Plaque unveiled to mark eight-year restoration of Dukes Meadows’ Promenade Approach

Volunteers and local dignitaries gathered at Dukes Meadows on Sunday to unveil a plaque marking the completion of a restoration project that has taken eight years and nearly £280,000 to deliver

MP Andy Slaughter and Councillor Salman Shaheen joined Dukes Meadows Trust volunteers to commemorate the restoration of Promenade Approach, the park’s original grand entrance, which covers the iron entrance gates, the Pump House and its roof, and the surrounding planting.

Hounslow Council, which owns the road, contributed £217,000 to the project, while Heritage of London awarded £9,000 toward the gates. Dukes Meadows Trust put in £52,000 of its own funds.

Work began in 2018 with a condition survey of the entrance gates. There were declined grant applications and other setbacks before the project reached completion.

Volunteers have since planted 4,000 daffodils along the Approach, as well as hundreds of plants and bulbs around the Pump House.

The project also included educational sessions with Cavendish School, led by archaeologist Sarah Dhanjal, in which children explored the history of London’s parks and why they were created.

Andy Slaughter said the plaque recognised the work the Trust had put in over eight years. ‘The labour of the volunteers, the fundraising and the contribution from Hounslow Council and other donors shows what community action can achieve,’ he said.

Councillor Shaheen, Cabinet Member for Parks, said he was pleased the council had been able to support the project. ‘I want to thank Dukes Meadows Trust and all their volunteers for their passion, their dedication and the countless hours they have worked to bring this project and this beautiful green space to life,’ he said.

After the ceremony, Shaheen’s son Alexander played in the playground and splash pool and bought a plant from the market. ‘These things are all here because of Dukes Meadows Trust,’ said Shaheen. ‘They are a credit to our borough.’

The Trust holds volunteer sessions every Friday from 11am to 1pm. New volunteers and supporters can sign up via the Trust’s mailing list at surveymonkey.com/r/QK7WPQQ.