Description
In the mid-C18th much of the area was part of Hanwell Heath, but when the parish land was enclosed in 1816 only c.1.25 acres had been set aside for the poor in compensation for loss of common rights. This was the site that later became King George's Field, then called Poor's Piece and owned by Hobbayne's Charity, whose Trustees were not permitted to sell the land for private use or building. King George's Field was opened as a recreation ground in 1951. Its gate piers on St Mark's Road have the heraldic stone plaques commemorating funding from King George's Fields Foundation. The Foundation, set up as a memorial following the King's death in 1936, provided funding for the creation or improvement of a great many playing fields before it was dissolved in 1965.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Poor's Piece; Hanwell Heath; King George's Playground; King George's Field |
|---|---|
| Site location | Lower Boston Road/St Mark's Road/Bostonthorpe Road, Hanwell |
| Postcode | W7 |
| What3Words | ///long.fishery.smiles |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Ealing |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Playground |
| Public Transport | Rail: Hanwell. Tube: Boston Manor (Piccadilly) then bus. Bus: E8, 195 |
| Research Updated | 1 October 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
In the mid-C18th much of the area was common land that was part of Hanwell Heath. In 1816 the parish land of Hanwell was enclosed and by then only c.1.25 acres had been set aside for the poor in compensation for loss of common rights. This was the site that later became King George's Field, then called Poor's Piece. It was owned by Hobbayne's Charity, which dated from 1612, and its Trustees were prevented from selling the land for private use or house building. In 1807 land was rented for £12 per year, 'the rent being applied to supply coal to widows and other poor persons'. Gifts of fuel to the poor of Hanwell continued to be paid by the Poor's Piece Charity into the C20th. It was not until the Great Western Railway opened Hanwell Station in 1839, and the Southall to Brentford line opened in 1859, that development of the area began to take off, and from the 1870s the land between Lower Boston Road and the Grand Union Canal was developed to house the growing population.
King George's Field was opened as a recreation ground on 22 May 1951 by the Chairman of Ealing Parks Committee, the Borough Council having received £300 from the Foundation for the 1.25 acre site. Its gate piers on St Mark's Road have the heraldic stone plaques commemorating funding from King George's Fields Foundation. The Foundation, set up as a memorial following the King's death in 1936, provided funding for the creation or improvement of a great many playing fields before it was dissolved in 1965. A small garden has been created on Lower Boston Road, with shrubbery beds behind wooden railings, paving and tarmac and a number of seats. Beyond this the park consists of lawn with a curved path leading to a playground, with trees and shrubs around the border. The park, now renamed King George V Playing Field, remained largely unchanged in layout until the C21st: the playground area was replaced in 2010 and the northern section was remodelled in late 2012.
King George's Field was opened as a recreation ground on 22 May 1951 by the Chairman of Ealing Parks Committee, the Borough Council having received £300 from the Foundation for the 1.25 acre site. Its gate piers on St Mark's Road have the heraldic stone plaques commemorating funding from King George's Fields Foundation. The Foundation, set up as a memorial following the King's death in 1936, provided funding for the creation or improvement of a great many playing fields before it was dissolved in 1965. A small garden has been created on Lower Boston Road, with shrubbery beds behind wooden railings, paving and tarmac and a number of seats. Beyond this the park consists of lawn with a curved path leading to a playground, with trees and shrubs around the border. The park, now renamed King George V Playing Field, remained largely unchanged in layout until the C21st: the playground area was replaced in 2010 and the northern section was remodelled in late 2012.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ153799 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.5 |
| Site Ownership | LB Ealing |
| Site Management | Leisure & Parks Service |
| Dates | 1951 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | St Mark's Church and Canal |
| Tree Preservation Order | Yes - 738 |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| 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
Conolly Dell was formerly part of the grounds of The Lawn, the home and private asylum of Dr John Conolly after his retirement as Superintendent of Hanwell Asylum where he worked from 1839-44, He pioneered humane treatment and non-restraint of the mentally ill. Part of the grounds of The Lawn were given as public open space in 1911, named in his memory, with a memorial surmounted by a winged figure. The sloping garden has a series of ponds, rockery garden and fine trees.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
In 1853 St George's Hanover Square Burial Board purchased land in Hanwell for a new cemetery, its existing burial grounds overcrowded. Hanwell Cemetery opened in 1854, and was initially only for use of parishioners of St George's Hanover Square, but later extended to Hanwell parishioners. In 1889 ownership transferred to the Metropolitan Borough of City of Westminster. Its layout was influenced by John Claudius Loudon, who advocated combining the functional with the aesthetic, with a grid pattern of paths for ease, and evergreen trees planted singly to avoid dropping leaves and obstruction. Its Victorian Gothic-style buildings included a lodge and pair of chapels, and it had fine gates and railings. A series of mausolea are found along the Cedar-lined main drive. Further tree planting took place in the 1920s, and some of its fine and unusual trees are the result of the connection that one of the superintendents had with Kew Gardens.
In 1853 St George's Hanover Square Burial Board purchased land in Hanwell for a new cemetery, its existing burial grounds overcrowded. Hanwell Cemetery opened in 1854, and was initially only for use of parishioners of St George's Hanover Square, but later extended to Hanwell parishioners. In 1889 ownership transferred to the Metropolitan Borough of City of Westminster. Its layout was influenced by John Claudius Loudon, who advocated combining the functional with the aesthetic, with a grid pattern of paths for ease, and evergreen trees planted singly to avoid dropping leaves and obstruction. Its Victorian Gothic-style buildings included a lodge and pair of chapels, and it had fine gates and railings. A series of mausolea are found along the Cedar-lined main drive. Further tree planting took place in the 1920s, and some of its fine and unusual trees are the result of the connection that one of the superintendents had with Kew Gardens.
By the early C20th Hanwell's population had rapidly grown and Hanwell UDC, keen to make provision for public open space, approached the owner of Osterley Park, Lord Jersey in 1907. He offered a 7.5 acre site, then leased out. Due to the pressing need for a place for children to play the Council requested temporary use of the site while negotiations were in progress, to which Lord Jersey agreed. Elthorne Park was officially opened on 11 June 1910 by Lady Jersey accompanied by her son Lord Villiers. Among its facilities were a bandstand that remains today and a drinking fountain. The layout included lime and horse chestnut trees planted on the lawn, open lawns with an axial walk, and floral displays. The park abuts Elthorne Waterside on the River Brent, which was created in the 1970s and is managed for nature conservation.