre of Feltham moved from the church to nearer Feltham Green and the station. On one corner of the Green is the Red Lion pub, one of Feltham's oldest buildings. A drinking trough donated in 1899 is in the south corner of the Green, which has a large pond fed by water from the Longford River. Feltham Pond (or Duck Pond) is the orginal and oldest village pond out of the three remaining ponds in Feltham and was mentioned in the licensing of 'The Red Lion' in 1722.
Feltham Park was laid out on former Glebe Land purchased under the auspices of the Middlesex County Council in 1938, with facilities for cricket, tennis, putting greens and football pitches. A sports arena was under construction in 1960. The Assembly Hall with a small clock tower overlooks the main area of open grassland, which has perimeter tarmac paths and some planting of shrubs and roses. To the north is an ornamental pool that was once fed from an underground stream, with a pergola running alongside the water. The park has a number of mature trees including London plane, oak, horse chestnut and various ornamental species, and a fine white poplar just outside the park boundary.
Blenheim Park is bounded to the north by the Longford River, which was constructed in the 1630s on the orders of Charles I in order to supply the ornamental waters at Hampton Court Palace, the water brought from the River Colne. It remains in the ownership of the Crown, managed by Royal Parks. Blenheim Park is largely open grassland with football pitches. Once fields, it remained open land when the area was gradually built up with housing.