St Marks and Canal Conservation Area Appraisal - Ealing Council

St. Mark’s and Canal Conservation AreaCharacter Appraisal5.1.5. Sub Area no 3: The CanalThe canal runs in a gentle loop from west to east. Themain feature of the eastern stretch of the canal up toWindmill Bridge is the flight of six locks which raise thecanal by over 53 feet. Surpassed the Windmill Bridge, inthe western stretch of the canal included in St Marks CA,the wonderful balance between water, greenery, hardsurfaces and change of ground level gives way to a moreurban/industrial and blunt character.5.1.6. Sub Area no 3 architectural interestAccessing the canal from the southern end of GreenLane and heading westward, immediately on the righthand side is the Lock Keeper’s Cottage at Lock 97(Listed, Grade II) of the Grand Union Canal. This keepercottage, like the remaining five cottages, is now privatelyowned.The cottage at lock 97 is a two-bay, two-storey unit fromthe early 19 th C. The façade pattern is nicely defined bymulti-paned, double-hung, timber sashes and by a timberdoor with a simple hood. The building is covered by apitched slate roof fully hipped to the right up to thechimney stack on the left, indicating that this is half of amatching pair of houses of which one half has beeneither demolished or never built 11 .Further west on the south bank of the canal, is theKeeper’s Cottage at Lock 95 (Listed, Grade II). This isa two-bay, two-storey, early 19 th C house in stock bricks.The main elevation has a symmetrical configuration withmulti-paned sashes on either side of the central doorway.The original symmetry has been disrupted by the lateraddition of a small opening on the upper level. Thecottage is covered by a flat pitched hipped slate roof withend stacks. The setting of the well proportioned house ina wide plot of grass framed by good size mature treestogether with the narrow boats that line-up along thisportion of the bank provide this stretch of the canal with aunique rural and unspoiled atmosphere.At this point of the canal, the CA incorporates thesouthernmost part of St. Bernard’s Hospital site,including the hospital Brewery House and the quartermile long hospital wall which forms the northern boundaryof the canal (Scheduled Ancient Monument). Thetowing path wall was built in 1831 to secure residents ofthe Middlesex County Asylum. It is made of plum andyellow stock bricks in English and Flemish bonds.Eastern stretch of the canalKeeper’s Cottage at lock 97Keeper’s Cottage at lock 9511 www. imagesofengland.orgSt Bernard’s Hospital wall and breweryEaling Borough Council 2006 30