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Brentford Photographs

There are some superb photos of Brentford in local history books and some are included on this site. Where it has been possible to identify which High Street properties a photo covers, details of which publication it is from are included under ’Photos/Ephemera/Maps’ within the relevant property notes section.

Have you any photos or postcards of the High Street or other parts of Brentford you would be willing to scan or photocopy for inclusion on this site? Any date at all? If so please contact me, I will be delighted to include them.

The main categories I have split the photos into are:

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Postcards

Brentford postcard images are always very welcome, please contact me if you can provide a scan. If you can create a higher resolution scan (eg 300 or 600 dpi) then it can provide a lot of useful detail to help date the scene.

Contributor, Howard Webb, welcomes any postcard images from WH Applebee (marked ’WHA’ on the front: see an example) and Richard Young (marked ’YC’ on the front). Please contact if you can help.

In 2010 Howard set up a postcards then and now blog focusing on West London, Middlesex, Surrey, Berks and Bucks. Each postcard image is accompanied by the modern day view: highly recommended.

Brentford had it’s own producer of postcards, Wakefield, based at no. 137 (near to St Lawrence’s Church, New Brentford) by 1905.

Order: West (starting in Brentford End) to East

Miscellaneous photos of the High Street

Thanks to all contributors for scanning or copying and sharing your personal photos. They are listed in West to East order:

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1945/6 photos of the High Street

Herbert Felton, an architectural photographer, took over 30 photos of the High Street in 1945 and 1946. The originals are held at the National Monument Record in Swindon and each photo’s longest edge is 4" (10 cm). The originals have been photocopied and scanned at a high resolution in order to show more detail.

The list is in house no. order, starting at the south eastern end of High Street, working west, then returning along the north side of High Street.

Also:

Reproduced by permission of English Heritage.NMR

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Photos from the 1960s of the High Street

These are in roughly west (Brentford Bridge) to east (just beyond St George’s church) order. Thank you to all contributors who have provided images of Brentford as it underwent changes.

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High Street photos from 2000 onwards

Thank you to contributors: Janet McNamara and Roger Davis. The photos are listed in house number sequence.

New Brentford, 2008

Dave Stoneleigh has contributed 29 photos of New Brentford taken in 2008. As a start two identical ’key’ pages (small & medium) have been loaded which each show thumbnails of the 29 photos set against a Google Earth map backdrop of New Brentford. Each thumbnail includes a pointer showing where each photo was taken from, and the view taken.

Each of the 29 photos will be set up as a separate page with notes, but in the meantime the ’key’ pages are available: please choose the best link for your PC resolution. If in doubt the first link below will give you a smaller image in less time.

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Brentford Development, January 2021 onwards

Janet McNamara has kept a photographic record of the redevelopment of the south side of the High Street by Ballymore and other parties. Ballymore is undertaking developments to the west of the site, known as the Brentford Project, there is a council site to its east and demolition for a third site in the Dock Road to Pump Alley area began early 2023.

The London Borough of Hounslow published the names of the new blocks in March 2021 and a vision for Brentford (also Hounslow, Feltham and Chiswick) in August 2021.

  • January 2021 cleared site; map and plan
  • Late Jan 2021 first block underway, view from Augustus Close
  • March 2021 view as from late January, also the cleared St Lawrence's Vicarage site and the lost view of the statue of Flora in Syon Park
  • April 2021 St Lawrence's Church
  • May 2021 views of site from Augustus Close and High Street, early stages of Block K
  • June 2021 site views from Augustus Close, Tallow Bridge and High Street, early stages of Block D
  • July 2021 views from the Ham and Augustus Close
  • August 2021 view from Market Place
  • Aug 2021 the archaeological dig
  • September 2021, Blocks B & C near Market Place
  • October 2021 view from Goddard's shop
  • November 2021 views from Verdict (the old Magistrates Court), Augustus Close and Brentford Dock
  • December 2021 views from Catherine Wheel Road including the old Bradbury warehouses
  • January 2022 Brentford Bridge area and Catherine Wheel Road
  • February 2022 Catherine Wheel Road, also improvements at Waterman's Park
  • Ballymore's February 2022 news includes aerial view and site plan
  • March 2022 Blocks B & C opposite Market Place and Block K near Brentford Dock
  • April 2022 view from the Half Acre and High Street junction (start of Phase 2)
  • May 2022 view from Goddard's shop
  • June 2022 Catherine Wheel Road and Block D
  • July 2022 view from Goddard's shop; also Ballymore update on works from May to July 2022
  • August 2022 Catherine Wheel Road
  • November 2022 Hollandbury House (Block K)
  • March 2023 demolition of the Heidelberg building, view from Timber Wharf Walk
  • July 2023 Workhouse Dock with water again, also Brunel, Oak and Willow Bocks (aka K, B, C)

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Local area (not the High Street)

There is more to Brentford than the High Street, thank you to contributors of postcards and family photos. The first set are (more or less) in west to east sequence, the second set are further afield:

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People

Many thanks to those who have provided these unique photos from family collections. These are in date order, more or less.

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School photos

These show children in school class groups, also a few Sunday school photos, parties and school sporting teams; several include one or more teachers. They are in date order, more or less. The site also has a few photos and postcards showing school buildings: search for the school name on the home page to find them.

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Mystery photos

Can you help identify the people or places shown in these photos or provide a date? If so please get in touch. The photos are roughly in date order; those covering a range of dates are at the end.

  • Margaret Smith has sent a mysterious early 1900s photo, taken by Wakefields of 137 High Street: four men and a silver or pewter lidded tankard; Janet McNamara has suggested some possible names, can you help further? (Jan 2011)
  • Ross Fitzpatrick has forwarded a carte de visite which may feature Ann Burfoot, born 1855, of Half Acre New Brentford in 1861; Ross seeks any family connections and confirmation that the portrait is of Ann (Dec 2015)
  • A postcard showing an area of the canal, postmarked 1906 - but where is it exactly? It includes a barge, other boats, a footbridge and prominent telegraph pole; thanks to Yvonne Butler for an interesting card (Aug 2015)
  • Can you help with a puzzling pair of photos which appear to include one or two members of the Bovingdon family, butchers in Brentford in the late 19th and early 20th century? (Judy & Harvey, Jan 2015)
  • A charming postcard showing some girls, possibly from a dancing class; the photo was by Wakefield’s so is likely to be local to Brentford or Ealing; hopefully you can help with a date, location or names (April 2010)
  • Anke from Munich: a mystery photo showing a carnival scene, 1920s - not Brentford (I think) - can you identify the location? (Nov 2017)
  • Jenny J sent a photo of the Royal Tar, 3 High Street, taken at the 1937 Coronation of George VI celebrations; Alice and Arthur William Burrows appear, but who are the other two people? (Dec 2011)
  • A photo from Sandra Graves shows seven men. This may be a seaside outing (Brighton?) and may include Tom Grant. Can you help with any other names? The date is thought to be 1930s or 1940s (Dec 2015)
  • John Gray has sent a St George’s School class photo from around 1938, can you add any names? (Jun 2011)
  • Andy Webb has provided a photo of Webb’s Cafe, 153 High Street, around 1951; does anyone recognise regular customer ’Jock’? (Feb 2010)
  • Two photos from Lynn Hayter of North Road 1953 coronation celebrations, taken inside a hall and in North Road; hopefully you can help with names (Feb 2010)
  • late 1950s/early 1960s possibly a Brentford Gas Works do (Trevor Mitchell, Jun 2009)
  • 7 photos, late 1800s - 1920s family surnames include Anthony, McCarthy, Snelling, Nugent; possible connection with the post office (Mike Perry, Jul 2009)
  • A football team, Loretta hopes someone can identify the players which should include a member of her Voller family; also four other military photos from WW2 (Loretta Lumley, Dec 2013)
  • Are you an expert in unusual uniforms from the 1860s? Perhaps you can help identify that worn by a man in his late 50s or older in this interesting photo showing local members of the Brooks family (May 2014)

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Published 2007; last updated January 2024