The Temple seen from across the Round Pond
Rose basket beds
The Orangery
The Temple seen from across the Round Pond
Rose basket beds
The Orangery
Gunnersbury Park lies between Brentford and Ealing, West London. It lies beside the M4 motorway's elevated London section, which passes by the south of the park. On its east it is bordered by Gunnersbury Avenue (the A406 North Circular Road), on the north side by Popes Lane, W4, and on the west side by Lionel Road North.
Gunnersbury Park is based on the former home of the Rothschild family. Apart from the original houses and other structures, the estate contains several gardens, a number of old and unusual trees, and two fair sized ponds.The houses stand in the north of the park. Good views to the south can be had from the terraces on the south of the houses; these views used to extend over the Thames Valley into Surrey.
The Round Pond, with the Temple on one side of it, is a commonly seen image of Gunnersbury Park. This pond is a little way to the northwest of the houses.There are several gardens in the vicinity of the houses. The most interesting is the collection of beds called the 'rose basket beds'. Each of these consists of ordinary roses and climbing roses shaped within ivy parterres to look like baskets. There are numerous other borders, rockeries, and other features, mostly in poor condition.
Belts of trees line the park boundaries. In the south this extends to some belts of woodland. There is a considerable collection of interesting trees in the park, though this is not adequately labelled or presented. The south of the park is adjacent to the M4 motorway, and the east to the A406 North Circular Road. There is a lot of planting on these edges of the park, to help minimise the noise.In this south there is also the Potomac Lake, a semi-wild lake used for fishing.
Unfortunately the upkeep of the grounds is of a rather poor standard at present.To the north east of the park are the surviving houses; the Small Mansion (sometimes called Gunnersbury Mansion) and the Large Mansion (sometimes called Gunnersbury Park). The Large Mansion now serves as a museum. Both these houses look to the south, for the excellent views that were originally available in that direction. Some of the views are now masked by trees in the park.
Both houses are in a rather poor state today, both of interior and exterior repair.There are also some smaller structures nearby, which are also in need of work. The Temple dates from the 18th century. The Bath House and the Orangery are from the early 19th century. The Temple and the Orangery regularly feature as architectural items in the park. The Orangery is hired out for events, in spite of its somewhat overgrown condition, such as the ivy growing up internal walls.
Gunnersbury Park has two playgrounds.
The park has a putting green course in its centre. To its north are the bowling green, car park, and a working area now occupied partly by a college, teaching horticulture and related topics. Football and other sports pitches occupy the east of the park. There are a number of tennis courts.A number of events are held in the park each year. These include the London Mela in August.
The Orangery and some of the other buildings may be hired out for specific events. A scenic walk can be taken around the perimeter of the park, mostly under tree cover.A significant house stood on the site from the middle of the 17th century. In the middle of the 18th century, this original Gunnersbury House was occupied by Princess Amelia (daughter of George II), who had much of the grounds landscaped. The estate was split, then united again, and it eventually ended up in the hands of the Rothschilds, in 1835. By this time, the modern Large and Small Mansions had been built.
In the 1920's, the Rothschild family sold the land to the local councils on condition that they used it for parkland. The estate was opened as a public park in 1926.The museum is worth a visit for local history interest. The gardens in the nearby area is maintained, though this upkeep is to a fairly low standard, even by the standards of local authorities today. In general the park, the buildings, and facilities are suffering from a long term lack of investment, as well as some noticeable neglect in their maintenance. The poor condition of the park is sometimes blamed on its joint ownership by two councils (Hounslow and Ealing). There is a review being undertaken as to the future management of the park.
Although it is bordered by the borough of Ealing, the park is entirely within the borough of Hounslow. It is managed by Hounslow's Leisure and Cultural services trust, CIP.