Brent River Park will mark its 50th anniversary on Sunday 29 June 2025 with a day of celebration at Churchfields Recreation Ground in Hanwell, exactly five decades after it was officially opened by the then Mayor of Ealing, Councillor John Johnston, in 1975.
The festivities, supported by Ealing Council and hosted by the Brent River Park charity, is set to echo the spirit of the original event, complete with Morris dancers, a maypole, food stalls and arts activities.
The event, from 12pm to 5pm, will feature guided walks, creative sessions, a community run and children’s storytelling to mark the 25th birthday of the Millennium Maze. The full event programme will be published online in the coming weeks.
Three new history boards will be installed across the park, the first of which will be unveiled on the day. It tells the story of the park’s creation and pays tribute to its founder, Luke FitzHerbert – a former Irish Guardsman, Brentside High School teacher and the driving force behind the park’s transformation.
In the early 1970s, Mr FitzHerbert had a vision for turning the “neglected riverbanks into a green ribbon of parkland”. Writing in the Ealing Gazette in 1974, he revealed how fences blocked many footpaths. Long Wood and the Wharncliffe Viaduct were fenced off and inaccessible. Large sections of Elthorne Park and Perivale Park were fly-tipped. He said it should be possible for people to walk from Hanger Lane to the Thames by following footpaths through a new connected park following the flow of the River Brent.
After considerable campaigning, Ealing Council approved the plan and the Brent River Park came to be and FitzHerbert Walk was named in his honour.
Mr FitzHerbert died tragically in 2007 after being struck by a car. His legacy though lives on through the park and his later work in the charity sector.
Steven Toft, trustee of Brent River Park, said: “The Brent River Park’s 50th anniversary is both an opportunity to celebrate the past and a springboard for the future. We can continue the legacy left by Luke FitzHerbert and the original charity campaigners to make the River Brent and our park even more beneficial for our community and urban wildlife.”
Mr Toft added: “Following the ongoing work of the Warren Farm Nature Reserve and Clean Up the River Brent campaigns, we have some exciting ambitions for the Brent River Park. We’re moving forward while staying true to the original vision. We believe these initiatives reflect the spirit of Luke’s work. Like him, we are laying the groundwork for the next generation.”
