Description
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.
Practical Information
| Site location | Haven Green, Ealing Broadway |
|---|---|
| Postcode | W5 |
| What3Words | ///trendy.task.worth |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Ealing |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Rail/Tube: Ealing Broadway (District, Central). Bus: 65, 112, 297, E1, E7, E8, 207. |
| Research Updated | 14 February 2022 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Haven Green has existed as common land since medieval times, with a small hamlet here distinct from the larger settlement at Ealing Green (q.v.). As a result of the 1866 Metropolitan Commons Act, Ealing Local Board purchased Haven Green in 1878 at the same time as it purchased other common lands to preserve them as public open space, including Ealing Green, Ealing Common and Drayton Green. Development in the area began in the latter part of the C19th. The Great Western Railway began construction of its London to Bristol line from 1835, which ran through mainly farmland in Ealing, for which local landowners were compensated; the local vestry was also compensated for loss of common rights on Haven Green. However, although Ealing Station opened in 1838, it was not until the 1870s that large-scale development took place here, after the Metropolitan Railway had opened a station at Haven Green and commuters were better provided for. The two stations were amalgamated as Ealing Broadway Station in 1962. As a result Haven Green became a transport hub, with bus stops and a cab rank, where horse-drawn vehicles made way for motor vehicles.
The Local Board planted horse chestnuts around the perimeter of the Green, which also has some mature conifers and a walk of London planes along south side. There is a small yew shrubbery on the east and a series of ornamental flower beds near the roundabout to the north, which is also planted. Today a road cuts through the Green from its south-east to north-west corners, and it is also crossed by footpaths. The southern boundary is formed by the railway line.
The Parade on the east side of the Green includes D L Lewis, a chemist's shop at no. 36 with an Art Nouveau frontage dating from 1924, and interior fittings from 1902 and 1924.
In 2015/6 part of the Green was hoarded off as part of the Crossrail construction works for the adjacent Ealing Broadway Station. As a result a quarter of Haven Green was used as a construction site, representing a serious loss of the green space; in addition preparation of the site included the felling of a protected tree and some deep excavation work. The Friends of Haven Green have asked Crossrail about its plans for restoring the site to an acceptable condition, which it is legally required to do.
The Local Board planted horse chestnuts around the perimeter of the Green, which also has some mature conifers and a walk of London planes along south side. There is a small yew shrubbery on the east and a series of ornamental flower beds near the roundabout to the north, which is also planted. Today a road cuts through the Green from its south-east to north-west corners, and it is also crossed by footpaths. The southern boundary is formed by the railway line.
The Parade on the east side of the Green includes D L Lewis, a chemist's shop at no. 36 with an Art Nouveau frontage dating from 1924, and interior fittings from 1902 and 1924.
In 2015/6 part of the Green was hoarded off as part of the Crossrail construction works for the adjacent Ealing Broadway Station. As a result a quarter of Haven Green was used as a construction site, representing a serious loss of the green space; in addition preparation of the site included the felling of a protected tree and some deep excavation work. The Friends of Haven Green have asked Crossrail about its plans for restoring the site to an acceptable condition, which it is legally required to do.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ178810 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.83 |
| Site Ownership | LB Ealing |
| Site Management | Parks & Countryside Service; Friends of Haven Green |
| Dates | 1878 |
| Designers | Charles Jones, Surveyor to Ealing Local Board |
| Listed Structures | LBII: 36 Haven Green. Trough in north-west corner - Locally listed |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | Yes: Common (CL111) |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Ealing |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Haven Green |
| Tree Preservation Order | Yes |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Green/environmental Project |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
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.
* 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 was largely agricultural until the mid-C19th with villages clustered along Uxbridge Road and from Norman times commoners had rights to graze cattle and fowl on Ealing Common. By the 1840s much of the other common land in the region had been enclosed. In 1878, as a result of the 1866 Metropolitan Commons Act, Ealing Local Board purchased c.47 acres of Ealing Common from the landowner, the Bishop of London. Horse chestnuts were planted on the boundaries and white metal posts and rails were installed in 1887, many of which remain. In 1904 the road across the Common was widened and a new footpath created. During WWII the common was dug up for allotments and there were underground air raid shelters beneath the north-west corner. The common was used for grazing and donkey rides into the C20th.
