This green neighbourhood is located within the borough of Hounslow, a quintessential part of west London, and is bordered by the sought-after areas of Richmond, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham. Hounslow Heath is a notable stretch of open green land which local residents can easily access for all of their exercising, dog walking or picnicking needs. The locality contains the London Museum of Water and Steam which was founded in 1975 and recently refurbished in 2014 to allow people to enjoy this part of London’s industrial history for generations to come. The area is predominantly occupied by the iconic heath, but there are also a number of modern housing estates, as well as some rather large interwar homes. Hounslow has access to plenty of good schools, and the nearby Hounslow station, which only takes 45 minutes to reach London Waterloo, has made this neighbourhood a haven for commuters who wish to escape the busy inner city.

Hounslow Heath has been a significant site in British history. It was originally crossed by important routes from London to the west and southwest, and there are numerous records of Roman camps on the land. In 1546, the heath was more than 20 times the size it was today and was popular with armies because of its proximity to the city of London. One such army was that of Oliver Cromwell, who stationed his troops there to intimidate Charles I during the English Civil War. The area was still in use as a training ground for cavalry by 1900, but it was transformed into an aerodrome after the outbreak of the First World War, during which it became one of the most important training bases for Britain’s air force.

Hounslow Heath became England’s first civil airport site in 1919 and was the site of the first ever flight to Australia. The Vickers Vimy bomber took off from the airport on the 12th November 1919, landing in Darwin almost a month later on the 10th December. A monument exists in the heath but is sadly in a state of neglect.

Despite the greenery of the heath, Hounslow has a reputation for being rather rundown, grey and gloomy; indeed in 2015, it was voted one of Britain’s most miserable places to live. That said, a study of local residents found that over 80% were satisfied with the area, and the council are aware of the difficulties and are working hard to help out the community.

In 2018, the borough released its Local Plan for Hounslow, outlining the changes that it would like to see implemented by 2035. The council will focus predominantly on redeveloping the borough’s brownfield sites, with the help of huge public and private investment to transform the high streets into bustling 24-hour communities. It will also invest heavily in the development of cycling and pedestrian routes to reduce traffic, and build plenty of new affordable housing to accommodate the growing population, as well as encouraging greater community cohesion. The crowning jewel of this regeneration initiative, not too far from Hounslow Heath, is a large-scale development project by the name of High Street Quarter in Hounslow Town Centre. The development offers apartments consisting of 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms, creating a total of 528 new homes. These units are built around a public square with shops, restaurants, cafes and a Cineworld, giving residents a wealth of amenities on the doorstep to their property.