Description
Cowley Recreation Ground was laid out on the former parkland of Cowley House, an C18th mansion that still stands to the north on the High Street, Cowley. The site was purchased by the local council on 13 March 1929, and in August of the same year adjoining land owned by the Fassnidge family was added to the new park. It was further expanded in later years.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Cowley House |
|---|---|
| Site location | High Street, Cowley |
| Postcode | UB8 2DZ |
| What3Words | ///valley.whites.fact |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Hillingdon |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Play area, bowling green, multi-games court, playing fields; car park |
| Public Transport | Tube: Uxbridge (Metropolitan/Piccadilly) then bus. Bus: 222, U1. |
| Research Updated | 1 January 2008 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Cowley was a small rural parish until the C19th and the Manor in early times belonged to Westminster Abbey, the parish church of St Laurence probably built by monks or their tenants in the C12th. Cowley House was built in 1738, re-cased in the late C18th and altered in 1896 by Reginald Blomfield who added a north extension. It was gutted by fire in 1929 and converted to flats, with more flats erected in the grounds c.1980. Barton Booth, a celebrated tragic actor whose portrayal of the Ghost in Hamlet was reputedly unrivalled, had once lived here and later John Rich, manager of Covent Garden (d.1761) owned the house, where William Hogarth painted a 'garden scene at Mr Rich's villa at Cowley'.
Cowley Recreation Ground was expanded over the years following the initial purchase in March 1929 of Cowley Hall grounds following the fire. The Fassnidge land added in August 1929 had been purchased by Edward Fassnidge in 1872, who owned much land in the area, part of which later became Fassnidge Park (q.v.). Remnants of the former land use include a length of C18th garden wall that bounds one side of the bowling green and trees that pre-date the municipal park, such as a fine group of mature beech trees with an imposing Cedar of Lebanon. Elsewhere are mature London plane and horse chestnuts, and a notable planting of three horse chestnuts in a single hole. Part of the park was made over for sports use for the nearby Cowley Hall Housing Estate and a Football Clubhouse is by the south entrance to the park. The Grand Union Canal was built between 1791-1805 and divides the park from Cowley Lake to the south. The park has access to the canal towpath, which leads north to Cowley Lock.
Cowley Recreation Ground was expanded over the years following the initial purchase in March 1929 of Cowley Hall grounds following the fire. The Fassnidge land added in August 1929 had been purchased by Edward Fassnidge in 1872, who owned much land in the area, part of which later became Fassnidge Park (q.v.). Remnants of the former land use include a length of C18th garden wall that bounds one side of the bowling green and trees that pre-date the municipal park, such as a fine group of mature beech trees with an imposing Cedar of Lebanon. Elsewhere are mature London plane and horse chestnuts, and a notable planting of three horse chestnuts in a single hole. Part of the park was made over for sports use for the nearby Cowley Hall Housing Estate and a Football Clubhouse is by the south entrance to the park. The Grand Union Canal was built between 1791-1805 and divides the park from Cowley Lake to the south. The park has access to the canal towpath, which leads north to Cowley Lock.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ053821 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 5.67 |
| Site Ownership | LB Hillingdon |
| Site Management | Green Spaces Team |
| Dates | C18th; 1929 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Cowley House (north along High Street) |
| 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 | Cowley Lock (part) |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| 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
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.
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.
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.