Hanwell parks

Where is it?

King George V Playing Field, formerly known as Poors Piece is located in Hanwell, with entrances on the Lower Boston Manor Road (step free access), St Mark’s Road and Bostonthorpe Road.

Getting there

• bus: The 195 and E8 buses stop outside the park and travel up and down the Boston Manor Road on a frequent basis
• train: Boston Manor Station (Piccadilly line). Turn right out of the station and walk 1.5 miles straight up Boston Manor Road until you reach the park on the left. Or Hanwell Rail station is just 0.6 miles from the park
• parking: the main road for the area is Boston Manor Road (Upper and Lower) with good access from the Uxbridge Road, A4 and the A40. The surrounding roads provide free parking

Facilities

• natural play area
• seating
• grass area

About the park

King George V Playing Field, located in old Hanwell, is an acre of land which has a nature-themed children's area, a small grass area for games, and a shaded seating spot, showcasing modern park design and community effort.

Brief history of site

Before 1800, there are few records of what is now King George V Playing Field, but in 1484, William Hobbayne left the land to the parish of St Marys for vaccines, homes, and education for the poor. Though Hobbayne is remembered through various local charities and landmarks, little is known about him. The area was mainly agricultural, worked by local settlers, and was called Tickill on a 1680 map. Saxon graves from the 6th century were found nearby, indicating the area might have been a Saxon settlement, and geologically, it's part of the London Basin.

In 1816, Hanwell parish land was enclosed, with only about 1.25 acres reserved for the poor. This area, known as Poor's Piece, appears on maps from as early as 1850.

The park was created after King George V's death in January 1936. A committee led by the Lord Mayor of London decided to commemorate him by establishing the King George’s Fields Foundation in November 1936, promoting playing fields for children's development.

King George's Field was opened as a recreation ground on 22 May 1951 by the Chairman of Ealing Parks Committee, and was known by local children as 'Sand Park'. The Borough Council received £300 from the Foundation for the 1.25-acre site. The gate piers on St Mark's Road have heraldic stone plaques commemorating the funding from King George's Fields Foundation.

Originally, King George's Field was a small garden with shrubs, wooden railings, paving, tarmac, and several seats. Beyond the garden, there was a lawn with a curved path leading to a playground, surrounded by trees and shrubs.

The park's current form is due to extensive remodeling of the northern section in late 2012, following the replacement of the playground area in early 2010. Before these changes, the park had remained largely the same since it opened in 1951.

Wildlife value 

The park is a newly designed landscape but aspects have been designed to replicate natural features, including mostly native species of trees and grass mixes. Although of limited conservation value, the green space acts as a haven for wildlife and a stopover between larger, more biodiverse sites like Elthorne.