Description
Heston Park was formally opened on 10 June 1933 by the Mayor of Heston and Isleworth, the fourth park to be opened since the new Borough Council replaced the Urban District Council in 1932. It was on the site of Heston Recreation Ground, which had long been used for Hounslow May Fair, granted a Royal charter in 1296; a site within the new park was reserved for the Fair.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Heston Recreation Ground |
|---|---|
| Site location | New Heston Road |
| Postcode | TW5 |
| What3Words | ///certified.logo.fades |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Hounslow |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 8am - dusk |
| Facilities | playgrounds, tennis, multi-sports area, football pitches, cricket square, car park |
| Public Transport | Tube: Hounslow East (Piccadilly) then bus. Bus: 111, 120 |
| Research Updated | 1 November 2005 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The opening of Heston Park was celebrated with dancing around the maypole, a netball match, tap dancing and country dancing, and the opening speeches expressed the hope that the park's 'floral and topiarian displays will prove a source of enjoyment'. The Heston & Isleworth Charter Celebrations Souvenir Programme, 1932, are illustrated with photographs of Heston Park's Rose Gardens, Bowling Green and Bandstand. The cost of formally laying out the park was £12,900 and it was provided with 2 football pitches, a cricket table, a 'sea-washed turf' bowling green, 2 grass and 6 hard tennis courts and an 18-hole putting green, as well as a children's playground, and a pavilion with a paved approach and terrace. A new sports pavilion was added and an extension to the pavilion in 1936, the latter damaged by fire in 1988. The bowling green is now disused and some of the original tennis courts have been converted to a multi-sports area.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ127776 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 7.56 |
| Site Ownership | LB Hounslow |
| Site Management | John Laing Integrated Services; Friends Group |
| Dates | 1933 |
| Designers | William McDonald Campbell (to check) |
| 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 | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Key Park |
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 has been a church at Heston since the time of the Norman Conquest, and it was formerly part of the Manor of Isleworth until the separate manor was established in the C13th. The medieval church of St Leonard's was rebuilt in 1866, although the porch is Tudor, and the tower may be C13th. The oak lych-gate dates from c.1450. A stained glass window in the church commemorates Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, and in the churchyard her childhood nurse is buried. Among other famous people buried here is botanist Sir Joseph Banks. The old churchyard extends to Heston Cemetery, making it one of the largest churchyards in the country.
Norwood Green is a triangular area that was once common land of the old village of Norwood, centred on the parish church of St Mary's. By 1800 there were 40 houses around the green, and it is now surrounded by mainly 1930s housing. Norwood Green Cricket Club was founded in 1867 and had free use of the Green. By 1935 there were 2 children's swings and football pitches were marked out in summer. The Green remains bordered by trees, which were formerly elm trees.
Before becoming Norwood Parish Church in 1859, St Mary the Virgin was originally a chapel of ease within the large parish of Hayes and under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Canterbury until 1846. Henry Chichele, Archbishop in 1414, provided money to restore the chapel in 1439 and gave the octagonal font; a stone cross commemorating him was erected in the churchyard in 1894. Victims of the plague of 1665 were buried in the churchyard, and among the monuments is a fine C19th sarcophagus to the Robins family of neighbouring Norwood Hall. The area was largely agricultural until the late C19th and the large village green and some old buildings, including the parish church, remain to mark the old village centre.