Description
Twyford Avenue Sports Ground has been used for sports since 1899 when it was leased to the Mill Hill Cricket Club by the Elms Estate. In 1921 the Gas Light and Coke Company, later British Gas, purchased the land and opened its Sports Ground here with football pitches, a cricket square, tennis courts, and a bowling green in the north-east corner. While primarily for its employees and their families, the facilities were also available to members of the Salamander Bowls Club and from the 1960s local schools and sports clubs were able to rent the facilities. In 2000 Loftus Road plc purchased the site and it is now owned partly by Shanley Homes and by Wasps FC, mainly used as the training ground of London Wasps RFC professionals and Wasps FC amateurs.
Practical Information
| Site location | Twyford Avenue/Creffield Road, Acton |
|---|---|
| Postcode | W3 9LE |
| What3Words | ///forced.assure.falls |
| Type of Site | Private Open Land |
| Borough | Ealing |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private |
| Public Transport | Tube: Ealing Common (Piccadilly) |
| Research Updated | 1 November 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The 24-acre site has been used as a sports ground since 1899 when it was leased to the Mill Hill Cricket Club by the Elms Estate. In 1921 the Gas Light and Coke Company, later British Gas, purchased the land and opened its Sports Ground on 25 June with football pitches, a cricket square, tennis courts, and a bowling green with thatched pavilion in the north-east corner and a clubhouse. The Company had long attended to the welfare of its employees and numerous sports clubs were attached to its various offices and works, which became members of the single Gas Light and Coke Company Sports Association that was formed in 1921. In addition to the Acton Sports Ground, another was opened at East Ham, and clubrooms were also provided throughout the Company's area of operation. A full-time Sports Secretary was appointed and an Annual Gathering was held attended by the Governor, Directors and Chief Officers. The sports ground continued to be run by British Gas until 1999 primarily for its employees and their families but also available to others who were members or friends of the Salamander Bowls Club, set up in the 1920s. From the 1960s local schools and sports clubs were able to rent the facilities and in the 1990s these included facilities for squash, badminton and table tennis. In 2000 Loftus Road plc (Queen's Park Rangers Football Club) purchased the site and soon after this rents had risen and use by community clubs and schools soon dwindled, although Twyford High School still has some access. Now owned partly by Shanley Homes and by Wasps FC, the bowling green area is much neglected and the remainder of the ground mainly used as the training ground of London Wasps RFC professionals and Wasps FC amateurs.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ195805 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Shanley Homes and by Wasps FC |
| Site Management | private |
| Dates | 1899 |
| 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 | Ealing |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Creffield |
| Tree Preservation Order | Yes |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Area of Archaeological Interest (northern portion) |
| Other LA Designation | Community Open Space |
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 area was farmed until the 1890s, much of it part of the Elms Estate owned by the Wegg family from the C18th until 1842. Twyford Avenue, originally an old field lane, was at one time called Wegg Avenue. The site that became the public gardens was predominantly a Fish Pond on the Estate, providing grazing for livestock and horses. The land was purchased by Acton UDC in 1903 from the Round family who had inherited the Elms Estate and began developing it for housing. The public gardens were laid out in two sections, divided by Twyford Avenue, each section having lawns with island beds, perimeter paths, tree and shrub planting. The gardens were renovated in c.2008 with a new entrance to the west and new planting to provide year-round interest.
The land was originally part of the estate of Springfields House, probably so-called due to a natural spring arising nearby. The estate was sold in 1877 and part of the land built over. Acton UDC purchased this site in 1920 when carrying out a large sewage scheme and used it to deposit excavated material from 1920-33. The decision was then taken to turn the 'disgraceful patch of land' into ornamental public gardens, which were laid out and opened in 1935. Facilities for both old and young visitors were created, including an open-air theatre, although this was subsequently pulled down.
The Woodlands Park was created on part of the grounds of an C18th villa 'The Woodlands', which was purchased in 1903 by Acton UDC, largely for educational purposes, the remainder for a small public park. The existing layout of the grounds was retained in part, which had significant numbers of trees planted in belts and as specimen trees with a network of paths around the perimeter and through the shrubberies. There was a large circular pool on lower ground to the east and an ice-house. Municipal layout included retention of some paths, use of the ice-house as a gardener's hut but the pool eventually ceased retaining water and disappeared. A restoration project in 2006 enabled the ice-house to be restored and the round pool to be recreated.