Restored Dukes Meadow Gates Officially Opened
Mayor of Hounslow does the honours on Promenade Approach
The Mayor of Hounslow unveils a plaque on the gate
The sun shone and the band played as a large crowd gathered for the official opening of the newly restored Promenade Approach gates by the Mayor of Hounslow, Ragwinder Sidhu this week.
Local MP Ruth Cadbury and Councillors; Salman Shaheen, the new lead member for parks, John Todd and Jack Emsley, Councillors for Homefields ward also joined the celebration.
Kathleen Healy from Duke’s Meadows Trust and HOLT’s Director Dr Nicola Stacey gave speeches and the Proud Places pupils presented the blacksmiths with gifts and pictures they had drawn of the blacksmiths in action. Dr Stacey said, “It's so seldom that young people have the chance to learn about heritage crafts and I hope this will stay with them for a long time. This will be the generation who will be looking after the gates in 50 years’ time.”
The event was the culmination of three years’ work by Dukes Meadows Trust which led on the project and raised the funding for the restoration. The Trust says it is grateful to funders; London Borough of Hounslow which awarded £16,000 to the project, Heritage of London Trust who provided advice and guidance on the restoration as well as a £10,000 grant, and the Ironmongers Company, who provided £5,000. Dukes Meadows Trust donated £23,000 from its own reserves.
Hounslow Council’s Cabinet Member for Parking, Parks and Leisure, Councillor Salman Shaheen, said, “It was a real honour to be part of the official opening ceremony. The newly-restored gates look fantastic. It is a testament to the dedication of the members of The Dukes Meadows Trust, who have worked so hard to make this restoration project a reality. I would urge everyone to go and see the gates in all their glory.”
School children, residents and dignitaries at the ceremony
The restoration was carried out by the Blacksmiths Shop Slough.
Paul Davis, Chair of Dukes Meadows Trust said, “it was wonderful to see the gates restored and everyone come together to celebrate. It’s a terrific neighbourhood, but less affluent than most of Chiswick with a lot of social housing. We very much hope that the way the community has come together to restore a much-loved local heritage feature that had fallen into disrepair, will inspire the new administration at the council to work with us to restore the Approach Road itself, which is in a poor state. It is well used by local people accessing the park and school and joins the Thames Path. Its restoration would complete the regeneration of this part of the park."
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June 26, 2022
