Old Oak and Wormholt
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Old Oak and Wormholt estates are London County Council cottage estates constructed between 1912 and 1928. They were declared a conservation area in May 1980. The two estates were influenced by Ebenezer Howard's Garden city movement and the Arts and Crafts movement, with high quality external detailing and an open setting with privet hedges, front gardens and wide grass verges.[1]
The estates are in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, in the west of London, lying either side of the A40 Westway to the south of Wormwood Scrubs. To the west they are bounded by Old Oak Road and to the east partially by Bloemfontain Road. The southern boundary extends to include Wormholt Park. The London Underground Central line passes through the estates. The station is called East Acton tube station.
History
London County Council bought the 54 acres (22 ha) from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in 1905, 5 acres (2.0 ha) were resold to the Great Western Railway for the Ealing to Shepherds Bush branch line. The Old Oak estate was built in two phases: west of East Acton station and the railway in 1912–13, and east in 1920–23. The final fourteen houses were added in 1927.
The land for the Wormholt Estate was purchased from the same source in 1919. In 1926–28 LCC built 783 houses and Hammersmith Council added 500 houses on the adjoining 76 acres (31 ha). Plans for 37 shops were dropped but the Hammersmith Open Air Swimming Pool and Wormholt Park were both constructed.[1]
The estates were designated conservation areas in May 1940. An Article 4 Direction, taking away certain PD Rights (permitted development rights) to preserve aspects of the character of the estate, has been issued.[1]