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Willesden () is an area of northwest London, situated 5 miles (8 km) 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; ...
. It is historically a parish in the county of Middlesex that was incorporated as the Municipal Borough of Willesden in 1933, and has formed part of the
London Borough of Brent The London Borough of Brent () is a London boroughs, London borough in north-west London. It borders the boroughs of London Borough of Harrow, Harrow to the north-west, London Borough of Barnet, Barnet to the north-east, London Borough of Camden ...
in
Greater London Greater may refer to: *Greatness, the state of being great *Greater than, in inequality (mathematics), inequality *Greater (film), ''Greater'' (film), a 2016 American film *Greater (flamingo), the oldest flamingo on record *Greater (song), "Greate ...
since 1965. Dollis Hill is also sometimes referred to as being part of Willesden. With its close proximity to affluent neighbourhoods
Brondesbury Park Brondesbury Park is a suburb and electoral ward of the London Borough of Brent. It is the part of Brondesbury which is not interwoven with Kilburn, London, Kilburn due to the naming of a major tube station (Kilburn tube station, Kilburn) and is ...
, Queen's Park and Kensal Rise, the area surrounding
Willesden Green station Willesden Green is a London Underground station on Walm Lane in Willesden. It is served by the Jubilee line and is between Dollis Hill and Kilburn stations. Metropolitan line trains also pass through the station, but do not usually stop. The s ...
has seen increased gentrification in the past several years, with rapidly rising property prices. '' The Daily Telegraph'' called Willesden Green one of London's "new middle class" areas. The area has a population of 44,295 as of 2011 including the Willesden Green, Dollis Hill and Dudden Hill wards. Willesden Green has one of the city's highest Irish populations, and is also strongly associated with
Afro-Caribbean Afro-Caribbean people or African Caribbean are Caribbean people who trace their full or partial ancestry to Sub-Saharan Africa. The majority of the modern African-Caribbeans descend from Africans taken as slaves to colonial Caribbean via the ...
s and Latin Americans. Willesden is mostly in the
NW10 The NW (North Western) postcode area, also known as the London NW postcode area, is a group of 13 postcode districts covering around 13,895 live postcodes within part of northwest London, London, England. It is the successor of the NW sector, or ...
postcode district, but part of it is in the NW2 postcode district.


History


Etymology

The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon ''Willesdune'', meaning the Hill of the Spring, and a Manor (landholding) bearing this name was recorded in 939 AD. The Domesday Book of 1086 records the manor as ''Wellesdone''. However, on 19th century maps of the town such as those from the 'Ordnance Survey First Series', the town is shown as Wilsdon. The motto of Willesden Borough Council was ''Laborare est orare'' ("to labour is to pray"). The current spelling was adopted by the London and Birmingham Railway in 1844, when they opened a local station.


Early history

Willesden became a civil parish#ancient parish in the medieval period. From the 14th to 16th centuries, the town was a place of pilgrimage due to the presence of two ancient statues of the Virgin Mary at the Church of St Mary. One of these statues is thought to have been a Black Madonna, venerated as Our Lady of Willesden, which was insulted by the Lollards, taken to Thomas Cromwell's house and burnt in 1538 on a large bonfire of "notable images" including those of Our Lady of Walsingham, Our Lady of Worcester, and
Our Lady of Ipswich Our Lady of Ipswich (also known as Our Lady of Grace) was a popular English Marian shrine before the English Reformation. Among Marian shrines, only the shrine at Walsingham attracted more visitors. Background For centuries, England has been k ...
. There was also a "holy well" which was thought to possess miraculous qualities, particularly for blindness and other eye disorders. Much of the district supplied apples, pears and vegetables to the city of London for many years from the early years of the industrial revolution.


Industrial history

The Iris was a British car brand that was manufactured from 1906 by Legros & Knowles Ltd in Willesden. Lucien Alphonse Legros (1866–1933), son of the artist Alphonse Legros, and Guy Knowles, scion of a wealthy and artistic family, founded Legros & Knowles Ltd in Cumberland Park, Willesden Junction, in 1904 to build and repair vehicles.


Modern history

The parish of Willesden remained predominantly rural up until 1875, when its population was 18,500. It included the villages and hamlets of Brondesbury, Dollis Hill, Dudden Hill, Harlesden, Kilburn, Mapesbury, Oxgate and Stonebridge. However, this changed with the opening of the Metropolitan Railway (later the
Metropolitan line The Metropolitan line, colloquially known as the Met, is a London Underground line between in the City of London and and in Buckinghamshire, with branches to in Hertfordshire and in Hillingdon. Printed in magenta on the tube map, the line i ...
) station of Willesden Green on 24 November 1879. By 1906 the population had grown to 140,000, a phenomenon of rapid growth that was to be repeated in the 1920s in neighbouring areas such as
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) ...
. The Metropolitan line service was withdrawn in 1940, when the station was served by the Bakerloo line, and later the Jubilee line. The First World War caused Willesden to change from a predominantly middle class suburb to a working class part of London. After the war, Willesden grew rapidly as many factories opened up with numerous flats and terraced houses. The local council encouraged building to prevent large unemployment and decline. To the present day, Willesden has been shaped by the patterns of migration which marks it out as one of the most diverse areas in the United Kingdom. City of London Corporation records show that the first black person recorded in Brent was Sarah Eco, who was christened in St. Mary's Church in Willesden on 15 September 1723. The
1901 United Kingdom census The United Kingdom Census 1901 was the 11th nationwide census conducted in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and was done on 31st March 1901 "relating to the persons returned as living at midnight on Sunday, March 31st". The total p ...
recorded that 42% of the population was born in London. In 1923, the specialist coach builder Freestone and Webb established their base in Willesden, producing bespoke cars on Rolls-Royce and Bentley chassis until 1956. Willesden became a municipal borough in 1933, and it is at this time that the area became predominantly working class. A small Irish community had formed in Willesden by this time, which grew rapidly during the period of the Second World War. A small Jewish community of refugees from Europe also formed during the war, with 3.5% of the population in 1951 born in Germany, Poland, Russia or Austria. During the war, Willesden suffered large bombing damage due to the heavy concentration of manufacturing industry, such as munition factories, the location of 'Smiths Instruments" (Used defensive aircraft instrumentation). Mulliner-Park Ward (Coach builders to Rolls-Royce and Bentley, hand built cars). Power Station location, canal and major railway locomotive overhaul facilities located in the area. The period from 1960 saw migrants settling from the
Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
and the Indian Subcontinent. Additionally, from 1963 it was the site of the
Kuo Yuan The Kuo Yuan was a Chinese restaurant on Willesden High Road, Willesden, London, England, which played an important part in the history of Chinese cuisine in the UK. In particular, it was the first restaurant in the UK to serve Pekinese dishes ...
, the first Chinese restaurant to serve Pekinese dishes in Britain. Since the 1960s, Willesden has been popular with young working holidaymakers from Canada,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and New Zealand, although this popularity has declined somewhat in favour of other areas since about 2003. Willesden went into a period of decline during the 1970s and 1980s as much of the housing was inadequate due to overcrowding as industry was mixed with housing. The whole of central Willesden (bar the area by the Willesden Green station) was earmarked for redevelopment; however, this did not come to fruition. In the late 1980s, traders were given money to revamp the High Street to prevent shops closing. The area surrounding
Willesden Green station Willesden Green is a London Underground station on Walm Lane in Willesden. It is served by the Jubilee line and is between Dollis Hill and Kilburn stations. Metropolitan line trains also pass through the station, but do not usually stop. The s ...
has become more middle-class and gentrified with marked property price rises in 2014 and 2015.


Politics

The Willesden Green ward is represented on
Brent Council Brent London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Brent in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. It is based at Brent Civic Centre in Engineers W ...
by three
Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...
councillors, Janice Long, Saqlain Choudry, and Tom Miller. Willesden forms part of the
Brent Central Brent Central is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It is currently represented, since 2015, by Dawn Butler of the Labour Party. History The seat was created in the London review of seats of the Boundary ...
parliamentary constituency and is home to the local Labour Party MP Dawn Butler.


Demographics

According to the 2011 census, the Willesden Green ward had a population of 15,587. Ethnically, 22% of the population was Other White, followed by 20% White British, 8.2% Other Asian, 8.1% Black African and 7.1% Black Caribbean. 52.7% were BAME. The most spoken foreign language is Portuguese. 2,621 of the tenure households were privately rented; 1,625 were socially rented; 1,540 were owned.


Geography

Roundwood Park Roundwood Park is a public park in Willesden, London, measuring a total of 26.5 acres, or approximately 10.27 hectares. It was originally known in the 19th century as Knowles Hill (its name coming from the Knowles Tower nearby), or Hunger Hill ...
is on the south-western side while Gladstone Park is nearby to the north of Willesden. It lies about to above sea level.


Transport


Rail and Tube

Several rail and London Underground lines pass through Willesden, calling at local stations including: *
Dollis Hill tube station Dollis Hill is a London Underground station at Dollis Hill near to Willesden and Gladstone Park of the London Borough of Brent. It is on the Jubilee line, between Neasden and Willesden Green stations and is in Travelcard Zone 3. Metropolitan l ...
( Jubilee line) * Willesden Green tube station (Jubilee line) *
Willesden Junction station Willesden Junction is a railway station in Harlesden, north-west London, UK. It is served by both London Overground and London Underground services. History The station developed on three contiguous sites: the West Coast Main Line (WCML) st ...
( Bakerloo line and London Overground) The Jubilee line connects the area directly to
Stanmore Stanmore is part of the London Borough of Harrow in London. It is centred northwest of Charing Cross, lies on the outskirts of the London urban area and includes Stanmore Hill, one of the highest points of London, at high. The district, which ...
via Wembley Park northbound, and to
Central London Central London is the innermost part of London, in England, spanning several boroughs. Over time, a number of definitions have been used to define the scope of Central London for statistics, urban planning and local government. Its characteris ...
southbound. Key southbound destinations include
Baker Street Baker Street is a street in the Marylebone district of the City of Westminster in London. It is named after builder William Baker, who laid out the street in the 18th century. The street is most famous for its connection to the fictional detec ...
,
Bond Street Bond Street in the West End of London links Piccadilly in the south to Oxford Street in the north. Since the 18th century the street has housed many prestigious and upmarket fashion retailers. The southern section is Old Bond Street and the l ...
, Westminster,
Waterloo Waterloo most commonly refers to: * Battle of Waterloo, a battle on 18 June 1815 in which Napoleon met his final defeat * Waterloo, Belgium, where the battle took place. Waterloo may also refer to: Other places Antarctica *King George Island (S ...
and Canary Wharf. Most southbound services terminate at Stratford. Northbound Bakerloo line trains from Willesden Junction terminate at nearby Stonebridge Park, with some continuing towards Wembley Central and Harrow & Wealdstone. Like the Bakerloo line, southbound services also pass through Central London, with trains to Paddington, Marylebone, Baker Street,
Oxford Circus Oxford Circus is a road junction connecting Oxford Street and Regent Street in the West End of London. It is also the entrance to Oxford Circus tube station. The junction opened in 1819 as part of the Regent Street development under John Nash, ...
, Waterloo and Elephant & Castle.
Metropolitan line The Metropolitan line, colloquially known as the Met, is a London Underground line between in the City of London and and in Buckinghamshire, with branches to in Hertfordshire and in Hillingdon. Printed in magenta on the tube map, the line i ...
trains pass through Willesden Green and Dollis Hill, but do not stop. This has not always been the case: Willesden Green station was opened by the
Metropolitan Railway The Metropolitan Railway (also known as the Met) was a passenger and goods railway that served London from 1863 to 1933, its main line heading north-west from the capital's financial heart in the City to what were to become the Middlesex su ...
in 1879, and the area owes much of its development to the Metropolitan Railway and Metro-land. Today, passengers from Willesden can access the Metropolitan line by using the Jubilee line and changing at either Wembley Central to the north, or Finchley Road to the south. Willesden Junction is served by several London Overground routes: Stations in Willesden straddle London fare zones 2 and 3.


Road

Several key routes pass through or around Willesden:


Buses

A large bus garage was built in 1902 and thus, many bus routes start or run through the town. The Queen visited it during her Golden Jubilee celebrations.
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 serving Willesden are: 6, 52, 98, 206, 226, 260, 266, 297, 460 and N98.


Cycling

To the north of Willesden, Quietway 3 runs unbroken between Gladstone Park and
Shoot Up Hill In botany, a plant shoot consists of any plant stem together with its appendages, leaves and lateral buds, flowering stems, and flower buds. The new growth from seed germination that grows upward is a shoot where leaves will develop. In the spr ...
on quiet, residential streets. The route is coordinated by Transport for London (TfL) and is planned to extend eastbound into West Hampstead towards Regent's Park. A direct, traffic-free cycle route runs to the south of Willesden along the Grand Union Canal towpath. Cyclists share the route with pedestrians, but the towpath provides cyclists with an unbroken, traffic-free connection to Paddington. From Paddington, cyclists can access further Central London destinations using traffic-free
Cycle Superhighway 3 Cycle Superhighway 3 (CS3) is a cycle path in London, United Kingdom. It is part of the Cycleway network coordinated by TfL. It runs from Barking in the east to Lancaster Gate in central London. It is a popular route with both commuter and leis ...
.


Notable people from Willesden Green

* Ronald Coase (1910–2013), Nobel Prize winner in Economics, was born and grew up in Willesden. *Zadie Smith's younger brother, Ben Smith, is an underground British rapper who goes by the name Doc Brown. He is featured on the track "Think Back" from the album ''The Enthusiast'' produced by the British DJ Evil Ed. He raps "Born and bred in Kilburn" but also says "Veteran Willesden tenant. Brent the borough of residence." *
J. Keighley Snowden James Keighley Snowden (23 June 1860 – 17 January 1947) was the author of about fourteen volumes of fiction from 1893 to 1937 in addition to several works of non-fiction. Writing also as Keighley Snowden, today his writings are largely forgo ...
(1860-1947), author and journalist lived and died here


Popular culture

*
Emma Thompson Dame Emma Thompson (born 15 April 1959) is a British actress. Regarded as one of the best actresses of her generation, she has received numerous accolades throughout her four-decade-long career, including two Academy Awards, two British A ...
's character in '' Last Chance Harvey'' mentions she lives in Willesden Green. *The town was featured in the popular novels ''
White Teeth ''White Teeth'' is a 2000 novel by the British author Zadie Smith. It focuses on the later lives of two wartime friends—the Bangladeshi Samad Iqbal and the Englishman Archie Jones—and their families in London. The novel centres on Britain' ...
'' and "N-W" by Zadie Smith, published in 2000 and 2012 respectively; the first novel was the basis of a subsequent TV series. * Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros sang from "Willesden to Cricklewood" on their album ''Rock Art and the X-ray Style''. *Willesden is the origin of the formation of the 1980s breakdance group the Willesden Dodgers with Pete Q. Harris, Nigel Green and Richard Jon Smith as the main members. *"Willesden Green" is the title of a song written by Ray Davies and performed by the Kinks and is included in the soundtrack of the 1971 film '' Percy. Lyrics from the song: *Willesden Green is a running reference/joke on the animated TV cartoon series ''
Danger Mouse Danger Mouse may refer (or appear in) to: * ''Danger Mouse'' (1981 TV series), a 1981 British animated television series * ''Danger Mouse'' (2015 TV series), a 2015 reboot of the British animated television series * Danger Mouse (musician) (born ...
''. *''
The Last Detective ''The Last Detective'' is a British TV comedy drama series, broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV between 7 February 2003 and 31 May 2007, starring Peter Davison as the title character, Detective Constable "Dangerous Davies". The series is based o ...
'' (2002) was set and filmed in and around Willesden and used the Rising Sun pub as its central location. *'' Jonathan Creek'' is regularly filmed around Willesden. * The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band make a short reference to Willesden Green on their track "Shirt", the second track of their 1969 album '' Tadpoles'' quote: "Now, here in Willesden Green, yes, brrr, it is a bit chilly but no matter. Here comes a gentleman and we're going to talk to him about shirts." *''
Lead Balloon ''Lead Balloon'' is a British television series produced by Open Mike Productions for BBC Four. The series was created and is co-written by comedian Jack Dee and Pete Sinclair. It stars Dee as Rick Spleen, a cynical and misanthropic comedian ...
'', a BBC4 sitcom starring Jack Dee, is filmed principally in Willesden. * A static inverter plant of HVDC Kingsnorth was located in Willesden. * In the book ''
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time ''The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'' is a 2003 mystery novel by British writer Mark Haddon. Its title refers to an observation by the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes (created by Arthur Conan Doyle) in the 1892 short story ...
'', Christopher's mother lives in Willesden. * Willesden was the first location of Zomba Records. It remained there for many years whilst growing into the International Music Company, which released the music of such global artists as
Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince were an American hip hop duo from West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, consisting of rapper Will Smith (the Fresh Prince) and disc jockey Jeff Townes (DJ Jazzy Jeff). Active full time from 1986 to 1994 and occasion ...
and
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
. * The family who share their house with a ghost in the BBC's 1992 Sitcom '' So Haunt Me'' lived on Meadow Road, Willesden. * On the popular 1980s/90s TV show '' Minder'', Arthur Daley had a lock-up full of questionable merchandise located in Willesden. He also orchestrated many of his dodgy deals in the area and other parts of northwest London. In the episode "Willesden Suite", Arthur finds himself caught up in the web of a dishonest manager whilst supplying a hotel with dodgy gear. * Willesden was once home to
Morgan Studios Morgan Studios (founded as Morgan Sound Studios) was an independent recording studio in Willesden in northwest London. Founded in 1967, the studio was the location for recordings by such notable artists as Jethro Tull, the Kinks, Paul McCartney, ...
, where many well-known rock albums by artists such as Yes, Led Zeppelin and Supertramp, were produced.
Morgan Studios Morgan Studios (founded as Morgan Sound Studios) was an independent recording studio in Willesden in northwest London. Founded in 1967, the studio was the location for recordings by such notable artists as Jethro Tull, the Kinks, Paul McCartney, ...
was the first to use 24-track recording. * In Nines' "Can't Blame Me" music video, the rapper can be seen wheelie-ing on his pedal bike down Willesden Lane outside the launderette where he washes his millions. * The second volume of Louis Ferdinand Celine '' Guignol's Band ''tells the story of Colonel O'Cologhan whose mansion is situated in Willesden.


See also

*
St Matthew's Church, Willesden St Matthew's Church is an Anglican parish church in Willesden in the London Borough of Brent. It is situated on the corner of St Mary's Road and Fawcett Road in Willesden. It was built between 1900 and 1906, designed by W. D. Caröe and is a Gr ...
*
Willesden Jewish Cemetery The Willesden United Synagogue Cemetery, usually known as Willesden Jewish Cemetery, is a Jewish cemetery at Beaconsfield Road, Willesden, in the London Borough of Brent, England. It opened in 1873 on a site. It has been described as the "R ...


References


External links


A Short History of BrentWillesden Town Centre PartnershipWillesden cycling clubWillesden: Settlement and Growth
{{Authority control Areas of London Districts of the London Borough of Brent Places formerly in Middlesex District centres of London