A new plaque commemorating the history of Ealing’s Brent River Park and its visionary founder, Luke FitzHerbert, will be unveiled this Sunday (29 June 2025) to mark the park’s 50th anniversary.
The ceremony, led by the Mayor of Ealing, Councillor Anthony Kelly and conservationist Kabir Kaul, will take place at Churchfields Recreation Ground in Hanwell – exactly five decades after the park was inaugurated by then Mayor John Johnston in 1975.
The special plaque 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.
The unveiling of the plaque will serve as the centrepiece of a wider community celebration, which runs from 12pm to 5pm, designed to recapture the park’s original spirit of “unplugged”, nature-based joy.
Festivities taking place during the afternoon include maypole dancing, Northfields Morris Dancers, bluebell stilt walkers and storytelling around the Millennium Maze, itself celebrating 25 years.
Nature and history walks, food and art stalls and shared memories from attendees of the original 1975 launch will also being taking place.
Among those speaking will be Dr Sean McCormack, founder of the Ealing Wildlife Group, on the return of beavers to the area and their ecological benefits; Ben Morris of Clean Up the River Brent (CURB), on ongoing restoration efforts and Brent River Park trustee Steven Toft, who will delve into the park’s colourful past through its “heroes, villains and fools”.
Brent River Park Charity Secretary Katie Boyles said: “The Brent River Park’s 50th Anniversary gives us a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the achievements of Luke FitzHerbert, his wife Kay and their volunteer team. Our fundraiser ambitions being announced on the day reflect the spirit of our early campaigners and will create a legacy for future generations, just like the one Luke has left for us. If anything, there is even more of an urgent need for healthy rivers and green spaces now than there was 50 years ago.
“We have a climate and ecological emergency that will throw up more challenges in the coming years. Healthy biodiverse meadows and woodlands with a river that sustains a well-functioning flood plain will be more important than ever. Please come along to our event on Sunday, learn about the wildlife on your doorstep, enjoy the ’unplugged’ atmosphere, celebrate your park, and show your support for the Brent River Park charity.”
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