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Chiswick Village

This is a slight departure from the thread which is discussing the deplorable habit of those who make the scurrilous claim that parts of Brentford are actually in Kew. Please bear with me, I'll eventually get to the punch line. The real Chiswick Village is a discrete area of flats on a site which is sandwiched between Oxford Road South and the railway line between Kew Bridge and Chiswick. Between about 1935 and 1937 Chiswick Village was built as a single development of about 280 flats in blocks of 4-6 storeys. These flats were described at the time as "luxurious" with "central heating and constant hot water", lifts, and a shared swimming pool, bowling green and tennis courts. Some or all of the flats even had a refrigerator in the kitchen.The village was built on land which was originally a short length of railway line which was called the Chiswick Curve (not to be confused with the tallish twin towers that have been proposed at Chiswick Roundabout). The Chiswick Curve connected the line between Kew Bridge and Chiswick to what is now known as Gunnersbury Station which was then a stop for trains running all the way from Hounslow, via Brentford, to Turnham Green and beyond. The Chiswick Curve was closed in 1932 and the tracks were taken up.Gunnersbury railway station was opened by the London and South Western Railway in 1869 when it was called Brentford Road. Perhaps for parochial and now familiar reasons that name didn't last long and the station was renamed Gunnersbury in 1871.

Jim Storrar ● 3016d5 Comments

"These flats were described at the time as "luxurious" with "central heating and constant hot water","We lived in Chiswick Village for a couple of years in the late  eighties and the constant hot water was indeed a big bonus as was the working fireplace. Not too many flats had fireplaces in those days. Most had been boarded over or had a hideous heater installed. No swimming pool when we were there though.

Steve Taylor ● 3015d

Hi Guy,I fear that the swimming pool has now gone and I believe that the same applies to the bowling green and tennis courts. This must mean a long trek for residents to the Fountain Leisure Centre or to Edensor Road.However the collection of Art Deco blocks of flats - Beverley Court, Belgrave Court and Beaumont Court - on the junction of  Wellesley Road and Sutton Lane North still has a heated outdoor swimming pool.

Jim Storrar ● 3015d

Fascinating Jim. I lived 200M from Chiswick Village for 20 years but was not aware of a lot of that. Does it still have a swimming pool, bowling Green and tennis courts? I suppose it's too much to expect refrigerators in the kitchens.One of the two gate lodges was featured in a Sarah Beeny makeover programme about 15 years ago. From memory the owners ignored most of her advice and came up with an exceedingly 'brave' design which was on the market for many months.

Guy Lambert ● 3015d

Hi Pat, so far as I know there is no direct connection between Ealing Village and Chiswick Village although they have several features in common. Ealing Village was built in about 1934 - 1936 and the flats came with the use of a clubhouse and games room, swimming pool ("The Lido") and tennis court, bowling green and croquet lawn. As at Chiswick Village, the flats at Ealing Village were built for rent with the freehold remaining in the hands of a landlord. In more recent years the residents of each village got together to buy out the freeholds.I believe that when Ealing Village was built it was modelled on similar estates in Hollywood and it was hoped that it would attract film stars from Ealing Studios. In recent times, Ealing Village has been home to international models, television presenters and a cabinet minister (I don't know which one). In the 1960s Ealing Village had a reputation for all sorts of saucy goings-on but, like a lot of things in the 1960s, I missed out on any of that.Another vaguely similar, but earlier, development was that at Brentham Garden Suburb, about a mile north of Ealing Village. This was the first garden suburb to be built on the principles of co-partnership, so that residents could buy shares in their homes. The Labour, Co-operative, Arts and Crafts, and Garden City movements were all important in the development of Brentham.  It was built in stages between 1901 and 1936.

Jim Storrar ● 3015d

Thanks Jim that was very interesting.  Is there a connection between the estate known as Ealing Village?

Pat Kingham ● 3015d