Description
Now used as Southlands Arts Centre, Southlands is an early C18th farmhouse, which was built on the site of an earlier Tudor farmhouse. In 1963 the property was acquired by the Yiewsley and West Drayton UDC and it became the base for Yiewsley and West Drayton Arts Council. There are a number of garden areas, including a walled garden with C18th walls reached through an old orchard. It was renovated in 1989 when the garden was re-planted in three sections, including a C16th style knot garden.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Southlands |
|---|---|
| Site location | off The Green, West Drayton |
| Postcode | UB7 7PN |
| What3Words | ///shall.begin.price |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Hillingdon |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Special Conditions | no dogs |
| Facilities | Car park |
| Events | Full calendar of events in Arts Centre |
| Public Transport | Rail: West Drayton then bus. Bus: U3, U5, 222 |
| Research Updated | 1 March 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Southlands is one of a number of C18th houses off West Drayton Green (q.v.), with a drive leading to a turning circle with a eucalyptus tree in the centre of a flower bed. The present house was built from the C17th and has a fine Queen Anne frontage. In 1743 the owner took out insurance with the Sun Insurance Office, whose firemark is still on the front of the house. In 1864 the rear portion was added to the house. The 1828 Enclosure Map shows numerous outbuildings including a stable granary, barn, outhouses, carthouse, granary and Dutch barn, only the latter surviving. Several old yew trees near the house were probably planted to screen former outbuildings. At the approach to Southlands are lawns and flower beds with a walled area of lawn immediately in front of the house divided by a path from the entrance that has a lamp overthrow; an olive tree has been planted here. Behind the house is a patio of old London paving slabs and further lawns with herbaceous and shrub beds and two sculptures of Adam and Eve by local artist Andrew Weston Smith. Reached through the old Orchard, the walled garden is surrounded by C18th garden walls, which were renovated in 1989 and the garden re-planted in three sections. To the north it is laid out in the style of a C16th knot garden with coloured gravel between the patterns of herbs, the central area block planted with herbs, and the third area with central jardinière has bands of herbs with gravel. By the house is a pond garden, and beyond is a large area of meadowland to the north and west of the house, with long grass and perimeter trees.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ058791 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 2.42 |
| Site Ownership | LB Hillingdon |
| Site Management | Grounds: Green Spaces Team. Arts Centre: Yiewsley and West Drayton Arts Council |
| Dates | Early C18th; 1960s, 1980s |
| Listed Structures | LBII*: Southlands. LBII: forecourt walls to west of Southlands; walls to north and east of garden. Locally listed: Barn to south. |
| 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 | West Drayton Green |
| 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
West Drayton was originally known as Draegtun, meaning a place where boats were dragged across land to avoid a bend in the river. West Drayton Green is the old village centre, a large open area of grass with trees generally around the perimeter. It is surrounded by a number of fine houses, particularly at the south end, which include the early C18th The Old House and early C19th Beechwood; to the north is a row of cottages that was once the parish workhouse.
There are records that a church existed here in the late C12th with a second church built in the early C13th. From the C12th the Manor of Drayton was owned by the Dean of St Paul's. In 1547 it was granted to Sir William Paget who built a grand Manor House immediately west of St Martin's Church, and remnants of the C16th gatehouse are next to the churchyard. The walled churchyard has flagstones and mown grass in front and a number of yews, with longer unmown grass beyond and an area of woodland growth behind the church.
West Drayton Cemetery was established in 1939 by the Burial Board and is without a chapel, but has a small lodge near the entrance. It has a semi-circular entrance with brick and stone piers and iron railings, with a grid layout of paths and neat rows of gravestones and monuments, and a war memorial. There are numerous small conifers, and paths are lined by avenues of ornamental trees and trees on the perimeter. At the back of the cemetery is a hedged area of meadow with new trees including mountain ash and other species.