Inventory Site Record

Hanworth was once a royal hunting park of Henry VII with a lodge adjacent to the parish church, and was popular with later monarchs including Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. The estate was acquired in 1828 by Henry Perkins who built Hanworth Park House on part of the land. In 1917 it became a private aerodrome, later opening in 1929 as the London Air Park where a number of flying clubs were based, Hanworth Park House becoming the club house in 1935. In 1956 the grounds of Hanworth Park House and the airfield were purchased jointly by Middlesex County Council and Feltham UDC and the park opened to the public in 1959.

Previous / Other name:

London Air Park

Site location:

Hounslow Road/Park Road/Elmwood Avenue/Castle Way

Postcode:

TW13

What 3 Words:

commented.exile.vibe

Type of site:

Public Park

Borough:

Hounslow

Open to public?

Yes

Opening times:

8am - dusk

Special conditions:

Facilities:

playground, cricket, rugby and football pitches

Events:

Public transport:

Rail: Feltham then bus. Bus: 285, 490, 726, H25

Citymapper    
Google Map    
streetmap.co.uk

Research updated:

01/11/2005

Last minor changes:

19/07/2023

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.hounslow.gov.uk

The land was once part of Henry VII's hunting grounds with a lodge, Hanworth House or Manor, located adjacent to the parish church of St George (q.v.). The park was a popular haunt of Henry VIII who gave it to Anne Boleyn in 1532 and then to Katherine Parr, who lived here after the King's death with her fourth husband Sir Thomas Seymour, Lord Admiral. Princess Elizabeth lived here, during which time Lady Jane Grey also stayed. In 1588 the manor was granted to Anne, Duchess of Somerset for her lifetime, and Queen Elizabeth I visited in 1600 and hunted here. In 1627 it was owned by Lord Cottingham, and Queen Henrietta and her court visited in 1635, but it was confiscated during the Civil War, eventually passing to Admiral Lord Vere Beauclerk, a grandson of Charles II and Nell Gwynne. Hanworth House burnt down in 1797, part of the coach houses remaining on Castle Way have now been converted to flats as Tudor Court (q.v.).

The estate was acquired in 1828 by Henry Perkins, a brewer, who built Hanworth Park House on part of the grounds. In 1917 J A Whitehead opened a private aerodrome here, at which time the Longford River, constructed in the 1630s to bring water to Hampton Court Palace and which flowed through the park, was culverted underground in order to accommodate the aerodrome. During WWI it was an Aircraft Acceptance Park but the aerodrome closed after the war. In 1929 it was revived and opened as the London Air Park and a number of flying clubs were based here, Hanworth Park House becoming the club house in 1935. Annual air displays during the 1930s attracted huge crowds, and the Graf Zeppelin landed here in 1932. In 1938/9 London Air Park Flying Club joined the Civil Air Guard, a government scheme set up to encourage an interest in flying and giving free training to young men not affiliated to any military body, with the agreement that members of the flying club would be available for call up into the RAF in the event of war. After WWII, the aerodrome ceased operating in 1946 due to its proximity to the new Heathrow Airport. The grounds of Hanworth Park House and the airfield, an area of c.150 acres, were purchased jointly by Middlesex County Council and Feltham UDC in 1956 and the park was opened to the public in 1959, largely laid out for recreational purposes including a swimming bath.

Hanworth Park House remains within the public park, surrounded by woodland with some very large trees including cedar of Lebanon, oak, horse chestnut and a group of false acacia, but is not publicly accessible. It was used for an old people's home but by 2006 it was no longer occupied. Hanworth Park House has since been purchased by a private owner who is seeking to save the historic house (see https://www.hanworthparkhouse.london/).

Sources consulted:

Ben Weinreb & Christopher Hibbert, 'The London Encyclopaedia' (Macmillan, revised ed. 1993); Bridget Cherry and Nikolaus Pevsner, 'The Buildings of England London 3: North West' (Penguin, 1999 edition); Sir Clifford Radcliffe 'Middlesex', Evan Brothers Ltd, (c.1950); Robin Brooks 'Thames Valley Airfields in the Second World War: Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Middlesex', Countryside Books; Feltham Guide, c.1960; David Pape, 'Nature Conservation in Hounslow' Ecology Handbook 15, London Ecology Unit, 1990. https://www.hanworthparkhouse.london/

Grid ref:

TQ113724 (511497,172160)

Size in hectares:

52.61

Site ownership:

LB Hounslow

Site management:

John Laing Integrated Services; Friends Group

Date(s):

C16th, 1959

Designer(s):

Listed structures:

LBII: Hanworth Park House

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 Data

The information below is taken from the relevant Local Authority's planning legislation, which was correct at the time of research but may have been amended in the interim. Please check with the Local Authority for latest planning information.

On Local List:

No

In Conservation Area:

Yes

Conservation Area name:

Hanworth Park (south only)

Tree Preservation Order:

No

Nature Conservation Area:

Yes - Borough Importance II

Green Belt:

Yes

Metropolitan Open Land:

No

Special Policy Area:

Yes - SRB

Other LA designation:

Borough Park