Forum Topic

Horsenden Hill

Parts of the hill are remote, unsafe and non friendly for people to walk alone.It should be further developed in a way that it is accessible to children and adults in a more secure, supervised and visible way for everyone to feel happy and safe to visit the area.A xmas tree business does not have any of the above in my view.

Egli Nicolaidou ● 4084d23 Comments

Good post. One of my first memories of living in London in the late 70s/early 80s was tobogganing in the snow on Horsenden Hill. Magical. More recently I've played occasional golf at HHGC (my club is Perivale Park GC), so my experience is from the golfer's PoV. Played there a few weeks ago. The place was empty but the course was in excellent nick for a public course in winter. It's been going since the 1930s and has a nice friendly little clubhouse and bar. I think Ealing (and the two companies they've outsourced to run the place recently) don't have the nous nor the stomach to put a bit of TLC and hard work in to make it less un-viable and have given up on the place rather too easily.

Mike Paterson ● 4073d

Perhaps the scaremongers secretly suffer from a famous bare arse envy and would feel rather more satisfied praising the doubtful virtues of Hampstead Heath?On a more serious note, as mentioned earlier in this thread, developers would jump at a slightest chance to take over the eastern slopes of Horsenden Hill as they afford marvellous views of Central London, significantly better than the ones from Harrow-on-the-Hill with its multi-million pound apartment developments.Residents need to be aware that it is standard practice for unscrupulous companies to employ agents to use social media, such as this forum, to influence public opinion. Those who actually visit the hill regularly know that any suggestion of it being dangerous is utter nonsense. However, if Horsenden Hill is painted in a bad light with a suggestion that it therefore should be developed, then it could give Ealing Council ammunition to attempt to force through any such potential future development plans. This would result in a catastrophic loss of public amenity and natural wildlife habitat.

Tom Carroll ● 4074d

Glad to see the majority can see the nonsense in the unsafe scaremongering doom bringers. Its a wonderful space :O)

Tom Clifford ● 4075d

Unhelpful.

Albertina McNeill ● 4076d

Do you moon in February?

Graham Weeks ● 4077d

But Bertie, Horsenden Hill would'nt be the same without the odd bare arse on view.And goodness knows no arse is odder than mine.

Bob Little ● 4077d

Not 'Middlesex' butParish of enormous hayfieldsPerivale stood all alone,John Betjeman Middlesex From "A Few Late Chrysanthemums" (1954)There's a line of harbour lights at Perivale,John Betjeman Harrow-on-the-Hill From "A Few Late Chrysanthemums" (1954)

Graham Weeks ● 4079d

And it came as a surprise to me that the Meadow is, under Prince Charles' scheme, the Coronation Meadow for Greater London.http://coronationmeadows.org.uk/meadow/horsenden-west-perivale

Tim Henderson ● 4079d

Any park or open space requires vulnerable people such as children to be accompanied by adults. Don't put people off from coming to this wonderful open space by scaremongering.

Janet Folkson ● 4079d

Well said Albertina. We are so lucky to have this wonderful open space in Ealing.  I'm going to look up Betjeman's poem 'Middlesex' now.

Janet Folkson ● 4079d

Scaremongering - do you ever leave your home without an armed guard?

Albertina McNeill ● 4079d

yes indeed; maybe parts of the hill are still dangerously secluded for lone walkers.

Egli Nicolaidou ● 4079d

Nonsense. Horsenden Hill is no more dangerous than any other open space. Are you suggesting that we put footpaths and developments all over any green space in the UK? How about the Lake District? Shockingly dangerous. Yet it attracts thousands of visitors every year. As do substantial "remote, unsafe and non friendly" parts of Wales and Scotland. The golf course is already a "supervised and visible way for everyone to feel happy and safe to visit the area." The plans to close it have been long in the making, from the absence of promotion locally to the lack of investment compared to that provided for other courses in the borough. The tree farm is a red herring. Developers would kill for the view from the course and know that properties there will be worth a fortune. As for the comments on this thread about the sexual activity that goes on in and around the car park near the summit, there used to be a mounted police patrol which should be reinstated. Visitors who see it going on should call the police or the council. Horsenden Hill is one of the largest and highest open spaces in west London yet many residents of the borough are unaware of it. It is a bus/train ride away from central Ealing, accessible from Greenford and Sudbury Town stations, yet how many of you bother to visit it and how many of you commenting on this thread have put others off from doing so by suggesting that it is too dangerous? Is it any more unsavoury or unsafe than Ealing Broadway? What about West Ealing or Acton? How many of you are missing out on the ancient oaks and the meadows that Betjeman commented on in his poem "Middlesex"? The grazing project takes place between July and October and is a way of encouraging diversity and an attempt to find a less expensive way of keeping back the scrub. Some images of Horsenden Hill without a bare arse in any of them and a more genuine portrayal than many of those expressed here:https://greenford365.wordpress.com/2012/09/04/bales-of-hay-meadow-near-horsenden-hill/https://greenford365.wordpress.com/2012/10/14/twilight-berkeley-fields/https://greenford365.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/the-original-ballot-box-pub-horsenden-lane-north/https://greenford365.wordpress.com/2012/12/05/summit-horsenden-hill/https://greenford365.wordpress.com/2012/12/26/brabsden-green-horsenden-lane-north/https://greenford365.wordpress.com/2012/06/04/jubilee-beacon-horsenden-hill/https://greenford365.wordpress.com/2012/05/15/footbridge-grand-union-canal-at-horsenden-hill/https://greenford365.wordpress.com/2012/02/05/sledding-horsenden-hill/https://greenford365.wordpress.com/2012/06/27/jamizz-horsenden-hill-near-horsenden-wood/

Albertina McNeill ● 4079d

I agree with you Tom.  But then my visits have always been in the daylight hours and generally in good weather in the Summer months.  I guess it could be quite spooky at night.

Philip Coe ● 4080d

Oh dear, somehow I must have missed the proliferation of crime there for all the cyclists, canoeists and leisure boats along the canal, families enjoying picnics at the themed childrens' playground, and ramblers taking afternoon teas at the cafe there on a warm summer's afternoon. It all looked rather idyllic in my experience.

Tom Carroll ● 4080d

There have been cattle at times.

Graham Weeks ● 4081d

Didn't they open up part of the hill to grazing cattle (or sheep) ?

David Archer ● 4081d

Could be a really nice place but it is spoiled by some of the activities that some like to do. Went for a walk there with my girlfriend a few years back during the day and there were men disappearing behind every bloody bush.

Stephen Scott ● 4082d

The Golf Course will almost certainly close although the Xmas tree is not definite,but likely unless their is strong local opposition. This whole area is becoming devoid of any communal activity and unless something is done to stop this downturn Ealing council will turn the whole area into a residential wilderness.

Bob Little ● 4084d

It used to be a favourite spot years ago for people who wanted to torch their cars and claim the insurance.The Golf course is to close and the proposal is a Christmas tree farm.Story is on the front page but I heard this a couple of weeks ago at Perivale Golf Course.

Keith Iddon ● 4084d

I seem to remember a rape there, though it must have been many years ago.

Susan Kelly ● 4084d

Indeed it was; after some very unsavoury activities.

Nigel Brooks ● 4084d

The unsafe part was not remote but right by the gate and closed by the council over 20 years ago IIRC.

Graham Weeks ● 4084d