West Twyford (also known as Twyford Abbey)[1] is a small residential area forming a northeastern corner of the London Borough of Ealing directly northeast of Hanger Lane station and north of Park Royal, south of the London Borough of Brent and the River Brent. It was historically an extra-parochial area, then civil parish (1866-1926), in Middlesex, England.[2]
Extent
editTraditionally defined as 281 acres (1.14 km2), it is today by common consensus smaller, bounded by the Hanger Lane gyratory to the west, the A406 North Circular and the River Brent to the north, Park Royal to the south and Harlesden to the east.[3][4]
The long circular road Lakeside Drive in the south is historically part, a contemporaneous section of Park Royal reinforced by being in that part in the London Borough of Brent. The Borough of Ealing has west London postcodes save for the NW postcode of West Twyford shared with its neighbours including North Acton and Park Royal.
History
edit
The area now known as West Twyford began as a manor house[5] in the thirteenth century. A small community built up to the west around St Mary's Church which had originally been a chapel belonging to the manor house. The house was rebuilt from 1807 and renamed as Twyford Abbey, despite not housing any religious order. In 1902 the Alexian Order took over the manor house as a nursing home. The brothers ran short of funds in 1988 and joined another part of their order in Manchester.[6]
The house, which is a Grade II listed building,[7] now lies derelict.[8] Various applications for planning permission have been made but not granted. The best view of this beautiful building is from next to St Mary's Church in the wintertime.
The name Twyford relates to Twyford Brook. The brook now runs almost entirely underground. It formerly fed the Guinness brewery in Park Royal.[citation needed] The word itself 'Twyford' is said to mean 'Two Fords'. [citation needed]
The area became a civil parish under the Extra-Parochial Places Act 1857 (20 Vict. c. 19) and formed part of Greenford Urban District from 1894. In 1901 it occupied an area of 281 acres (1.14 km2) and had a population of 97.[2] When the urban district was abolished in 1926 the parish was transferred to the Municipal Borough of Ealing. Then in 1934 it was transferred to the Municipal Borough of Willesden.[2] The area now forms part of Greater London.
Much of the housing on Twyford Abbey Road was originally built by Guinness in order to house employees working in at the brewery in Park Royal.[citation needed] Abbeyfields Close is one such residential development, built in 1984 around a series of communal gardens, on land formerly owned by Guinness.
The parish of St Mary's[9] was combined with the parish of the Church of the Ascension in neighbouring Hanger Hill. In the 1950s the chapel of St Mary's was extended with a new large church building, which later fell into disrepair and disuse, due to safety issues. In 2010 the new church was totally renovated to become a community hall and the original chapel was re-dedicated to St Mary to become the church again. The church itself is quite tiny, having originally been the chapel of Twyford Abbey, located just behind. St Mary's churchyard contains one of the oldest headstones in Middlesex.[citation needed]
Transport
editBus route 226 runs through Twyford Abbey Road towards Ealing Central and Golders Green (via Harlesden). Routes 83, 95 and 112 also stop nearby on the Hanger Lane Gyratory and the A406 North Circular Road, respectively. These buses run towards Ealing Hospital (via Ealing Broadway), Shepherd's Bush, Southall and Brent Cross, as well as Golders Green (via Wembley).
West Twyford is close to two London Underground stations:
Amenities
editWest Twyford is well served for groceries, banking, post office and health services at the nearby 'Park Royal Neighbourhood Centre' where there is also a Lebanese Restaurant, a Spice Shack restaurant and Subway cafe. A new building is going up at the moment on Acton Lane next to the Central Middlesex Hospital which will have retail and restaurant space on the ground floor.[citation needed]
The Royale Leisure Park in Park Royal, is situated immediately to the south of the A40 and West Twyford and accessed by the underpass by Park Royal tube station. The Boden flagship store is located next to Park Royal Tube station.[citation needed]
Education
editWest Twyford Primary School caters for children from 3 to 11 years old.[10]
Sport and Leisure
editWest Twyford Park was formerly called Bodiam Fields, after the area of the same name in Sussex, where hops were grown for the Guinness brewery.[citation needed] There are plans for improvements to West Twyford Park as well as new lakeside walks and cycle paths nearby. [when?] The Grand Union Canal runs through West Twyford and provides level pathways alongside for walking a running. It is a short walk along the canalside to the Grand Junction Pub, which has much outdoor seating alongside the canal. The pathway continues to Little Venice and Paddington.
Culture and community
editThere are a number of active community projects in West Twyford, including the 'West Twyford Community and Youth' project and 'West Twyford Children’s Centre'. The latter provides a range of services and activities, including mother and toddler groups, health services, daycare, before and after school clubs, Women into Work and English classes.[citation needed]
St Mary’s Church Community Hall, on Brentmead Gardens provides a range of activities for local people.
Future
editWest Twyford will soon benefit from a new public plaza with shops, cafes, a restaurant and health and fitness club. There will also be new public play, games and fitness areas in West Twyford Park.[11][when?] There will be an improved pedestrian/cycle route from West Twyford to Park Royal Underground station, and the station itself is also due to be improved. The public park, walkways two children's playgrounds plus a new games court are now completed, however the plaza seems to be on hold for the time being.[when?]
Flats in the Royal Waterside development (Bodiam Court and Abbey Court) are due to be finished from summer 2015.
In the Mayor's plans for the Park Royal Opportunity Area, it says that one of their objectives is to obtain public access to the grounds of Twyford Abbey heritage site.[12]
References
edit- ^ Vision of Britain - West Twyford (historic map)
- ^ a b c West Twyford: Introduction, A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 7: Acton, Chiswick, Ealing and Brentford, West Twyford, Willesden (1982). Date accessed: 7 January 2008.
- ^ http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10071227 - relationship and changes - 1 Oct 1926 was abolished to enlarge Ealing St Mary Civil/Ancient Parish by 281 acres.
- ^ "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- ^ "The decline and fall of Twyford Abbey". Mathew Lyons. 9 January 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ "Twyford Abbey". Londongardensonline.org.uk. Archived from the original on 29 December 2018.
- ^ Twyford Abbey at Historic England
- ^ "Notes on Twyford Abbey at Gathering Dust". Gathering Dust. Archived from the original on 9 January 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2016.]
- ^ "West Twyford: Church | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- ^ "West Twyford Primary School". www.west-twyford.ealing.sch.uk. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
- ^ "First Central Park Royal". Archived from the original on 31 October 2013.
- ^ "Park Royal Document" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2015.