Park of the week

218. Dean Gardens

Dean Gardens, in West Ealing, is a small green space the midst of the bustle of the busy Uxbridge Road. It has stretches of grass, some old trees, a playground, outdoor gym, fitness equipment and basketball and games areas.

At one point the area was named Ealing Dean and the area where the gardens are used to be part of Ealing Dean Common. In the past the Gardens were also known as Jackass Common because Ealing Dean's principal claim to fame in the 1800s was its pony and donkey races as part of the annual Ealing Fair. These races ended in 1880 when the local council forbade them, following complaints that it encouraged vice and moral laxity. Until about a hundred years ago this area was mainly market gardens and orchards with the Uxbridge Road being a busy 19th Century stagecoach route. 

In 1832 part of the common was divided into allotment gardens and given to the poor by the Bishop of London, who owned the land. In 1909, at the instigation of local residents, Ealing Town Council agreed to convert an area fronting Uxbridge Road into pleasure gardens, for which allotment tenants received compensation. By 1910-11 the new park had been laid out with ornamental trees and shrubs, a perimeter path with seating and a number of beds. 
1927 the park was described by Mrs Jackson, author of 'The Annals of Ealing' as a 'gay little garden.. with its pleasant seats, is a rest and refreshment of age and weariness, but it is even a greater boon to the laughing little ones, who make it a fascinating nursery, safe from the traffic.’

In the park is a rain garden. This is an area of low, dished ground that collects rainwater in winter months, but which dries out in summer, planted as a wildlife friendly meadow of native plants and nectar rich flowers. The rain garden provides a home for butterflies, bees, birds and amphibians. Shallow waters provide a place for thirsty animals and insects, and a bathing place for birds. 

Judith Field

Dean Gardens, Broadway, London W13 9LX