SYBELLA GURNEY (1870-1926) - Gurney Drive

Sybella Gurney was a leader of the Housing Reform Movement; her obituary in The Times describes her as a ‘pioneer worker in the cause of rural housing’.  Gurney Drive is named in her memory, and holds particular significance as it is the only road in the Suburb to be named after a woman. Immediately after completing her studies at Oxford, Gurney began to focus her efforts towards practical social reform. She developed a particular interest in housing and education, becoming closely affiliated with the Garden City Movement, which had emerged in the 20th century to improve the quality of urban life due to overcrowding since the Industrial Revolution. Her most significant activity however, was her involvement in the Co-partnership Housing Movement, conducting a necessary experiment in collective ownership at Ealing. She later worked with Henrietta Barnett, heavily involved in the planning of Hampstead Garden Suburb.