Address | Green Lane, Hanwell, London W7 2PJ |
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Location | England |
Coordinates | 51°30′15″N0°20′36″W / 51.50426°N 0.34337°W |
Public transit | Buses: 83, 195, 207, 427, N207, 607, E3, E8. By rail: Hanwell railway station |
Type | Public Free House |
Genre(s) | Real ale, food, quiz nights, vintage market, occasional live music in garden, wendy house in beer garden. |
Construction | |
Built | 1848 |
Website | |
http://www.thefoxpub.co.uk/ |
The Fox Inn is a public house in Green Lane, Hanwell, in the London Borough of Ealing. Built in 1848, it is a largely unspoilt and original mid-Victorian pub. It has received a 'local listing' from Ealing Council as a building of local interest.
The pub is constructed out of local golden-yellow brick with more expensive red bricks used for detailing on corners and chimneys. Rich brown glazed tiles are used for the ground floor exterior walls with coloured stained glass in the fan lights. The upper storey has Mock Tudor detailing, including dentils on the two outward-facing gables.
Most of the interior is also original, although the dividing former off-licence sales door has been closed off and its wall removed to create one large L-shaped bar area. The present-day eating area retains its original wooden wall panelling. One end is used mainly by diners. At the far side of the other end it is also possible to play darts. A wide-screen television is situated at the elbow of the bar for screening special sports events.
On the east of the building itself is a sizeable, sheltered beer garden with wooden decking. There is additional outdoor seating in front of the building and a well ventilated smoking area warmed by radiant heat lamps.
Built in 1848, it is a largely unspoilt and original mid-Victorian pub. The Fox was the meeting place for the local fox hunt until the 1920s. The hunt would set off across Hanwell Heath, much of which still existed at that time. [1] [2] [3] Green Lane, on which it situated, is a traditional name for a cattle drove route. Livestock from the west were brought across the River Brent (that is only 50 meters away) on their way to London, for slaughter. The drovers would drink here whilst their animals rested and grazed on the heath. Apart from modern street lamps, things look as they must have done 150 years ago.
The pub is at the bottom end of the Hanwell flight of locks on the Grand Union Canal which is a scheduled ancient monument. It raises the canal by 53 ft over a third of a mile with a series of six locks. Kingfishers, herons and other wild fowl find this area a quiet sanctuary from the modern world. Formally a Royal Brewery (Brentford) house, it was saved from closure and demolition by strong local support in 2001.
The Fox has been named West Middlesex Pub of the Year in 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. [4] [5]
The Fox hosts a monthly vintage market in its garden, where local people and businesses can sell their products (as well as some from further afield). Outside the pub next to the main entrance to the garden is The Fox's craft barn, which is open at weekends and sells a number of hand-crafted products.
The ancient tradition of Beating the Bounds of Hanwell Parish is re-enacted here each May Day Bank Holiday. The walk starts and finishes at The Fox Inn, and proceeds go to charity. [6] [7]
This establishment hosts a beer festival each autumn and Easter Good Friday/Saturday/Sunday.
The Fox is one of the local pubs to co-host the Hanwell Hootie on the first Saturday of April. [8]
Due to its unspoilt character and easy access, it is listed as a film location. [9]
Hounslow is a large suburban district of West London, England, 10+3⁄4 miles west-southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hounslow, and is identified in the London Plan as one of the 14 metropolitan centres in Greater London.
Brentford is a suburban town in West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, 8 miles (13 km) west of Charing Cross.
The London Borough of Hounslow is a London borough in west London, England, forming part of Outer London. It is governed by Hounslow London Borough Council.
Greenford is a large town in the London Borough of Ealing in west London, England, lying 11 miles (18 km) west from Charing Cross. It has a population of 46,787 inhabitants, or 62,126 with the inclusion of Perivale.
Hanwell is a town in the London Borough of Ealing. It is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of Ealing Broadway and had a population of 28,768 as of 2011. It is the westernmost location of the London post town.
The London Borough of Ealing is a London borough in London, England. It comprises the districts of Acton, Ealing, Greenford, Hanwell, Northolt, Perivale and Southall. With a population of 367,100 inhabitants, it is the third most populous London borough.
Northolt is a town in West London, England, spread across both sides of the A40 trunk road. It is 11 mi (17.7 km) west-northwest of Charing Cross and is one of the seven major towns that make up the London Borough of Ealing. It had a population of 30,304 at the 2011 UK census.
Southall is a large suburban town in West London, England, part of the London Borough of Ealing and is one of its seven major towns.
Ealing is a district in West London, England, 7.5 miles (12.1 km) west of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Ealing. It is the administrative centre of the borough and is identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan.
The River Brent is a river in west and northwest London, England, and a tributary of the River Thames. 17.9 miles (28.8 km) in length, it rises in the Borough of Barnet and flows in a generally south-west direction before joining the Tideway stretch of the Thames at Brentford.
West Ealing is a district in the London Borough of Ealing, in West London. The district is about three-quarters of a mile (1.2 km) west of Ealing Broadway. Although there is a long history of settlement in the area, West Ealing in its present form is less than one hundred years old. West Ealing falls under the postcode district W13 and neighbours Hanwell, Ealing, Perivale and Northfields
Ealing was a local government district from 1863 to 1965 around the town of Ealing which formed part of the built up area of London until 1965, where it became part of Greater London.
The London Borough of Ealing, one of the outer London boroughs although not on the periphery, has over 100 parks and open spaces within its boundaries. These include allotments, cemeteries, playgrounds, and golf courses in addition to the larger open spaces such as nature conservation areas.
St Bernard's Hospital, also known as Hanwell Insane Asylum and the Hanwell Pauper and Lunatic Asylum, was an asylum built for the pauper insane, opening as the First Middlesex County Asylum in 1831. Some of the original buildings are now part of the headquarters for the West London Mental Health NHS Trust (WLMHT).
Southall was a constituency from 1945 to 1983. It returned one member (MP) to the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. The Labour Party candidate won the seat at each general election and no by-elections took place.
Northfields is an area in Ealing, west London. It is centred on Northfield Avenue, a shopping street of mostly independent shops and restaurants. It lies partially in the Ealing W5 and partially in west Ealing's W13 postcode. It lies in the southwest corner of Ealing.
Acton Green is a residential neighbourhood in Chiswick and the London Borough of Ealing, in West London, England. It is named for the nearby Acton Green common. It was once home to many small laundries and was accordingly known as "Soapsuds Island".
St Thomas the Apostle is a Church of England church, which is situated along Boston Road in Hanwell, in the London Borough of Ealing. Designed by Sir Edward Maufe, It forms part of the Diocese of London and can hold 428 people. English Heritage has listed it as a Grade II* building.
Hanwell Park was a farming estate in west London. It was built up by Charles Gostlin in the 18th century by acquiring property from neighbouring landowners. Gostlin died in 1766 and left the estate to his cousin's sons, William and Henry Berners. The estate was finally broken up by 1886 after Sir Montagu Sharpe had sold the holding he had inherited.