From Overgrown Verge to Garden!

This is the story of a successful campaign to save a much-loved public garden………for the time being.

 

Two years ago a thin, grassy, brambly scrap of land beside a busy London road became the focus of enthusiastic volunteer gardeners.  Over the course of several autumn days 10,000 bulbs were planted, overgrowth was hacked back and paths were mown.  Those of us who live nearby discovered that the work was overseen by Abundance London.  This admirable community organisation (with charitable aims) transforms unloved public spaces into pleasure grounds full of flowers, fruit, trees and art.

 

The long, thin piece of land was named Beaconsfield Gardens after the 1970s Beaconsfield housing estate  which is on the other side of  the road.   Before the red-brick estate was built, the Victorian buildings (mostly terraced houses on either side of the road) were demolished and the straight road was curved to give the Beaconsfield Estate a car park.  This narrowed Beaconsfield Gardens to a wide green road verge.  

 

Historic Area

An interesting thought is that only a hundred yards to the south is Acton Green Common, part of the historic site of the battle of Turnham Green in 1642.  Inevitably the land of Beaconsfield Gardens would have been trampled by the Parliamentarians as they pursued the Royalists northwards.

 

Since 2022 Beaconsfield Gardens has bloomed.  Early spring sees golden daffodils,  blue scylla and forget me knots.  In summer the long grasses wave with wildflowers such as ox-eye daisies and purple knapweed. For local residents walking down to do their shopping in Chiswick High Road it has been a pleasure to step away from the pavement and meander down mown pathways instead.

 

The Threat!

This spring, however, we received a jolt.  A nearby resident noticed a man spraying lines onto the ground of the Gardens.  When asked what he was doing he replied that he was a surveyor marking out a possible site for a tall telecoms aerial and its ugly accompanying metal cabinets.   This was alarming.  

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Planning rules for 5G masts in England as of April 2022 state that new ground-based mobile masts up to 30 metres in non-protected areas and up to 25 metres in protected areas (such as conservation areas and national parks) are permitted.  But regardless of whether planning permission is required, operators need to obtain agreement from the landowner to build mobile masts on private land and operators have to notify Local Planning Authorities.

 

A phone call to a planning officer at Ealing Council discovered that an operator had previously made an application for approval for an aerial on Beaconsfield Gardens but had been rebuffed.   The verdict was that the tall aerial and cabinets would be an eyesore and out of keeping with the attractive green landscape. The planning officer - who described Beaconsfield Gardens as one of Ealing’s “pocket parks” - said he thought it unlikely that a similar future application would be approved.

 

However, local residents and Abundance London were not completely convinced. They still felt that the Gardens might still be a risk of losing all their hard work.  They decided that a major celebration of the Gardens would alert more people to its existence and celebrate its transformation.  Flyers were delivered throughout the neighbouring streets with promises of free tea and cake and children’s face painting.  

 

On a sunny Saturday in March when the Gardens were cheerful with daffodils crowds of people turned up.  Tables loaded with cakes had been laid along the paths and neighbours chatted happily with each other.  Throngs of dogs wagged tails at knee-height.  Ealing’s popular MP, Rupa Huq was there as well as Councillor Hitesh Tailor, Mayor of Ealing, looking resplendent in his gold mayoral chain.

 

Memories were aired.  We heard that many years ago a working pony had spent its leisure hours tethered in the Gardens grazing grass.  Elderly residents talked about the surrounding neighbourhood of south Acton as being called Soapsud Island, the place where West London’s washing was done.  In 1900 there were more than 600 laundries in the streets nearby, most of them owned and managed by women - an army of Amazons - who employed other women.  

 

The area is no longer a working-class neighbourhood - many posh residents claim that they live in Chiswick rather than Acton - but the shells of laundries remain as rectangular brick buildings slotted into the Victorian terracing.

 

Afterwards it was agreed that the day’s celebration of the Gardens had been very successful.  Not only had many people walked into the gardens for the first time but they had made friends, basked in the spring sunshine and vowed to return again.  All we can hope is that Beaconsfield Gardens will continue to flourish and enjoy the strengthened protection that Abundance London, vigilant neighbours and publicity can provide.

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Why visit?

A great example of community working together to create a lovely garden environment. Attractive mown paths through long grasses and flowers, and in spring a wonderful display of daffodils!

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Getting There

Beaconsfield Gardens, Acton W4

Tube:     Short walk from Turnham Green and Chiswick Park 

Bus:       E3, 110,94,272

By Car:  Limited meter parking

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