Description
In 1962, c.60.75 hectares of former agricultural land was acquired as the site for the new Brunel University when the College of Advanced Technology in Acton, established in 1957, was upgraded and expanded. It was named after Isambard Brunel whose Great Western Railway passed through Acton. The campus was landscaped with lawns, shrubberies and a number of formal areas. New green spaces have been created as a result of a major programme of campus improvement works since 2005.
Practical Information
| Site location | Cleveland Road/Kingston Lane, Uxbridge |
|---|---|
| Postcode | UB8 3PH |
| What3Words | ///zoom.never.brains |
| Type of Site | Institutional Grounds |
| Borough | Hillingdon |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Tube: Uxbridge (Piccadilly, Metropolitan). Bus: U3, U4, U7. |
| Research Updated | 1 February 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The master plan of 1965 for the Brunel Campus was by Richard Sheppard, with the main buildings completed by 1971 including communal buildings by Sheppard Robson & Partners, laboratories and technical buildings by Still & Eastman-Field. The landscaping of the campus included an ornamental pool with fountains in front of the administration building and a paved sunken garden in front of the Lecture Centre; other features included architectural structures such as the brick pergola at the west front. The site is generally flat and a central pedestrian spine was established running west to east. To the east the land slopes onto Kingston Lane, with shrubbery beds to the road. The River Pinn runs through the campus with trees planted along the footpath next to the water. Since 2005 £300mm has been invested in redeveloping the campus to provide new and refurbished social, teaching and sporting facilities, as well as additional green spaces. The new Health Sciences and Social Care building was opened by HM the Queen.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ060826 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Brunel University |
| Site Management | Brunel University |
| Dates | 1965-71 |
| Designers | Richard Sheppard, Sheppard Robson & Partners |
| 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 | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | Yes |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | UDP Proposal 3 |
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
Hillingdon and Uxbridge Cemetery opened in 1856, a notably early municipal cemetery. At the main entrance on Hillingdon Hill is the original gatehouse with its entrance arch. The cemetery has a pair of Early English style chapels, Church of England and Non-conformist, which were designed by Benjamin Ferrey. The cemetery has fine trees, including a good spread of ornamental conifers, notably Wellingtonias, cypresses, cedars and araucaria. A mature Araucaria is beyond the wall to the south, and also a fine old oak pollard from the pre-cemetery landscape.
St Laurence's Church in Cowley is the smallest parish church in Middlesex. Cowley was a small rural parish until the C19th and the atmosphere of a country church is retained despite its built-up surroundings. The lych-gate commemorates the 1914-18 war and was erected in 1919. The churchyard has a brick wall to Church Road and there are numerous gravestones and monuments set into the grass, including a railed chest tomb for Thomas Dagnell.
The Grove Nature Reserve was once the garden of The Grove, a large house on the edge of Hillingdon Village. Its central feature is a sequence of ponds, two small and one large, which run through the reserve. The site was reduced in size in the 1980s when housing development encroached to the north. Woodland contains oak, ash and sycamore with some pine and larch as remnants of the garden planting. It is managed by the London Wildlife Trust.