West Hendon is a district of

Hendon Hendon is an urban area in the Borough of Barnet, North-West London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has been part of Gre ...

North London North London is the northern part of London, England, north of the River Thames. It extends from Clerkenwell and Finsbury, on the edge of the City of London financial district, to Greater London's boundary with Hertfordshire. The term ''nor ...

, in the

London Borough of Barnet The London Borough of Barnet () is a suburban London borough in North London. The borough was formed in 1965 from parts of the ceremonial counties of Middlesex and Hertfordshire. It forms part of Outer London and is the largest London borough ...

. It is the NW9 part of Hendon, located around the A5

Edgware Road Edgware Road is a major road in London, England. The route originated as part of Roman Watling Street and, unusually in London, it runs for 10 miles in an almost perfectly straight line. Forming part of the modern A5 road, Edgware Road undergoes ...

and the Welsh Harp (

Brent Reservoir The Brent Reservoir (popularly called the Welsh Harp) is a reservoir in North West London. It straddles the boundary between the boroughs of Brent and Barnet and is owned by the Canal & River Trust. The reservoir takes its informal name from a p ...

). The area is known for the West Hendon Estate which is undergoing controversial regeneration.

History

Raw Spice, West Hendon, NW9 (2554948498)

West Hendon was a settlement within that part of the ancient parish of

known as

the Hyde The Hyde is a locality in the London Borough of Barnet in London, England, and is also the name of its accompanying main road on the A5. It is located to the east of Kingsbury, west of Hendon and south of Colindale. The area contains Hyde Ho ...

. It was formally known, from 1878 to 1890, as New Hendon, a small railway development on the Edgware Road. Before the 1830s there were three farms, Upper and Lower Guttershedge (east of the road) and Cockman's in the Wood (west of the road) and an inn, The Welsh Harp. Between 1835 and 1838, the

was constructed by damming the Brent and the

Silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from th ...

brooks and flooding much of Cockman's Farm. The water was used to supply the

Grand Union Canal The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. It is the principal navigable waterway between London and the Midlands. Starting in London, one arm runs to Leicester and another ends in Birmingham, with the latter ...

. At its greatest extent, in 1853, it covered 400 acres (1.6 km²) but was dramatically reduced to 195 acres (789,000 m²) in the 1890s. Subsequently, it has been reduced to 110 acres (445,000 m²). It contains enough water to fill 3 million baths and in 1991 was believed to contain 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) of fish. The residue of Cockman's Farm became Woodfield House, home to the Roman Catholic ''Passioist Fathers'' (1852 and 1858). The house was demolished in 1940 and the site used by the Borough of Hendon and its successor the

as a plant nursery. Originally ''The Harp and Horn'' (c. 1750s), The Harp was rebuilt in 1859 and again in 1937, before finally being pulled down in 1970 to make way for the M1. During the 1960s, it was known as ''The Lakeside Scene'' and hosted some of the great rock and blues bands of the day, such as the Yardbirds. From 1859 until the end of the century it was run by the Warner brothers, and the reservoir became a centre for all sorts of sporting events such as ice skating, swimming and angling; it was, until 1878, the Kingsbury Race Course and the first mechanical hare in greyhound racing was used there in 1876. By 1850, there was a second public house, the ''Upper Welsh Harp''. At its height in the mid-1880s crowds in excess of 25,000 people could be expected on a Bank Holiday weekend.

Development

Two railway stations were opened, both of the

Midland Railway The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It ama ...

(1868), and Welsh Harp (1870). The latter was only 600 yards south of Hendon station and built for leisure traffic for the reservoir; it closed down by 1903 and the station building remained until the 1970s. A local builder called Bishop laid the first brick of a new terrace called Neeld Terrace (1881), which heralded the start of ''New Hendon''. Brent Vue was built on land originally owned by the Midland Company. In 1885, the Baptists had a mission hall and their present hall was opened in 1930. By 1886, there were 200 new houses and the Anglican church of St. John's was built. It became part of the Municipal Borough of Hendon in 1894. The 1896 Ordnance Survey Map shows that most of the roads had been laid out, but with little further development beyond that of the mid-1880s. In 1896

Schweppes Schweppes (, ) is a beverage brand that originated in the Republic of Geneva; it is made, bottled and distributed worldwide by multiple international conglomerates, depending on licensing and region, that manufacture and sell soft drinks. Schwep ...

opened a large mineral water factory, and the present Anglican church of St. John's was established in Algernon Road. With a planned tram line along the West Hendon ''Broadway'' due to open in 1904 and run by Metropolitan Electric Tramways, Welsh Harp station was closed in 1903, and West Hendon became a thriving Edwardian retail district until overshadowed by Golders Green. The Ordnance Survey Map of 1913 shows the area as being fully developed. The reservoir was an important centre for speedboat racing in the 1920s and 1930s. C Harrison broke the outboard motorboat record at 57 mph (92 km/h) in 1931.

War bombing and post-war period

During World War II, on 13 February 1941, the

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German '' Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the '' Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabt ...

dropped a single SC2500 maximum heavy explosive bomb (equivalent to two V2 rockets), killing 85 people, injuring hundreds, destroying 40 houses in an area west of the Edgware Road and making over one thousand locals homeless. The devastated area here was redeveloped by the 1970s. A memorial plaque was laid at a green space (York Memorial Park) in the 1960s where smashed houses once stood. During a very hot summer in the 1960s the water levels shrank dramatically and remains of some of the destroyed houses could be seen. In 1964, St Patrick's Roman Catholic church was formed at 167 the Broadway. In 1984 a small Islamic Centre was established at 135 the Broadway, and was later moved to Brent View Road and re-opened as Hendon Mosque on 23 August 1996. Hendon Mosque notably held the funeral for

Nazia Hassan Nazia Hassan (3 April 1965 – 13 August 2000) was a Pakistani singer-songwriter, lawyer and social activist. Referred to as the Queen of South Asian pop, she is considered one of the most influential singers in the subcontinent. Starting in ...

, a pioneer of Pakistani pop music in 2001. No. 110 West Hendon Broadway was built in the 1930s as an attractive building with a floral clock in its front garden. Originally used for a local car parts business, the building was seemingly used as UK headquarters for the

Free German Trade Union Federation The Free German Trade Union Federation (german: Freier Deutsche Gewerkschaftsbund or ''FDGB'') was the sole national trade union centre of the German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) which existed from 1946 and 1990. As a mass organis ...

from the 1970s to 1990. It was rumoured among local people that the building was an East German espionage base. The building was later used by various hardware distributors but is now derelict. The Upper Welsh Harp public house was demolished in 2017 despite local residents campaigning against it. The building failed to get listed by English Heritage. A 5-storey flat took its place.

Estate regeneration

The West Hendon Estate was built in the late 1960s, originally made up of 680 homes. Plans were made during the 2000s to regenerate the estate, which were eventually approved in 2013. As of 2019, Marsh Drive is the only remaining original block yet to be demolished which is expected in 2022. This block has apparently been neglected by the council. The new development is collectively named Hendon Waterside. The most prominent building of the new development is Hawfinch House, a high rise 26 storey tower that is tall, completed in July 2016. It became the tallest building in the borough of Barnet. The regeneration has been controversial and has caused backlash from both residents and MPs.

Barnet London Borough Council Barnet London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Barnet in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 within London. Barnet is divided into 21 wards, each electing three councillors. The cou ...

has faced criticism for its regeneration of the West Hendon Estate, including the use of

compulsory purchase Compulsion may refer to: * Compulsive behavior, a psychological condition in which a person does a behavior compulsively, having an overwhelming feeling that they must do so. * Obsessive–compulsive disorder, a mental disorder characterized by ...

. It was claimed that 400 families would be forced to move off the estate. During 2014, residents protested against the plans and blocked the entrance to the estate. In 2018,

Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (; born 26 May 1949) is a British politician who served as Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party from 2015 to 2020. On the political left of the Labour Party, Corbyn describes himself as a socialis ...

and Mayor

Sadiq Khan Sadiq Aman Khan (; born 8 October 1970) is a British politician serving as Mayor of London since 2016. He was previously Member of Parliament (MP) for Tooting from 2005 until 2016. A member of the Labour Party, Khan is on the party's sof ...

visited residents in the estate and were told of having been let down by Barnet council. The estate has been featured on the BBC's '' Victoria Derbyshire'' show, which found that the Marsh Drive block was in poor condition. In 2016 the BBC filmed a documentary called ''The Estate We're In'' for

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...

that followed tenants and homeowners of the estate who were against the regeneration. Another controversy was the loss of York Park open space, behind the estate. Residents saw the park as a memorial for the victims of the 1941 Luftwaffe bombing. Barnet stated in its regeneration plan in 2008 that the park would be retained, however this changed later on and the park was sold to the developers for the building of blocks.

Demography and community

West Hendon is a more socially deprived part of Hendon and the borough of Barnet. It has a range of cultures including from Somali, Afghan and West African communities; 50.6% of West Hendon ward's population was of BAME background in the 2011 census (thus differing from Hendon). Religiously, 36% were Christian, 17% Muslim, 14% Jewish, 11% Hindu and 11% irreligious. The largest foreign languages are Polish and Gujarati, both numbering over 800 people each. 49% of the population was white (27% British, 20% Other), 32% was Asian (15% Indian, 9% Other, 4% Chinese), and 9% was black (7% African). The West Hendon Community Hub provides local events and is home to a children's centre. Numerous community groups exist including the West Hendon Allotment Society, West Hendon Residents' Association, Friends of York Park, Woolmead Residents' Association, Welsh Harp Conservation Group and Welsh Harp Sailing Association.

Geography and locale

West Hendon lies to the west and south-west of Hendon, and lies 7 miles north-west of London's Charing Cross. It is about to above sea level, lower than the rest of Hendon to its east. The

Silk Stream The Silk Stream is a brook just over long in the London Borough of Barnet. It is one of the major components of the Blue Ribbon Network. The Silk Stream is a tributary of the River Brent, which it joins at Brent Reservoir. It has several tri ...

, a tributary of the

River Brent The River Brent is a river in west and northwest London, England, and a tributary of the River Thames. in length, it rises in the Borough of Barnet and flows in a generally south-west direction before joining the Tideway stretch of the Thame ...

, marks its northern boundary with

The Hyde The Hyde is a locality in the London Borough of Barnet in London, England, and is also the name of its accompanying main road on the A5. It is located to the east of Kingsbury, west of Hendon and south of Colindale. The area contains Hyde Ho ...

, a small loose area bordering Kingsbury and

Colindale Colindale is a district in the London Borough of Barnet; its main shopping street on the A5 forming the borough boundary with neighbouring Brent. Colindale is a suburban area, and in recent years has had many new apartments built. It's also th ...

. The Silk Bridge on the A5 crosses the stream to the Hyde, across which is a retail park, a Sainsbury's supermarket and Hendon Magistrates' Court. Cool Oak Lane is a narrow road that crosses the Welsh Harp through a bridge, and travels west for half a mile before reaching Wood Lane in the Fryent residential area of Kingsbury. Cool Oak Lane is notably one of the nearest country lanes from the centre of London. The area around here consists of woodlands and allotments. The bridge on this lane is

Grade II In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...

listed and was built at the time of the Brent's damming in c. 1835; an older bridge once existed at this site before. The

Capital Ring The Capital Ring is a strategic walking route promoted by London's 33 local councils, led by the City of London Corporation in partnership with the Greater London Authority and its functional body for regional transport, Transport for London, ...

flows through West Hendon. From the west it reaches the area from Woodfield Park next to the reservoir, crosses the bridge on Cool Oak Lane, and travels eastwards through Park Road towards

Hendon Park Hendon Park is a 12 hectare London suburban park situated north west of Charing Cross. It borders the Northern line, and Hendon Park and Northern line Railway Cutting are a Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation. It also has an out ...

and Brent Park in Hendon. In addition, Cool Oak Lane forms part of the designated London Cycle Network. There is an industrial estate at Garrick Road, to the north of the station and west of the rail tracks. Training Centre on West Hendon Broadway - geograph

Training Centre on West Hendon Broadway - geograph

West Hendon Broadway (part of the continuous A5 and

) runs through the heart of West Hendon and is the main focus of activity. The street contains several local amenities such as a post office, surgery, restaurants and an Irish pub (''The Wee Pub'', formerly ''O'Hanlons''), beauty salons and hairdressers, and other businesses and organisations including the Welsh Harp Boat Centre and its accompanying cafe. The southern part near Staples Corner contains several trade units and warehouses. Marina on the Welsh Harp Reservoir, West Hendon - geograph.org.uk - 6499161.jpg, The Welsh Harp in West Hendon West Hendon Baptist Church, Wilberforce Road, NW4 - geograph.org.uk - 2786860.jpg, West Hendon Baptist Church York park.jpg, York Park, deemed a memorial park by residents, was removed during the estate regeneration OHanlons, West Hendon, NW9 (2554948106).jpg, O'Hanlons pub Midland Hotel, Hendon NW4.jpg, Midland Hotel next to the train station Cool Oak Bridge, West Hendon - geograph.org.uk - 5428102.jpg, Cool Oak Bridge West Hendon, A5 at Silk Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 502842.jpg, Silk Bridge on the A5 West Hendon Broadway West hendon.jpg, Trading units on the east side of the A5 going towards Staples Corner Football training, West Hendon Playing Fields - geograph.org.uk - 4742301.jpg, West Hendon Playing Fields Telford Road, Hendon - geograph.org.uk -3312421.jpg, Telford Road in the old estate (2013)

Transport

The area is served by

Hendon railway station Hendon railway station is on the Midland Main Line in England, in West Hendon in the London Borough of Barnet, north London. It is down the line from and is situated between to the south and to the north. Its three-letter station code is ...

on the

Midland Main Line The Midland Main Line is a major railway line in England from London to Nottingham and Sheffield in the Midlands. It comprises the lines from London's St Pancras station via Leicester, Derby/Nottingham and Chesterfield in the East Midlands ...

. The

M1 motorway The M1 motorway connects London to Leeds, where it joins the A1(M) near Aberford, to connect to Newcastle. It was the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the UK; the first motorway in the country was the Preston By-pass, which ...

flows directly next to it. West Hendon is close by the A41 (at Hendon) and the A406

North Circular Road The North Circular Road (officially the A406 and sometimes known as simply the North Circular) is a ring road around Central London in England. It runs from Chiswick in the west to Woolwich in the east via suburban North London, connecting ...

(at Staples Corner). Transport for London bus routes 32, 83, 142, 183 and N16 (night) serve the area.

References

{{Areas of London Areas of London Districts of the London Borough of Barnet