Description
The public park includes Swakeleys Lake, originally a formal canal within the grounds of the C17th Swakeleys House, now serpentine. The house remains in private ownership and remnants of the earlier landscape remain in its grounds, while the land to the west of the lake and east of the River Pinn is publicly accessible. There are fine trees and a grassy path on the east side of the lake, which provides views of the house, dovecotes and entrance gates. The lake has wooded edges and is well-populated by wild fowl.
Practical Information
| Site location | The Avenue/Swakeleys Drive, Ickenham |
|---|---|
| Postcode | UB10 |
| What3Words | ///mining.dawn.manage |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Hillingdon |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | playground |
| Public Transport | Tube: Ickenham (Piccadilly, Metropolitan). Bus: U10. |
| Research Updated | 1 March 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The name originates from Robert Swalcliffe who had acquired the land here in 1329. Swakeleys House was built by Sir Edward Wright and completed in 1629-38, probably on the site of an earlier house. It was inherited by Sir Edward's son-in-law Sir James Harrington in 1649 and was later bought by Sir Robert Vyner, a financier who became Lord Mayor of London, among whose guests here was Samuel Pepys in 1665. In the C20th Swakeleys was purchased by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Sports Association and by 1981 belonged to the London Postal Region Sports Club. Cricket matches between the club and local teams from Ickenham and Uxbridge were played within the grounds. In the 1980s Swakeleys House was purchased and restored by three local residents. It was converted to offices and leased to Bristol-Myers Squibb until 2009; the house now opens to the public as part of Open House London.
An early approach to the house is still traceable from Swakeley's Roundabout on the A40. Within the grounds are a C17th dovecote with ground floor ice house, a fragment of C17th garden wall to the north and outbuildings to the north also dating from 1629-38. Planting is mainly C20th. The publicly accessible land to the west of Swakeleys Lake and east of the River Pinn, while privately owned, is maintained as part of the park.
An early approach to the house is still traceable from Swakeley's Roundabout on the A40. Within the grounds are a C17th dovecote with ground floor ice house, a fragment of C17th garden wall to the north and outbuildings to the north also dating from 1629-38. Planting is mainly C20th. The publicly accessible land to the west of Swakeleys Lake and east of the River Pinn, while privately owned, is maintained as part of the park.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ071857 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | private (owners of house) and leased to LB Hillingdon |
| Site Management | LB Hillingdon Green Spaces Team |
| Dates | 1638; C20th |
| Listed Structures | LBI: Swakeleys House; outbuildings north of House |
| 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 | Ickenham Village |
| 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
The village of Ickenham dates from at least the time of the Domesday Survey and St Giles Church has remnants of the medieval building. There are fine monuments in the church, and the churchyard has some good C18th table-tombs including a railed tomb surmounted with an urn. The flagstaff near the church was erected for King George V's Silver Jubilee and has a stone base with carving depicting trees.
Ickenham Hall is a Georgian mansion built for the Crosier family, who farmed here until 1900. Now in the ownership of the local authority, the Compass Theatre has been built behind the Hall. The surrounding gardens comprise rough lawn, some holm oak trees, a group of C20th beech trees and fine horse chestnut trees. In front of the Hall is a walled garden enclosure with lawn and borders that have been planted with species reflecting the Georgian era.
The Pynchester Moat site has remains of the dried up moat of a medieval farmhouse in a bend of the River Pinn, which fed the moat, now in woodland surrounded with railings. A dig by Uxbridge Archaeological Group in 1966-9 revealed the foundations of the medieval farmhouse here. The Harefield Enclosure Map of 1813 shows the site as part of Farley's Mead belonging to the Brackenbury Estate from 1602-1792 and later it was awarded to Uxbridge in compensation for loss of grazing rights.