Description
Modestly designed interwar park created for the surrounding council housing of Preston Park Estate, built between 1927-37. The land was once part of Preston Farm, which until 1086 had belonged to the church. Preston was a rural hamlet until the station was opened in the area in 1931/2 although the railway had run through the area from 1880 and there was a halt by 1908. Planting in the park consists chiefly of willows and poplars, with some specimen trees and ornamental conifers; there is a bowling green to the east.
Practical Information
| Site location | College Road/Montpelier Rise/Carlton Avenue, Preston |
|---|---|
| Postcode | HA9 8RN |
| What3Words | ///quench.fishery.palace |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Brent |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Tennis, bowling club, playground, sports pitches, car park |
| Public Transport | Tube: Preston Road (Metropolitan). London Overground/Tube (Bakerloo): South Kenton. Bus: 223. |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Modestly designed interwar park created for the surrounding council housing of Preston Park Estate, built between 1927-37 by Clifford Sabey and F & C Costin. The land was once part of Preston Farm which until 1086 belonged to the church, possibly granted to Abbot Stidberht in 767AD by King Offa. Preston was a rural hamlet until the station was opened in the area in 1931/2 although the railway ran through the area from 1880 and there was a halt in 1908. Planting in the park consists chiefly of a few Willows and Poplars, with a small area of ornamental conifers; there are flower beds near the bowling green to the east and a winding sunken path runs east-west across park between specimen trees.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ177871 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Brent |
| Site Management | Parks Service |
| Dates | 1927-37 |
| 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 | Brent |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Preston Park |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Conservation Area. Wildlife Corridor (part) |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
The site, which comprises two adjacent sports fields, is partly public open space and partly sports ground. Its recreational use dates from at least the 1920s. In 1920 an area of land at the west of Tenterden Fields was bequeathed for sports and later named after John Billam; a large flat open space, it had a pavilion built for Selfridge's Sports Ground, which was opened by Princess Wiasenski, daughter of Gordon Selfridge; the pavilion was subsequently acquired by Middlesex County Council and was later in private use. An aerial photograph taken in 1928 shows the sports field and pavilion; the OS Map of 1935 shows the site laid out with playing fields, tennis courts and pavilions.
Northwick Park Estate was once within the Manor of Harrow, part of Sheepcote Farm until the early C20th when much of the farmland was purchased by Harrow School. It is named after Lord Northwick who was Lord of the Manor in the early C19th and responsible for enclosing much of Harrow's commonland. In 1912 the estate was inherited by Captain E G Spencer-Churchill as development in the area was taking place. In 1936 Middlesex County Council and Wembley Borough Council acquired 192 acres for public open space, carrying out landscaping and tree planting while retaining some existing features. In woodland in the north west corner is Ducker Pool, once a farm pond but later the swimming pool for Harrow School.
Lawns Court was a speculative housing development by Messrs Haymills designed in the International or Moderne style popular in the 1930s, with careful regard to the relationship between buildings and open space. The low-rise blocks are set back from The Avenue, fronted by a low brick retaining wall and hedges that forms the boundary of a communal green planted with grass and trees. Behind and to either side of this garden are the front gardens of ground floor flats formed as a continuous landscape strip.
