Hidden Hanwell: Crossrail will transform this west London corner into a commuter-friendly zone with flats for first-time buyers

This forgotten corner of the capital – with acres of green space nearby – is set to become a commuter hotspot, thanks to Crossrail. 
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Ruth Bloomfield2 August 2018

Hanwell, in Ealing, is to be transformed from a far-flung Zone 4 suburb in an anonymous part of west London into a commuter-friendly hotspot.

Thanks to Crossrail, due to launch in December, journeys to Bond Street will be slashed from 32 minutes to just 17. Liverpool Street will be a 24-minute hop away for City workers, while the commute to Canary Wharf will take 31 minutes. And for holidays, Heathrow airport will be accessible in just 11 minutes.

First-time buyers who want good connections, plus hundreds of acres of sports facilities and green space and plenty of cafés and restaurants to explore, can buy into Hanwell from £120,750.

Once part of a Victorian lunatic asylum, St Bernard’s Gate is a reboot of old staff accommodation at Ealing Hospital, and when fully complete will include 270 homes, almost 120 of which will be sold on a shared-ownership basis to first-time buyers.

A historic chapel on the site – St Bernard’s Gate Chapel – will be converted into affordable workspaces for creatives, artists and makers. The development was named best large-scale project at this year’s First Time Buyer Readers' Awards.

The Dodo micropub: an award-winning craft-beer spot

WHAT CAN I BUY?

Housing association Catalyst is offering first-time buyers the chance to buy a 35 per cent share of a one-bedroom flat at the development for £120,750.

Monthly costs include mortgage repayments, plus £513.91 in rent and £145 service charge.

Two-bedroom flats at St Bernard’s Gate start at £149,625 for a 35 per cent share. Rent for these larger properties will be charged at £636 a month and service charge will add another £146 to monthly costs.

HANWELL HIGHLIGHTS

The development is just off Uxbridge Road and a convenient 15-minute walk from Hanwell station.

Just over the road is Brent River Park, a curving strip of 988 acres of open space along the Brent Valley, with golf courses, a cricket club, and allotments. Or stroll along beside the Grand Union Canal.

Just west of the development is Hanwell itself, with a good selection of everyday shops — you’ll find more chains up the road in Ealing — and places to eat: rustic southern Italian at L’oro di Napoli Hanwell, laid-back Ran Thai, or just a good coffee at the cosy W7 Emporium.

The Dodo Micropub in Boston Road is a cute little venue selling excellent craft beers, while The Viaduct has a garden ideal for sunny afternoons.

And, despite its proximity to Heathrow, Hanwell is just far away enough to miss out on any significant flightpath noise.

Visit Catalyst for more information.

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