PLACE NAME
Everything was to change for Eastcote following the extension of the Metropolitan Railway, from Harrow to Uxbridge, which passed through Eastcote fields just south of the village, in the early years of the 20thCentury. Hordes of Londoners flocked to the countryside to delight in country pursuits and enjoy the area’s teahouses. Developers saw the potential. The land, largely used for farming since medieval times, was carved up into plots for development. Among the first to be developed was this small cluster of streets all named after trees, in this case the Hawthorne, likely in reference to Eastcote’s origins as a settlement in a woodland clearing, part of the ancient manor of Ruislip. The other streets in the group include Oak Grove, Lime Grove, Elm, Myrtle, Linden and Acacia Avenues. They were built on land belonging to Field End House by the British Freehold Investments Syndicate.
