Tracking down the signs

1:29pm Thursday 8th May 2008

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Warkworth House was built in 1866 and in its time housed a workhouse and then became home to the manager of Kidd's Flour mill.

It later served as nurses' home to West Middlesex Hospital. Now all that remains is a shadowy name visible above a bricked up gateway in Mill Plat shown here. The remaining edifice is enclosed by the Speyhawk homes built in the late 1980s.

The house cropped up in a talk, Signs of the Times, given by local historian Christine Diwell following the AGM of The Isleworth Society.

Her armchair tour touched on many of the 16 plaques installed by the Heston & Isleworth Rotary Club.

Christine also touched on information boards erected by L B Hounslow and plaques erected by proud local residents and companies, such as at Holme Court, former premises of Garvin's (J M W Turner) and 59 Church Street (Joseph Penty).

With the best efforts, errors can creep in and the society is hoping to have corrected, not one of the plaques, but a sign stating that the Duke of Northumberland River flows through Silverhall Park when it is in fact the Crane River.

The Isleworth Society 020 8847 0459, visit www.isleworthsociety.ik.com Hounslow Heritage Guides conduct walks in the borough June-October www.hounslow-heritage.org.uk, 020 8560 3718, 020 8230 8583.