Some Brief Points Of Interest
The Old Grange
The first house on the site was built in the late 18th Century. In the 1890s this was replaced by “The Grange”, a large mansion inhabited by the Daw family.
This survived bomb damage during the blitz.
Building The Estate
Work started on the Estate in 1963, with Wates eventually building two ten-storey tower blocks, and 78 houses, to designs by architect Kenneth Bland.
The Grange mansion was eventually demolished, leaving a distinctive mid-century housing estate with both character and community.
The Estate Today
The distinctive character of The Grange Estate has been retained for almost sixty years. Many interested parties work together to continue that preservation.
The Grange Residents Company (“The Company”) is one such party, as is Ealing Council, which has classified the estate as a conservation area.
Estate Geography
The estate is bound to the south by St Stephens Road, to the east by Castlebar Road, to the north by Castlebar Hill, and to the west by Edgehill Road. Not every house within these bounds is part of the Grange Estate, but all of the Estate’s homes do lie within this rough rectangle of roads.
There are three groups of houses with a recognisable, distinctive 1960s style, clustered around three unconnected streets: The Knoll, Heronsforde and Lakeside. There are also two tower apartment blocks, The Grange and The Cedars.
A lake, well-stocked with fish and frequented by a range of ducks, geese, and other wildlife, lies at the centre of the estate. Around the lake, and connecting together the streets, there are extensive, well-tended grounds. Much of this is laid to grass, but there are flowers, shrubs and some well-established trees that predate all of the buildings you can see today.
There is a children’s playground just south of the lake, and a range of garages.
All of the above are exclusively for residents.
Life In The Grange Estate
The Company & Service Charges
Owners of properties in the estate are shareholders in the company, and they pay service charges twice a year. In return, the company oversees the maintenance and running of the estate, with a professional estate management company, Colin Bibra, handling the day-to-day affairs.
An AGM is held every year, to which all shareholders are invited. Covid has caused this year’s meeting to be delayed.
Details of the next AGM will be posted in the News section of this site.
The Gardeners
A major part of the service charge is spent on the upkeep of the extensive gardens.
A team of gardeners is engaged to look after the grounds and plants.
You’ll encounter the gardeners on-site every week.
The beauty of the estate is in no small measure down to their hard work.
Our Security And Privacy
Lakeside, The Knoll and Heronsforde are public rights of way, with roads and pavements maintained by Ealing council.
The grounds, however, are private property.
The company engages professional security to assist if anti-social behaviour, or trespassing, causes problems for residents.
Regular patrols are undertaken to check on the estate, and in addition security can be called out if an incident occurs.
Preserving The Estate
The Grange Estate is a well-preserved example of mid-1960s residential architecture. Its successful integration of modern homes with mature trees and generous landscaping has produced a desirable place in which to live.
This historic character of the estate is something the company, the council, and many of the residents wish to retain.
As a result, there are restrictions on development, re-building, and external changes to the homes within it.
The Trees
It is not just the buildings which are carefully protected from adverse development. In recognition of their value to the Conservation Area, all the mature trees on the Grange Estate are protected by Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) which prohibit work from being carried out without explicit council approval.
The company has therefore appointed a professional arboriculturalist to liaise with the council, to agree and arrange any necessary work, and thereby to ensure the health and safety of all the trees on our communal grounds.
Permission for work is not always granted!
The Conservation Area
Ealing Council has defined a conservation area that covers the Grange and Whiteledges areas, either side of St Stephens Road.
The council has extensive policies in place to maintain and preserve the area.
These cover a range of things to ensure the character and harmonious appearance of the estate are maintained.
Making Changes
Changes can be made, but agreement needs to be sought from the Grange Residents Company, and from Ealing Council.
It is for the council to determine whether full planning permission is needed. A planning application is almost certainly required for significant developments, but smaller works may be agreed quickly, with a simple questionnaire.
It is by careful, reasonable control of building work that the character of the Estate is maintained for all.
Other Life In The Estate
The Lake’s Fishes
The lake is older than any of the buildings that surround it, appearing on maps from the nineteenth century.
It is aerated to keep the water fresh - the “fountains” are not just decorative, they are doing an important job.
When last pumped out in 2011, the lake yielded over two hundred fish. When catalogued, these included common carp, mirror carp, goldfish, ghost carp, and koi carp. Other varieties of ornamental fish, such as red fin rudd, fantail goldfish and shubunkins were added to bolster the numbers.
You shouldn’t feed the fish, but you’ll have no problem spotting them.
The Lake’s Fowl
Even more visible than the fish are the wild birds that live around the lake.
You’ll see Canada geese, mallards, moorhens and tufted ducks, which all nest around the lake and (with luck) produce broods every spring.
The young birds often fall prey to predators, but in general enough survive each year to reach maturity and raise chicks of their own.
Ducks and geese don’t like bread. It is much better to feed them proper bird seed.
Furry “Friends”
You’ll see plenty of squirrels, attracted by the oak trees around the estate.
You’ll also encounter foxes, which may look endearing but which bring problems and are not universally appreciated.
The foxes are bold, and will investigate any rubbish left out over night. Be careful!
