In one of our most significant projects aimed at helping the local community, The Bedford Park Society has funded and produced a 12-page guide Energy Conservation in Bedford Park Houses, arranging delivery of free copies to 2,500 households in Bedford Park. The guide (cover left) will help homeowners consider the most effective options available while respecting the architectural history and traditional construction of Bedford Park houses and following heritage sector best practice.

It is relevant for owners of any house built before 1920 and anyone interested can access an online copy or contact the Society to request a copy at: information@bedfordpark.org.uk. 

Quick wins and practical suggestions

The Society decided to undertake and fund the project in response to the frequent approaches from Bedford Park homeowners who are keen to improve the energy efficiency of their homes but uncertain about what is possible in the context of the Local Authority Conservation Area and Listed Buildings requirements. After considerable research and consultation with experts, The Society decided to make its findings and suggestions available to the wider Bedford Park community at no cost to householders, as part of its commitment to supporting local residents.

Information included relates to both listed and non-listed houses, covering a series of practical “quick wins” such as draught-proofing, secondary glazing and loft insulation. It also sets out the issues relating, for example, to the installation of sealed double-glazing, roof lights or heat pumps. Both Ealing and Hounslow Councils consider the fabric and details of houses of traditional construction too crucial to be compromised by unsuitable changes.

When considering how to improve the energy efficiency of a Bedford Park house there is an over-riding presumption by the authorities of the importance of retaining the historic fabric rather than alteration. The Society has incorporated some key information about checking building regulations and planning and (where relevant) listed building consent in the guide.

Whole building approach

The guide emphasises the importance of adopting a “whole building” approach when addressing the thermal efficiency of older and historic buildings like those in Bedford Park. Historic England, the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings and other experts strongly recommend this so that any changes made to improve energy efficiency do not lead to possible unintended consequences, such as moisture accumulation, overheating or fabric damage. It is important to understand the way an individual house performs as an integrated environmental system. Links to relevant documents published by Historic England and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings are included in the guide.

The guide has been produced drawing on information available from both these organisations with guidance from the Society’s Planning Committee and other local conservation specialists, and with regard to the current Conservation Area Guidelines for both Ealing and Hounslow.

To access an online copy:

Click here to see the guide.

To access the print version of the guide:

Click here.

To request a printed copy:

Contact the Society: information@bedfordpark.org.uk

In 2025 The Bedford Park Society launched a free publication: “Beautiful Bedford Park — a celebration of the suburb’s history and architecture” as part of the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the suburb.

The 42-page publication tells the story of how the area was conceived and developed from 1875 when founder Jonathan Carr’s vision for a garden suburb became the model for many future suburbs. Articles on the architecture, interiors, gardens and open vistas highlight the aspects of Bedford Park which make it so special visually and as a community.

The publication takes you through to the present day including the later stages of development when the streets of “outer” Bedford Park like Esmond and Fieldling Roads contributed to the historical context of the suburb. Some of the delightful original plans and architectural drawings are included in articles written by recognised experts. 

Helen Jameson, Chair of The Bedford Park Society, explained: “During this important year of celebrations we have been delighted to launch two major projects thanks to the hard work of our volunteer team and the generosity of our sponsors. Our popular exhibition being presented in various local venues throughout the year focusses on the communities in Bedford Park since 1875 and our special publication showcases its beauty.”

The Society arranged for free copies to be delivered to 2,300 households in the Bedford Park area during 2025.

If you live outside Bedford Park and would like to pick up a free copy, just pop into the Turnham Green offices of Knight Frank, Savills or Whitmans or contact: information@bedfordpark.org.uk to arrange for a copy to be posted.

The Society is extremely grateful to Knight Frank, Savills, Whitman & Co and Hounslow Thriving Communities Fund for sponsorship and support in its anniversary projects 
Contact information@bedfordpark.org.uk for more information.

Bedford Park Society Annual Lecture

Thursday 24 September, 7.30pm, ArtsEd Schools

While photographs of Victorian and Edwardian house interiors are rare, a few surviving contemporary descriptions, prints and photographs, some of them only recently discovered, record real Bedford Park interiors. At The Bedford Park Society’s annual lecture on 24 September, curator and historian Val Bott will use these resources to discuss what might have influenced the choice of furnishings that would make the new houses of the estate into homes from its beginnings.

We furnish our homes to express our taste, values and style. Val Bott considers whether peeping behind the red brick gables and white painted joinery of Bedford Park’s façades enables us to discover more about the estate’s early residents. 

Val asks what elements of the interiors were installed by the builders? Did newcomers bring family pieces from their previous homes or buy new Aesthetic Movement or Arts & Crafts pieces appropriate to the new style of “Queen Anne” architecture?  Were they influenced by the early Bedford Park community’s tendency to look back fondly to the past or by the presence of numerous skilled crafts people working nearby? And from whom would residents have purchased furniture, accessories and textiles?

Val Bott is a curator by profession and a historian of Brentford and Chiswick by enthusiasm. She was awarded an MBE for services to the heritage after overseeing the refurbishment of Hogarth’s House in 2009-11. She edits the annual Brentford & Chiswick Local History Journal and runs the garden history website nurserygardeners.com.

VENUE: The Arts Educational Schools, 14 Bath Road, Chiswick W4 1LY

TIME: Lecture starts at 8.00pm. Bar open from 7.00pm.
 
TICKETS £15:

– online from TicketSource plus administration fee OR
– pick one up from Postmark on Turnham Green Terrace, Chiswick 

Sketch above: Dining room of Artist and designer George Haité at Ormsby Lodge, c1900
 

You don’t have to live in a listed house or in the Conservation Areas to become a member. [Read more…]