Description
Churchfields Recreation Ground was former glebe lands for St Mary's Church Hanwell. The land was owned by Sir Montagu Sharpe of Brent Lodge when it was purchased in 1898 by the local council for public open space. In 1902 the purchase of the Rector's Glebe next to the recreation ground completed the open space and by then fencing and path repair had been carried out, seating provided and two 'handsome fountains' erected. Close to the centre of the recreation ground is a War Memorial erected by the Boy Scouts in 1919. The site has views towards the Wharncliffe Viaduct, built by Brunel in 1836/7. A line of mature trees marks its northern boundary with Church Road and an avenue of mature horse chestnut trees crosses the ground along the diagonal path from the parish church.
Practical Information
| Site location | Church Road, Hanwell |
|---|---|
| Postcode | W7 |
| What3Words | ///slurs.hangs.ruby |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Ealing |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Playground, tennis courts, sports pitches. Car park |
| Public Transport | Rail: Hanwell. Tube: Ealing Broadway (Central, District) then bus, Northfields (Piccadilly) then bus. Bus: E1, E3, 83, 92, 195, 207, 282, 427, 607. |
| Research Updated | 1 October 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Hanwell was an independent manor at the time of the Domesday Survey, the village growing up around the church of St Mary Hanwell (q.v.). By 1838 the Great Western Railway had reached Hanwell and the population was growing. Churchfields was former glebe lands for St Mary's Church Hanwell (q.v.), and was owned by Sir Montagu Sharpe of Brent Lodge when it was purchased in 1898 by the local council for public open space. Two Glebe stones are shown on early OS maps. Hanwell UDC had been established in 1895, and was later absorbed into Ealing Borough Council in 1926. In 1902 the purchase of the Rector's Glebe next to the recreation ground completed the open space and by then fencing and path repair had been carried out, seating provided and two 'handsome fountains' erected through the generosity of Mr S A Cumming. The site has views towards the Wharncliffe Viaduct, built by Brunel in 1836/7. A line of mature trees marks its northern boundary with Church Road and an avenue of mature horse chestnut trees crosses the ground along the diagonal path from the church in the north west corner, a path that pre-dated the public recreation ground and is shown on the OS map of 1860.
Close to the centre of the recreation ground a War Memorial was erected by the Boy Scouts in 1919, the only public war memorial in Hanwell. 1914 and 1934 OS maps show a bandstand just south of the main path near the centre of the park, with drinking fountains and a toilet at the south east corner, but the bandstand has since disappeared.
In 1976 Churchfields Recreation Ground and Brent Lodge Park (q.v.) became part of the Brent River Park following proposals by the Brent River and Canal Society, which was established in 1973 to set up a linear park and improve the Brent Valley river corridor. Brent River Park covers 400 hectares along its 7km length, and includes formal parks such as Brent Lodge Park, Churchfields Recreation Ground, Pitshanger and Elthorne Parks (q.q.v.) and open space, golf courses, sports grounds, allotments and privately owned land. Brent River Park received £400,000 in 2009 under the Mayor of London's Priority Parks scheme, which was matched by £487,000 from Ealing Council. Improvement projects are underway in the various parks and open spaces that come under Brent River Park, including in Churchfields where heritage stones railings and new fitness equipment are to be completed by the end of 2010.
Close to the centre of the recreation ground a War Memorial was erected by the Boy Scouts in 1919, the only public war memorial in Hanwell. 1914 and 1934 OS maps show a bandstand just south of the main path near the centre of the park, with drinking fountains and a toilet at the south east corner, but the bandstand has since disappeared.
In 1976 Churchfields Recreation Ground and Brent Lodge Park (q.v.) became part of the Brent River Park following proposals by the Brent River and Canal Society, which was established in 1973 to set up a linear park and improve the Brent Valley river corridor. Brent River Park covers 400 hectares along its 7km length, and includes formal parks such as Brent Lodge Park, Churchfields Recreation Ground, Pitshanger and Elthorne Parks (q.q.v.) and open space, golf courses, sports grounds, allotments and privately owned land. Brent River Park received £400,000 in 2009 under the Mayor of London's Priority Parks scheme, which was matched by £487,000 from Ealing Council. Improvement projects are underway in the various parks and open spaces that come under Brent River Park, including in Churchfields where heritage stones railings and new fitness equipment are to be completed by the end of 2010.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ149806 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 8.4 |
| Site Ownership | LB Ealing |
| Site Management | Leisure & Parks Service |
| Dates | 1898 |
| 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 | Churchfields |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Archaelogical Interest Area |
| Other LA Designation | Within Brent River Park Boundary |
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
Hanwell is mentioned in the Domesday Book as an independent manor although it became a subsidiary of Greenford. First mention of a Christian church at Hanwell occurs in 958 AD and in the C12th a small thatched church was built, later rebuilt in 1781/2. The village consisted of only a few houses along Church Road until the late 1830s but in 1841 a larger parish church was needed for the growing population and the current church was built. The walled churchyard overlooks the Brent Valley and is part of the rural landscape of Brent Lodge Park, once owned by Hanwell Rector G H Glasse; the church lych gate is now the entrance to the park. Among the monuments in the churchyard are box tombs, a monument to Glasse's wife and daughter, and one gravestone dated 1707 by the west door.
Brent Lodge Park is on the site of the former landscape park of Brent Lodge, created by the Rector of Hanwell. He acquired the house in 1795 and enlarged it, created a new driveway and landscaped the grounds, building a cottage orné in the east. Owners in the C19th added a walled garden, stable block, greenhouses and other outbuildings, and ornamental tree planting continued. It became the home of Sir Montagu Sharpe and his wife, who eventually sold the estate to Ealing Council in 1931. Brent Lodge Park was opened to the public and various recreational facilities have been added over the years, including Brent Lodge Animal Centre, which has developed from a small group of aviaries in the 1960s. The gardens are on the higher ground overlooking the parkland and river, either side of the main path on the east of the site, and provide the setting for the buildings and animal enclosures. The park became part of the wider Brent River Park in 1976.
Conolly Dell was formerly part of the grounds of The Lawn, the home and private asylum of Dr John Conolly after his retirement as Superintendent of Hanwell Asylum where he worked from 1839-44, He pioneered humane treatment and non-restraint of the mentally ill. Part of the grounds of The Lawn were given as public open space in 1911, named in his memory, with a memorial surmounted by a winged figure. The sloping garden has a series of ponds, rockery garden and fine trees.