Pitshanger Park

The name Pitshanger comes from Anglo-Saxon meaning 'wooded slope frequented by kites'. The area was part of the estate of Pitshanger Manor Farm, which was owned in 1690 by Margaret Edwards, later inherited by her descendent Thomas Edwards whose book 'Canons of Criticism' was well-known. After his death in 1757 the estate was sold to King Gould whose son passed it to Thomas Gurnell, who by that time had built Pitshanger Manor in Ealing, the grounds of which are now Walpole Park (q.v.) It then passed to Mrs Peyton, widow of Admiral Peyton but whose first husband was Jonathan Gurnell, and then to the Meacock family who had the estate until 1856. The old manor house, usually referred to as Pitshanger Farmhouse, had stood near the centre of the modern Meadvale Road, a plain house of brick and tile, but it was demolished in 1908.

Ealing Town Council had acquired land for a public park in January and April 1905, which was bounded in the north by the River Brent, abutting the Recreation Ground of Brentham Garden Suburb (q.v.) to the east, and as far as Bellevue Road to the west. By 1914 this was laid out with a bowling green, tennis courts, cricket pitches, a perimeter path planted with horse chestnuts, and other paths leading to the entrance off Pitshanger Lane. In 1913 the Council had purchased a further 26.5 acres by auction for £7,500, saving it from housing development. This extended the park to the west to the current boundary on Argyle Road, then called Greenford Road. In 1914 they were proposing to purchase land south of Scotch Common, which later became Cleveland Park (q.v.), the creation of which was delayed by the outbreak of World War I.

The western area of Pitshanger Park has simpler planting and is principally low-key playing fields, with an old footpath running to Perivale directly north of the junction with Argyle Road and Scotch Common, where an avenue of horse chestnuts was planted. There is a notable group of mature oaks on a bank at the southern boundary near Scotch Common opposite Kent Avenue. Scrub oak and thorn are found along the River Brent along the east and north park boundary. North of the river is Ealing Golf Course, which shows little sign of earlier planting, now dominated by "golf course trees" - birch, flowering cherry and willow.

In 1976 Pitshanger Park became part of the Brent River Park following proposals by the Brent River and Canal Society, which was established in 1973 to set up a linear park and improve the Brent Valley river corridor. Brent River Park covers 400 hectares along its 7km length, and includes formal parks such as Brent Lodge Park, Churchfields Recreation Ground and Elthorne Park (q.q.v.) and open space, golf courses, sports grounds, allotments and privately owned land. Brent River Park received £400,000 in 2009 under the Mayor of London's Priority Parks scheme, which was matched by £487,000 from Ealing Council. Improvement projects are underway in the various parks and open spaces that come under Brent River Park, including new fitness equipment in Pitshanger Park. Pitshanger Community Association was established to improve the park and its surroundings, and has run major community events here to bring attention to the park.