Description
The river begins in Harrow and runs through Hillingdon as the Yeading Brook, changing its name to the Crane at the Grand Union Canal in Hayes and eventually meeting the Thames at Isleworth. The Duke of Northumberland's River links the Crane Valley to the Colne Valley. From late C18th-1926 Bedfont Gunpowder Mills operated here due to the isolated position, supply of water power and abundance of willow and alder trees for making charcoal. After the closure of the mills the southern section of the Crane River was opened as a public park in 1935. The river borders had parkland in the north within LB Richmond, and woodland, scrub and grassland on the south bank in LB Hounslow.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Crane Park |
|---|---|
| Site location | Hanworth Road, Twickenham |
| Postcode | TW2 |
| What3Words | ///lions.artist.grow |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Hounslow |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 8am - dusk |
| Public Transport | Tube: Hounslow West (Piccadilly) then bus. Rail: Feltham then bus. Bus: 116, 117, 237, 235, H23 |
| Research Updated | 1 November 2005 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The River Crane begins in Harrow and runs through Hillingdon as the Yeading Brook, changing its name to the Crane at the Grand Union Canal in Hayes and eventually meeting the Thames at Isleworth. The artificial Duke of Northumberland's River links the Crane Valley to the Colne Valley. From the late C18th to 1926 Bedfont Gunpowder Mills operated here due to its isolated position, the supply of water power and abundance of willow and alder trees for making charcoal. There were numerous explosions caused by burning charcoal near the mills, sometimes with devastating effect, and heard from miles away. After the closure of the mills the southern section of the Crane River was formed into a public park and opened to the public in 1935. The river borders had parkland in the north, within LB Richmond, and woodland, scrub and grassland on the south bank in LB Hounslow. In the middle of the river, Crane Island is managed as a nature reserve by the London Wildlife Trust leased from LB Richmond. The waterwheel pits, millstones and machine foundations of the former mills can still be seen in the park. Also in the park is a formalised stretch of the river Crane with a late C18th bridge carrying the driveway to Cranford House and the parish church. To the south on the east side of the river were the Hounslow Gunpowder Works, now in LB Richmond.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ124731 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Hounslow |
| Site Management | John Laing Integrated Services |
| Dates | C17th, 1935 |
| 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 | Hounslow |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Metropolitan Importance |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - SRB |
| Other LA Designation | Local Nature Reserve |
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
Crane Park is a linear park along the north bank of the River Crane from Meadway in Twickenham to the Hanworth Road in the west. The Crane had various names, including 'the Powder Mill River' due to its most important industry; the western end of the park was the site of Hounslow Gunpowder Works, which opened c.1766/8, flourishing into the early C20th. After it ceased to operate for gunpowder manufacture, the subsequent owner sold part of the site for housing and part to Twickenham Council who turned it into a public park, which was opened in 1935. It still retains important industrial archaeological remains including the Shot Tower built in 1828. Crane Park Island was created to contain a mill-pool of water used to drive mill machinery, some remains of which are still found.
Twickenham Cemetery was once surrounded by fields and orchards. It was established by Twickenham Burial Board in 1868, originally on a site of c.3.23 hectares (8 acres) but since enlarged. It retains its pair of gothic chapels and ornamental entrance gates and although the monuments are generally quite modest, there is a charming garden commemorating the private graves of Variety Artistes. The cemetery is hedged to Percy Road and contains a number of mature trees, including conifers and monkey puzzle, numerous flat-topped yews and many of more recent planting.
Although now located in Richmond, Borough Cemetery serves the people of Hounslow and is the borough's largest cemetery. It has a modest brick lodge at the entrance, which has brick gate piers and iron gates. The cemetery is laid out with tarmac roadways and curving paths, the graves set in grass, and numerous conifers such as cypress planted throughout and along edges of paths and roadways. The fence between the cemetery and adjacent Heathfields Recreation Ground is thickly planted with cypress, with shrubbery on the cemetery side, and an avenue of trees on the recreation ground side, which is marked Coronation Avenue. An intermittent line of cypresses is along the end boundary fence to open land. A number of the tombs exhibit a similar design of miniature formal gardens, with entrances and winding paths, possibly the work of a local mason.
