Grosvenor Vale Stadium
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Last Update:
August 26, 2024
In November 2023, Wealdstone announced plans for a new stadium in Hillingdon. You can find all the details of that announcement and regular updates in our guide here.
Wealdstone’s Grosvenor Vale is one of those quirky grounds that grow a little bit, almost imperceptibly, every time you visit. An added stand here; extra terracing there; a new tea bar; extended club shop; and oh, where did that electronic scoreboard spring from? But it’s a ground absolutely cherished by the club’s supporters, who have completely renovated the place in the space of just six years – using entirely their own cash and skilled labour.
After leaving their iconic Lower Mead ground in 1991, the Stones spent 17 years of nomadic wandering, ground-sharing with Watford, Yeading, Edgware and then Northwood. In 2008 a number of Wealdstone directors took over the lease of Ruislip Manor Sports & Social Club in 2008, when its occupant Ruislip Manor FC folded, finally giving the Stones a permanent home at the tattered and peeling Grosvenor Vale Stadium.
In just a few months the ground was spruced up, partly rebuilt and ready for Ryman Premier League football. And over the next half-dozen years, work parties have added extra covered capacity behind both goals, extra steps around the whole stadium and even an electric scoreboard.
The ground is most notable for a unique feature in British football stadia: A towering concrete gun turret at its northeast corner used to protect nearby Northolt Aerodrome from German bombing during World War II. Nowadays, although brightly painted in white & blue like the rest of the stadium, it is slightly overshadowed by the ‘Couch Corner’ stand at that end of the ground, named after former club statistician Roy Couch, which is a section of covered terracing.
In 2017 a six-row covered seated stand, with a capacity of 360 seats, was put in place at that end next to Crouch Corner, which is the newest addition to the Vale. The stand looks a little odd as although it is level, the pitch in front slopes down from left to right. Plus it does not run the full width of the pitch. It does have some supporting pillars, running along the front of it, that could impede your view. Nonetheless, the leg room is good and it is hoped that at a later date that a cantilever roof will be installed. On one side of this stand is a catering unit.
At the opposite end is the ‘Bulla Stand’ that went up after a summer-long effort from the fans’ work parties and was opened in August 2013 for a friendly v Chelsea. This elevated covered terrace, with steel steps, has been added to again during 2014 and is home to the club’s most raucous fans. Well, they built it – why not make some noise in it?
With these piecemeal additions to the ground (and that bizarre gun turret) it’s not surprising that Grosvenor Vale is a bit of a loveable hotch-potch. The original Ruislip Manor buildings are still there, with the Main Stand a low, corrugated-iron structure of six rows of 250 white seats.
On the opposite side of the ground, a small area of 80-odd seats (with an overhang roof from the Social Club). Known as the 1966 Stand, not in recognition of that famous England World Cup victory, but more importantly Wealdstone’s victory over Hendon in the 1966 Amateur Cup Final.
It is flanked by another area of covered terracing (Brian Collins Corner) and a much longer stretch of open terracing that is added to every summer, backed by blue-painted container buildings that house the club’s excellent club shop (the WFC ‘megastore’, which is well worth a visit).
Grosvenor Vale is a comfortable, homely place to watch football with two good covered ends and access to side seating all at the same entrance ticket price.
The Bulla Stand has a cantilevered roof but all other covered areas have traditional supporting poles which can impede your view. If segregation is in place (a rarity) then away fans are allocated the Social Club side of the ground – including those 80 seats – stretching around to the low cover at the Gun Turret End, accessed by turnstiles at the northeast end of the social club.
There is a Social Club at the ground (the entrance to which is located outside the stadium) that normally admits visiting supporters. Alternatively, pubs in the local area include:
- JJ Moons – 12 Victoria Rd, Ruislip HA4 0AA
- Smugglers Cove – 153 High St, Ruislip HA4 8JY
- Hennessys – 36 Victoria Rd, Ruislip HA4 0AG
Leave the M25 at Junction 16 and take the M40 towards London. At the end of the M40 the road becomes the A40. Take the first exit on the A40, onto the B467 towards Ruislip. At the roundabout at the top of the slip road take the first exit towards Harefield/Ruislip. Continue along the B467 going across two roundabouts.
At the end of the B467 you will reach a T-junction that has a small bandstand located in front of you. Turn left here onto the High Road. Follow the High Road passing West Ruislip Station on your right and at the roundabout with the White Bear pub on the right hand corner, take the fourth exit into Wood Lane.
Continue along Wood Lane crossing one small roundabout and at the next roundabout bear right onto West End Road. Then take the second left hand turn into Grosvenor Vale and the stadium is located at the bottom of this road,
Car Parking
There are hundreds of field parking spaces at the ground itself, accessed by the narrow Grosvenor Vale, but if the weather is very wet the club will only open the small hard-standing car park. There is plentiful street parking around the stadium, however, but best to avoid the very narrow Cranley Drive immediately outside the ground. Pavement parking is NOT allowed here.
Ruislip is blessed with an astonishing five railway/underground stations: Ruislip and Ruislip Manor both on the Metropolitan Line and the Piccadilly Line; West Ruislip and Ruislip Gardens are on the Central Line. West Ruislip is also on the Chiltern Main line out of London Marylebone.
South Ruislip is a bit further away from Grosvenor Vale but is also on the Central Line and the Chiltern Main Railway Line. Services are a bit infrequent from Marylebone to South Ruislip and West Ruislip Stations, so best to check before travel.
Ruislip station (a five-minute walk from the stadium) is marginally nearer than Ruislip Manor, while Ruislip Gardens (if the Metropolitan Line is shut for engineering works, as occasionally happens on a Saturday) is a 10-minute walk from the ground along West End Road.
Wealdstone ticket prices 2023/24:
- Adults: £18
- Concessions: £13
- 19-23s: £11
- Under 19s: £7
Official Matchday Programme: £2.50
Barnet, Hendon and Harrow Borough.
Record Attendance
2,469 v Colchester United
FA Cup First Round, 7th November 2015
Average Attendance
2022-2023: 1,564 (National League)
2021-2022: 1,343 (National League)
2020-2021: N/A (Covid)
2019-2020: 964 (National League South)
2018-2019: 888 (National League South)
2017-2018: 847 (National League South)
2016-2017: 734 (National League South)
If you require hotel accommodation in Ruislip or London then first try a hotel booking service provided by Booking.com. They offer all types of accommodation to suit all tastes and pockets from; Budget Hotels, Traditional Bed & Breakfast establishments to Five Star Hotels and Serviced Apartments. Plus their booking system is straightforward and easy to use. Yes this site will earn a small commission if you book through them, but it will help towards the running costs of keeping this Guide going.
Official Web Site: www.wealdstone-fc.com
If anything is incorrect or you have something to add, please e-mail me at: [email protected] and I’ll update the guide.
Special thanks to Steve Foster of Wealdstone FC and Doug Robinson for providing the photos of the Grosvenor Vale Stadium.
To find out more about Grosvenor, read our article on the Grosvenor sign-up offer and our guide on how to take advantage of it.
Wealdstone v Bath City
National League South
Saturday 25th January 2020, 3pm
Owen Elsom (Neutral But Attending With A Wealdstone Fan Friend)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Grosvenor Vale Stadium?
My work colleague is a season ticket holder at the club (and his father a life member) and revisiting the ground for this 1st v 2nd clash and a few pre and post-match beers was an attractive proposition. The offer of entrance for a fiver if a season ticket holder at a Premier League or EFL club perhaps swelled the seasons best attendance by a hundred or so.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
A few detours due to engineering work on the Met line but arrived at Ruislip Manor in plenty of time. The ground is a short walk from the station.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
Had a swift pint in Wetherspoons then another in the club itself. Supporters from both clubs mingled freely in the clubhouse.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Grosvenor Vale Stadium?
Once the toss had been made the away supporters picked their spot. I'd estimate around 250 made the trip up from Somerset.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Noisy raucous support aided by three first half goals for the home side meant the ground was buzzing as the crowd moved to the other end of the ground at half time. Four more goals in the second half saw a mix of elation and incredulity from the home support, The clubhouse was absolutely rocking after the game.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
I didn't leave for a good 90 minutes after the final whistle so it was easy, however, I'd say that with the choice of stations nearby means that the crowd disperses quite quickly, which I suppose the local residents are grateful for! Should Wealdstone be promoted however and segregation is put in place I should think this would be more prolonged.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
I've seen 10 goals in my 2 trips to the Vale and will be returning later in the season. My friend insists I'm a good luck charm.
Wealdstone v Great Wakering Rovers
Grosvenor Vale Stadium
FA Cup Second Qualifying Round
Saturday 22nd September 2018, 3pm
Myles Munsey (Ground hopper)
Reasons for visit
This was another ground I have always wanted to visit, and the FA Cup even in the early rounds is always a lure. Playing Great Wakering two levels below was potentially a banana skin so possibly an upset?
Getting there
From London Paddington by Tube Circle Line to Earls Court then by Piccadilly and Metropolitan lines via Rayners Lane to Ruislip. Ruislip being nearest on a wet day was by far the best option. It is but a short walk to the Grosvenor Vale Ground.
First impressions
This was a little like my visit to Bromley a few years back. By which I mean the ground is at the end of a cul de sac, again in leafy suburbia and once again you squeeze through a turnstile to get in. Wealdstone fits very much under the umbrella ‘traditional ground’ and I was not disappointed. The pictures on the website contrasted rather with the leaden skies I had up above. Nevertheless, I was made very welcome. It seems as though some development has taken place recently as the main stand is in orange rather than blue (or is that just an undercoat?).
Before the game
Time was ticking on so only time for a sandwich from Tesco’s in Ruislip High Street. On a foul day, I didn’t want to linger too long outside so having taken a picture or two made my way through the solitary turnstile and did a circuit of the ground. A programme had been obtained from the friendly club bar beforehand. What was rather nice was that the programmes were arranged in neat rows in a sort of leaflets folder rather than having to be lifted off a pile in a cardboard box. I observed that Lynn’s Gourmet Burgers was doing a roaring trade. Ranging from tea, coffee and fizzy drinks at £1 and Chunky Fries at £2.50 through to the whopping 6 oz Brie and Bacon burger at £5.50 they cover a variety of needs. But having just snacked I regrettably passed by. The old gun turret is still there but on a murky day looked decidedly folorn. With kick-off approaching, I took up my position in the main stand by the press-box. This is always handy as you can crib the team sheet. The main stand for some reason has been painted orange and a number of changes seemed to have occurred here recently (including the completion of the stand behind the south goal next to Crouch’s corner) as shown in my pictures.
New Stand
The game
The weather was much changed from my visit to Dulwich four weeks previously. Autumn was well on the way on a soggy day, which as my father used to remark was ‘just the day for a game of football’. As indeed it was. Wet, blowy and pretty dismal, but the game itself was not without incident. Wealdstone had the better of a fairly dour first half, though Great Wakering Rovers came close with a speculative effort that hit the post. On 28 minutes a collision between their goalkeeper and the on-rushing Bradley Bubb led to a penalty which they contrived to miss with Coey Turipa (he’s a New Zealander) diving low to his right to pull off a wonderful save from Stefan Brown. 0-0 at half time.
This was one of those games in which the home team made life difficult for themselves, having trouble getting out of first gear but at long last broke the deadlock after 67 minutes. Picking up a loose ball in the inside left position Funmaya Shomoton drilled in a fine right foot shot from the edge of the penakty area. A second goal arrived on 81 minutes as Connor Stevens scored with a towering header from a corner. It looked to have been cleared but in fact, the ball was well over the line. No need for VAR here. I thought Great Wakering Rovers were a shade unlucky but Wealdstone advanced, perhaps not all that confidently, into the next round.
Main Stand
Getting away
A seven-minute walk back to Ruislip Station. This time I caught the Metropolitan Line back to Baker Street, then on to Paddington for the 18.07 to Newbury.
Overall thoughts
Again a good day out and the game was certainly watchable whilst never engrossing. At times it never got going with an over-fussy referee (who kept dragging play back rather than give the advantage) and petulant infringements. I liked Wealdstone, but somehow the disjointed nature (which does appeal to me) didn’t quite have the same resonance as at Hampton and Richmond. Nevertheless this a hospitable venue and a good ground to visit.
Wealdstone v Gosport Borough
National League South
Saturday 4th March 2017, 3pm
Andrew Wood (Neutral fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Grosvenor Vale Stadium?
I last visited the Grosvenor Vale Stadium around five years or so ago, and I always seem to see a good game when Wealdstone are involved. Plus with Gosport's leaky defence I was expecting plenty of goals!
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
It was a lengthy journey involving a few changes on train and tube. Couldn't remember which of the five local stations in Ruislip that I got off at last time, so this time I used Ruislip itself as I gather it's the nearest to the ground. The Grosvenor Vale Stadium is only a 5-10 minute walk away, but it could still be awkward to find if you don't know the area. I simply followed some locals through a maze of side streets and got there easily enough.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
I arrived at ground at 2.15pm and had a pint in the clubhouse. The usual beers on offer, but also two real ales. Slightly pricey by clubhouse standards at £3.50 for a pint of 'Young's' bitter. There was a large screen showing Sky Sports. The home fans were boisterous,but friendly.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Grosvenor Vale Stadium?
It's great! The Grosvenor Vale Stadium is a mish mash of bits and pieces that gives it character. The Main Stand is rather small and is alongside the length of the pitch, and there is another tiny section of seating opposite. Two covered terraces behind each goal, and open terracing around the rest of the ground. The old turret building is still there, and makes that part of the ground resemble a 1970's Doctor Who set. There's also an electric scoreboard which didn't appear to be working.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The game itself was low on quality. Gosport Borough took an early lead which sent their three followers into raptures, but Wealdstone were ahead by half time thanks to an own goal (although it seems to have been credited to a Stones player) and a fine solo goal by on loan player Aryan Tajbakhsh who was by some way the best player on the pitch, but had to be subbed late on after a couple of heavy tackles/fouls on him. The Wealdstone fans in a crowd of about 700 gave their team decent backing. There are two snack bars in close proximity to each other. Can't comment on one as there was a big queue, but the other – 'Lynne's Gourmet Burgers' was very good offering a variety of proper burgers as opposed to the dubious ones on sale at most non-league grounds. They were also reasonably priced between £4 and £5, plus thick cut chips at only £1.50. I think Bovril was only 50p and crisps only 30p, so well done Lynne and Wealdstone for providing excellent value catering. Only slight downside was that my burger was lukewarm, despite being well cooked!
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
I didn't want to wander the maze of side streets again, so instead I headed up to main road and walked down to Ruislip Gardens Ttube Station. It was a lengthier walk, but more straightforward.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
A good afternoon all told, as I really like the Grosvenor Vale Stadium. The game itself wasn't the best finishing 2-1 to Wealdstone, but sadly low on quality and a Gosport player sent off late on. It cost £13 to get in which is reasonable, and special mention for Wealdstone's programme which is the best I've seen at this level, as they seem to have several contributors writing a variety of articles. So many programmes at this level seem to be 75% advertising, which I appreciate is necessary, but it's good to have something to read before/after the game. Ill definitely visit Wealdstone again. An excellent little club!
Wealdstone v Maidenhead United
National League South
Monday 26th December 2016, 1.30pm
Chris Spratt (Neutral fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Grosvenor Vale Ground?
This was the second non-league game that I had attended in the past couple of weeks, having previously visited York Road Maidenhead.. I loved the atmosphere at the first one and wanted to sample something similar. Plus I was taking my kids to the game so didn't want something too big.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
The journey was straightforward and the Grosvenor Vale ground was easy to find, particularly as I followed a Satnav. Car parking was fairly straightforward. It was mainly street parking and would have been much easier If I had not got to the ground so late.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
As I had my young kids we went directly into the ground. The home and away fans went in via the same entrance and mingled easily.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Grosvenor Vale?
The Grosvenor Vale ground was everything that I had imagined it to be – particularly as I had seen the photos on this website. The ground was made up of several different stands – both seated and terrace of differing sizes. At different points in the game we took up residence in different parts of the ground. One of the positives of going to a non-league game was that there were plenty of different places to watch the game. For the majority of the game we were in the 80 seater stand at the side of the pitch. This was a quirky little stand with plenty of leg room. We were certainly helped by it not being too full. as each step was quite shallow, the view would have been impaired had more people been seating.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The game was a typical old style British game with lots of blood and thunder although keeping two kids occupied meant I couldn't give it my full attention. We sampled the local food bar. The queues were long although there was not too long a wait. The kids seemed to really enjoy their burgers and sausages and I must admit I did too. There was plenty of choice in the food and drink department – the Hot Chocolate was my favourite. The pin badge stool was a lovely touch and my two were fascinated by the different ones on offer.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
We left a couple of minutes before the end of the match. Getting away was very straightforward and we had no problems.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
A nice day out. It may not have had quite the same appeal as my previous non league match but it was a fun day out none the less. The Grosvenor Vale ground was unusual and quirky and while there is a lot to be said for the modern day grounds places like Wealdstone certainly have their place and made a nice change to the norm.