Description
Ickenham Hall is a Georgian mansion built for the Crosier family, who farmed here until 1900. Now in the ownership of the local authority, the Compass Theatre has been built behind the Hall. The surrounding gardens comprise rough lawn, some holm oak trees, a group of C20th beech trees and fine horse chestnut trees. In front of the Hall is a walled garden enclosure with lawn and borders that have been planted with species reflecting the Georgian era.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Compass Theatre and Arts Centre |
|---|---|
| Site location | Glebe Avenue, Ickenham |
| Postcode | UB10 8PD |
| What3Words | ///record.hurt.cone |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Hillingdon |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Compass Theatre and Arts Centre, Café Bar |
| Events | Various events held in the grounds. Ickenham Hall is occasionally open for tours/events. |
| Public Transport | Tube: Ickenham (Piccadilly, Metropolitan). Bus: U10. |
| Research Updated | 1 March 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Ickenham Hall was built in 1740 by the Crosier family who had farmed here since the C11th, originally as yeoman farmers. They had built a farmhouse by the C14th, which they later demolished for a more substantial building, Ickenham Hall, which reflected their higher status as gentlemen farmers, having acquired additional land. In 1900 the Crosiers sold their land at Ickenham to the railway company and by 1904 trains were running through the village, with a halt later opened to serve Ickenham. In 1947 Middlesex County Council purchased the land not required by the railway, and since then the Hall has since been used for various purposes including youth services, art centre, school, rehearsal rooms, meeting rooms and since 1990 as Council Offices for the Youth and Music Services.
The Friends of Ickenham Hall was set up in 2009 to raise funding to repair and conserve Ickenham Hall and also to raise awareness about its history. Funding has been received from the Heathrow Project and Groundwork Thames Valley to undertake works in the garden. This has included planting 730 plants inspired by Georgian era in the borders of the front enclosure, which had become neglected by the early C21st. There are plans to plant bulbs in the rear garden, which is now cared for by the Friends.
The Friends of Ickenham Hall was set up in 2009 to raise funding to repair and conserve Ickenham Hall and also to raise awareness about its history. Funding has been received from the Heathrow Project and Groundwork Thames Valley to undertake works in the garden. This has included planting 730 plants inspired by Georgian era in the borders of the front enclosure, which had become neglected by the early C21st. There are plans to plant bulbs in the rear garden, which is now cared for by the Friends.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ081859 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Hillingdon |
| Site Management | Grounds: Green Spaces Team. House/Compass Theatre: Leisure Services. Friends of Ickenham Hall |
| Dates | 1740 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Ickenham Hall; Forecourt wall to Ickenham 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 | Ickenham Village |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | Yes |
| 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
The village of Ickenham dates from at least the time of the Domesday Survey and St Giles Church has remnants of the medieval building. There are fine monuments in the church, and the churchyard has some good C18th table-tombs including a railed tomb surmounted with an urn. The flagstaff near the church was erected for King George V's Silver Jubilee and has a stone base with carving depicting trees.
The public park includes Swakeleys Lake, originally a formal canal within the grounds of the C17th Swakeleys House, now serpentine. The house remains in private ownership and remnants of the earlier landscape remain in its grounds, while the land to the west of the lake and east of the River Pinn is publicly accessible. There are fine trees and a grassy path on the east side of the lake, which provides views of the house, dovecotes and entrance gates. The lake has wooded edges and is well-populated by wild fowl.
The Pynchester Moat site has remains of the dried up moat of a medieval farmhouse in a bend of the River Pinn, which fed the moat, now in woodland surrounded with railings. A dig by Uxbridge Archaeological Group in 1966-9 revealed the foundations of the medieval farmhouse here. The Harefield Enclosure Map of 1813 shows the site as part of Farley's Mead belonging to the Brackenbury Estate from 1602-1792 and later it was awarded to Uxbridge in compensation for loss of grazing rights.