Description
Starch Green is so-called as the site was once used for a laundry green. It was a flooded brick pit that was filled by an unnamed stream that flowed from Wormwood Scrubs down the Askew Road. The land was conveyed to the Hammersmith Vestry free of charge in 1894. The pond refilled gradually post-1926 and was planted up with shrubs. Originally entirely surrounded by roads, the north side was paved in the late 1980s. In the early 1990s the end of Ashchurch Grove was closed and paved. A raised bed planted with periwinkle was built and much of the planting is recent although there is one mature London plane tree.
Practical Information
| Site location | Askew Road/Ashchurch Grove/Goldhawk Road, Hammersmith |
|---|---|
| Postcode | W12 |
| What3Words | ///tribal.liability.yours |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Hammersmith & Fulham |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Tube: Shepherds Bush (Central, Hammersmith & City). Bus: 266 |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2004 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Although it is not marked on the Salter Map of 1830, Starch Green is shown on the Roberts map of 1853.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ222793 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.17 |
| Site Ownership | LB Hammersmith & Fulham |
| Site Management | Environment Department, Parks Service (ground maintenance by Quadron Services) |
| Dates | 1894 |
| 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 | Hammersmith & Fulham |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Ravenscourt Park and Starch Green |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| 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
St Andrew Bobola was originally built in 1870 as St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, a stone church designed by Edmund Woodthorpe. In 1961 it was converted by A P Klecki to serve the Polish Roman Catholic community. The small churchyard has a few evergreen trees, the main feature being the many low dark brick walls set with copper memorial plaques.
John Betts House was built in 1964 as almshouses for elderly people of Hammersmith in memory of Dr John Betts (1799-1875) by the Hammersmith United Charities. This was set up in 1923 to amalgamate the large number of small charities that provided for the elderly poor in Hammersmith. The almshouses are on land bequeathed by Betts that the Charities held as investment property. The rectangular building surrounds an enclosed communal garden planted with grass, trees, shrubs and flower beds. Behind the almshouses is the residents' vegetable garden.
Ravenscourt Park opened as a public park in 1888, laid out on the former grounds of the Ravenscourt estate, formerly known as Pallenswick. The moated manorhouse passed through numerous owners including Edward III's mistress Alice Perrers. From 1812 it was owned by George Scott who may have sought Humphry Repton's advice on landscaping of the grounds. In 1887 the house and remaining grounds were acquired by the MBW and Hammersmith Vestry, and opened to the public in 1888. The former stables were converted into the park's Refreshment Rooms, with public toilets added on at the north side. The mansion was used as a public library until it was destroyed by WWII bombing. The park contains remnants of the earlier planting, and the lake was once part of the moat. The park's greenhouses now house a community garden project, Ravenscourt Glasshouses.