Forum Topic

Areas liable to flooding

Which areas of Ealing Borough are in danger of possible flooding? Which areas have been flodded in the past? There's some standing water in Walpole Park - should we be worried?

Gerry Tan ● 4874d12 Comments

The wonderful St. Alban's church on Chiswick Green used to be called  'The Soapsud Cathedral'. I looked at the history when my son took photographs of the interior. It used to have Sunday congregations of over 600. Sadly it fell into decline and was declared 'redundant' about ten years ago.

Nigel Brooks ● 4872d

Re  Is this correct?        xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    partially Jean. I knew an old gentleman for several  years who was a long term  inhabitant of Ealing ( St. Leonards Road ) and who was the most knowledgeable person I have ever met, I spent hours  listening to his life's stories. He told me Acton had so many laundries as there were underground streams  and which ran through graveyards with  the water picking up something from the bones en route which made the water very soft. He  had worked in an aircraft  factory ( Napiers ) in Acton which had underground  testing beds and when the jet engines were  started up, the whole of Acton vibrated?.

Tony Price ● 4872d

Tony I know it was called soapsuds island or something and I believe that many streams all ran into one.Is this correct?

Jean F Fernandez ● 4872d

do you know why Acton used to have so many laundries?.Yes because Acton had (or maybe still does have) unusually "soft" water.  This is why the area used to be known as Soap Sud City.  Last one closed in the late 70's, but that was before I was born.  Do you remember it?

Bernadette Clover ● 4872d

Re  Horn Lane in Acton was one of those areas where flooding took place in the past.                xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    do you know why Acton used to have so many laundries?.

Tony Price ● 4872d

Horn Lane in Acton was one of those areas where flooding took place in the past.It must have been really difficult for those people living in basements.Hopefully the new sewer works carried out by Thames Water will have taken care of this problem for the future.

Jean F Fernandez ● 4872d

They had to do comething because the poor people in Costons Avenue and adjacent roads were subject to 'routine' flooding as the Brent was used as an 'overflow' IIRC for the Welsh Harp reservoir.

Nigel Brooks ● 4873d

Re    measures were put in place in the 1980's to stop this from happening          xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  yes, that's right but let us not overlook we haven't had any serious rain recently like other parts of the country have been devastated by

Tony Price ● 4873d

Re  few 'pockets' at risk in the north of the borough.              xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx I seem to remember parts of Greenford used to flood, R Brent overflowing but haven't heard anything like that  for years?

Tony Price ● 4873d

Yep, and anyway, as of yesterday afternoon, the Brent was still several feet away from invading Pitshanger Park (where there are also many patches of standing water - most of them rather muddy as my retriever is most able to testify to having rolled in nearly every one of them - I had to dip him in the river just to clean him off!)

Tony Colliver ● 4873d

I think Walpole Park will be safe Gerry!! Sorry, but I had to chuckle at that!!The only area that I am aware of in the borough that gets flooded is Ealing Golf Club who are a designated flood plain and "take one for the team" in times of high water levels / heavy rain etc..I remember from my childhood that the River Brent used to flood part of the Ruislip and Arglye Roads in the Perivale / Hanwell and Greenford areas but measures were put in place in the 1980's to stop this from happening.

Bud Richards ● 4873d

The easiest way is to check the Environment Agency flood map.http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/31650.aspxMuch flood risk is contained but there are quite a few 'pockets' at risk in the north of the borough.In the main though there is no need to worry.

Nigel Brooks ● 4873d