Ealing Walking, Talking & Exploring Group

JOANNA’S WARD WALKS 2019

Guided walks around different wards of the Borough of mixing what we can see now and who we can meet with glimpses of past times and information about how each area has changed and is changing both physically and demographically.

Though most are very short, each walk will take about two hours and will usually end up in a pub or café where participants can continue the conversations if they so wish. We certainly do much more talking than walking.

Ward Area Description Date & Time EALING South of the Meet outside the station, see all the changes BROADWAY Broadway happening now as well as events of the quite recent past (the Ealing Club, the bombing of the Townhouse) then crossing to Windsor Road, The Polish Church, the house of Charles Jones (a very important local surveyor/architect in the nineteenth century) and then round into The Grove and back to the centre. EALING Haven Green This time we go north from Ealing Broadway BROADWAY and the station, across Haven Green to the Caspian Hotel, Broadway Doll Museum and Lady’s Creative Centre. Then back towards the Broadway to Christ The Saviour’s Church, the new Dicken’s Yard and the old Town Hall. There are then many cafes to choose from! EALING North of Haven This walk has quiet spots as we will be going past BROADWAY Green and maybe into a Quaker Meeting House, St. Peter’s Church and Ealing itself. A circular walk along generally peaceful, leafy roads ending at a café overlooking Haven Green. EALING The more Meet at Station. Walk south into the BROADWAY western bit Five Roads residential area then up into Gordon Road, St Stephens Avenue and its new church and down again to the Drayton Court hotel and some interesting shops.

ACTON South East of An area with a notable Japanese influence now, a CENTRAL number of schools, remembrances of past grand Station houses and a park. Walking south from West Acton station down Noel Road then into Creffield Road with a Japanese School occupying a former Haberdashers School, and next into Rosemont Road to compare a view from a c1910 postcard, to Pierrepoint Rd with more places for the very young and elderly, and an intriguing International League Friends’ House. Shalimar Gardens and then Springfield Park will remind us of the former grand houses and the stream running underneath. Finish at a cafe in nearby Market St.

ACTON North East of A circular walk from West Acton Station walking CENTRAL West Acton north along Noel Road to Playing Station Fields looking at a school, a church with a beautiful painting and the probable site of an ancient mound, plus street art on the pavilion in the park. The pavilion is a centre for community events, activities and exhibitions run by a local charity called ARTification. Returning to the station via the Bridge Café on the edge of the old Acton Aerodrome and then Saxon Drive to stop at the friendly Conway Pharmacy.

ACTON South of Starting at Central Acton Station we will then CENTRAL Churchfield walk south to the High Street, visit a Buddhist Road Centre and a Christian Centre (that was a bingo hall that was a cinema) and then return to the lively and interesting Churchfield Road to talk about and look in some of the shops. The second ever Waitrose was here (the first was in Acton High Street) and there are also some famous people connected with the area ( Adam Faith, Eric Ravilious and Lionel Bart)

ACTON North of Meet outside St Mary’s Church, Acton’s oldest to CENTRAL Churchfield explore the market area and roads that were Road once paths across fields, now given names of trees and famous poets. Finding hidden green gems and a new plaque commemorating a brave soldier!

EALING Around the Starting at the station, seeing local houses and COMMON Common shops of interest including ‘Eyes on The Common’, colourful Mo’s Fishmonger and the 1st Nando’s in the UK, then exploring roads north of the Common to see The Iron Duke and Father Maximilian Kolbe House. Then cross to look at the pretty houses along North Common Rd and see Metanoya, St Martin’s Church and the female tennis champion’s house to finish at the Sir Michael Balcon.

EALING A Polish bit Starting at the station again but this time going COMMON into Leopold Road. YMCA. We will talk about the Polish people in Ealing and what made them settle here while making our way to the PUMST, a research and academic institution, which contains historical material on the Polish Underground State (the Underground Administration and the Polish Home Army - Armia Krajowa) during the Second World War. Several generations of volunteers have been working on the archival material relating to the history of the Polish Underground State and making it accessible to the general public. Then exploring some of , look at the Ealing Riding School and talk about the area’s history

EALING Ealing Walk left of Ealing Common Station, cross the COMMON Common’s North Circular Road and then continue across the secrets common talking about its distant and recent history. Then the little playground, disinfecting apparatus, a South African style house and the Spencer Percival Memorial Church. Finish at the Grange pub.

EALING North of South Walk north from the station to St Mary’s Church, COMMON Ealing Station the oldest in Ealing, looking at nearby shops and a gallery, then back south via the churchyard and a small street to the park opposite the station. This is the oldest part of Ealing so famous schools that were in the area, their teachers and students. Finishing at the station or a nearby café/wellness studio.

SOUTH ACTON North of the Meet at Ealing Common Station. Walk to Road Fordhook and Byron Roads then to St Martins Church and Twyford Avenue. We will see the house of Richard Titmuss, an important social scientist of the 1950’s and 1960’s, then walk to Twyford Crescent and The Elms, the oldest house in the area, followed by an ex-toy factory that made Winnie the Pooh to finish at a pub near Steyne Rd. SOUTH ACTON North of the Meet at Acton Town Station then walk north station towards The Avenue to visit a small park and see some green plaques in the adjoining roads. Turning into Road we will see Acton High School, Sybil Elgar School and mention the Armenian Centre. Then we will visit Woodlands Park and its Ice House (and see The Iranian Library), and finish up in the High Street where there is an Acton History Group plaque celebrating the very first Waitrose. We can decide to go for a drink at The George and Dragon Pub which would mean having a look at the adjacent W3 Gallery run by the ARTification!:-) SOUTH ACTON The changing Meet at Acton Town Station then we are off to South Acton see any remaining 2014 street art including the Estate unique Mosaic Sofa, and the current ones, like The Oak Tree mosaic. We will discuss the regeneration project of South Acton Estate, visit the Acton Gardens Suite, look at old and new and talk about different communities and changes. To finish up we could have a drink at the Working Men’s Club if it is still there. SOUTH ACTON Of Dragons and Meet at The George & Dragon Pub to explore the Oak Trees ward area south of The High Street starting with a visit to the W3 Gallery and talking about the arty community projects old and new. Then go right past the Japan Letting Agency and Paddy Power and turn

right into Church Rd towards the Avenue taking in the

Baptist Church, ethnic cafes, Labour Party premises, An-Noor Mosque and new developments. Turn left and left again into Oldham Terrace to enter the High Street by the Acton Mosque and The to turn right again into Berrymead Gardens and talk about the Berrymead House, go to the Ukrainian Church. Then back into the High Street up Winchester Rd to look at the closed down Passmore-founded Library and the Old Town Hall being revamped. Pass by the new library and sports centre and take in the

big oak tree and the birds hidden in it across the road

to finish at The West Trade Union Club.

SOUTHFIELD Meet at Park Station to see the Pure Triangle Barberism shop, visit the (an imaginative nature reserve on old in-between railway land) and then see the Mozaic House of Carrie Reichardt. We will then walk towards her studio in Acton Lane and finish at the Sparrow Café or a pub founded by a Zulu taxi driver.

EAST ACTON From Acton Central Station (worth a visit itself) Green and to St Dunstan’s Church and East Acton Green. Acton Park Then south to Goldsmith’s Almshouses and through the park to ‘Acton Bottom’ which is now Acton Vale where we have Lebanese or Polish cafes to choose from. EAST ACTON Around St Meet at St Gabriel’s Church for a visit and to hear Gabriel’s Church about its history and the area it serves. Take a walk of the area and finish at one of the local cafes. West Ealing From West Ealing station to Felix Road /north of the (Depository, crystals shop, house with clock) Uxbridge Road along Green Man passage to Magistrates Court, then Green Man Estate and recent changes, new mosque, Chignall Place (Huntleys) finish back at the Orchard Café. ELTHORNE Cemeteries and Meet outside St Josephs in , then St churches Mellitus (if open) and then the two cemeteries (Kensington, then ) finishing in an Uxbridge Road café. ELTHORNE Conolly Dean South from Hanwell Station to Conolly Dean then into the park to see the viaduct and follow the nature reserve to the Uxbridge Road. Then back into the roads around Station Road and some interesting shops and then along to the library. ELTHORNE The canal and Start at the Clock Tower in Hanwell. Down the park Wellington Road then into Old Hanwell to the Fox pub and a canal walk towards . Then left into the park and a possible visit to St Thomas’ Church.