Description
The small park was once part of the grounds of Drayton Hall, a historic house that was owned by the De Burgh family from 1786 until 1939. It was purchased by Yiewsley and West Drayton UDC in 1948 and used as council offices with events in the grounds. The Hall later became the headquarters of United Biscuits, who laid out a garden behind the house, and in 2011 it was purchased by Ferrings Pharmaceutical Company. The park contains fine trees.
Practical Information
| Site location | Church Road/Station Road, Drayton Green |
|---|---|
| Postcode | UB7 7PS |
| What3Words | ///league.loves.themes |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Hillingdon |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Rail: West Drayton. |
| Research Updated | 1 February 2011 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The original Drayton Hall was built in the C16th or C17th, the current house largely dating from the early C19th, with no evidence remaining of the earlier house. It has an east wing of c.1840, plus more recent additions, and in the C19th had 25 acres of grounds. In 1786 it was purchased by Fysh Coppinger, who had earlier purchased the Manor of West Drayton, which at that time had no manorhouse so Drayton Hall became his manorial seat. He was already Lord of the Manor of Colham. Coppinger claimed to be distantly related to Hubert de Burgh, a descendent of William the Conqueror, and he consequently changed his name to Fysh de Burgh in 1790. The parish church of St Martin's (q.v.) has a number of family memorials including that of Fysh de Burgh (d.1793) and Catherine de Burgh (d.1809). The De Burgh Arms by the railway in Yiewsley High Street also recalls the family. After his death the manorial estate passed to his widow and it remained in the family until 1939. Among those who visited the de Burghs was Lord Cardigan and from 1856 it was let to various tenants. Napoleon III stayed here in 1872, and in 1882 a Grand Military Tournament was held in the grounds when Lt Gen Taylor, Adjutant General to the Forces, was the occupant.
After the death of Eva de Burgh in 1939, Drayton Hall became a hotel from 1945 until 1948 when it was purchased by Yiewsley and West Drayton UDC. It was converted for use as offices and officially opened on 11 April 1952. Three years later an extension was added to the west and it remained in use until 1965 when the new Borough of Hillingdon was formed. During this period various events were held in the grounds, which remain a public park. The Hall was later sold to United Biscuits as its headquarters who laid out a walled garden behind the house, remaining here until c.2005. By 2011 Drayton Hall had been purchased by Ferrings Pharmaceutical Company, whose proposal to erect high railings around the perimeter have been disallowed by Hillingdon Council who deem this to be detrimental to the setting of the historic house.
The small park contains notable cedar of Lebanon, sweet chestnut, yew, holly, beech and laurel shrubbery and also a good swamp cypress. Paths run through the grass but scrub growth of sycamores blurs the planting in the park. A rectangular stone remnant beside one of the paths is possibly the plinth of a statue. New seating was put in the park as part of improvement works in 2003 and new boundary railings were installed in 2009.
The garden area behind the house, separated from the main park by railings and a section of wall, has lawns with perimeter beds and a small formal area with pergola, lavender beds and box hedges; there are a number of evergreen trees and new planting by the path. South-east of the house is a raised bank with yews that may be the remains of a terrace walk.
After the death of Eva de Burgh in 1939, Drayton Hall became a hotel from 1945 until 1948 when it was purchased by Yiewsley and West Drayton UDC. It was converted for use as offices and officially opened on 11 April 1952. Three years later an extension was added to the west and it remained in use until 1965 when the new Borough of Hillingdon was formed. During this period various events were held in the grounds, which remain a public park. The Hall was later sold to United Biscuits as its headquarters who laid out a walled garden behind the house, remaining here until c.2005. By 2011 Drayton Hall had been purchased by Ferrings Pharmaceutical Company, whose proposal to erect high railings around the perimeter have been disallowed by Hillingdon Council who deem this to be detrimental to the setting of the historic house.
The small park contains notable cedar of Lebanon, sweet chestnut, yew, holly, beech and laurel shrubbery and also a good swamp cypress. Paths run through the grass but scrub growth of sycamores blurs the planting in the park. A rectangular stone remnant beside one of the paths is possibly the plinth of a statue. New seating was put in the park as part of improvement works in 2003 and new boundary railings were installed in 2009.
The garden area behind the house, separated from the main park by railings and a section of wall, has lawns with perimeter beds and a small formal area with pergola, lavender beds and box hedges; there are a number of evergreen trees and new planting by the path. South-east of the house is a raised bank with yews that may be the remains of a terrace walk.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ063794 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Hillingdon |
| Site Management | Green Spaces Team |
| Dates | C19th; 1940s |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Drayton Hall |
| 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 | West Drayton Green |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| 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
There are records that a church existed here in the late C12th with a second church built in the early C13th. From the C12th the Manor of Drayton was owned by the Dean of St Paul's. In 1547 it was granted to Sir William Paget who built a grand Manor House immediately west of St Martin's Church, and remnants of the C16th gatehouse are next to the churchyard. The walled churchyard has flagstones and mown grass in front and a number of yews, with longer unmown grass beyond and an area of woodland growth behind the church.
West Drayton Cemetery was established in 1939 by the Burial Board and is without a chapel, but has a small lodge near the entrance. It has a semi-circular entrance with brick and stone piers and iron railings, with a grid layout of paths and neat rows of gravestones and monuments, and a war memorial. There are numerous small conifers, and paths are lined by avenues of ornamental trees and trees on the perimeter. At the back of the cemetery is a hedged area of meadow with new trees including mountain ash and other species.
West Drayton was originally known as Draegtun, meaning a place where boats were dragged across land to avoid a bend in the river. West Drayton Green is the old village centre, a large open area of grass with trees generally around the perimeter. It is surrounded by a number of fine houses, particularly at the south end, which include the early C18th The Old House and early C19th Beechwood; to the north is a row of cottages that was once the parish workhouse.