Ealing Common
Photo by Ivor Williams, 2005
Ealing Common is a small area of grass land in the Ealing district. Nearest tube is unsurprisingly Ealing Common Station.
In England a "Common" is an area of land which was legally set aside for the common grazing of animals. However it is rarely used for that purpose nowadays. Happily it does mean that we have small areas of wild land in the middle of our cities
In the middle of Ealing Common is the intersection of the North Circular Road (Hanger Lane / Gunnersbury Avenue) and the Uxbridge Road. Three corners of the junction are leafy with parkland on the south side.
There was talk at one point of widening the North Circular Road through Ealing Common - a plan which was universally opposed by residents and Ealing Council. An alternative plan is to tunnel the North Circular Road underneath the common - this has not received budgetary or planning approval.