A lovely history and beautifully and sensitively narrated. It made me yearn for the quiet and peaceful England I knew as a child 70 years ago. Not only has Heathrow Village been destroyed but successive governments have been working as hard as they can to destroy the rest of the country too.
Yep, the world has changed a lot in 70 years. Infant mortality has dropped off a cliff! Bloody government. You've got to have respect for old people, even when they're a little bit stupid. Lovely video of course
I was born in the 80s …… the world has changed massively in this short period of time…… over 70 years must blow your mind around what’s happened…… as we get older the younger generation are losing it’s history
What a fasinating video. So full of information & history. It's a shame all that beauty has been lost and has been replaced by an airport. Thanks for uploading.
I’m at that age where watching developments bring tears to my eyes. It will never end. So much nature has been wiped out. No wonder the bees and insects are disappearing.
I grew up in Stanwell, on the edge of Heathrow flight path, so this is very interesting. Thank you for putting the documentary together 😊 Wonderful memories 🙌
Very enjoyable. I lived for many years in Stanwell and then just a little further in Ashford. Stanwell Moor and Harmondsworth Moor just to the west can still be walked and cycled on. I have often done it myself, looking east wondering what Heathrow was like before the Second World War!
My Grandmother was living at 2 Perry Oakes Cottages in 1939. Her father worked on the Perry Oakes Sewage Works and they used to eat the tomatoes that grew in the sewage works.
That's amazing. Did she leave due to the demolitions? One story we didn't get to tell was of Heathrow school on the Bath Road. Because of the disruption to the road system in 1944 onwards, the children of Perry Oaks, who used to walk to school, had to be bussed in for four years
They were definitely still living there in 1951. They had moved on by 1956. Will have to ask my mum for more information about schools etc. A lot of family were market gardeners around the area as well.
@@TheUndergroundMap yes; every time I visit Terminal 2 and the central area; I always say to my wife that I’m off to the farm! We still have some items from the farm such as silver trophies awarded to the farm in various agricultural shows. Apparently the farms two shire horses are buried there; Kitty and Boxer! I often wonder when they are extending the tube if they would come across their skeletons!
My great-grandfather owned Heathrow House. He was meant to be compensated, but the money never materialized. I'm glad he wasn't alive to see the humiliation of his grandchildren growing up in Highfields in Feltham **shudder**
Its amazing that this has never been addressed. As mentioned it was never intended for war use and the whole planning stage was a smokescreen with even Parliament not being informed.
Grew up in Bedfont lived there for 49 years as a kid those names of those places were still spoken . Ironically my Grandfather worked on the Airport for 25 years and luved it and most of my family were affiliated in someway to the airport. Happy times for me !
When driving my train into Windsor & Eton Central station, I heard some American tourists, seeing the planes coming over the Windsor Castle, ask ‘why did they build the castle so near to the airport?’ Thanks for making this film. So much history under our noses that we don’t see or appreciate.
I was bought up in the little town of Hanworth, just down the road from Heathrow. Went to school in Feltham and lived briefly in Iselworth. Such an interesting trip down memory lane. I went back to visit Butts Crescent about 7 years ago and could barely recognise any of the landmark buildings I had grown up with. Time and tide wait for no man!
Really interesting, thank you 😊 The scale of the current development vs the scale of the old farms really brings it home. Entire farm under concrete aprons.
Wouldn't it be nice if there was a 'Heathrow History Corner' in one of the terminals? Its the least they could do after 'eating up' surrounding villages, hamlets and land. This film could be a part of it.
In terminal 5 near gate A11 there is indeed a (very small) "museum" of the history of the area terminal 5 was built on. But I'm talking ancient history not just pre-war.
Stansted has an interesting history corner based around the history of the airport itself. I guess most people don't even know it's there, but I saw it immediately as that is my interest.
I was born and brought up nearby, in Bedfont, and worked at Heathrow Airport for 14 years so am very familiar with the area. Less than a century ago, this area looks so rural despite being very close to London, so different to how it is now. Quite sad really that many people living in Heathrow must have lost their homes.
Great video. Always tragic to hear about historic settlements that have been obliterated to make way for airports, but I guess they had to build the airport somewhere. Moreover, we now know how animals feel when their habitats are deforested, urbanised, polluted, or simply destroyed by man.
This was a delightful video looking back at a gentler age, thank you. But even then lies and deceit reared its ugly head in the headlong pursuit of greed and money. We are lucky that you and others took the time to collate this history.
Great video ,bringing back loads of memories. Most of my childhood was spent at Court Farm ,Iver, just a stones throw from Heathrow. ( Court Farm is now an industrial estate right beside the M25, just before the junction with the M4). I can remember as a kid waving my best friends dad of on a flight to South Africa on a Super Constelation. The departure lounge was a khaki tent .
Well well, Iver Court Farm..., used to cut bricks there in the way back, I think I may know you, my younger brother, Peter Wilding, used to be best mates with with Micheal back in the 60's. I sometimes went up to your farm when you had those lorry wrecks, and a few cars in the fields around. We moved up North in 72, leaving 16 Iver Lane. I went back down for a look around in 2002 and actually tried to turn down towards your farm using that lane agin the canal, to find the way blocked by the M25! Crikey, I could rattle on.....
@@suzyqualcast6269 A bit after my time there. We moved in the late fifties to another farm in Harefield but my Aunt and uncle and family continued to live there , Michaell still had an interest in the farm certainly until about ten years ago. Although these days it is an industrial estate. A bit sad to see the old house as I pass by on the M25, and to think now nice it was in the old days.
Thanks for posting this. I grew up in Bedfont so it's a real blast from the past. You might be interested to know that a portion of Cains Lane still exists over the Great South West road adjoining Hatton Road. We used to pick the best black berries in a field opposite Cains Lane back in the day.
What a superb video. Rarely have I enjoyed one so much. But how sad. I don't understand why it still seems to be a priority to concrete/tarmac over productive farmland when there are so many more mouths to feed.
Hey, I've read the book. Didn't realise Heathrow was 'ILLEGALLY' acquired until I read the book. To me, Heathrow is very messy, buildings all over t place. Wonder if any valuable archaeological finds were snaffled when the area was bull-dozed?!🤔🤨 Wonder what happened to the evicted residents/businesses?
Charlton was demolished in the 1940s to make room for the extension of the Filton, Bristol runway. The village had a 88 houses a pub called the Carpenters Arms and a Bethel Baptist Church.
Loved it! I will be back again to see this fascinating history. I still remember a fabulous meal that I enjoyed at the Three Magpies in 1982, the evening before I flew out to Moscow as part of my university course. I was interested to hear of "Shrub End", having lived in another Shrub End, this one on the edge of Colchester. Development is not always progress.
I was born and raised in Hayes this is a fascinating story of the rapid expansion of Heathrow. Such a shame what we have lost from our past. I remember the Peggy Bedford and the fight that the residents of sipson have had over the years thanks for uploading this video ❤
I grew up in Harlington, Penine way and had friends that lived all around. The last part and bungalow were compulsory purchased pre T5 along with Perryoaks. We could tell the weather by smell Rain brought coffee aroma from Nestle, and the sun brought sewage 😂 in stormy weather Jet A1 was thick in the air with a hint of scorched rubber 😊 its a tragedy Harlington lower school down New Rd closed and became a car park. There are still school road marking outside the old gates from 1978!
Very interesting. Many of us have flown in and out of this airport, but I'll never do it again without thinking of those farms and orchards and families. Thank you.
Thank you. I live in local area and my dad has worked at the airport his entire life so it’s interesting to see what Heathrow was like. Very comprehensive and thoroughly enjoyed!
Very interesting stuff. Thanks ! Airports are huge, so construction is always quite a disruptive event. I think the car has destroyed far far more of the country lanes and old ways then aircraft have done though.
Built in the copletey wrong place, so much history lost, so much good farm land buried unde concrete, I hope it NEVER get any bigger, its a blight on the landscape The Peggy Bedford is now a Mc D's I remember that being knocked down I started work there in 1984, I have never supported expansion of Heathrow, eve when I worked there
Never realized it was originally two words. Some pronounce it Heath-ROW and others HEATH-row. Heath is an extensive area of level, open, uncultivated land usually with poor coarse soil, inferior drainage, and a surface rich in peat or peaty humus. Interesting. Good vid.
I recall visiting Heathrow as a child in the 1950s when there was no terminal just nissen huts and simple fencing separating the public areas from the apron and runways. During my working life I was an all too frequent user of the airport and often wondered about its evolution from heathland to airport, your well produced and interesting video has amply filled the gap in my knowledge, thanks for making it public.
A good friend of mine his family came from Heathrow Village, I've seen all the pictures. It's very sad, but ironically my wife worked for British Airways also flying Concord for years. I suppose it's progress in a way however you can't regret the loss of old historic buildings, used to drink in sipson and harmondsworth.
I am familiar with the village of Longford just outside of the northwestern perimeter of Heathrow as we love going to the Whitehorse pub there when staying at one of the airport hotels close by. If they go ahead with the third runway this charming old village would be demolished. I used to be indifferent to Heathrow expansion but now I know this village I’m not so sure even though in this day and age the residents would be properly compensated it just seems wrong.
Balfour const. Co. built the new "Fuller Warren Bridge" in the I-95 r/w across the St.Johns River, or at least part of it, quite a project. Liked and subscribed, your video is excellent, reminds me of another land grab in the uk in the 2nd ww, "Slapton Sands", where 2 LCTs were lost to german E boats who ambushed the transports in heavy fog and costs the allies dearly at the time (600 trained soldiers) prior to D-Day.
Brilliant! And beautifully narrated! Thank you! Found this so interesting! I now live in Melbourne Australia but was born in the UK found myself longing for those times when life seemed so much more idyllic not to mention far less complicated! Ps: I remember going down to the little brook near us and catching sticklebacks!
Great video of a now almost forgotten hamlet. I have several of Philip Sherwood's books. Regarding the aerial image at 11:16 (from Britain from Above). It is not where you have identified it to be - that image is facing south west, so the Great South West Road is at the top; the Great West Road towards London is bottom left; Bath Road to Hounslow to the left and Cranford to the right. Hounslow West is to the left, with new houses appearing, and the road leading off to the right is Springwell Road (the long-demolished Springwell House is among the trees). The building at the junction of Bath Road and the Great West Road was then a petrol station, and there is still one on the site.
I believe the new houses at Hounslow West may be the airways housing estate (Renfrew Rd. Sopers Lane etc.) I lived there between 1953 (I think) to 1959, my father being an instructor with BOAC. There was a hoarding at the junction of Bath and Great West roads advertising TWA/USA. It took me ages to work out what that meant. My excuse is that I was only about 5 or 6 at the time. I hadn’t realised how long a tradition misleading Parliament has. Great research and very interesting.
Great video. It reminded me that my aunt worked at Heathrow at the very beginning and somewhere I have a photo of her outside a tent which at the time was the terminal. I must try and find it !
Subscribed! I really love the narration and presentation of this video. I think some TH-camrs tend to get a bit carried away with their over-editing and non-stop narration that leaves no pause for thought.
My mother's family lived in the Hayes/Southall area, north of the Heathrow since at least thew 19C. One record I found showed that they walked across the heath to Heston to worship at a church south of the heath. A life near impossibly now, and which would require a convoluted bus and tube trip to work around and through the airport. Some of the current family still live to the North, rarely speak of the south although when I was a boy in the 1960s we could still get a bus to the Heston swimming pool. I was schooled directly to the north of the airport at Harlington: we paused classes as the jets took off.
Interesting video showing the evolution of Heathrow airport, my family all lived very close to the Airport either in Stanwell or Stanwell moor, I once went to Perry oaks before terminal 5 was a thing and came away surprised that there was house's within the perimeter fence around the airport
That's very interesting. Do you remember which year? I was infomed that it was demolished in 1948 but that was an internet forum discovery and thus not so reliable :)
@@TheUndergroundMap thinking back it must have been late 90's, I was fitting a piece of glass to a vehicle that was in the slurry works, that obviously is all underneath T5 now but I remember two semi-detached house right next to the slurry works which as I recall could really kick up a stink in summer, either way you would have had to be deaf with no sense of smell to live in one, my family ran the Anchor pub just up the road way before there was ever an airfield or for that matter aircraft, my father worked over the airport and spoke of a shaft or blocked entrance to the underground system for escape and rescue way before T5 was even a thing
@@TheUndergroundMap I remember driving inside Heathrow's perimeter fence on the West side of the airport in the mid to late 90s. There were about half a dozen houses and a few sheep milling around. Considering it was at the end of the runway of the world's busiest airport, it was quite an idyllic setting. In fact, I was very surprised to even see a residential area inside Heathrow's perimeter fence. The sheep were actually grazing freely on the grass at the end of the runway away from the houses. Over the years, I've asked people about these lone houses that were the last holdout, but no-one seems to remember them. The real jackpot would be to speak to one of the residents who were living there until they were demolished. I'm sure they have lots of pertinent information.
Remember in the late 80’s early nineties riding round that part of the airport seeing those houses. The peri track was like a country road back then to what it is now. Also having worked on the T5 project I often said to colleagues what land T5 was actually built on and half didn’t believe me. Remember one of the stair cores having a unique smell shall we say down at B4 level. Having being brought up in Harlington,should a strong south westerly prevail you knew the waft from Perry oaks was coming.
@@TheUndergroundMap The last house in Heathrow was demolished in March 2001. I know, I lived there and I am the last person to live in Heathrow Airport. When I was at school, people asked where did I live, I’d said in Heathrow, no one believed me. 👍🇬🇧🇺🇦
This is fascinating and saddening. Thank you. I’ve done a lot of old map exploring near where I live in Maryland. I wish I could walk along some country lanes 100-200 years ago.
I know what you mean about the country lanes. Thanks to the 3D modelling tools available from the gaming industry I think we’re getting close to recreating past landscapes accurately
Fascinating. It took me back to the early/mid 1980s and my time at Penguin Books in Harmondsworth when Concorde would shatter the peace at 11am each morning
My grandad was living at Holly Farm Hatton he and others were moved to new council houses he went to Green Man Lane. Others Hatton Green and some in Bedfont. For moving he was allowed to pay what I remember being called a peppercorn rate/rent for the rest of his life at the property.
I moved there in the sixties and lived in Cranford Lane. From Memory at the western Junction to Heathrow Fairey had Land there though it wasn't used, the signs were still up. I moved away in 72. I frequently used to walk down Henley's Alley whergee there was a small holding dedicated mainly to cabbages and there were some older houses where we bought fresh eggs. At the End of the road was Woodfield secondary of unfond memory and that is now under what was the BOAC Hangers. In later Life I had to frequently come to Heathrow and remember going in to the Magpies
Absolutely brilliant documentary. I love your use of the mapping software to contextualise the story. I grew up relatively near Heathrow, my Uncle lived on the Bath Road for a while in the 90s and I flew in and out of LHR last week. I even noticed the Three Magpies, which I don't think I had previously paid much attention to. Probably because of how ubiquitous magpies are where I now live. Really well made. Will start making my way through your other videos.
My great grandfather purchased Harlington Lodge circa 1900 and moved our nursery there (from next to Hanwell Cemetery). Amongst other things, they grew world renowned cyclamen there (lots of research on this recently by uk cyclamen society). As per others we were forced to move within months, which destroyed a lot of the business (and no compensation). The nursery still just survives today… just over a mile away from T4
11:17 that aerial view of the Great South West Road is in Hounslow, at Henly's Corner, with the Bath Road running straight from the top-right corner. Heathrow is off the top of this view. The Piccadilly Line tunnel runs beneath these roads too.
Well done and enjoyable. I liked the Tartis noise and the horror of being moved from a farmyard in 1940 to extreme modern infrastructure. I've never been to the UK but I like to see videos of your land.
In the late 60's and early 1970's I lived at 'Lyndhurst' 260 Bath Road which was a 1930's semi in a row of about a dozen houses between the Blue Star Garage and the Airways Garage. The couple who lived in the adjoining house had bought the home brand new so that when they retired they would have nice views looking south over what was to become the airport. We did have a nice view of the airport until they built the Heathrow Hotel.
@@TheUndergroundMap Between Sipson Road and Boltons Lane. When we lived there the last house in the row was VHF Supplies sold air band radios and model kits. Site now occupied by Strata House.
I grew up in Stanwell adjoining LHR in the late 50s through 60s. My school was two fields and some grass away from what was the distant end of 27L/09R. The village grew from a few thousand to 16 000 while Iws there although the village itself retained is original shape with developments to the south , in addition to LHR the Staines reservoirs bordered it to the west. Its all very well to say it should have been elsewhere but where north Londona nd South London are hilly so no airports there , further west is Windsor Great Park so nothing was going to be bult there and further than that it doesnt get flat again until where Blackbushe is close to 40 mils out and even then its not really big enough. East of London is the Thames , and then docks and marshland -a svanat might have suggested building over dockland as LHR replaced the docks in a way . Of course it wasnt LHR back then but LAP -London Air Port. Back in the day with its 5 runways and endless different types jets , turbo props and recips it was fascinating . A bit of forward thinking would have left more land available to the north , there is still quite al ot and thatw ould have allowed a third e-w parlale to be bult in the 90s but thisis the UK and forward thinking is an alien concept
Very much enjoyed your video and mention of the Great West Aerodrome. Didn’t know anything about an earlier airfield until I had read a book called A German Bomber on Worthing Soil by Graham Lelliott. Several German Heinkel bombers had that as its target on 16th August 1940. One of them was intercepted by Spitfires over Brighton, East Sussex on its return, subsequently shot down, crashing at High Salvington in Worthing, West Sussex. All interesting stuff!
The ruse was to use state powers as allowed by a conflict to build the airport which wasn't necessary for national defence then upon the end of the conflict with the asset in place was so convenient to be civilianised when it probably would have been difficult to build on a private initiative. Subsequently demand increases so we must expand, with the expansion we can take more flights so demand increases and we must expand again and again..
My family was Romany gypsys my great grandmothers mother was a gray and her father was a best and they owned the land where heathrow is now my great grandmother still has the deeds to the land but sadly she’s passed away gbh they had the land took off them and made it look like the vicar sold the land to the army it’s so sad to know that this is never talked about some of their belongings are in the history museum when they started building the runways for Heathrow they came knocking on my great grandmothers door and asked to talk to her about it but she didn’t want to know as there was a lot of hurt behind it.
It seems that a lot of people were bamboozled indeed it's construction used the war and associated legal state powers as ruse as it wasn't really necessary for national defence for something that's could be utilised as a civilian airport once the conflict was over it was obvious that aircraft were going to become more important in travel
The powers that be , my Father used to say ….Government the only business that trades illegally……..legally. Corruption through and through , My grandfather owned a factory and workers houses, the government came along and took the lot , called it compulsory purchase, he got pennies, yet had employed over 139 people for over 50 years …..he lost his business, albeit he was rich, but all the workers lost their livelihood and homes and were moved to god knows where and probably sat on the dole after that …..they didn’t care about anyone
I'm a Curtis born 1958 on New Farm Ashford Nr Fordbridge. The farm was compulsory purchased when my great grandfather was alive. As a new bypass was going to be built across the land. We had to move out after the death of my grandfather in about 1962/3. I knew we had relatives farming out at Heathrow told to me by my family.
I the late 70's early 80's I worked for the Ordnance Survey. We did some work around Heathrow and the village that would be demolished for a new runway is beautiful... Let's hope it's never built 😢
Much as I distrust the ever present and burgeoning track and trace technology, I can only presume that had we not had the dubious pleasure of driving in to Heathrow today, to drop off son and daughter-in-law to fly to the USA, this very pleasant (but not for the inhabitants) and interesting history of Heathrow before being tarmaced and concreted over. Not so much the walls have ears, more like the phone has ears and eyes!
A lovely history and beautifully and sensitively narrated. It made me yearn for the quiet and peaceful England I knew as a child 70 years ago. Not only has Heathrow Village been destroyed but successive governments have been working as hard as they can to destroy the rest of the country too.
Thank you for your kind words!
The cruel irony in this of course is that if it weren’t for the airport, no one would really care about heathrow hamlet
Yep, the world has changed a lot in 70 years. Infant mortality has dropped off a cliff! Bloody government. You've got to have respect for old people, even when they're a little bit stupid.
Lovely video of course
👏👏👏
I was born in the 80s …… the world has changed massively in this short period of time…… over 70 years must blow your mind around what’s happened…… as we get older the younger generation are losing it’s history
Wish it was still an Orchard!
It would be housing or an airport.
What a fasinating video. So full of information & history. It's a shame all that beauty has been lost and has been replaced by an airport. Thanks for uploading.
Thanks!
I’m at that age where watching developments bring tears to my eyes. It will never end. So much nature has been wiped out. No wonder the bees and insects are disappearing.
23:54 This is a fabulous video; charming and with a great delivery. Thank you.
Wow, thank you!
Excellent video, well researched. This is the kind of local history I love. More please!
More to come!
Excellent account of the history of the land that is now Heathrow Airport, quite fascinating. Thanks
Politicians telling lies to the public about their real intentions? Never.
I grew up in Stanwell, on the edge of Heathrow flight path, so this is very interesting. Thank you for putting the documentary together 😊 Wonderful memories 🙌
Glad you enjoyed it!
@@TheUndergroundMap Very much so. Have shared the link on a few of my Facebook groups.
Do you have any history on Stanwell Moor? Stanwell Moor is a village in the edge of Heathrow.
Very enjoyable. I lived for many years in Stanwell and then just a little further in Ashford.
Stanwell Moor and Harmondsworth Moor just to the west can still be walked and cycled on. I have often done it myself, looking east wondering what Heathrow was like before the Second World War!
My Grandmother was living at 2 Perry Oakes Cottages in 1939. Her father worked on the Perry Oakes Sewage Works and they used to eat the tomatoes that grew in the sewage works.
That's amazing. Did she leave due to the demolitions? One story we didn't get to tell was of Heathrow school on the Bath Road. Because of the disruption to the road system in 1944 onwards, the children of Perry Oaks, who used to walk to school, had to be bussed in for four years
They were definitely still living there in 1951. They had moved on by 1956. Will have to ask my mum for more information about schools etc. A lot of family were market gardeners around the area as well.
Such a wonderful story. My wife’s grandfather was Sydney Curtis; son of Harry Curtis of Heathrow Farm.
That's an amazing connection with history!
@@TheUndergroundMap yes; every time I visit Terminal 2 and the central area; I always say to my wife that I’m off to the farm! We still have some items from the farm such as silver trophies awarded to the farm in various agricultural shows. Apparently the farms two shire horses are buried there; Kitty and Boxer! I often wonder when they are extending the tube if they would come across their skeletons!
This makes me really sad for what we've lost.
My great-grandfather owned Heathrow House. He was meant to be compensated, but the money never materialized. I'm glad he wasn't alive to see the humiliation of his grandchildren growing up in Highfields in Feltham
**shudder**
Having looked into this, the compensation - or lack of it - was a complete scandal all round
Its amazing that this has never been addressed. As mentioned it was never intended for war use and the whole planning stage was a smokescreen with even Parliament not being informed.
They are shoplifters now I believe
@@TheUndergroundMapare you telling me all this land was grabbed from tenants and robbed from landowners? This needs to be historically addressed.
Taken without payment. That's utterly criminal.
Interesting,informative video.......thnks for posting 👍
Glad you liked it!
Really interesting to see the old maps and photos, combined with the modern day - thanks.
Glad you liked it!
Grew up in Bedfont lived there for 49 years as a kid those names of those places were still spoken . Ironically my Grandfather worked on the Airport for 25 years and luved it and most of my family were affiliated in someway to the airport. Happy times for me !
When driving my train into Windsor & Eton Central station, I heard some American tourists, seeing the planes coming over the Windsor Castle, ask ‘why did they build the castle so near to the airport?’
Thanks for making this film. So much history under our noses that we don’t see or appreciate.
Thanks!
I was bought up in the little town of Hanworth, just down the road from Heathrow. Went to school in Feltham and lived briefly in Iselworth. Such an interesting trip down memory lane. I went back to visit Butts Crescent about 7 years ago and could barely recognise any of the landmark buildings I had grown up with. Time and tide wait for no man!
Really interesting, thank you 😊
The scale of the current development vs the scale of the old farms really brings it home. Entire farm under concrete aprons.
Wouldn't it be nice if there was a 'Heathrow History Corner' in one of the terminals? Its the least they could do after 'eating up' surrounding villages, hamlets and land. This film could be a part of it.
A great idea!
In terminal 5 near gate A11 there is indeed a (very small) "museum" of the history of the area terminal 5 was built on. But I'm talking ancient history not just pre-war.
Thank you so much for that information. Next time I'm there, I'll definitley have a look.
Stansted has an interesting history corner based around the history of the airport itself. I guess most people don't even know it's there, but I saw it immediately as that is my interest.
So glad this video appeared in my feed. Really good job - well done!
Thanks so much!
I was born and brought up nearby, in Bedfont, and worked at Heathrow Airport for 14 years so am very familiar with the area. Less than a century ago, this area looks so rural despite being very close to London, so different to how it is now. Quite sad really that many people living in Heathrow must have lost their homes.
Great video. Always tragic to hear about historic settlements that have been obliterated to make way for airports, but I guess they had to build the airport somewhere.
Moreover, we now know how animals feel when their habitats are deforested, urbanised, polluted, or simply destroyed by man.
Perhaps Britain would have been a happier place without the wretched airport!
This was a delightful video looking back at a gentler age, thank you. But even then lies and deceit reared its ugly head in the headlong pursuit of greed and money. We are lucky that you and others took the time to collate this history.
Thanks!
I've spent alot of time around Heathrow over the years. It was both interesting and saddening to learn of it's history.
Great video ,bringing back loads of memories. Most of my childhood was spent at Court Farm ,Iver, just a stones throw from Heathrow. ( Court Farm is now an industrial estate right beside the M25, just before the junction with the M4). I can remember as a kid waving my best friends dad of on a flight to South Africa on a Super Constelation. The departure lounge was a khaki tent .
There are some great photos doing the rounds of those tents
Well well, Iver Court Farm..., used to cut bricks there in the way back, I think I may know you, my younger brother, Peter Wilding, used to be best mates with with Micheal back in the 60's. I sometimes went up to your farm when you had those lorry wrecks, and a few cars in the fields around. We moved up North in 72, leaving 16 Iver Lane.
I went back down for a look around in 2002 and actually tried to turn down towards your farm using that lane agin the canal, to find the way blocked by the M25! Crikey, I could rattle on.....
@@suzyqualcast6269 A bit after my time there. We moved in the late fifties to another farm in Harefield but my Aunt and uncle and family continued to live there , Michaell still had an interest in the farm certainly until about ten years ago. Although these days it is an industrial estate. A bit sad to see the old house as I pass by on the M25, and to think now nice it was in the old days.
Thanks for posting this. I grew up in Bedfont so it's a real blast from the past. You might be interested to know that a portion of Cains Lane still exists over the Great South West road adjoining Hatton Road. We used to pick the best black berries in a field opposite Cains Lane back in the day.
What a superb video. Rarely have I enjoyed one so much. But how sad. I don't understand why it still seems to be a priority to concrete/tarmac over productive farmland when there are so many more mouths to feed.
Good question!
Hey, I've read the book. Didn't realise Heathrow was 'ILLEGALLY' acquired until I read the book. To me, Heathrow is very messy, buildings all over t place. Wonder if any valuable archaeological finds were snaffled when the area was bull-dozed?!🤔🤨
Wonder what happened to the evicted residents/businesses?
Charlton was demolished in the 1940s to make room for the extension of the Filton, Bristol runway. The village had a 88 houses a pub called the Carpenters Arms and a Bethel Baptist Church.
Loved it! I will be back again to see this fascinating history. I still remember a fabulous meal that I enjoyed at the Three Magpies in 1982, the evening before I flew out to Moscow as part of my university course. I was interested to hear of "Shrub End", having lived in another Shrub End, this one on the edge of Colchester.
Development is not always progress.
I was born and raised in Hayes this is a fascinating story of the rapid expansion of Heathrow. Such a shame what we have lost from our past. I remember the Peggy Bedford and the fight that the residents of sipson have had over the years thanks for uploading this video ❤
Great work, I live the layeringto show locations through time. I love the fact some of the pubs are still there. Many thanks for this.
One pub remains -the Three Magpies. I went in there once. Not my best pub experience!
Great bit of history, narrated beautifully. Loving the special sound effects too (Tardis section)!!
Many thanks!
I grew up in Harlington, Penine way and had friends that lived all around. The last part and bungalow were compulsory purchased pre T5 along with Perryoaks.
We could tell the weather by smell Rain brought coffee aroma from Nestle, and the sun brought sewage 😂 in stormy weather Jet A1 was thick in the air with a hint of scorched rubber 😊 its a tragedy Harlington lower school down New Rd closed and became a car park.
There are still school road marking outside the old gates from 1978!
Been a map nerd since I could pick up an atlas, and this video is great. Thank you 😊
Thanks from a fellow map nerd
Marvellous, I grew up in the 50s nearby in West Drayton
Demolition of heritage buildings and the destruction of nature are both such tragedies
What a fascinating insight into the history of Heathrow. My Grandfather used to work for Fairey Aviation for many years.
Thanks!
Very interesting. Many of us have flown in and out of this airport, but I'll never do it again without thinking of those farms and orchards and families. Thank you.
I do the same but it’s difficult to imagine!
Yes you need a good imagination to shut all that out. Same the world over I guess.
Thank you. I live in local area and my dad has worked at the airport his entire life so it’s interesting to see what Heathrow was like. Very comprehensive and thoroughly enjoyed!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very interesting stuff. Thanks !
Airports are huge, so construction is always quite a disruptive event.
I think the car has destroyed far far more of the country lanes and old ways then aircraft have done though.
Built in the copletey wrong place, so much history lost, so much good farm land buried unde concrete, I hope it NEVER get any bigger, its a blight on the landscape
The Peggy Bedford is now a Mc D's
I remember that being knocked down
I started work there in 1984, I have never supported expansion of Heathrow, eve when I worked there
Shame about the Peggy Bedford - not only a landmark pub but a great name!
Not really, it's in the idea place. Just idiotic councils allowed houses to be built to near to it.
Never realized it was originally two words. Some pronounce it Heath-ROW and others HEATH-row. Heath is an extensive area of level, open, uncultivated land usually with poor coarse soil, inferior drainage, and a surface rich in peat or peaty humus. Interesting. Good vid.
It was first mentioned in1410 and spelt La Hetherewe
Nice research and presentation.
I knew the area well, lived my first 30yrs down the road in Southall.
I recall visiting Heathrow as a child in the 1950s when there was no terminal just nissen huts and simple fencing separating the public areas from the apron and runways. During my working life I was an all too frequent user of the airport and often wondered about its evolution from heathland to airport, your well produced and interesting video has amply filled the gap in my knowledge, thanks for making it public.
Thanks so much for your comments! It was a labour of love!
A good friend of mine his family came from Heathrow Village, I've seen all the pictures. It's very sad, but ironically my wife worked for British Airways also flying Concord for years. I suppose it's progress in a way however you can't regret the loss of old historic buildings, used to drink in sipson and harmondsworth.
Imagine how beautiful it was once. 😢
I am familiar with the village of Longford just outside of the northwestern perimeter of Heathrow as we love going to the Whitehorse pub there when staying at one of the airport hotels close by. If they go ahead with the third runway this charming old village would be demolished. I used to be indifferent to Heathrow expansion but now I know this village I’m not so sure even though in this day and age the residents would be properly compensated it just seems wrong.
Balfour const. Co. built the new "Fuller Warren Bridge" in the I-95 r/w across the St.Johns River, or at least part of it, quite a project. Liked and subscribed, your video is excellent, reminds me of another land grab in the uk in the 2nd ww, "Slapton Sands", where 2 LCTs were lost to german E boats who ambushed the transports in heavy fog and costs the allies dearly at the time (600 trained soldiers) prior to D-Day.
Wow, so Heathrow came about because of a forced landing!! Amazing.
My father worked on this at that time, and I went to the school on the opposite side of the A4, just past the 3 magpies .
Were the residents provided alternative accommodation or did they have to find their own? How much notice was given to vacate?
Brilliant! And beautifully narrated! Thank you! Found this so interesting! I now live in Melbourne Australia but was born in the UK found myself longing for those times when life seemed so much more idyllic not to mention far less complicated! Ps: I remember going down to the little brook near us and catching sticklebacks!
My mother was from Harmondworth, south of Heathrow, off Hatch lane. She was born in 1943 so would have grown up with the airport.
Great video of a now almost forgotten hamlet. I have several of Philip Sherwood's books.
Regarding the aerial image at 11:16 (from Britain from Above). It is not where you have identified it to be - that image is facing south west, so the Great South West Road is at the top; the Great West Road towards London is bottom left; Bath Road to Hounslow to the left and Cranford to the right. Hounslow West is to the left, with new houses appearing, and the road leading off to the right is Springwell Road (the long-demolished Springwell House is among the trees). The building at the junction of Bath Road and the Great West Road was then a petrol station, and there is still one on the site.
Thanks for the correction. I’ll remix in due course
I believe the new houses at Hounslow West may be the airways housing estate (Renfrew Rd. Sopers Lane etc.) I lived there between 1953 (I think) to 1959, my father being an instructor with BOAC. There was a hoarding at the junction of Bath and Great West roads advertising TWA/USA. It took me ages to work out what that meant. My excuse is that I was only about 5 or 6 at the time.
I hadn’t realised how long a tradition misleading Parliament has.
Great research and very interesting.
@@mikepowell2776 we used to call those the 'airport houses', along with the Ringway Estate up North Hyde Lane.
@@mikepowell2776Indeed I lived on this estate from 1965 to late 90s and it was built on that triangle shown.
Excellent video of the history. Much appreciated & thank you 👍
Thanks!
This was excellent - thank you for doing it!
Great video. It reminded me that my aunt worked at Heathrow at the very beginning and somewhere I have a photo of her outside a tent which at the time was the terminal. I must try and find it !
Subscribed! I really love the narration and presentation of this video. I think some TH-camrs tend to get a bit carried away with their over-editing and non-stop narration that leaves no pause for thought.
Thanks for the sub!
Very interesting, thank you for showing, good narration too.
My mother's family lived in the Hayes/Southall area, north of the Heathrow since at least thew 19C. One record I found showed that they walked across the heath to Heston to worship at a church south of the heath. A life near impossibly now, and which would require a convoluted bus and tube trip to work around and through the airport. Some of the current family still live to the North, rarely speak of the south although when I was a boy in the 1960s we could still get a bus to the Heston swimming pool. I was schooled directly to the north of the airport at Harlington: we paused classes as the jets took off.
There was a mission hall south of the heath but dating from the twentieth century
@@TheUndergroundMap Thank you. I bereave they went as far as a parish church in Heston. Possibly a family connection to another parish.
Interesting video showing the evolution of Heathrow airport, my family all lived very close to the Airport either in Stanwell or Stanwell moor, I once went to Perry oaks before terminal 5 was a thing and came away surprised that there was house's within the perimeter fence around the airport
That's very interesting. Do you remember which year? I was infomed that it was demolished in 1948 but that was an internet forum discovery and thus not so reliable :)
@@TheUndergroundMap thinking back it must have been late 90's, I was fitting a piece of glass to a vehicle that was in the slurry works, that obviously is all underneath T5 now but I remember two semi-detached house right next to the slurry works which as I recall could really kick up a stink in summer, either way you would have had to be deaf with no sense of smell to live in one, my family ran the Anchor pub just up the road way before there was ever an airfield or for that matter aircraft, my father worked over the airport and spoke of a shaft or blocked entrance to the underground system for escape and rescue way before T5 was even a thing
@@TheUndergroundMap I remember driving inside Heathrow's perimeter fence on the West side of the airport in the mid to late 90s. There were about half a dozen houses and a few sheep milling around. Considering it was at the end of the runway of the world's busiest airport, it was quite an idyllic setting. In fact, I was very surprised to even see a residential area inside Heathrow's perimeter fence.
The sheep were actually grazing freely on the grass at the end of the runway away from the houses.
Over the years, I've asked people about these lone houses that were the last holdout, but no-one seems to remember them.
The real jackpot would be to speak to one of the residents who were living there until they were demolished. I'm sure they have lots of pertinent information.
Remember in the late 80’s early nineties riding round that part of the airport seeing those houses.
The peri track was like a country road back then to what it is now.
Also having worked on the T5 project I often said to colleagues what land T5 was actually built on and half didn’t believe me.
Remember one of the stair cores having a unique smell shall we say down at B4 level. Having being brought up in Harlington,should a strong south westerly prevail you knew the waft from Perry oaks was coming.
@@TheUndergroundMap The last house in Heathrow was demolished in March 2001. I know, I lived there and I am the last person to live in Heathrow Airport.
When I was at school, people asked where did I live, I’d said in Heathrow, no one believed me. 👍🇬🇧🇺🇦
This is fascinating and saddening. Thank you. I’ve done a lot of old map exploring near where I live in Maryland. I wish I could walk along some country lanes 100-200 years ago.
I know what you mean about the country lanes. Thanks to the 3D modelling tools available from the gaming industry I think we’re getting close to recreating past landscapes accurately
You could make one about Ringway as well. The village lost to Manchester airport. ❤
Or…….you could stop expecting other people to do everything for you, and make it yourself 🤣
Fascinating. It took me back to the early/mid 1980s and my time at Penguin Books in Harmondsworth when Concorde would shatter the peace at 11am each morning
My grandad was living at Holly Farm Hatton he and others were moved to new council houses he went to Green Man Lane. Others Hatton Green and some in Bedfont. For moving he was allowed to pay what I remember being called a peppercorn rate/rent for the rest of his life at the property.
We'll have to do a Hatton (Cross) video in the future. Another lost village
Wow ! I grew up in 1970s Cranford and this video was very interesting to watch.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I moved there in the sixties and lived in Cranford Lane. From Memory at the western Junction to Heathrow Fairey had Land there though it wasn't used, the signs were still up. I moved away in 72. I frequently used to walk down Henley's Alley whergee there was a small holding dedicated mainly to cabbages and there were some older houses where we bought fresh eggs. At the End of the road was Woodfield secondary of unfond memory and that is now under what was the BOAC Hangers.
In later Life I had to frequently come to Heathrow and remember going in to the Magpies
Absolutely brilliant documentary. I love your use of the mapping software to contextualise the story. I grew up relatively near Heathrow, my Uncle lived on the Bath Road for a while in the 90s and I flew in and out of LHR last week. I even noticed the Three Magpies, which I don't think I had previously paid much attention to. Probably because of how ubiquitous magpies are where I now live. Really well made. Will start making my way through your other videos.
Great to hear!
Very interesting- well done
Thank you! Cheers!
My great grandfather purchased Harlington Lodge circa 1900 and moved our nursery there (from next to Hanwell Cemetery). Amongst other things, they grew world renowned cyclamen there (lots of research on this recently by uk cyclamen society). As per others we were forced to move within months, which destroyed a lot of the business (and no compensation). The nursery still just survives today… just over a mile away from T4
Thanks Robert. I'd not heard of Cyclemen
11:17 that aerial view of the Great South West Road is in Hounslow, at Henly's Corner, with the Bath Road running straight from the top-right corner. Heathrow is off the top of this view. The Piccadilly Line tunnel runs beneath these roads too.
I have just come across this video. Beautifully made and narrated. Thanks for a thoroughly entertaining presentation.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Well done and enjoyable. I liked the Tartis noise and the horror of being moved from a farmyard in 1940 to extreme modern infrastructure. I've never been to the UK but I like to see videos of your land.
That’s good to hear!
At least they kept the name Heatrow to the legacy of the hamlet.
God I never heard that never stood to think; and it was 2 words heath row oookkk fascinating and cheers for the info and enrichment in the knoqledge
Please put a link to your map comparison software in the description or a pinned comment? Thanks
Excellent video..Thank You!!
Glad you liked it!
In the late 60's and early 1970's I lived at 'Lyndhurst' 260 Bath Road which was a 1930's semi in a row of about a dozen houses between the Blue Star Garage and the Airways Garage. The couple who lived in the adjoining house had bought the home brand new so that when they retired they would have nice views looking south over what was to become the airport. We did have a nice view of the airport until they built the Heathrow Hotel.
I’ll have to find Lyndhurst. I assume between the Magpies and the Peggy Bedford?
@@TheUndergroundMap Between Sipson Road and Boltons Lane. When we lived there the last house in the row was VHF Supplies sold air band radios and model kits. Site now occupied by Strata House.
I grew up in Stanwell adjoining LHR in the late 50s through 60s. My school was two fields and some grass away from what was the distant end of 27L/09R.
The village grew from a few thousand to 16 000 while Iws there although the village itself retained is original shape with developments to the south , in addition to LHR the Staines reservoirs bordered it to the west.
Its all very well to say it should have been elsewhere but where north Londona nd South London are hilly so no airports there , further west is Windsor Great Park so nothing was going to be bult there and further than that it doesnt get flat again until where Blackbushe is close to 40 mils out and even then its not really big enough.
East of London is the Thames , and then docks and marshland -a svanat might have suggested building over dockland as LHR replaced the docks in a way . Of course it wasnt LHR back then but LAP -London Air Port.
Back in the day with its 5 runways and endless different types jets , turbo props and recips it was fascinating . A bit of forward thinking would have left more land available to the north , there is still quite al ot and thatw ould have allowed a third e-w parlale to be bult in the 90s but thisis the UK and forward thinking is an alien concept
Thankyou very interesting!
Very much enjoyed your video and mention of the Great West Aerodrome. Didn’t know anything about an earlier airfield until I had read a book called A German Bomber on Worthing Soil by Graham Lelliott. Several German Heinkel bombers had that as its target on 16th August 1940. One of them was intercepted by Spitfires over Brighton, East Sussex on its return, subsequently shot down, crashing at High Salvington in Worthing, West Sussex. All interesting stuff!
Really glad that you liked the video
Fascinating video!
The ruse was to use state powers as allowed by a conflict to build the airport which wasn't necessary for national defence then upon the end of the conflict with the asset in place was so convenient to be civilianised when it probably would have been difficult to build on a private initiative. Subsequently demand increases so we must expand, with the expansion we can take more flights so demand increases and we must expand again and again..
My family was Romany gypsys my great grandmothers mother was a gray and her father was a best and they owned the land where heathrow is now my great grandmother still has the deeds to the land but sadly she’s passed away gbh they had the land took off them and made it look like the vicar sold the land to the army it’s so sad to know that this is never talked about some of their belongings are in the history museum when they started building the runways for Heathrow they came knocking on my great grandmothers door and asked to talk to her about it but she didn’t want to know as there was a lot of hurt behind it.
It seems that a lot of people were bamboozled indeed it's construction used the war and associated legal state powers as ruse as it wasn't really necessary for national defence for something that's could be utilised as a civilian airport once the conflict was over it was obvious that aircraft were going to become more important in travel
The powers that be , my Father used to say ….Government the only business that trades illegally……..legally. Corruption through and through , My grandfather owned a factory and workers houses, the government came along and took the lot , called it compulsory purchase, he got pennies, yet had employed over 139 people for over 50 years …..he lost his business, albeit he was rich, but all the workers lost their livelihood and homes and were moved to god knows where and probably sat on the dole after that …..they didn’t care about anyone
My mum lived near it..... They used to drink at the airport because it was open longer.
I'm a Curtis born 1958 on New Farm Ashford Nr Fordbridge. The farm was compulsory purchased when my great grandfather was alive. As a new bypass was going to be built across the land. We had to move out after the death of my grandfather in about 1962/3. I knew we had relatives farming out at Heathrow told to me by my family.
Shame that all the remaining Middlesex farms are disappearing
So very sad, I didn't realise it was a hamlet. Those poor people.
Great video, thank you!
My pleasure!
like most of the other comments. loved this and very well done and explained. thankyou.
Glad you enjoyed it!
@@TheUndergroundMap ohhh, shit yes
Fascinating, I was born near Heathrow, wonderful home documentary, very well done 😊
Many thanks!
Just discovered your channel and subscribed. Absolutely splendid!
Welcome aboard!
I the late 70's early 80's I worked for the Ordnance Survey.
We did some work around Heathrow and the village that would be demolished for a new runway is beautiful...
Let's hope it's never built 😢
So far so good on the expansion front!
Well done, a really great job.
Great history. The motor car and aeroplane are the Devil's work.
I grew up in East Bedfont and regually played in Cains Lane I had no idea that it once went to the village of Heathrow.
Indeed. Curtailed in 1944
Wonderful video, fascinating, thank you so much!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I was brought up round Heathrow in the 40's till the 8o's we used to play on Saby's dump witch is now Stockly Park great memories
Much as I distrust the ever present and burgeoning track and trace technology, I can only presume that had we not had the dubious pleasure of driving in to Heathrow today, to drop off son and daughter-in-law to fly to the USA, this very pleasant (but not for the inhabitants) and interesting history of Heathrow before being tarmaced and concreted over. Not so much the walls have ears, more like the phone has ears and eyes!
Back in the 1980s I worked for a guy who grew up in Heathrow village.
He said he remembered the very first planes landing on the grass airfield .
Wow!