Description
Grenan Forde is first mentioned in 846 AD, the ford presumably crossing the River Brent. The Manor of Greenford was owned by Westminster Abbey until the C16th, and manor house and church were in the centre of the hamlet, the surrounding area rural into the C20th. Holy Cross Old Church was built or rebuilt in the late C15th/early C16th on the site of an earlier church. By 1939 it was too small for the growing parish and a new largely timber church was built at right angles to it. The churchyard has headstones dating from the early C16th, the oldest near the south porch. A Celtic Cross commemorates the Roy family of Greenford Hall, an C18th building that still stands nearby. Fine trees in the churchyard include a monkey puzzle and an ash and a small garden of rest dates from 1979.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Greenford Magna Parish Church; Holy Cross Old Church; Holy Cross New Church |
|---|---|
| Site location | Oldfield Lane South/Ferrymead Gardens, Greenford |
| Postcode | UB6 9JS |
| What3Words | ///having.scout.poppy |
| Type of Site | Churchyard |
| Borough | Ealing |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Events | Numerous events |
| Public Transport | Rail/Tube: Greenford (Central). Bus: 92, 105. |
| Research Updated | 1 October 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Greenford is first mentioned in 846 AD as Grenan Forde, the ford presumably being over the River Brent. The Manor of Greenford was owned by Westminster Abbey from pre-Norman Conquest until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the C16th. The church may have been named for the Holy Cross because a relic of the true cross was placed in the building when it was first consecrated. The manor house and church were in the centre of the hamlet, and the area was in agricultural use until the C20th. Change came after the Paddington branch of the Grand Junction Canal cut through the parish in 1804, but the railway did not open a station at Greenford until 1903. Industry grew up near the canal and railway before housing development. Western Avenue was constructed cutting through east/west and in the 1930s speculative house-building began. The area was built up by 1940, leaving only Horsenden Hill as significant open space.
There was a church building of some sort here from 1157 and what is now known as the Old Church was built or rebuilt on an earlier church site in late C15th/early C16th, with some remnants from a C14th building. It has undergone some alteration since then and is a small flint rubble building with stone dressings, a wooden weather-boarded tower and a Tudor porch. Fine C16th stained glass featuring the arms of Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII was installed in 1925 from King's College Cambridge, King's College being the Patron of the Living of Greenford Manor. In 1939 the church, which was only 60 feet long, was proving too small for the parish it now served and indeed in the 1930s the churchyard was used by the congregation during services.
A new larger church was built at right angles to the old church on land formerly used for burials, a largely timber building designed by architect Sir Albert Richardson with a fine interior. The foundation stone was laid by the Provost of King's College Cambridge and dedicated on 10 July 1939 by the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Arthur Foley Winnington-Ingram. Holy Cross New Church was completed in 1941. The Old Church escaped demolition in 1951 and was re-opened in 1956 having been restored.
The churchyard has headstones dating from the early C16th, the oldest being near the south porch. Among those buried here is William Marnham (d.1710) who in order to benefit the education of poor children had bequeathed land to Greenford Parish, which is now preserved as Brent River Park. His son also gave land for the benefit of poor householders. A headstone commemorates Rector Edward Betham, members of whose family were also buried here. He was rector from 1769-83 and founded the Charity School that continues to bear his name. Betham School still maintains a strong connection with Holy Cross Church whose rectors are ex-officio School Governors and Trustees of the Betham Trust that administers the fund Edward Betham set up. On the exterior wall of the church is a wall-mounted plaque to Nathaniel Ravenor (d. 1792) whose name is remembered in nearby Ravenor Park (q.v.). A Celtic Cross commemorates the Roy family of Greenford Hall, an C18th building that still stands opposite the church and is now a community centre. James Robert Roy lived there from 1882-1895.
The churchyard has a number of ornamental trees including a monkey puzzle and a fine ash tree, as well as yew and conifers, and there is a yew and oak growing together with ivy. The churchyard is now full and closed for burials; in 1979 the Bishop of Willesden consecrated an area for cremated remains. The shady garden of rest is laid out by the Ferrymead Gardens frontage with grass, seating and a few simple flower beds, hedged on three sides with an avenue of lime trees next to the roadside hedge. The Rectory that abuts the churchyard to the north was built in 1875 on the site of a Tudor building that also housed the church incumbents. Despite having lost part of its grounds to the construction of the A40 and Fairlight Court in the 1960s, it has a good-sized garden with some mature trees, used for church and community events.
There was a church building of some sort here from 1157 and what is now known as the Old Church was built or rebuilt on an earlier church site in late C15th/early C16th, with some remnants from a C14th building. It has undergone some alteration since then and is a small flint rubble building with stone dressings, a wooden weather-boarded tower and a Tudor porch. Fine C16th stained glass featuring the arms of Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII was installed in 1925 from King's College Cambridge, King's College being the Patron of the Living of Greenford Manor. In 1939 the church, which was only 60 feet long, was proving too small for the parish it now served and indeed in the 1930s the churchyard was used by the congregation during services.
A new larger church was built at right angles to the old church on land formerly used for burials, a largely timber building designed by architect Sir Albert Richardson with a fine interior. The foundation stone was laid by the Provost of King's College Cambridge and dedicated on 10 July 1939 by the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Arthur Foley Winnington-Ingram. Holy Cross New Church was completed in 1941. The Old Church escaped demolition in 1951 and was re-opened in 1956 having been restored.
The churchyard has headstones dating from the early C16th, the oldest being near the south porch. Among those buried here is William Marnham (d.1710) who in order to benefit the education of poor children had bequeathed land to Greenford Parish, which is now preserved as Brent River Park. His son also gave land for the benefit of poor householders. A headstone commemorates Rector Edward Betham, members of whose family were also buried here. He was rector from 1769-83 and founded the Charity School that continues to bear his name. Betham School still maintains a strong connection with Holy Cross Church whose rectors are ex-officio School Governors and Trustees of the Betham Trust that administers the fund Edward Betham set up. On the exterior wall of the church is a wall-mounted plaque to Nathaniel Ravenor (d. 1792) whose name is remembered in nearby Ravenor Park (q.v.). A Celtic Cross commemorates the Roy family of Greenford Hall, an C18th building that still stands opposite the church and is now a community centre. James Robert Roy lived there from 1882-1895.
The churchyard has a number of ornamental trees including a monkey puzzle and a fine ash tree, as well as yew and conifers, and there is a yew and oak growing together with ivy. The churchyard is now full and closed for burials; in 1979 the Bishop of Willesden consecrated an area for cremated remains. The shady garden of rest is laid out by the Ferrymead Gardens frontage with grass, seating and a few simple flower beds, hedged on three sides with an avenue of lime trees next to the roadside hedge. The Rectory that abuts the churchyard to the north was built in 1875 on the site of a Tudor building that also housed the church incumbents. Despite having lost part of its grounds to the construction of the A40 and Fairlight Court in the 1960s, it has a good-sized garden with some mature trees, used for church and community events.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ145831 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 1 |
| Site Ownership | Church of England (Diocese of London) |
| Site Management | Church |
| Dates | Old church: C15th/C16th |
| Listed Structures | LBI: Old Church; LBII*: New Church |
| 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 | Ealing |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Yes |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Local Importance |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Archaelogical Interest Area |
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
Ravenor Park is named after the Ravenor family who had long been associated with the Greenford area. George Ravenor had Ravenor Farm in 1899, and Ravenor House, now demolished, was one of the grand houses on Oldfield Lane. The cowshed barn adjacent to the park are all that remain from the farm. The park is on the site of Coston's Farm, named after Simon Coston who was a local benefactor in the C17th, and an old hedgerow remains from the former landscape as does a line of mature oaks that used to mark the farm boundaries. Speculative building accelerated in the 1920s and local councils were keen to preserve some land as public open space. Ealing Borough Council consequently purchased Coston's Farm in 1928 for the public park.
In 1936 land near St Mary's Church in Northolt was acquired by the MCC and the local council for public open space, which became Belvue Park. Situated adjacent to the parish church are notable earthworks of the moated medieval manor house, excavated in the 1950s and '60s that provided evidence of Saxon occupation. Fragments of Iron Age pottery, as well as Roman roof tiles have also been found at the highest point of the park.
St Mary the Virgin Church dates from c.1300 although there may have been an earlier church of some sort. The parish originally consisted of 3 hamlets, Northolt Village, West End and Wood End, of which only Northolt recognisably survives. The church, set on top of a small hill overlooking Northolt Village Green, is reached by a lime tree walk from a gate at the bottom. In 1718 a pair of external buttresses were constructed on the west wall as it was feared the church was in danger of falling down the hill. The C14th font was given by Sir Nicholas Brembre or Brember, Lord of the Manor, who was executed at Tyburn under Richard II in 1388. His headless body reputedly haunted his old manor thenceforth on the anniversary of his death. Situated adjacent to the churchyard are notable earthworks of the moated medieval manor house, excavated in the 1950s and '60s.