Why visit Heston
Townapedia lists 32 museums and landmarks, 71 parks and trails, 215 places to eat, 18 places to stay and 12 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Beck Theatre, London Butterfly House, Osterley House and Boston Manor.
Weather in Heston
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Heston
Heston is a suburban area and part of the Hounslow district in the London Borough of Hounslow. The residential settlement covers a slightly smaller area than its predecessor farming village, 10.8 miles (17.4 km) west south-west of Charing Cross and adjoins the M4 motorway but has no junction with it; Heston also adjoins the Great West Road, a dual carriageway, mostly west of the "Golden Mile" headquarters section of it. Heston is, historically, in Middlesex.
From the Wikipedia article Heston (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photos of Heston
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Things to do12
Beck Theatre
Cinema and theater · 3.3 mi
Theatre in Hayes, London, England
London Butterfly House
Zoo and aquarium · 2.6 mi
Zoo in Middlesex, England
Orange Tree Theatre
Cinema and theater · 3.5 mi
Theatre in Richmond, London, England
Richmond Bridge
Bridge · 3.5 mi
18th-century bridge in London, England
Richmond Lock and Footbridge
Bridge · 2.9 mi
Lock and pedestrian bridge, situated on the River Thames in south west London
Richmond Railway Bridge
Bridge · 3.1 mi
Grade II listed steel bridge in London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, United Kingdom
Richmond Theatre
Cinema and theater · 3.4 mi
Theatre built in 1899 in Richmond, London, England
Watermans
Cinema and theater · 3.3 mi
Arts centre including a theatre and cinemas in Brentford, Hounslow, London, England
Windmill Bridge
Bridge · 1.7 mi
Also known as 'The Three Bridges'. Designed by Isambard K Brunel. Road, rail and canal intersect at this bridge.
Museums and landmarks32
Osterley House
Museum · 1.1 mi
Historic house museum in London
Jersey Road, Isleworth
Boston Manor
Museum · 2.5 mi
Historic house museum in Brentford, London, UK
Kew Palace
Museum · 3.5 mi
Grade I listed historic house museum in London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, United Kingdom
Kilmorey Mausoleum
Monument and historic site · 2.8 mi
Mausoleum in St Margarets, London
London Museum of Water and Steam
Museum · 3.7 mi
Museum in London, United Kingdom
Museum of Richmond
Museum · 3.4 mi
Museum in Richmond, London, United Kingdom
Musical Museum
Museum · 3.6 mi
Music museum in London, United Kingdom
Orleans House Gallery
Museum · 3.5 mi
Building and art gallery in Twickenham, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England, United Kingdom
Pitzhanger Manor
Museum · 3.5 mi
Grade I listed historic house museum in the London Borough of Ealing, United Kingdom
Pope's Urn
Monument and historic site · 3.4 mi
Memorial to Alexander Pope in Twickenham, London
Richmond War Memorial
Monument and historic site · 3.4 mi
War memorial in London
20 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds71
Crane Meadows
Park · 1.8 mi
Nature reserve in London, England, United Kingdom
Crane Park Island
Park · 2.8 mi
Island in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England, UK
Warren Farm Nature Reserve
Hiking and trails · 1.7 mi
Reccognised as a local nature reserve by Brent River and canal society or Brent River Parks. A species diverse meadow rewilded.
Windmill Lane, Southall
24/7
Barra Hall Park
Park · 3.1 mi
Park in the London Borough of Hillingdon, UK
Cranford Park
Park · 2.8 mi
Park in London Borough of Hillingdon, United Kingdom
59 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes215
Starbucks
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.9 mi
9 Bath Road, Hounslow
Mo-Fr 06:30-23:00; Sa 07:00-23:00; Su 08:00-23:00
Karwan Restaurant Southall
Restaurant · Arab · 1.3 mi
29-31 Featherstone Road, Southall
Mo-Su 12:00-00:00
203 more on the map.
History
The village of Heston is north of Hounslow, and has been settled since Saxon times. It is first recorded as having a priest in the 7th century, though the present Anglican parish church dates to the 14th century. A charter of Henry II gives the name as Hestune, meaning "enclosed settlement", which is justified by its location in what was the Warren of Staines, between the ancient Roman road to Bath, and the Uxbridge Road to Oxford. Another suggested etymology is Anglo-Saxon Hǣs-tūn = "brushwood farm or settlement".
Before 1229, Heston was part of the parish of Gistleworth (Isleworth) before being taken by Henry III, who subsequently granted it to the Earl of Cornwall. It covered until the late 19th-century creation of Hounslow from outlying parts of two adjoining parishes, 3,823 acres (15.47 km2). The close association pre-dates the town of Hounslow, when that was simply Hounslow Priory, the two parishes had long been associated: the medieval manor of Isleworth covered all of that parish and this. After Henry III died in 1316, Heston was owned by the Crown, and later by the wardens of St Giles' Hospital, until it was surrendered to Henry VIII during the dissolution of the monasteries. Elizabeth I granted Heston to Sir Thomas Gresham, and, after eating some bread made from locally grown wheat, insisted on a supply for her own personal use.
Read more of the history
The separation from Isleworth in the 14th century gave the locals a sense of independence from the inhabitants and feudal lords of Isleworth, with whom they frequently quarrelled. The practice of "beating the bounds" was practised annually when the inhabitants went in procession around the parish boundaries, to show locals the extent of their lands. A contemporary account of such a procession describes an occasion when the parishioners of Heston came across some from Isleworth, and the ensuing "quarrel" saw men from Heston throwing the others across a ditch.
A single board of health for the parishes mentioned was formed in 1875 and a very large civil parish in 1927. The Great West Road was completed in 1925, forming the southern border with Hounslow and the farming and market garden land around the village was snapped up for industry and housing developments. The southern part of Heston up to the Great West Road, Sutton (also known as 'The Deans'), was previously a small hamlet subsequently built up as part of the suburb; this name appearing in some road names and other local features. A Roman Catholic parish church was also built for Heston in the 20th century.
Heston Aerodrome was operational between 1929 and 1947. In September 1938, the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, flew from Heston to Germany three times in two weeks for talks with Adolf Hitler, and he returned to Heston from the Munich Conference with the paper referred to in his later "Peace for our time" speech from 10 Downing Street.
Housing and industrial estates have been built on some of the area that was Heston Aerodrome, and the M4 motorway with its large service area (Heston services) cuts across the former aerodrome site east–west, but a substantial area to the north of the M4 is host to the Airlinks 18-hole golf course. Many of the roads in the area have aviation-related names: Alcock Road (Alcock and Brown), Brabazon Road (Lord Brabazon), Bleriot Road (Louis Blériot), Cobham Road (Sir Alan Cobham), De Havilland Road (Geoffrey de Havilland), Norman Crescent (Nigel Norman), Phoenix Way (Heston Phoenix), Sopwith Road (Thomas Sopwith), Spitfire Way (Supermarine Spitfire), Whittle Road (Frank Whittle), and Wright Road (the Wright brothers).
From the History section of Heston on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Heston
Jimmy PageEnglish guitarist (born 1944)Photo: Avda, CC BY-SA 3.0- Anthony CollinsEnglish philosopher (1676-1729)
- Ernest John MoeranEnglish composer (1894-1950)
- Paul JenningsAustralian author
- John KillickBritish ambassador
- Jimmy EggletonEnglish footballer (1897-1963)
- Richard PooleFootballer (born 1957)
- James GoldstonBritish-American journalist
Born in Heston, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay18
Churches and places of worship85
Shopping39
Gas and EV charging13
Schools, colleges and libraries65
St. Michael and St. Martin Catholic Primary School
School · Roman Catholic · 1.1 mi
Belgrave Road, Hounslow
Healthcare21
Heart of Hounslow Centre for Health
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.1 mi
92 Bath Road, Hounslow
Jade Pharmacy & Travel Clinic
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.5 mi
3 Crosslands Ave, Hounslow, Southall, Southall
Map of Heston
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Heathrow Airport (LHR) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Osterley 1 mi east, about 2 min by car
- Hounslow 1 mi southeast, about 2 min by car
- Isleworth 2 mi east, about 2 min by car
- Southall 2 mi north, about 3 min by car
- Cranford 2 mi west, about 3 min by car
- Brentford 3 mi east, about 5 min by car
- West Ealing 3 mi northeast, about 5 min by car
- Richmond 3 mi southeast, about 5 min by car
- Hanworth 3 mi south, about 6 min by car
- Kew 4 mi east, about 6 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Heston
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Heston Village Hall, Mstimson at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- The War Memorial in Heston near St Leonards Church - panoramio, Maxwell Hamilton, CC BY-SA 3.0
- St Leonards Church in Heston - panoramio, Maxwell Hamilton, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Grave of Madeline Green and family at St. Leonard, Heston, Jgdc47B, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hayes, The Beck Theatre, Nigel Cox, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Richmond 018 Richmond Bridge TT panorama, Amandajm, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Richmond Lock from Isleworth,Middx looking SE, Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Richmond Railway Bridge 333r1, Patche99z, CC BY 3.0
- Questors Theatre, Ealing, Roger Green, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Twickenham Bridge312-315b, Patche99z, CC BY 3.0
- Brunel's road, canal and rail bridge (Three Bridges), Smeashy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Osterley Park House, London-25June2009-rc, Osterley Park House, London-25June2009.jpg : Jim Linwood derivative work: Snowmanradio ( talk ), CC BY 2.0
- Boston manor front 2943, P.g.champion, CC BY-SA 2.0 uk
- Kew Palace (5942717068), xlibber, CC BY 2.0
- Entrance to The Kilmorey Mausoleum, Maxwell Hamilton, CC BY 2.0
- London Museum of Water & Steam entrance, Smurfy, CC0
- Museum of Richmond interior 2024-05-08, Matt Brown, CC BY 2.0
- The Musical Museum, Brentford, London., Jim Linwood, CC BY 2.0
- Orleans House Gallery, Matt Brown, CC BY 2.0
- Pitzhanger, Peter Jordan, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Pope's Urn, Twickenham, Robert Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Richmond, River side, War Memorial (1), AndyScott, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Blondin Park nature reserve 6, Dudley Miles, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Flickr - law keven - On a Cold ^ Frosty Morning...., Keven Law from Los Angeles, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- River Crane in Crane Park 2, Dudley Miles, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Crane Park Island Nature Reserve, Twickenham, London. (3350016620), Jim Linwood from London, CC BY 2.0
- All Hallows Parish Church in Twickenham, Maxwell Hamilton, CC BY 2.0
- Bethlehem Chapel, Robert Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Chapel in the Wood, Strawberry Hill 01, Jonathan Cardy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St John's Church, Richmond, John Salmon, CC BY-SA 2.0
- St Thomas Hanwell 3311, P.g.champion, CC BY-SA 2.0 uk
- Richmond, Duke Street Church, AndyScott, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ebenezer Strict Baptist Chapel, Richmond, Robert Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Heston Church, Mstimson at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Butterfly at Syon House, Keven Law from Los Angeles, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Cranebank path, Dudley Miles, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Crane Meadows, JoshuaAnthonyGill, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Treaty Centre entrance, Hounslow High Street, Maxwell Hamilton, CC BY 2.0
- The Long Trident on the oneeleven (17002228741), Aubrey Morandarte from Guildford or Coventry, England, CC BY-SA 2.0
- GOC Richmond 213 Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond (14700706386), Peter O'Connor aka anemoneprojectors, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Richmond Theatre ceiling and chandelier, Gts-tg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Riverside Promenade in Waterman's Park in Brentford - panoramio, Maxwell Hamilton, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hounslow Heath Panorama1443, Patche99z, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, laye, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, RyanBush, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, milhouse, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, RyanBush, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, milhouse, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, HandyHat, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, laye, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, laye, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, laye, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, laye, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, milhouse, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, laye, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, milhouse, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, jethro10, CC BY-SA 4.0
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