Description
Warwick Dene is a small enclosure in the south-west corner of Ealing Common, dating evidently from shortly after Ealing Local Board's acquisition of the Common, now called a 'Rest Garden for the Aged and Blind and Those Requiring Rest'. There was previously a lodge in one corner, shown in the OS map of 1865 with a hedge behind it and a cedar in front, which was unenclosed to the west with a path running to the building. By 1914 the lodge is no longer shown and Warwick Dene has been built up. The garden has a simple lawn but with a notable Cedar, and horse chestnut, lime, and shrubs along the Warwick Dene boundary.
Practical Information
| Site location | Warwick Dene/Elm Avenue, Ealing, |
|---|---|
| Postcode | W5 |
| What3Words | ///alone.precautions.jazz |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Ealing |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Special Conditions | no dogs or unaccompanied children |
| Public Transport | Tube: Ealing Common (Piccadilly, District). Bus: E10 |
| Research Updated | 1 October 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Warwick Dene is a small enclosure in the south-west corner of Ealing Common (q.v.), dating evidently from shortly after Ealing Local Board's acquisition of the Common, now called a 'Rest Garden for the Aged and Blind and Those Requiring Rest'. There was previously a lodge in one corner, shown in the OS map of 1865 with a hedge behind it and a cedar in front, which was unenclosed to the west with a path running to the building. By 1914 the lodge is no longer shown and Warwick Dene has been built up. The garden has a simple lawn but with a notable Cedar, and horse chestnut, lime, shrubs along the Warwick Dene boundary. There is a modest brick shelter and the area is enclosed with cast iron railings with an open gateway from Ealing Common, with the words 'Fraser Patent Disinfecting Apparatus' over it. Within the grass are rose beds.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ184801 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.2 |
| Site Ownership | LB Ealing |
| Site Management | Parks & Countryside Service |
| Dates | c.1878 |
| 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 | Ealing Common |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Area of Archaeological Interest |
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
Ealing was largely agricultural until the mid-C19th with villages clustered along Uxbridge Road and from Norman times commoners had rights to graze cattle and fowl on Ealing Common. By the 1840s much of the other common land in the region had been enclosed. In 1878, as a result of the 1866 Metropolitan Commons Act, Ealing Local Board purchased c.47 acres of Ealing Common from the landowner, the Bishop of London. Horse chestnuts were planted on the boundaries and white metal posts and rails were installed in 1887, many of which remain. In 1904 the road across the Common was widened and a new footpath created. During WWII the common was dug up for allotments and there were underground air raid shelters beneath the north-west corner. The common was used for grazing and donkey rides into the C20th.
Ealing was a large village by the late C18th, having become a popular rural retreat for the wealthy during the C17th, although few of their houses survive apart from Pitzhanger Manor, built by Sir John Soane and now restored. An open green space crossed by paths with a number of mature trees, the commonland of Ealing Green was the site of the 3-day Ealing Fair each June until 1880. It was acquired by Ealing Local Board in 1878, along with other common land in the parish. In 1863, the year the Local Board was set up, Ealing Green was the venue for celebrations for the Prince of Wales's marriage to Princess Alexandra and in 1902 the new Ealing Council approved the planting of a tree to commemorate the Coronation and the first Mayoral Year. Ealing War Memorial faces the Green, dedicated in 1921.
Ealing dates back to a Saxon settlement, and there was a church in the centre of the old village from at least 1130. The medieval church was rebuilt in 1735-40, after the old church collapsed having suffered damage in the Civil War. It was remodelled in the 1860s when a more significant church was needed to reflect the growing importance of the district, now that Ealing was a town. The church and its immediate churchyard are reached through a picturesque lych-gate, with the area at the front laid out as a garden with grave slabs and a number of chest tombs, and the area behind having numerous monuments. The graveyard is in two parts, separated by a footpath with a roughly triangular area with a few tombstones to the east. In 2014 a project to renew the eastern churchyard grounds and create a more welcoming and accessible space was completed, with funding from a number of sources, including the Pocket Parks initiative.