Photos of Northfield Allotments and the surrounding area through time
I have collected a lot of photos over the last few years, so in this collection I will concentrate on photos that include some part of the allotments. They are arranged by year. I have also coloured the photos using online software and photoshop editing. Although some people dislike the coloured versions, if you want to be authentic you can just edit them into black and white.
We obviously have no photos from 1832, but Ealing dean was a rural area at that time, with fields and hedgerows all around. I have selected a photo (below) from 1894 by J.B.Portway a local artist and photographer who lived in The Avenue, Ealing to give a feeling of what it would have been like in the 1830s. The image is called “The Road to Perivale” and shows fields, a roadside ditch, wooden fence and a traditional road surface features that a likely to be present in those early years.
1881 - Uxbridge road with allotments on the right. There are some interesting features in the photo. On the left side of the road, a new kerb and pavement surface has been completed with new trees while on the right there is a pile of stone/gravel and a basic path surface which looks a bit like mud, this most likely how the path looked in the earlier years of the allotments. The wooden structure on the right is a livestock pound. The path that cuts through the allotment is next to the pound and would have had a gate. There is a hedge on the right which would form the boundary of the allotments, with the ditch on the outside.
1907 Cottage hospital, Northfield lane. This photo shows the allotments in the background behind the horse and cart. All you can see is a dark looking hedge. The cottage hospital is on the left.
1910- Hanger Hill farm dairy courtesy Ealing history centre. This photo show the allotments in the far right there is a white gate at the top of the footpath which is now known as Radbourne walk. Most of the buildings still exist except the white glass structure which most likely originated from the former plant Nurseries of George Cannon and Before him George Weeden.
1913 -Northfield avenue. North field lane became Northfield avenue in around 1910. This photo is taken at the junction of Northfield avenue and mattock lane. It shows newly planted plane trees and the hedge that surrounds the allotments on both sides of Northfield avenue. The Hawthorn hedge which is believed to be planted at the creation of the allotments in 1832 can be seen with dense foliage.
1913 - Northfield avenue looking northwards - This image was taken at the same time as the above image and show Northfield avenue looking north from the junction of Leighton road and Northfield avenue. St. John's church can be seen behind some trees on the right.
1920 - St. John's Church fire. This photo shows the church after the fire on 8th Nov. 1920. As far as the allotment goes, this image is interesting because it shows the top of the Radbourne walk with the gate, and a wall of Dean villas. On the left can be seen some random looking hedge with what looks like topiary shapes on the privet hedge. One day i hope to find a better quality version of this image.
1928 - oblique aerial view of the top of the allotments. This image is a coloured version of a Black and white photo. There area top right of the east side by St. John's church looks uncultivated.
1960-61 Model cottages courtesy of Ealing Heritage centre - The decades after WW2 saw a decline in the use of the allotments. The next three photos show the allotments in a rather unloved state. In the early 1970s, the allotments on the west side of Northfield avenue were compulsory purchased by Ealing Council. The second image shows a metal railing which used to surround the allotment, we are unsure from what date they were installed but most likely 1890–1910, and we made by H.S. Timpson of 29 High street Ealing.
1963 - Northfield avenue courtesy of Ealing Heritage centre. The first image shows the avenue in winter, the hedge appears shorter than the 1913 images. The second image shows Northfield avenue at the junction with Occupation road, metal railings can be seen running along Occupation road. A black and white version has a close up of the railings
1965 -Northfield avenue at the junction of Leighton road with the allotments to the right.
1969 Ealing dean allotments - courtesy of Ealing Heritage centre. This is an image from inside the allotments towards Mattock Lane. It shows an old shed, some cold frames all made from recycled materials
