This is an event timeline and minor geographical information about Heathrow hamlet. Heathrow Before World War II Map

Founding and early history

A sizeable

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

settlement is believed to have been in the Heathrow area. Many artefacts have been found in the gravel around what is now the airport, and the

Colne Valley The Colne Valley is a steep sided valley on the east flank of the Pennine Hills in the English county of West Yorkshire. It takes its name from the River Colne which rises above the town of Marsden and flows eastward towards Huddersfield. ...

. Waste pits filled with struck

flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Historically, flint was widely used to make stone tools and start ...

, arrowheads and fragments of pottery were also found in the area, indicating a settlement, though none other remains of such a settlement. Until about 1930, there was only one building (part of Bath Road Farm) on the north side of Bath Road between The Magpies (an area around and opposite the north exit of the recent Heathrow Road), and

Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It had a population of 10,952 at the 2022 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meeting of ...

; other buildings were built afterwards there before World War II, including three factories (

Technicolor Technicolor is a family of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes. The first version, Process 1, was introduced in 1916, and improved versions followed over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black-and ...

and

Penguin Books Penguin Books Limited is a Germany, German-owned English publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers the Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the ...

and

Black+Decker Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''Psy ...

). By 1944, there were no buildings on the south side of Bath Road between The Magpies and Longford. Heathrow was away from main roads and further away from railways; that kept it secluded and quiet although near London. As

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

changed to

market gardening A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. The diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically from under to s ...

and fruit growing to supply expanding London, parts of Heathrow held on to old-type

mixed farming Mixed farming is a type of farming which involves both the growing of crops and the raising of livestock. Such agriculture occurs across Asia and in countries such as India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Afghanistan, South Africa, China, Central Europe, ...

, and thus was chosen for Middlesex area horse-drawn ploughing competitions, which needed land which was under stubble after harvest. The ford where High Tree Lane crossed the

Duke of Northumberland's River The Duke of Northumberland's River or D. O. N. River consists of separate upper and lower Canal, artificial watercourses in west London, United Kingdom. The older name Isleworth Mill Stream/River more accurately describes the economic motivati ...

was a scenic spot used sometimes for

picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors (Al fresco dining, ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event su ...

s and courting couples. There was a footpath along beside the river from the ford to

Development

Agriculture became the main source of income for residents in the hamlet, as the

brickearth Brickearth is a term originally used to describe Superficial deposits, superficial windblown deposits found in southern England. The term has been employed in English-speaking regions to describe similar deposits. Brickearths are periglacial ...

soil in the area made farming ideal (it held manure well and did not go sticky when wet), so Heathrow became part of the west Middlesex

industry. Many residents grew fruit, vegetables, and flowers,. The page includes an image of a

half-timbered Timber framing () and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy Beam (structure), timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and Woodworking joints, joined timbers with joints secure ...

cottage in Heathrow village. which they would travel with into London to sell, on the return journey collecting manure for farming. As the coming of motor vehicles made urban horse manure (from stables and cleaned off roads) much less, they started instead using

sewage sludge Sewage sludge is the residual, semi-solid material that is produced as a by-product during sewage treatment of industrial or municipal wastewater. The term "septage" also refers to sludge from simple wastewater treatment but is connected to si ...

(up to 50 tons per acre) from the Perry Oaks sewage works as fertiliser. The Middlesex Agricultural and Growers' Association held annual ploughing matches in Heathrow, until the last, the 99th, was held on 28 September 1937; the 100th match (in 1938) was postponed to 1939 due to severe drought, and in 1939 it was cancelled because

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

had started. The Royal Commission on Historic Monuments listed 28 historically significant buildings in the parish of Harmondsworth, a third of which were in Heathrow. Notable buildings included Heathrow Hall, a late 18th-century farmhouse, which was on Heathrow Road,Sherwood 2006, p.14 and Perry Oaks farm, which was

Elizabethan The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The Roman symbol of Britannia (a female per ...

. In the 19th century much brickearth-type land in west

, including in Heathrow, was used for

orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit tree, fruit- or nut (fruit), nut-producing trees that are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also so ...

s of fruit trees, often several sorts mixed in one orchard. Much

soft fruit ''Soft Fruit'' is a 1999 comedy drama film about a dying mother and her children who come together to fulfill her last wishes. It is an Australian American co-production produced by New Zealand filmmaker Jane Campion and directed by Christina A ...

was grown, often in the orchards under the fruit trees. Sometimes vegetables, or flowers for cutting, were grown under the fruit trees. An author in 1907 reported "thousands and thousands" of plum, cherry, apple, pear, and

damson The damson (), damson plum, or damasceneSamuel Johnson equates "damascene" and "damson" and for "damask plum" simply states "see Plum" (''A Dictionary of the English Language'', 1755, p. 532). Later expanded editions also distinguish between "da ...

trees, and innumerable currant and gooseberry bushes, round

Harmondsworth Harmondsworth is a village in the London Borough of Hillingdon in the county of Greater London with a short border to the south onto Heathrow Airport, London Heathrow Airport and close to the Berkshire county border. The village has no railway st ...

and

Sipson Sipson is a village in the London Borough of Hillingdon, the westernmost borough of Greater London, England. It is west of Charing Cross and near the north perimeter of London Heathrow Airport. History Toponymy The village's name was recorded ...

and Harlington and Heathrow. After World War I the amount of fruit growing in the area decreased due to competition from imports and demand for more market-gardening land, and by 1939 less than 10% of the orchard area was left. Produce was taken to Covent Garden market, or by smaller growers to

Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has dive ...

market, which was nearer but less profitable. From the Three Magpies lane junction near Heathrow to Covent Garden is 14 miles by road, which was about 6 hours at laden horse-and-

wagon A wagon (or waggon) is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by Working animal#Draft animals, draft animals or on occasion by humans, used for transporting goods, commodities, agricultural materials, supplies and sometimes people. Wagons are i ...

speed, so goods to market had to set off at 10 pm the day before to reach the market when it opened at 4 am, until motor trucks came. Lighter produce such as

strawberries The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown hybrid plant cultivated worldwide for its fruit. The genus ''Fragaria'', the strawberries, is in the rose family, Rosaceae. The fruit is appreciated f ...

where freshness was important could reach Covent Garden Market in an hour and a half in a light vehicle behind a light fast horse. An 11.93-acre field fronting on the south side of the Bath Road, about 600 yards east of Heathrow Road, was shown as

allotment garden An allotment (British English), is a plot of land made available for individual, non-commercial gardening for growing food plants, so forming a kitchen garden away from the residence of the user. Such plots are formed by subdividing a piece of ...

s on a map dated 1935, and it appears to be allotment gardens in the 1940

Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

air survey. In the 1930s Heathrow Hall and Perry Oaks were mixed farms with wheat and cattle and sheep and pigs, and the other farms were largely

market garden A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. The diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically from under to s ...

ing and fruit growing. Photographs from early in the 20th century show milk cattle (about 22 in the photograph) at Cain's Farm and the yearly horse ploughing competition held along Cain's Lane, in the southeast of Heathrow; later photographs show ploughing competitions in the north near Tithe Barn Lane on land belonging to Heathrow Hall. Sipson Farm at the north end of

may have owned land in Heathrow.

Timeline

13th century

* 1265: First mention of Southcote (later Southcoterow), a hamlet, or a name used for an area of farmland and houses (probably in the southwest of

parish). It occurs intermittently in mediaeval records until the 16th century, usually alternating with 'Heathrow'. At one time it included Perry (= Perry Oaks).

14th century

* 1337: Perry Oaks is mentioned (called "Perry") in a rental.

15th century

* about year 1410: Heathrow was first mentioned, as La Hetherewe.

16th century

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

's reign (1491–1547): The west part of the

was made past Heathrow. *1530: An old record lists an increase, probably temporary, of 42 labourers who were working on a new river cut from

Longford, London Longford is a suburban village in the London borough of Hillingdon, England. It is immediately northwest of London Heathrow Airport, which is in the same borough. It is the westernmost settlement in Greater London, very close to the borders of b ...

(probably the

). *1583: Heathrow contained 14 houses.

17th century

*1648 or 1647: Inhabitants of Heathrow and around unauthorizedly blocked the Duke of Northumberland's River to stop flood damage that it was causing. *1653: Petitions were lodged to try to stop the Duke of Northumberland's River from being reopened.

18th century

*1784: General William Roy sought an area of land suitable for the base line of the

Anglo-French Survey (1784–1790) The Anglo-French Survey (1784–1790) was the geodetic survey to measure the relative position of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, Royal Greenwich Observatory and the Paris Observatory via triangulation (surveying), triangulation. The English ...

trigonometrical survey. He chose the site because it was flat and near the Royal Observatory. The baseline for his measurements ran from King's Arbour (now within the confines of Heathrow Airport) to the

Poor House A poorhouse or workhouse is a government-run (usually by a county or municipality) facility to support and provide housing for the dependent or needy. Workhouses In England, Wales and Ireland (but not in Scotland), "workhouse" has been the more ...

in Hampton. See

map A map is a symbolic depiction of interrelationships, commonly spatial, between things within a space. A map may be annotated with text and graphics. Like any graphic, a map may be fixed to paper or other durable media, or may be displayed on ...

. The ends were originally marked by vertical wooden pipes (which could support flagstaffs), but in the resurvey of 1791 they were found to be rotting and were replaced by

cannon A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during th ...

s which are still to be seen. * Late 18th century: Heathrow Hall farmhouse was built.

19th century

* For much of the 19th century the Tillyer family lived in Heathrow Hall and the Weekley family in Perry Oaks. * 18 March 1800: Start of lease of Richard Weekley at Perry Oaks. * 1819:

Enclosure Enclosure or inclosure is a term, used in English landownership, that refers to the appropriation of "waste" or "common land", enclosing it, and by doing so depriving commoners of their traditional rights of access and usage. Agreements to enc ...

parish. (Before that, most of the area bounded by Heathrow Road and the Bath Road and Tithe Barn Lane, and extending some way west from that, was one of the open fields of the parish and was called Heathrow Field, and the land southeast of Heathrow Road was

common land Common land is collective land (sometimes only open to those whose nation governs the land) in which all persons have certain common rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect wood, or to cut turf for fuel. A person ...

locally called The Heath; those two area names stayed in local use long after.) Heathrow Field and the

were divided into individual landholding fields. Cain's Lane was made straight across the

: it was named after Isaac Cane, who was assigned land by the lane. High Tree Lane was made. Then or afterwards, a new row of farms was set up on this new farmland along both sides of Cain's Lane. Common land in the area of the later Wild's farm (Shrub End and Croft House) was assigned, some to Thomas Wild, Senior and some to William Wild, one area as freehold and other areas as

copyhold Copyhold was a form of customary land ownership common from the Late Middle Ages into modern times in England. The name for this type of land tenure is derived from the act of giving a copy of the relevant title deed that is recorded in the ...

. Much land in the north of the Heathrow area where the soil and brickearth above the gravel would be deepest, was assigned to "George Byng, Esq.", some as landowner, some in lieu of rights to

tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Modern tithes are normally voluntary and paid in money, cash, cheques or v ...

; all or much of this land later became property of Heathrow Hall. (At the time, the title "Esq." implied that he was a member of the upper

gentry Gentry (from Old French , from ) are "well-born, genteel and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past. ''Gentry'', in its widest connotation, refers to people of good social position connected to Landed property, landed es ...

.) 71 acres was assigned to the

Vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English p ...

in lieu of tithes. (It remained church property until on 31 Jan 1929 it was the first land in Heathrow that

Fairey Aviation The Fairey Aviation Company Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer of the first half of the 20th century based in Hayes, Hillingdon, Hayes in Middlesex and Heaton Chapel and RAF Ringway in Cheshire that designed important military aircraft ...

bought as a start to its Great West Aerodrome.) * 14 February 1834: Cain's Farm farmhouse burnt down.Sherwood, 1993, pages 46-53 * 8 November 1845: During the

Railway Mania Railway Mania was a stock market bubble in the rail transportation industry of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in the 1840s. It followed a common pattern: as the price of railway shares increased, speculators invested more mon ...

a new railway was proposed, branching off an existing railway at

Knightsbridge Knightsbridge is a residential and retail district in central London, south of Hyde Park, London, Hyde Park. It is identified in the London Plan as one of two international retail centres in London, alongside the West End of London, West End. ...

and running to

Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...

, passing through or near

Hounslow Hounslow ( ) is a large suburban district of West London, England, west-southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hounslow, and is identified in the London Plan as one of the 14 metropolitan cen ...

and Heathrow. This railway was not built; if it had been, a station at Heathrow might have started suburban spread there. * 1847: John Byng, son of George Byng, was made

John Byng, 1st Earl of Strafford Field Marshal John Byng, 1st Earl of Strafford (1772 – 3 June 1860) was a British Army officer and politician. After serving as a junior officer during the French Revolutionary Wars and Irish Rebellion of 1798, he became Commanding Officer of ...

. (In 1799 the previous

Earl of Strafford Earl of Strafford is a title that has been created three times in English and British history. The first creation was in the Peerage of England in January 1640 for Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, the 1st Viscount Wentworth, the clo ...

died without male heir and his title became extinct.) * 25 September 1872:

Bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...

meeting in the case of Thomas Fowke, of Heathrow House, Heathrow, market gardener. * 1877: Heathrow School was opened on the north side of the Bath Road, almost opposite The Old Magpies. (The current Earl Strafford donated the land that it was built on.) * 1880: The Mission Church of St. Saviour was opened on the north side of the Bath Road, almost opposite The Three Magpies. It was built in

corrugated iron Corrugated galvanised iron (CGI) or steel, colloquially corrugated iron (near universal), wriggly tin (taken from UK military slang), pailing (in Caribbean English), corrugated sheet metal (in North America), zinc (in Cyprus and Nigeria) or ...

.Sherwood, Philip 2006, p29 * 1891: Rev. J. Williams Ashman (a curate to the vicar of

) is listed as living (probably as a lodger) in Heathrow Hall. * 2 February 1874: A gale or a

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...

demolished the Tithe Barn on Tithe Barn Lane. * 29 October 1886: George Byng, 2nd Earl of Strafford died aged 80 and was succeeded by

George Byng, 3rd Earl of Strafford George Henry Charles Byng, 3rd Earl of Strafford (22 February 1830 – 28 March 1898), styled Viscount Enfield between 1860 and 1886, was a Liberal Party (UK), British Liberal politician. Background and education Byng was the eldest son of Geo ...

* 1894: Death duty was introduced in Britain. * 1898: A notice advertising sale by auction of an area of land east of Cain's Lane says that "Earl Strafford" (

(1830–1898) or Henry Byng, 4th Earl of Strafford (1831–1899)) owned some adjacent land that in the 1819 map was marked as belonging to George Byng, Esq. That lot was "lot eight" in the auction; it is not stated whether any or all the other lots were land. * 28 March 1898:

died childless aged 68 and was succeeded by his brother Henry Byng, 4th Earl of Strafford. * 16 May 1899: Henry Byng, 4th Earl of Strafford died aged 67. **''This double succession with less than 5 years' warning about death duties would probably have forced the Byng family to sell much land to pay the death duties.''

20th century

* Some time around 1900: Heathrow Hall was sold to Jonathan Smith, who then began to live there. * 1901: A corrugated iron mission hall church ("

tin tabernacle A tin tabernacle, also known as an iron church, is a type of prefabricated ecclesiastical building made from corrugated galvanised iron. They were developed in the mid-19th century, initially in the United Kingdom. Corrugated iron was first u ...

") was built on Cain's Lane, by the

Baptist Church Baptists are a denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers ( believer's baptism) and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches generally subscribe to the doctrines of ...

at Sipson. * Early 1900s: Jonathan Smith sold Heathrow Hall to Josia Philp and moved into Wall Garden Farm in

(on the north side of Sipson Lane, now due north of

Heathrow Airport Heathrow Airport , also colloquially known as London Heathrow Airport and named ''London Airport'' until 1966, is the primary and largest international airport serving London, the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdo ...

's main entrance). Jonathan Smith set up a

jam Fruit preserves are preparations of fruits whose main preserving agent is sugar and sometimes acid, often stored in glass jars and used as a condiment or spread. There are many varieties of fruit preserves globally, distinguished by the meth ...

factory (Smith's Jams) using fruit grown in the area, and later his son Frederick took over the factory; its site is now under part of Kenwood Close in Sipson. * 16 November 1905: a petition of

bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...

was filed against Jonathan Smith (

er) of Heathrow Hall, Harmondsworth, "lately residing at

". * 13 October 1908: A bankruptcy court decided to discharge Jonathan Smith's bankruptcy as from 13 October 1910, and reported that Jonathan Smith had earlier made an arrangement with his creditors, and that his assets were worth less than half of what he owed, and that he had not kept proper account books. * 1911: Frederick and his wife Irene Philp, and Frederick's father Josiah Philp, lived at Heathrow Hall. (Irene was born in 1887 as Irene Martha Whetnall.) * Week ending 8 September 1924: A power-farming demonstration organized by the

Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) is the trade association for the United Kingdom motor industry. Its role is to "promote the interests of the UK automotive industry at home and abroad." History SMMT was founded by Frede ...

was (planned to be) held on Heathrow Hall farm (owned then by Mr. J. E. Philp). The reference says that this event "

ook Ook, OoK or OOK may refer to: * Ook Chung (born 1963), Korean-Canadian writer from Quebec * On-off keying, in radio technology * Toksook Bay Airport (IATA code OOK), in Alaska * Ook!, an esoteric programming language based on Brainfuck * Ook, the ...

the place of the former tractor trials", but not whether those tractor trials were at Heathrow. * 1925: Norman Macmillan, an RAF officer, made a forced landing and take-off at Heathrow. He noted the flatness of the land and its suitability for an airfield. * 1926: Plaques were added to commemorate the 200th anniversary of General Roy's birth. * 1929:

bought the first of several plots of land west of Cain's Lane and there started the Great West Aerodrome. By then Norman Macmillan was Fairey Aviation's chief test pilot. * 1930: The Church of St. Saviour (on the north side of the Bath Road) was demolished and replaced by a brick building further from the road. (It was demolished in the 1960s and the Excelsior Hotel was built on its site.) The Road Research Laboratory was opened on the

Colnbrook Colnbrook is a village in the Borough of Slough, Slough district in Berkshire, England. It lies within the historic counties of England, historic boundaries of Buckinghamshire, and straddles two distributaries of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, ...

by-pass. * 12 June 1931:

Middlesex County Council Middlesex County Council was the principal local government body in the administrative county of Middlesex from 1889 to 1965. The county council was created by the Local Government Act 1888, which also removed the most populous part of the cou ...

bought land for £33,000 from W.Whittington & Son, the owners of Perry Oaks farm; it was

then; they later built the Perry Oaks sewage sludge works there. * Early 1930s:

set up 24

smallholding A smallholding or smallholder is a small farm operating under a small-scale agriculture model. Definitions vary widely for what constitutes a smallholder or small-scale farm, including factors such as size, food production technique or technolo ...

s (Burrows Hill Close Estate and Bedfont Court Estate) west of Perry Oaks sewage works, each with a small house. * 1933: A local

trade directory A business directory is a website or printed listing of information which lists businesses within niche based categories. Businesses can be categorized by niche, location, activity, or size. Business may be compiled either manually or through a ...

lists for Heathrow these: Mrs. Waddell (Cain's Farm house); farmers or market gardeners: Harry Curtis (Heathrow Farm), George Dance (a small house on Heathrow Road nearly opposite the Plough and Harrow pub), William Howell (Bathurst), Frederick Philp (Heathrow Hall), Sidney Whittington (Perry Oaks), David and John Wild (Croft House); other: Heathrow Sand & Gravel Co (

) Ltd., Edgar Charles Basham (the trade directory misprinted his surname as Sasham) (publican at the Plough and Harrow pub),

. * 1934: D.J. Wild married Naomi from Shrub End (a big farm a bit southwest of

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in northeastern Essex, England. It is the second-largest settlement in the county, with a population of 130,245 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census. The demonym is ''Colcestrian''. Colchester occupies the ...

, now built over); Shrub End farmhouse in Heathrow may have been named after it. * 1934: The Perry Oaks sewage works was built; thereby Perry Oaks farm lost a large area of

. * 1935:

built four houses (1,2,3,4 Perry Oaks) for the sewage works staff. They later became property of the

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

and stayed there (between the airport and the sewage works) when Heathrow Airport at its present size was built in 1944 and after. * 5 May 1935: First

Royal Aeronautical Society The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a British multi-disciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community. Founded in 1866, it is the oldest Aeronautics, aeronautical society in the world. Memb ...

airshow at the Great West Aerodrome. An aerial photograph taken then shows twenty four display aircraft parked, and in front of them what may be about fifteen more, smaller, southwest of the big hangar, and about two hundred cars parked northwest of Gamble's Farm on the northeast edge. Over 2,000 people visited, some in private aeroplanes; these were parked along the south boundary, out of shot on the photograph. Perfect weather. ** More people visited in these airshows than visited Heathrow in the rest of the year. * 1936:

Ltd opened a factory on the north side of the Bath Road opposite Heathrow's land. * 23 October 1936:

Kingsley Wood Sir Howard Kingsley Wood (19 August 1881 – 21 September 1943) was a British Conservative politician. The son of a Wesleyan Methodist minister, he qualified as a solicitor, and successfully specialised in industrial insurance. He became a memb ...

formally opened the Perry Oaks sewage sludge works and the main sewage works at Mogden, but they had been in use for a period before that. * 1938:

opened a factory on the north side of the Bath Road opposite Heathrow's land. * 14 May 1939: Fifth and last Royal Aeronautical Society airshow at the Great West Aerodrome. Twenty aircraft displayed; plus also (during the first tea interval) nine

Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced continuously throughout the ...

s and then nine

Bristol Blenheim The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until the end of the war. ...

s. * 1 September 1939:

started. The Heathrow Brick Co., Ltd. applied to

HM Land Registry His Majesty's Land Registry is a non-ministerial department of His Majesty's Government, created in 1862 to register the ownership of land and property in England and Wales. It reports to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Governme ...

to register land on Heathrow Road. Flower growers changed to growing vegetables. * 1940:

Black & Decker Black+Decker is an American manufacturer of power tools, accessories, hardware, home improvement products, home appliances, and fastening systems, headquartered in Towson, Maryland, north of Baltimore, where the company was originally establis ...

opened a factory on the north side of the Bath Road at the junction with Hatch Lane. (It closed in the 1970s and it has gone.) * 1940:

Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain () was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force ...

: fighter planes sometimes landed on the Great West Aerodrome for the night and their pilots sometimes got a bed for the night in Heathrow village. * 4 February 1941: D. J. Wild (living at Shrub End) and J. E. Wild (living at Croft House) applied to

to register land at Shrub End and Croft House on Cain's Lane in Heathrow. * 4 November 1941: First mention of the bankruptcy case of 4 brothers surnamed Portsmouth (builders), 2 living in Harlington and 2 in Heathrow. It ran on until at least 18 September 1942. * 1 July 1943: A meeting of the creditors of the Heathrow Brick Company was scheduled to be held on 9 July 1943. * 1944: The Caesar's Camp early Iron Age village on the airport site was excavated. There was a Bronze Age field system and some Neolithic remains . * 1944: Heathrow hamlet was obliterated by the modern airport construction work. The cannon in Heathrow was removed, as it would have stood close to one of the main runways, though it was later returned to the original spot with the plaque placed separately. One information list says that stage one of building the airport destroyed, or was planned to destroy, sixteen

farmhouse FarmHouse (FH) is a men's social fraternity founded at the University of Missouri on April 15, 1905. It became a national organization in 1921. Today FarmHouse has 34 active chapters in the United States and Canada.FarmHouse Fraternity New Memb ...

s, twenty three dwelling houses, and thirty five

cottage A cottage, during Feudalism in England, England's feudal period, was the holding by a cottager (known as a cotter or ''bordar'') of a small house with enough garden to feed a family and in return for the cottage, the cottager had to provide ...

s, but some of these may have been in the north part of

Hatton Hatton may refer to: Places England * Hatton, Cheshire West and Chester, a former civil parish * Hatton, Derbyshire, a village and civil parish * Hatton, Lincolnshire, a village and civil parish * Hatton, London, in the London Borough of Houn ...

, and that list may not include Perry Oaks. Another information source says 2,650 acres and 215 homes, but that may be the original full plan including demolishing

and most of Harlington. **The Perry Oaks sewage works protected Burrows Hill Close Estate and Bedfont Court Estate for 57 more years. **Responsibility for the evictees was passed between the

Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force and civil aviation that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the ...

and the Ministry of Health. Most of them were moved to Air Ministry property near RAF Heston. The Wilds of Shrub End and Croft House found new farmland near

(near where David Wild's wife had come from), and evacuated their

greenhouse A greenhouse is a structure that is designed to regulate the temperature and humidity of the environment inside. There are different types of greenhouses, but they all have large areas covered with transparent materials that let sunlight pass an ...

s and packing shed and front gate and front hedge there. Some of the Heathrow farmers and market gardeners found land in Kent to grow crops on. * June 1946: An air photo of the airport shows only the first triangle of runways, and Cain's Farm still standing (but not necessarily still occupied) just outside the airport's perimeter road. * 25 January 1949: The Minister of Civil Aviation applied to H.M.

Land Registry Land registration is any of various systems by which matters concerning ownership, possession, or other rights in land are formally recorded (usually with a government agency or department) to provide evidence of title, facilitate transactions, ...

to register freehold ownership of land at Perry Oaks Farm. * 1949 or before: Houses along Hatton Road were demolished. * 1951: The Old Magpies pub (100 yards west of The Three Magpies) was demolished. * 1995: A road sign in a photograph shows that there was an Equestrian Centre for the Handicapped in the Burrows Hill Close Estate. * 2001: Burrows Hill Close Estate (east of Stanwell Moor Road) was obliterated by building Terminal 5, and Bedfont Court Estate (west of Stanwell Moor Road) was dug up to extract gravelSherwood, Philip 2006, p20; Sherwood, Philip 2009, p35 (se
Google Earth image
.

Notable buildings

:''See :File:Heathrow Before World War II Map.jpg#Road names for the names of the roads.''

Heathrow Road

Starting at the north end: * Doghurst Cottages, east side, north end, built around 1900, demolished in the early 1950s. Old photographs show them as brick-built 2-storey houses with slate or tile roofs. * Bathurst market garden, east side. Opposite it: * W & S Philp's market garden, west side, grew flowers until

started. * 2 modern houses, west side: in the 1930s Mr. Ward (headmaster at

school) lived there. * A thatched house, west side, the two Biddescombe families lived there in the 1930s. * ''A big sand and gravel quarry / brick works'', east side * Heathrow Hall: west side, large farm, built late 18th century. Farm buildings area about 300 feet (E-W) by 350 feet (N-S). Square of large Dutch barns (in the British sense) round a yard with another large barn in the middle; other buildings to north and west; farmhouse at north end, facing a bit south of eastwards, about 40 feet N-S by about 50 feet E-W, had two pitched roofs E-W with a valley between, two

bay window A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room. A bow window is a form of bay with a curve rather than angular facets; an oriel window is a bay window that does not touch the g ...

s at front. A big Lebanon Cedar in its front lawn. Farmyard gate about 130 feet south of farmhouse gate, both onto Heathrow Road, which had a sharp bend (35° eastwards) at the house gate. * Palmer's Farm: west side, built early 17th century. (Opposite it was an entrance of the brick works.) Two (blocks of) buildings in L-shape, about 140 feet square. One gate on road. * ''Junction with Cain's Lane'' (named Wheatcut Corner) (and another entrance of the brick works) * ''A square area of land north of the airfield''. Formerly belonged to Perrott's Farm. Then passed to the Tillyers, then to W & S Philp of Harlington; was orchard. In 1938 during the

Munich Crisis The Munich Agreement was reached in Munich on 30 September 1938, by Nazi Germany, the United Kingdom, the French Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy. The agreement provided for the German annexation of part of Czechoslovakia called the Sudete ...

the Wilds got this land and grubbed out the orchard and planted vegetables on the land. * Perrott's Farm: north side,

frontage Frontage is the boundary between a plot of land or a building and the road onto which the plot or building fronts. Frontage may also refer to the full length of this boundary. This length is considered especially important for certain types of ...

; in 1819 owned by one Martha Parrott. Farm buildings area about 280 feet N-S, 210 feet E-W. Set about 150 feet back from road. Two drives to road. In its last years Heathrow Farm used its buildings. * Plough and Harrow

pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...

, north side, in the 1930s run by Mr. Basham (an ex-policeman) * A small market garden house nearly opposite the Plough and Harrow, south side: John Dance lived there. * A market garden house, north side, George Dance and Sons lived there. * Heathrow Farm: north side, built in 16th century half-timbered, brick faced in 18th century. It grew vegetables and cereals. * Site of Lowe's Farm, which on 16 June 1930 became part of the Great West Aerodrome, south side * ''Junction with High Tree Lane'' * High Tree Farm: south side * About 4 groups of buildings, spaced out on the north side, including a timber-framed thatched Tudor house split into 2 residences; In later years these included the village shop, run by Mr. Field. A block of 8 small buildings on the south side. This reference includes a 1930s map of Heathrow (as its covers) and a 1915 map of Heathrow (as its

centerfold The centerfold or centrefold of a magazine is the inner pages of the middle Folio, sheet, usually containing a portrait, such as a pin-up or a Nudity, nude. The term can also refer to the model featured in the portrait. In saddle-stitched maga ...

), both about 6 inches / 1 mile, and the 1915 map shows much fewer buildings in this area.
Image of timber-framed thatched cottage in Heathrow
* Perry Oaks (

): north side. It is mentioned (called 'Perry') in a

rental Renting, also known as hiring or letting, is an agreement where a payment is made for the use of a good, service or property owned by another over a fixed period of time. To maintain such an agreement, a rental agreement (or lease) is sign ...

dated 1337. Farm buildings area oval, about 460 feet SW-NE by 240 feet SE-NW. It had a gate onto Heathrow Road and a gate onto Tithe Barn Lane.

Cain's Lane

Starting at the north end: * Wild's farm: founded in 1928 when the Wild family moved there from

. It grew flowers and flower bedding plants until

started in 1939, then vegetables; at the changeover many

tulip Tulips are spring-blooming perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes in the ''Tulipa'' genus. Their flowers are usually large, showy, and brightly coloured, generally red, orange, pink, yellow, or white. They often have a different colour ...

bulbs were fed to pigs. It had a line of greenhouses and packing shed etc. about 500 feet long SW-NE behind Croft House. Philip Sherwood worked there in his 1941 and 1942 summer school holidays. It had 2 farmhouses: ** Shrub End: east side ** Croft House: east side * Gamble's Farm: west side (buildings still shown on 1934 map, but from 4 Mar 1929 part of

's Great West Aerodrome) * A small "

" church or chapel made of

: east side, built in 1901 * East side, behind the chapel: ''Land farmed by Mr. Longhurst'' **''South of the airfield:-'' * Cain's Farm: west side. In 1819 land around there was assigned to Isaac Cane as freehold. In the early 1900s Charles Glenie lived there and he had a dairy herd of at least 20 cows. In the early 1930s Mrs. Waddell lived there. Farm buildings area about 150 feet SW-NE by 210 feet SW-NW, plus an area of small walled enclosures. * Heathrow House: east side: built in the 18th century. In 1839 it was owned by Richard Langslow, who lived here until the 1850s. His daughter married

Sir Frederick Pollock, 3rd Baronet Sir Frederick Pollock, 3rd Baronet PC, FBA (10 December 1845 – 18 January 1937) was an English jurist best known for his ''History of English Law before the Time of Edward I'', written with F.W. Maitland, and his lifelong correspondence ...

, who lived in Temple Hatton, a house in Hatton, London. In 1872 a market gardener lived there, and thus likely then the house was being used as a farmhouse. Old 1:2500 scale Ordnance Survey maps, reproduced at about 15 inches = 1 mile, publ. Alan Godfrey Maps:- * Heathrow, 1934, Middlesex sheet 19.08, * Hatton, 1935, Middlesex sheet 20.05, *

, 1935, Middlesex sheet 19.04, {{ISBN, 978-1-84784-120-9

Tithe Barn Lane

Tithe barn A tithe barn was a type of barn used in much of northern Europe in the Middle Ages for storing rents and tithes. Farmers were required to give one-tenth of their produce to the established church. Tithe barns were usually associated with the ...

or its site: west side, and Tithe Barn Farm.

References

History of Heathrow Airport