Description
Ealing was a large village by the late C18th, having become a popular rural retreat for the wealthy during the C17th, although few of their houses survive apart from Pitzhanger Manor, built by Sir John Soane and now restored. An open green space crossed by paths with a number of mature trees, the commonland of Ealing Green was the site of the 3-day Ealing Fair each June until 1880. It was acquired by Ealing Local Board in 1878, along with other common land in the parish. In 1863, the year the Local Board was set up, Ealing Green was the venue for celebrations for the Prince of Wales's marriage to Princess Alexandra and in 1902 the new Ealing Council approved the planting of a tree to commemorate the Coronation and the first Mayoral Year. Ealing War Memorial faces the Green, dedicated in 1921.
Practical Information
| Site location | St Mary's Road |
|---|---|
| Postcode | W5 5ES |
| What3Words | ///works.puts.shut |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Ealing |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Tube: Ealing Broadway (Central, District). Rail: Ealing Broadway. Bus: 65, 207, 297, E2, E8 |
| Research Updated | 15 February 2022 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Ealing was a large village by the late C18th, having become popular as a rural retreat for the aristocratic and wealthy during the C17th, although few of their houses survive apart from Pitzhanger Manor, which from 1800-09 was the country residence of Sir John Soane who redesigned the house and had the gardens remodelled. The entrance to Pitzhanger Manor faces the Green and also leads to Walpole Park (q.v.). An open green space crossed by paths with a number of mature trees, the Green had long been the site of the 3-day village fair each June until well into the C19th. Mrs Jackson, author of 'The Annals of Ealing' described the fair in an article in the Middlesex County Times in 1927: ' during the three days that it lasted, the whole village kept holiday and a merry crowd agog with excitement thronged the booths, where the Giant and the Dwarf, the Fat Lady, the Learned Pig, the Performing Poodle, the Fortune-telling Pony and many other wonders were to be seen and the gingerbread stalls, so resplendent and captivating, with their rows and rows of gilt figures did a fine trade. . . It was the rule of the fair that neither booth nor stall should open business until the ladies of the Manor House, the Misses Perceval, had walked through the lines. This these ladies did for many years and still the courteous dignity of their family was in their kindly works of welcome to the showmen. Unhappily, ruder times followed, and brought about the downfall of the Fair. The level of behaviour was so low at last that the railings of the Manor House had to be boarded and eventually the privilege of holding the Fair on Ealing Green was forfeited.'
Ealing Green was acquired by Ealing Local Board in 1878, at the same time as their acquisition of Ealing Common (q.v.), Haven Green (q.v.) and Drayton Green. In the same year as the Local Board's formation in 1863, Ealing Green had been the venue for celebrations for the marriage of the Prince of Wales to Princess Alexandra when an 'immense tent' was erected with well-stocked tables for '650 men and their wives', the Hon. Spencer Horace Walpole and other dignitaries attending. It was not only the well-to-do who joined in these celebrations, with food provided widely to the borough's population, and sports and fireworks presented on Ealing Common. In 1863 the only street lamp in Ealing village was sited on the Green, put up and paid for by private subscription.
Ealing developed substantially following the arrival of the Great Western Railway in 1838 and the Metropolitan District Line in 1879, and became a popular suburb. In 1902 the new Ealing Council approved the planting of a tree on the Green to commemorate the Coronation and the first Mayoral Year, the tree to be 'railed and with a suitable plaque'. The Green has some fine buildings facing it including Morgan House, Wrexham Lodge, Willow House, St Mary's House and Pine Cottage and Lodge. A small area of 0.08 hectares in private ownership is Registered Village Green. Ealing War Memorial is on the Green in front of Pitzhanger Manor and was dedicated on 13 November 1921 when it was handed over to Ealing Council. It was designed by architect Leonard Shuffrey in the form of a gateway flanked by two walls listing the names of those killed in WWI. Two wings were later added to commemorate those who had died in WWII. The four urns surmounted on pedestals on the memorial were originally at Elm Grove, home of Spencer Perceval. An avenue led across the Green from St Mary's Road to the Memorial.
Ealing Green was acquired by Ealing Local Board in 1878, at the same time as their acquisition of Ealing Common (q.v.), Haven Green (q.v.) and Drayton Green. In the same year as the Local Board's formation in 1863, Ealing Green had been the venue for celebrations for the marriage of the Prince of Wales to Princess Alexandra when an 'immense tent' was erected with well-stocked tables for '650 men and their wives', the Hon. Spencer Horace Walpole and other dignitaries attending. It was not only the well-to-do who joined in these celebrations, with food provided widely to the borough's population, and sports and fireworks presented on Ealing Common. In 1863 the only street lamp in Ealing village was sited on the Green, put up and paid for by private subscription.
Ealing developed substantially following the arrival of the Great Western Railway in 1838 and the Metropolitan District Line in 1879, and became a popular suburb. In 1902 the new Ealing Council approved the planting of a tree on the Green to commemorate the Coronation and the first Mayoral Year, the tree to be 'railed and with a suitable plaque'. The Green has some fine buildings facing it including Morgan House, Wrexham Lodge, Willow House, St Mary's House and Pine Cottage and Lodge. A small area of 0.08 hectares in private ownership is Registered Village Green. Ealing War Memorial is on the Green in front of Pitzhanger Manor and was dedicated on 13 November 1921 when it was handed over to Ealing Council. It was designed by architect Leonard Shuffrey in the form of a gateway flanked by two walls listing the names of those killed in WWI. Two wings were later added to commemorate those who had died in WWII. The four urns surmounted on pedestals on the memorial were originally at Elm Grove, home of Spencer Perceval. An avenue led across the Green from St Mary's Road to the Memorial.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ177804 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 1.4 |
| Site Ownership | LB Ealing |
| Site Management | Leisure & Parks Service |
| Dates | 1878 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Ealing War Memorial; Morgan House, Wrexham Lodge & Willow House; St Mary's House, gates & railings; Pine Cottage & Thorpe Lodge; Chemists at 22-22a The Green. |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | Yes: Common (CL114) / Green (TVG73 - small area) |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Ealing |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Ealing Green |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Archaeological Interest Area |
| Other LA Designation | Green/environmental Project |
Gallery
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
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Walpole Park is the former grounds of the C18th Pitzhanger Manor, which from 1800-09 was the country residence of Sir John Soane who redesigned the house and had the gardens remodelled. The setting remained largely rural until the mid C19th, one of a number of detached villas built along Ealing Green. It was later purchased by Spencer Walpole MP, remaining in his family until 1900, and then sold to Ealing UDC. The grounds opened as a public park in May 1901, the house becoming a library and later a museum. Remnants of the C18th landscape include a Cedar on the west lawn, the site of the kitchen garden, and a number of trees in the park. The house largely dates from Soane's time, with a number of his built structures such as the main entrance and rustic bridge. Ealing Borough Surveyor Charles Jones made alterations to the building and redesigned elements of the grounds when it became a public park. A long elongated lake was constructed in 1904/5, on the site of an earlier fishpond. Pitzhanger Manor has been restored as part of a substantial programme with HLF funding, which included improvements to the immediate landscaping and kitchen garden.
Walpole Park is the former grounds of the C18th Pitzhanger Manor, which from 1800-09 was the country residence of Sir John Soane who redesigned the house and had the gardens remodelled. The setting remained largely rural until the mid C19th, one of a number of detached villas built along Ealing Green. It was later purchased by Spencer Walpole MP, remaining in his family until 1900, and then sold to Ealing UDC. The grounds opened as a public park in May 1901, the house becoming a library and later a museum. Remnants of the C18th landscape include a Cedar on the west lawn, the site of the kitchen garden, and a number of trees in the park. The house largely dates from Soane's time, with a number of his built structures such as the main entrance and rustic bridge. Ealing Borough Surveyor Charles Jones made alterations to the building and redesigned elements of the grounds when it became a public park. A long elongated lake was constructed in 1904/5, on the site of an earlier fishpond. Pitzhanger Manor has been restored as part of a substantial programme with HLF funding, which included improvements to the immediate landscaping and kitchen garden.
Ealing dates back to a Saxon settlement, and there was a church in the centre of the old village from at least 1130. The medieval church was rebuilt in 1735-40, after the old church collapsed having suffered damage in the Civil War. It was remodelled in the 1860s when a more significant church was needed to reflect the growing importance of the district, now that Ealing was a town. The church and its immediate churchyard are reached through a picturesque lych-gate, with the area at the front laid out as a garden with grave slabs and a number of chest tombs, and the area behind having numerous monuments. The graveyard is in two parts, separated by a footpath with a roughly triangular area with a few tombstones to the east. In 2014 a project to renew the eastern churchyard grounds and create a more welcoming and accessible space was completed, with funding from a number of sources, including the Pocket Parks initiative.
Haven Green has existed as common land since medieval times, with a small hamlet distinct from the larger settlement at Ealing Green. As a result of the 1866 Metropolitan Commons Act, Ealing Local Board purchased Haven Green and other common lands in 1878 to preserve them as public open space, at a time when suburban development was accelerating. Horse chestnuts were planted around the perimeter of the Green, with a walk lined with London plane trees along the south side.
