Ravenscourt Park West Hammersmith

 

 

The Stamford Brook fed a moat that surrounded the manor and there is a lake today in the middle of the park that was part of the moat that originally surrounded the manor. An interesting bit of history is that this manor once was home to the mistress of King Edward III, Alice Perrers. She lived in the manor during the 14^th century. The years passed by and the manor house needed repairs so it was rebuilt in 1650 and then again approximately 100 years later in 1747 when it was sold to Thomas Corbett. It was this gentleman who chose the name Ravenscourt Park for the area. It is believed his coat of arms, which contained a raven, was the basis for the name of the park.

 

The home was sold again in 1812, this time for the last time, to George Scott. This gentleman was a philanthropist and builder who also played an important role in developing St. Peter’s Square which is nearby. Humphrey Repton was the landscaper employed by Scott to assist with the estate’s gardens, which included building houses along the parks perimeter. In fact, a park plan dating back to 1830 showed plans for 78 houses in the park however that number had increased significantly to 330 by 1845. The house at Ravenscourt was practically destroyed in 1941 during World War II by incendiary bombs and today the stable block is all that is left. The stable block is home to the café that today sits in the park.

 

 

It was believed the original houses to be built along the park were to be for working class individuals. This was considered a disaster in the making and petitions were made to try and prevent this from happening not to mention buy the property. This failed miserably although some of the residents of the area chose not to sell their rights to building in the park for any less then £1000. The owner of the property could not handle these high sums and as a result he lowered his asking price and sold the property for £58,000 to the Metropolitan Board of Works that kept the park from being turned into working class housing. The result of the area was a public park opened by the Metropolitan Board of Works that surrounded the house on 32 acres of land. The park was opened in 1888.

 

 

Knowing all this background information is important if you want to get a true appreciation for the park if you take a tour today. You will be truly able to appreciate the area and what it once was as well as what it is today. Today the park is part of the conservation area and there is also an Archaeological Priority Area. You can still see original planting in the park as you notice the cedar and plane trees.

 

You can reach Ravenscourt Park in west Hammersmith, west London, via the London Underground station. You will stop between the Hammersmith and Stamford Brook stations. The Ravenscourt Park station is between Dalling Road and Ravenscourt Rod and is on Travelcard Zone 2.

When you are traveling in West London make sure you make time for a visit to Ravenscourt Park. It really is a wonderful way to enjoy the day with your family or even by yourself. Explore, take in the beauty, and just allow yourself to steep in the history of the place and imagine all that has happened and taken place over the last several hundred years. When you do that you will not only enjoy the day but you will also learn a little bit about the area. It’s great too that you can just hop on the tube and make your way out to Ravenscourt Park so you won’t have to worry about renting a car and directions.

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