St Marks and Canal Conservation Area Appraisal - Ealing Council

St. Mark’s and Canal Conservation AreaCharacter Appraisal2.2. General character and plan formThe physical character of St. Mark’s and Canal CA ismostly determined by the presence of the Grand UnionCanal to the south side and River Brent to the west. Theeastern side of the CA, west of the River Brent, has still avery open and unspoiled character as fields at the rear ofLower Boston Road and Green Lane are mainly free fromdevelopments (with the only exception of Walker Close)and offer wide views toward the Brent Valley.Lower Boston Road is the main northern approach to theCA. The road has a curvaceous line while descending agentle hill that reaches Boston Place. The small green isthe epicentre of this part of the CA and the bondingelement of the surviving features of the older part of thevillage with the former St Mark’s Church, the Dolphin Puband St Marks School all grouped around it. From BostonPlace the CA runs southward along the side with GreenLane flanked by row of terraces or semidetachedcottages. Here the topography slightly descends a hilltowards the canal.The character of the CA changes quite radically from thenorth to the south.Lower Boston Road and the buildings around BostonPlace and along Green Lane still maintain the characterof a traditional English village. While the open viewsalong the Canal side on the south of the CA and viewsalong the Brent River reinforce the rural and unspoiledatmosphere of the CA. Although, along the westernmostsection of the canal within St Marks CA, industrialdevelopments transform the character of the area fromrural to industrial. Also, along the River Brent, views ofthe imposing structure of Ealing Hospital on the west sidecreate an abrupt visual disturbance of the gentleness ofthe natural environment.The River BrentThe Grand Union CanalLower Boston Road looking southwardBoston PlaceEaling Borough Council 2006 7