Cranford Park

Bridge over a ha-ha in woodland, Cranford Park - geograph.org.uk - 1013363

Cranford Countryside Park is a 144-acre public park in Cranford, in the London Borough of Hillingdon, England. Situated in close proximity to Heathrow Airport, it is bordered by the M4 Motorway to the north, and by the towns of Harlington and Cranford to the South West and South East respectively. Although its namesake Cranford is within the London Borough of Hounslow, the park itself is geographically in fact part of the London Borough of Hillingdon, as it straddles the southernmost point of this borough. Despite this, the park is managed under Hounslow's council authority. Although the park is in an urban location, it is vehicle-accessible only by a small road before a motorway entrance slip, and as such it has been described as a 'hidden gem'.^[1]

The park features in the London Parks & Gardens Trust’s ‘Inventory of Historic Green Spaces’ and is centrally positioned among the Crane Valley’s parkland chain.^[2] It is fully open to the public from 07:30-21:00 during the summer months, and closes instead at dusk during the autumn, winter and spring. Facilities include an information centre, toilets, a car park, a children's playground and a bridle route.^[3] Situated roughly 1 mile south of Hayes & Harlington railway station and one mile north-west of Hounslow West tube station, Cranford Park is accessible by rail; however London Bus routes 81, 105, 111, 195, 222, H98, H28, and E6 serve passengers closer to the park's location.^[4]

History

St Dunstan, Cranford Park - geograph.org.uk - 1215771

The park has significant historical importance, with settlement in the area including within the area of the park dating at least from Saxon times. As such, there is within the park grounds a number of Grade II listed buildings including the medieval St Dunstan's Church and a block of 18th century stables.^[5] There was once a manor house on the site of the park, however this was demolished following the conclusion of World War 2 shortly before the park was jointly opened to the public by Hayes & Harlington UDC and Heston & Isleworth Borough Council in 1949 ^[6]

The park surrounds and extends from the church St Dunstan with Holy Angels, Parish of Cranford. The modern church is known to have been built during the reign of Edward the Confessor, and the surrounding land has been part of the estates of the Knights Templar, Sir Roger Aston and Elizabeth Carey, Lady Berkeley who's living descendants are still in its possession today.^[7] It is likely that a church of some capacity has stood on this site since at least the 8th Century The earliest known reference is to be found in Sir Montague Sharpe's edition of "Middlesex in British, Roman and Saxon Times", in which he mentions the church at Cranford as one of those built upon the site of a compita, or 'little chapel', which usually stood at the cross-roads, and where the Romans offered sacrifices to their rurual gods twice a year.^[8]

References

Coordinates: 51°26′36″N 0°22′31″W / 51.4432°N 0.37534°W / 51.4432; -0.37534

London Borough of Hounslow

Districts	Bedfont Brentford Brentford End Chiswick Cranford Feltham Grove Park, Hounslow Gunnersbury Hanworth Hatton Heston Hounslow Hounslow West Isleworth Lower Feltham North Feltham North Hyde Osterley Spring Grove, Isleworth Turnham Green Woodlands, Isleworth

Attractions	Boston Manor Chiswick House Griffin Park football stadium Gunnersbury Park and Museum Hogarth's House Holland Gardens London Museum of Water & Steam Musical Museum, Brentford Osterley Park and House (NT) Syon House Tabard Theatre Watermans Arts Centre

Parks and open spaces	Crane Park Duke's Hollow Duke's Meadows Gunnersbury Park Hanworth Park Hounslow Heath Inwood Park Lampton Park Osterley Park Pevensey Road Nature Reserve Turnham Green

Constituencies	Brentford and Isleworth Feltham and Heston

Bridges	Barnes Railway Bridge Chiswick Bridge Kew Bridge Kew Railway Bridge

Tube and rail stations	Boston Manor Brentford Chiswick Feltham Gunnersbury Hounslow Hounslow Central Hounslow East Hounslow West Isleworth Kew Bridge Osterley Stamford Brook Syon Lane Turnham Green

Places of worship	All Saints Church, Hanworth All Saints Church, Isleworth Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God and the Holy Royal Martyrs Christ Church, Feltham Christ Church, Turnham Green Church of Our Lady & St Christopher, Cranford Church of Our Lady of Grace & St Edward, Chiswick Church of Our Lady of Sorrows & St Bridget, Isleworth Church of Our Lady Queen of the Apostles, Heston Church of the Good Shepherd, Hounslow Holy Trinity Church, Hounslow St Dunstan's Church, Cranford St Dunstan's Church, Feltham St Faith's Church, Brentford St Francis of Assisi, Isleworth St George's Church, Hanworth St John the Baptist's Church, Isleworth St John the Evangelist's Church, Brentford St Joseph's Church, Grove Park St Lawrence's Church, Feltham St Leonard's Church, Heston St Mary's Church, Bedfont St Mary's Church, Osterley St Michael's Church, Chiswick St Michael and All Angels, Bedford Park St Michael and St Martin, Hounslow St Nicholas' Church, Chiswick St Paul's Church, Brentford St Paul's Church, Grove Park St Paul's Church, Hounslow St Vincent de Paul, Osterley

Other topics	Council Grade I and II* listed buildings People Public art Schools

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