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Northolt is a town in West London, England, spread across both sides of the A40 trunk road. It is west-northwest of
Charing Cross Charing Cross ( ) is a junction in Westminster, London, England, where six routes meet. Clockwise from north these are: the east side of Trafalgar Square leading to St Martin's Place and then Charing Cross Road; the Strand leading to the City; ...
and is one of the seven major towns that make up the London Borough of Ealing. It had a population of 30,304 at the 2011 UK census.


History

The earliest record of Northolt is in 872 as the
Anglo Saxon The Anglo-Saxons were a cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo-Saxons happened wit ...
''norð healum'', where norð is North and healum (or hale) is ''a nook, corner, or retreat'',. By 1610, the Name Northolt appears, with in this case, holt having no relationship with 'wood', but an evolution of hala, hale, hal, hall, halle and holt. Archaeological evidence suggests that the settlement's origin was an 8th-century
Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
village close to Northolt Manor behind the present Court Farm Road. It is mentioned in the '' Domesday Book'' as Northala, part of the Elthorne Hundred in the historic county of Middlesex, England. In 1066 the lord was Esger the constable, and in 1086 was Geoffrey de Mandeville. Northolt Manor itself was built in the fourteenth century and provides much of the archeological information of the area from its excavations in the 1950s and onward. A Tudor barn built in 1595 from Smith's farm in Northolt was moved to
Chiltern Open Air Museum Chiltern Open Air Museum (COAM) is an independent open-air museum of vernacular buildings and a tourist attraction located near Chalfont St Peter and Chalfont St. Giles in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, England. Its collection consist ...
and is now on display there. In the early part of the 18th century farmland was enclosed in order to provide hay for the City of London, alongside more traditional crops such as peas and beans. Up to late
Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...
times, the area was rural with predominantly arable crops being grown. 1795 saw parliamentary approval for construction of Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal. The route from Hayes to Paddington passes through Northolt, opening on 10 July 1801. The Great Central Railway line (now the Chiltern Line) opened in 1906, passing through Northolt on its way from Marylebone to High Wycombe. However, it wasn't until 1926 that a station opened at
Northolt Park Northolt Park railway station is a National Rail station in Northolt, Greater London. It is in Cadogan Close and spans the boundary between the London Borough of Harrow and the London Borough of Ealing, with a footbridge connecting the north s ...
. 1906 also saw the
Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...
's New North Main Line pass through south of Great Central Railway on its way to Birmingham. The following year Northolt Halt opened on it, eventually becoming Northolt station. In 1948 an extension to the Central line, transformed it into Northolt tube station. In May 1915 the Royal Flighing Corp established an airfield in neighbouring South Ruislip in the London Borough of Hillingdon, Most early RAF airfields were named after the nearest railway station; in this case Northolt Junction, (now South Ruislip), so it became RAF Northolt. WW1 also brought an urgent need for more munitions, and in 1915 the Ministry of Munitions created many national munition factories. The National Filling Factory No 7 in
Hayes, Middlesex Hayes is a town in west London, historically situated within the county of Middlesex, and now part of the London Borough of Hillingdon. The town's population, including its localities Hayes End, Harlington and Yeading, was recorded as 83,564 i ...
had an explosives magazine at Northolt which was completed late in 1916. This 93 acre site had 20 stores each able to hold 100 tons of explosives, and was connected by a rail spur at Northolt Junction station. The location was just North-East of the current Ruislip Gardens station, with the rail spur on the south side of Yeading Brook, and the magazines connected by trolleyways on the North side. About 100 tons of explosives per day were sent by rail to Hayes for filling artillery shells - both the Hayes factory and the magazine were removed after the war ended. Suburban development began in the 1920s. Most of the housing north of the Western Avenue was built in the 1920s–1930s, and is in the private housing sector. Most of the housing built to the south of the Western Avenue was built in the 1960s–1970s, and is in the social housing sectors, particularly along the Kensington and Ruislip Roads. Two important transport links run through Northolt: the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal and the modern A40 road. In the 21st century, a new large private housing development was built on the former site of the Taylor Woodrow company, adjacent to the Grand Union Canal. This development is known as "Grand Union Village" and incorporates a new canal boat marina.


Landmarks

* St Mary the Virgin church (14th century) stands on the hill overlooking the old village. The
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
poet Goronwy Owen was briefly a
curate A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...
here. Bishop
Samuel Lisle Samuel Lisle (1683 – 3 October 1749) was an English academic and bishop. Life Lisle was born in Blandford, Dorset. He graduated M.A. at Wadham College, Oxford, in 1706, and was ordained in 1707.''Concise Dictionary of National Biography'' ...
is buried here. * In the centre of the village is a freestanding
clock tower Clock towers are a specific type of structure which house a turret clock and have one or more clock faces on the upper exterior walls. Many clock towers are freestanding structures but they can also adjoin or be located on top of another buildi ...
erected to commemorate the coronation of George VI in 1937. * The White Hart public house is on the site of an old coaching inn. The
roundabout A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The New Shorter Oxford En ...
immediately south of it is on the junction of the A312 (Church Road and Hayes Bypass) with the A4180 (Ruislip Road and West End Road). The Yeading Lane also joins the roundabout. (Now closed) * Willow Cottages on the village green are said to have been built of bricks from the old manor house, which once stood behind the parish church. * The two towers of the disused RAF radio station north of the town are situated in the Wood End wireless station recreation ground, which is bordered on all sides by housing (Bayshill Rise, Lancaster Road, Blenheim road). The location is now home to a National Air Traffic Control base. *
Northala Fields Northala Fields is a park located in Northolt, in the London Borough of Ealing. It was opened in 2008 and consists of four artificial hills standing next to the A40 Western Avenue, as well as several fishing lakes, a large field area a children' ...
is a large area alongside the A40 road which has been redeveloped as an extension to the Northolt and Greenford Country Park. The development consists of four large, man-made conical hills (built of rubble from the first Wembley Stadium), which act as a sound barrier to block traffic noise from the Western Avenue. Behind the mounds are new ponds and a visitor centre. * The Larkspur Rovers F.C. clubhouse is in Rowdell Road, Northolt. It received funding from Ealing Council and an Olympic legacy grant of £50,000 from Sport England's Inspired Facilities Fund. * There is a village community centre building in Ealing Road, opposite
St Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
's church, which incorporates an open-air miniature railway. * A leisure centre, incorporating a pool, a fitness centre, a community hall and a library was built on the site of the former Swimarama swimming pool at the junction of Mandeville Road and Eastcote Lane North, and opened in 2010. * Down Barns Moated Site, a Scheduled Ancient Monument.


Northolt Village

Northolt Village sign.jpg, Village sign with Middlesex coat of arms Northolt Village.jpg, Belvue Park St Mary, Northolt.jpg, St Mary's Church St Mary's Church, Northolt.jpg, St Mary's Church Northolt Village 2.jpg, Northolt Village 3.jpg, Signage of The Crown pub


Geography

Northolt is in the north-western corner of Ealing, bordering the boroughs of Harrow and Hillingdon. The centre of Northolt lies at an elevation of about above sea level. It is hillier in the north (up to about ) whereas the south is lower, about . The town is mainly suburban, with some industrial land to the east (by the Grand Union Canal), large green parts such as Lime Tree Park and Rectory Park, and semi-rural land to the west Northolt is located from
Hayes Hayes may refer to: * Hayes (surname), including a list of people with the name ** Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th president of the United States * Hayes (given name) Businesses * Hayes Brake, an American designer and manufacturer of disc brakes * Ha ...
; from Southall; from Greenford; from Wembley; from
Harrow Harrow may refer to: Places * Harrow, Victoria, Australia * Harrow, Ontario, Canada * The Harrow, County Wexford, a village in Ireland * London Borough of Harrow, England ** Harrow, London, a town in London ** Harrow (UK Parliament constituency) ...
; from Ruislip; and from Uxbridge.


Demography

Northolt is covered by two
electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to t ...
s of the London Borough of Ealing. Northolt Mandeville ward covers the main area of Northolt. Northolt West End ward covers the area south of the A40 road, including housing that is contiguous from Yeading directly to the south. The median house price as of 2014 was £300,000 in Northolt Mandeville and £226,111 in Northolt West End. The population who are from BAME (Black, Asian and minority Ethnic) background was 51.7% and 55.1% respectively. The median age was 34 years and 32 years respectively.


Population

While Northolt remained a rural, agricultural area in the 19th century, its population growth remained slow: * 1066 – 32 * 1801 – 336 inhabitants * 1871 – 479 * 1921 – 904 * 1961 – 26,000 * 1991 – 32,000 The rapid growth of the population in the mid-20th century can be explained by Northolt's growth as a dormitory town for nearby
Ealing Ealing () is a district in West London, England, west of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Ealing. Ealing is the administrative centre of the borough and is identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan. Ealing was histor ...
, and the construction in 1935 of the A40 road through the area. Modern family homes were built in the 1920s and 1930s. In the 1950s and 1960s, predominantly local authority rented housing was constructed. 3,423 council houses had been built in Northolt by 1963. Northolt tube station was opened in 1948 to serve the growing population of the area.


Crime

Anti-social behaviour has recently been the most common reported crime, followed by violent and sexual offences. Crime levels notably increased, by up to 50% between 2013 and 2014. Jimmy Canning, IRA member, lived undercover in Northolt from 1991 to 1993; he had wooed local Audrey Lamb and moved into her house at 15 Islip Gardens, using it as a weapons and bomb storage depôt. He and Lamb were arrested in 1992 following police surveillance.


Pony racing

Northolt was famous for the pony racing which took place in Northolt Park. A racecourse was constructed by Sir William Bass and
Viscount Lascelles A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...
, and opened in 1929 by the
Earl of Harewood Earl of Harewood (), in the County of York, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. History The title was created in 1812 for Edward Lascelles, 1st Earl of Harewood, Edward Lascelles, 1st Baron Harewood, a wealthy sugar plantation own ...
and his wife the Princess Royal. During the Second World War, the land was taken over and used as an army depot and
prisoner of war camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. ...
. Despite numerous attempts to revive pony racing after the war the land was given over to housing construction. The Racecourse Estate was constructed between 1951 and 1955 in order to solve a severe housing shortage within the borough. The gates of the original racecourse remain in Petts Hill, and a section of the track can be observed as a long, flat stretch of land alongside Mandeville Road.


Education

*
Alec Reed Academy Alec Reed Academy is a mixed all-through school and sixth form located in the Northolt area of the London Borough of Ealing, England. The school operates nursery, primary, secondary and sixth form departments for pupils aged 3 to 19. Its prede ...
(formerly West London Academy) * Belvue High School * Gifford Primary School * Greenwood Primary School *
Northolt High School Northolt High School is a secondary school located in the Northolt area of the London Borough of Ealing, England. Admissions The school accepts students between the age of 11 to 18. The school has a total of 1401 students. It is situated on ...
* Petts Hill Primary School * St. Raphael's Catholic Primary School * Downe Manor Primary School * Viking Primary School * Willow Tree Primary School * Wood End Primary School * Wood End Academy


Transport

Northolt has two stations: Northolt on the London Underground Central line and
Northolt Park Northolt Park railway station is a National Rail station in Northolt, Greater London. It is in Cadogan Close and spans the boundary between the London Borough of Harrow and the London Borough of Ealing, with a footbridge connecting the north s ...
, a Network Rail station served by
Chiltern Railways Chiltern Railways, formally The Chiltern Railway Company Limited, is a British train operating company that has operated the Chiltern Railways franchise since July 1996. Since 2009, it has been a subsidiary of Arriva UK Trains. Chiltern Railw ...
. Numerous
London Buses London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London (TfL) that manages most bus services in London, England. It was formed following the Greater London Authority Act 1999 that transferred control of London Regional Transport (LRT) bus se ...
routes serve Northolt.


Political representation

The
constituency An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger State (polity), state (a country, administrative region, ...
of
Ealing North Ealing North is a constituency, created in 1950. Since the 2019 general election, it has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by James Murray of the Labour Co-operative party. History Straddling the Western Avenue ...
is currently represented by Labour and Co-operative Party Member of Parliament (MP) James Murray, and has been since 2019 following the retirement of Stephen Pound. Northolt is made up of two
electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to t ...
s (Northolt Mandeville and Northolt West End), as well as part of the electoral ward of North Greenford, which elect councillors to
Ealing Council Ealing London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Ealing in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. History There have previously been a number of l ...
. As of 6 May 2022 the area is represented by six Labour councillors (three in West End and three in Mandeville). Northolt comes under the
London Assembly The London Assembly is a 25-member elected body, part of the Greater London Authority, that scrutinises the activities of the Mayor of London and has the power, with a two-thirds super-majority, to amend the Mayor's annual budget and to reject ...
constituency An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger State (polity), state (a country, administrative region, ...
of
Ealing and Hillingdon Ealing and Hillingdon is a constituency represented in the London Assembly. It consists of the combined area of the London Borough of Ealing and the London Borough of Hillingdon. Overlapping constituencies The constituency contains all of the fo ...
which has one assembly member, currently
Onkar Sahota Onkar Sahota is a British Labour Party politician who has been the member of the London Assembly for Ealing and Hillingdon since 2012, when he became the first Labour candidate to be elected in Ealing and Hillingdon. He was re-elected in 2016 ...
(Labour), who was elected in May 2012. Political status on Ealing Council as of May 2022: * Labour: 59 seats * Conservative: 5 seats * Liberal Democrats: 6 seats


Notable people

*
Michael Colclough Michael John Colclough (born 29 December 1944) is a retired British Anglican bishop. He served as area Bishop of Kensington in the Diocese of London (1996–2008) then Canon Pastor of St Paul's Cathedral, London (2008–2013). Early life and ...
, Canon Pastor at
St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...
and Deputy Priest in Ordinary to The Queen, was Archdeacon of Northolt 1992–4 *
Alton Ellis Alton Nehemiah Ellis (1 September 1938 – 10 October 2008)Godfather ...
(1938–2008), musician, "Godfather of
Rocksteady Rocksteady is a music genre that originated in Jamaica around 1966. A successor of ska and a precursor to reggae, rocksteady was the dominant style of music in Jamaica for nearly two years, performed by many of the artists who helped establish ...
", lived in Northolt. *
Paul Gardiner Paul Andrew Gardiner (1 May 1958 – 18 February 1984) was a British musician who played bass guitar with Gary Numan and Tubeway Army, as well as creating material under his own name. Biography Paul Gardiner was born in Hayes, Middlesex. In e ...
(1958–1984), musician, bass guitar player in
Gary Numan Gary Anthony James Webb (born 8 March 1958), known professionally as Gary Numan, is an English musician. He entered the music industry as frontman of the new wave band Tubeway Army. After releasing two albums with the band, he released his d ...
's
Tubeway Army Tubeway Army were a London-based new wave band led by lead singer Gary Numan. Formed at the height of punk rock in 1977 the band gradually changed to an electronic sound. They were the first band of the electronic era to have a synthesiser-b ...
, died in Northolt. *
Stanley Green Stanley Owen Green (22 February 1915 – 4 December 1993), known as the Protein Man, was a human billboard in central London in the latter half of the 20th century.. One writer called him "the most famous non-famous person in London". Ac ...
(1915–1993), a
human billboard A human billboard is someone who applies an advertisement on their person. Most commonly, this means holding or wearing a sign of some sort, but also may include wearing advertising as clothing or in extreme cases, having advertising tattooed on ...
, lived in Northolt. * Paul Kidby, artist, known for his association with author Terry Pratchett's '' Discworld'', was born in Northolt. *
Jerome Okimo Jerome Okide O. N. Okimo (born 8 June 1988) is a semi-professional footballer who is currently a player/coach for Barnet. Club career Non-league football Okimo began his career at Chalfont St. Peter where he made 308 appearances. During his ti ...
, footballer with
Stevenage FC Stevenage Football Club (known as Stevenage Borough Football Club until 2010) is a professional association football club based in the town of Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English fo ...
, was born in Ealing and grew up in Northolt. *
Steve Perryman Stephen John Perryman MBE (born 21 December 1951) is an English former professional footballer who is best-known for his successes with Tottenham Hotspur during the 1970s and early 1980s. He has won the FA Cup, League Cup, and UEFA Cup all twi ...
, footballer with Tottenham Hotspur, was born in
Ealing Ealing () is a district in West London, England, west of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Ealing. Ealing is the administrative centre of the borough and is identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan. Ealing was histor ...
and grew up in Northolt.


Northolt on television

* The popular BBC comedy series '' My Hero'', produced between 2000 and 2006, and featuring Ardal O'Hanlon and Emily Joyce, was set in Northolt. * An episode of the popular CBBC series ''Tracy Beaker'' had scenes filmed at former the Northolt Swimarama, in Eastcote Lane North. * A faux documentary titled '' Ghostwatch'', broadcast on
Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...
in 1992, was filmed in Northolt. It was the tale of a single mother haunted in her Northolt home by a mysterious figure called "Pipes".


References


Sources


A History of Middlesex (1971)


External links


A history of pony racing in Northolt

Ealing Council
{{Authority control Populated places established in the 8th century Areas of London Districts of the London Borough of Ealing