03/09/2024 08:36:55 PM
161. Harefield Village Green
Harefield is a village on the outskirts of west London. It existed as an early settlement and its village green is one of eleven registered commons and former village greens in Hillingdon. The name derived from “Herefelle” in Anglo Saxon, probably meaning open land or field used by an army.
We visited this green space by accident. We were on our way from a park in Northolt, where we couldn’t stop as there was nowhere to park (I plan to try again, soon), to another one where we might’ve been able to (I plan to see whether we can, soon). The route took us through Harefield and right past the green. When I saw that it had a “big lying down swing” and that there was a parking space right next to it, I decided that would do.
This historic green is located in the middle of Harefield Village conservation area and has been a registered common since 1813. It’s a Site of Nature Conservation Importance. There's a village pond to one side, and a war memorial commemorating the casualties from the village in both World Wars.
In one corner is the Harefield 2000 memorial, showing a hare and a shape of Australia inside a globe, representing the long association of the village with Australia originating in the First World War. Servicemen from Australia and New Zealand were evacuated to what is now Harefield Hospital, opposite the green, after being wounded on the Western Front. The hospital was set up in a house and grounds donated by an Australian family who were resident in the UK. The memorial was unveiled by Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub of Harefield Hospital.
The green was designated as Centenary Field in November 2014. This is an arrangement set up by the Fields in Trust charity, in partnership with the Royal British Legion, to protect war memorial, playing fields, parks and green spaces in memory of those who died in the First World War.
There’s also a children’s playground and an outdoor gym
Judith Field
Harefield Village Green, Breakspear Road North, Harefield, UB9 6EG
