Greenford
Post to the south Greenford
Allington Close
Built on the site of sidings. These sidings ran west and then turned to factories to the south including the British Bath Company and led eventually to the Aladdin factory in Western Avenue. They closed in the 1990s.
Birkbeck Avenue
West London Marathon playing fields. This was Birkbeck College Sports Ground and included Birkbeck College Cricket Ground. , Middlesex Second XI Trophy Matches played here. Built on farmland in 1925 it was also once Queens Park Rangers' training ground, 1970s - 1980s.
Greenford Park Trotting Track. This was a pioneer speedway venue 1928–1930. On the south side of Birkbeck Avenue
Community Road
Site of Coston House. Coston House was the home of O.Mosley. Later was a film processing laboratory.
Courthope Road
Area of Greenford Farm until the late 1930s
Conservative Club. This is on the site of Greenford Farm and some of the buildings remain with a weather boarded stable block although the main part of the club is recent
Ferrymead Gardens
Holy Cross Church. This old church was rebuilt in the 15th or 16th although it dates originally from around 1157 and is one of the three oldest buildings in the borough. It is said that relic of the true cross was placed in the building when it was first consecrated. The porch is from around 1500, the wooden tower is 16th but the outside walls are faced in 19th flint. It has medieval bells, an 18th font, and heraldic glass. Glass with Royal Arms of Mary and Philip of Spain and some from King's College, Cambridge. It escaped demolition in 1951 and was re-opened in 1956 having been restored but is not now in regular use.
Holy Cross new church. “One of London’s finest, austere inside”. It dates from the early 1940s and stands at right angles to the old building on land formerly used for burials. It is, a largely timber building designed by Sir Albert Richardson.
Churchyard. This has headstones dating from the early 16th. One commemorates Edward Betham, rector 1769-83 who founded the local school. There are also ornamental trees including a monkey puzzle and an ash tree, as well as yew, conifers, oak and ivy. There is an area for cremated remains and a garden of rest with seating flower beds and an avenue of lime trees.
Rectory. This is next to the churchyard to the north and dates from 1875. On the site of a previous 16th building.
Greenford Road
This is a main road that covers four miles connecting Southall to Greenford and Sudbury. It was built as part of the Arterial Roads Programme and opened in 1928. This is shown by its consistent width of 60 feet with broad pavements and it is capable of carrying four lanes of traffic.
485 Redwood College. The building is for the tuition of vocational courses in carpentry, plumbing, bicycle maintenance and repair, IT skills and hair and beauty. It is on the same site as current temporary buildings the college was using. It has a steel frame construction clad in Durable Board, and a Euroclad metal vaulted roof. The college also includes courses for pupils from Springhallow School.;
Roundabout. The road passes under the A40 Western Avenue with a grade separated roundabout.
Bridge Hotel. Opened originally in 1937 as a smart roadhouse one of two pubs built by the same developer. It was bought by Young’s in 1959 and a 68 bedroom hotel was added in 1989. The bar retains much of its Tudor style 1930s ambiance. The former off licence is now a function room. There are ceramic rams on the exterior of the building.
Railway bridges. Where the Central Line crosses the road, the arched viaduct is newer than the road. There is a bench mark on the bridge
Jeymer Avenue
On the site of the site of the Greenford Park trotting track, opened in 1919 by the London Trotting Club. It closed in 1935.
Leaver Gardens
John Leaver was a solicitor who managed land sales to developers here.
Legion Road
William Perkin Centre for Youth Sports Development. This is part of William Perkin School and was part of the planning agreement following consent for the school to be built on the former Glaxo sports ground
Oldfield Farm Gardens
Site of Oldfield Farm. This was the sole remaining farm here in 1938 and cultivated over 150 acres but by 1959 it had disappeared.
Oldfield Lane North
Greenford Station opened 1st October 1904. Between Northolt and Perivale on the Central Line. Terminus of First Great Western Line from South Greenford. Originally opened by the Great Western Railway in 1904 on the joint "New North Main Line". The District Railway came here in 1888 as part of the Richmond Extension Railway which meant they could run to Barnes without building another line. The Loop line from West Ealing joined here came in 1903 and was used for the Royal Agricultural Show and for rural type' services from 1908. The Central Line opened here in June 1947 as part of the New Works programme with a new station designed by Brian Lewis and completed by Frederick Curtis. It had platforms high above street level and an Escalator was provided to take people up the 33ft to the platforms – it was the first ‘up’ escalator on the underground – and remained as the lat wooden treaded escalator until 2014. Subsequently use of the original main-line station was reduced and it was closed in 1963. The site of the old station for the New North Main Line is said to b visible from Central line trains. A bay platform serves the line to Great Western Line.
Signal Box. One of the few remaining semaphore signalling installations in London is on the New North Main Line controlled by Greenford East signal box controls.
North Greenford Shopping Parade. This has a central passage leading to an inner courtyard.
Telephone exchange
Oldfield Recreation Ground. Small area of green open space for informal recreation. Formerly used farmland
William Perkin Church of England High School. This is an ‘academy ‘’belonging’ to the ‘Twyford Academies Trust’. Opened in 2013 on the site of the GLAXO playing fields. He school uniform was been designed with William Perkin's Mauveine dye in mind. Ada Lovelace Church of England High School shares some of the space
Glaxo Smith Kline Sports ground. Now the site of a school. This comprised a brick building and a small area for car parking. There was a cricket pavilion, playing fields, cricket pitch and cricket square, two football pitches, two five a side football pitches, Four tennis courts; a bowling green, and a one netball court
Oldfield Primary School.
Oldfield Lane South
Royal British Legion Club. The Royal British Legion Greenford Branch was formed in 1935.They meet in club premises.
Western Avenue
Begun in 1921 it brought a whole impetus to the area. The road was first proposed in 1912 as a bypass road. Construction continued throughout the 1920s and 30s. It was completed to Denham in 1943 A flyover was built at the Greenford Roundabout to take Western Avenue over Greenford Road the A4127
Sources
Day. London Underground
Ealing CAMRA. Web site
Field. London Place Names
Historic England. Web site
Holy Cross Church. Web site
London Borough of Ealing. Web site
London Gardens Online. Web site
Middlesex Churches,
Middlesex CC .History of Middlesex
Middlesex Cricket. Web site
Nairn. Nairn’s London
Pevsner and Cherry. North West London
Roads. Web site
Smythe. Citywildspace,
Stevenson. Middlesex
Walford. Village London
Allington Close
Built on the site of sidings. These sidings ran west and then turned to factories to the south including the British Bath Company and led eventually to the Aladdin factory in Western Avenue. They closed in the 1990s.
Birkbeck Avenue
West London Marathon playing fields. This was Birkbeck College Sports Ground and included Birkbeck College Cricket Ground. , Middlesex Second XI Trophy Matches played here. Built on farmland in 1925 it was also once Queens Park Rangers' training ground, 1970s - 1980s.
Greenford Park Trotting Track. This was a pioneer speedway venue 1928–1930. On the south side of Birkbeck Avenue
Community Road
Site of Coston House. Coston House was the home of O.Mosley. Later was a film processing laboratory.
Courthope Road
Area of Greenford Farm until the late 1930s
Conservative Club. This is on the site of Greenford Farm and some of the buildings remain with a weather boarded stable block although the main part of the club is recent
Ferrymead Gardens
Holy Cross Church. This old church was rebuilt in the 15th or 16th although it dates originally from around 1157 and is one of the three oldest buildings in the borough. It is said that relic of the true cross was placed in the building when it was first consecrated. The porch is from around 1500, the wooden tower is 16th but the outside walls are faced in 19th flint. It has medieval bells, an 18th font, and heraldic glass. Glass with Royal Arms of Mary and Philip of Spain and some from King's College, Cambridge. It escaped demolition in 1951 and was re-opened in 1956 having been restored but is not now in regular use.
Holy Cross new church. “One of London’s finest, austere inside”. It dates from the early 1940s and stands at right angles to the old building on land formerly used for burials. It is, a largely timber building designed by Sir Albert Richardson.
Churchyard. This has headstones dating from the early 16th. One commemorates Edward Betham, rector 1769-83 who founded the local school. There are also ornamental trees including a monkey puzzle and an ash tree, as well as yew, conifers, oak and ivy. There is an area for cremated remains and a garden of rest with seating flower beds and an avenue of lime trees.
Rectory. This is next to the churchyard to the north and dates from 1875. On the site of a previous 16th building.
Greenford Road
This is a main road that covers four miles connecting Southall to Greenford and Sudbury. It was built as part of the Arterial Roads Programme and opened in 1928. This is shown by its consistent width of 60 feet with broad pavements and it is capable of carrying four lanes of traffic.
485 Redwood College. The building is for the tuition of vocational courses in carpentry, plumbing, bicycle maintenance and repair, IT skills and hair and beauty. It is on the same site as current temporary buildings the college was using. It has a steel frame construction clad in Durable Board, and a Euroclad metal vaulted roof. The college also includes courses for pupils from Springhallow School.;
Roundabout. The road passes under the A40 Western Avenue with a grade separated roundabout.
Bridge Hotel. Opened originally in 1937 as a smart roadhouse one of two pubs built by the same developer. It was bought by Young’s in 1959 and a 68 bedroom hotel was added in 1989. The bar retains much of its Tudor style 1930s ambiance. The former off licence is now a function room. There are ceramic rams on the exterior of the building.
Railway bridges. Where the Central Line crosses the road, the arched viaduct is newer than the road. There is a bench mark on the bridge
Jeymer Avenue
On the site of the site of the Greenford Park trotting track, opened in 1919 by the London Trotting Club. It closed in 1935.
Leaver Gardens
John Leaver was a solicitor who managed land sales to developers here.
Legion Road
William Perkin Centre for Youth Sports Development. This is part of William Perkin School and was part of the planning agreement following consent for the school to be built on the former Glaxo sports ground
Oldfield Farm Gardens
Site of Oldfield Farm. This was the sole remaining farm here in 1938 and cultivated over 150 acres but by 1959 it had disappeared.
Oldfield Lane North
Greenford Station opened 1st October 1904. Between Northolt and Perivale on the Central Line. Terminus of First Great Western Line from South Greenford. Originally opened by the Great Western Railway in 1904 on the joint "New North Main Line". The District Railway came here in 1888 as part of the Richmond Extension Railway which meant they could run to Barnes without building another line. The Loop line from West Ealing joined here came in 1903 and was used for the Royal Agricultural Show and for rural type' services from 1908. The Central Line opened here in June 1947 as part of the New Works programme with a new station designed by Brian Lewis and completed by Frederick Curtis. It had platforms high above street level and an Escalator was provided to take people up the 33ft to the platforms – it was the first ‘up’ escalator on the underground – and remained as the lat wooden treaded escalator until 2014. Subsequently use of the original main-line station was reduced and it was closed in 1963. The site of the old station for the New North Main Line is said to b visible from Central line trains. A bay platform serves the line to Great Western Line.
Signal Box. One of the few remaining semaphore signalling installations in London is on the New North Main Line controlled by Greenford East signal box controls.
North Greenford Shopping Parade. This has a central passage leading to an inner courtyard.
Telephone exchange
Oldfield Recreation Ground. Small area of green open space for informal recreation. Formerly used farmland
William Perkin Church of England High School. This is an ‘academy ‘’belonging’ to the ‘Twyford Academies Trust’. Opened in 2013 on the site of the GLAXO playing fields. He school uniform was been designed with William Perkin's Mauveine dye in mind. Ada Lovelace Church of England High School shares some of the space
Glaxo Smith Kline Sports ground. Now the site of a school. This comprised a brick building and a small area for car parking. There was a cricket pavilion, playing fields, cricket pitch and cricket square, two football pitches, two five a side football pitches, Four tennis courts; a bowling green, and a one netball court
Oldfield Primary School.
Oldfield Lane South
Royal British Legion Club. The Royal British Legion Greenford Branch was formed in 1935.They meet in club premises.
Western Avenue
Begun in 1921 it brought a whole impetus to the area. The road was first proposed in 1912 as a bypass road. Construction continued throughout the 1920s and 30s. It was completed to Denham in 1943 A flyover was built at the Greenford Roundabout to take Western Avenue over Greenford Road the A4127
Sources
Day. London Underground
Ealing CAMRA. Web site
Field. London Place Names
Historic England. Web site
Holy Cross Church. Web site
London Borough of Ealing. Web site
London Gardens Online. Web site
Middlesex Churches,
Middlesex CC .History of Middlesex
Middlesex Cricket. Web site
Nairn. Nairn’s London
Pevsner and Cherry. North West London
Roads. Web site
Smythe. Citywildspace,
Stevenson. Middlesex
Walford. Village London
Comments