Hillingdon is an area of

Uxbridge Uxbridge () is a suburban town in west London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon, northwest of Charing Cross. Uxbridge formed part of the parish of Hillingdon in the county of Middlesex. As part ...

within the

London Borough of Hillingdon The London Borough of Hillingdon () is a London borough in Greater London, England. It forms part of outer London and West London, being the westernmost London borough. It was formed in 1965 from the districts of Hayes and Harlington Urban Distr ...

, centred 14.2 miles (22.8 km) west of

Charing Cross Charing Cross ( ) is a junction in Westminster, London, England, where six routes meet. Since the early 19th century, Charing Cross has been the notional "centre of London" and became the point from which distances from London are measured. ...

. It was an

ancient parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

that included the market town of

. During the 1920s the

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

bore a rapid, planned increase in population and housing, and was absorbed by Uxbridge Urban District in 1929. It has formed part of

Greater London Greater London is an administrative area in England, coterminous with the London region, containing most of the continuous urban area of London. It contains 33 local government districts: the 32 London boroughs, which form a Ceremonial count ...

since 1965. Much of Hillingdon has lasting, albeit minor, administrative effect as the current Hillingdon East

ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

for electing councillors to Hillingdon London Borough Council. In November 2010, the ward had a recorded population of 12,403.

History

Toponymy

The name ''Hillingdon'' appears in the ''

Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

'' (1086) as ''Hillendone'', possibly meaning "hill of a man named Hille". The name could also mean 'hill of a woman named Hilda'.

Local government

Hillingdon was an

, and had within it the

chapelry A chapelry was a subdivision of an ecclesiastical parish in England and parts of Lowland Scotland up to the mid 19th century. Status A chapelry had a similar status to a Township (England), township, but was so named as it had a chapel of ease ...

, which became a separate civil parish in 1866. When a

local board of health A local board of health (or simply a ''local board'') was a local authority in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulat ...

was created for Uxbridge, the western part of Hillingdon parish was included within it. Under the

Local Government Act 1894 The Local Government Act 1894 ( 56 & 57 Vict. c. 73) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The act followed the reforms carried out at county leve ...

, Hillingdon parish was divided in two along the boundary of the board of health district. Hillingdon West became, with

, part of the Uxbridge Urban District. Hillingdon East, now governed by the Hillingdon East Parish Council, became part of the Uxbridge Rural District. Uxbridge Rural District and the parish council were abolished in 1928, with the Hillingdon East parish being added to the Uxbridge Urban District. Both Hillingdon East and Hillingdon West parishes were abolished in 1938 and added to Uxbridge parish. In 1965, under the

London Government Act 1963 The London Government Act 1963 (c. 33) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which created Greater London and a new local government structure within it. The Act significantly reduced the number of local government districts in the ...

, Hillingdon became the name of the westernmost borough of

Urban development

The A40 ( Western Avenue) was rerouted in the early 1990s to run slightly north of its original route, thereby allowing traffic to flow without interruption at the junction of Hillingdon Circus. Hillingdon tube station was required to be demolished in order for the new road to be constructed, and a new station was opened further south along the line in 1994, winning the Underground Station of the Year award for that year.

Parliamentary constituency

Hillingdon is a traditional

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

stronghold lying within the Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency, represented from 2015 until 2023 by

Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (born 19 June 1964) is a British politician and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He wa ...

. Before that, John Randall MP had represented the constituency since 1997, following the death of fellow Conservative Sir

Michael Shersby Sir Julian Michael Shersby (17 February 1933 – 8 May 1997) was a British Conservative Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Uxbridge from 1972 until his death. Early life Shersby was born to William and Elinor Shersby (Nora ...

Education

Primary schools in Hillingdon include Oak Farm Juniors, St Bernadette's Roman Catholic Primary School, St Helen's College, Hillingdon Primary and Ryefield Primary. Secondary schools, ACS Hillingdon,

Bishopshalt School Bishopshalt School is a secondary school and sixth form with academy status based in the London Borough of Hillingdon. It has specialisations in music and the performing arts. Between 2013 and 2014, the school was used for scenes in the BBC si ...

, Oak Wood School,

Vyners School Vyners School is a secondary school and sixth form in Ickenham within the London Borough of Hillingdon. Since November 2011 the school has had an academy status. The headteacher is Gary Mullings. History The school was named after Sir Rob ...

and Swakeleys School for Girls. Moorcroft School in Colham Green is a special school, run by the Eden Academy Trust. It was formerly located at Moorcroft Park on Harlington Road, the old Moorcroft House hospital site.

Transport

Hillingdon tube station is served by the

Metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: Areas and governance (secular and ecclesiastical) * Metropolitan archdiocese, the jurisdiction of a metropolitan archbishop ** Metropolitan bishop or archbishop, leader of an ecclesiastical "mother see" * Metropolitan ar ...

and

Piccadilly line The Piccadilly line is a Deep level underground, deep-level London Underground line running between the west and the north of London. It has two western branches which split at Acton Town tube station, Acton Town and serves 53 stations. The li ...

s of the

London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or as the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent home counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England. The Undergro ...

. West Ruislip tube station is served by the Central line of the

. The Oxford Tube and Oxford X90 services between

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

and central London also serve Hillingdon. Bus route U2 serves Hillingdon, operating between Uxbridge station and

Brunel University Brunel University of London (BUL) is a public research university located in the Uxbridge area of London, England. It is named after Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a Victorian engineer and pioneer of the Industrial Revolution. It became a university ...

. Bus route A10 connects Uxbridge to Heathrow Central Bus Station.

Landmarks

Church of St John the Baptist

The church of St John the Baptist stands at the top of Hillingdon Hill, at its junction with Royal Lane. It was built in 1629, replacing an earlier building deemed to have become unsafe. In 1846, the architect

George Gilbert Scott Sir George Gilbert Scott (13 July 1811 – 27 March 1878), largely known as Sir Gilbert Scott, was a prolific English Gothic Revival architect, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches and cathedrals, although he ...

(father of George Gilbert Scott Junior) was asked to design an extension, as the increasing population meant the church was becoming too cramped. This extension was completed between 1847 and 1848 by the Fassnidge builders from Uxbridge. On 8 November 1940, a bomb fell on the south side of the church, damaging many of the windows on the south and east sides of the church. The windows were repaired after the war. The barrel roof of the

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the Choir (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...

was renovated in 1953 to commemorate the

coronation A coronation ceremony marks the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power using a crown. In addition to the crowning, this ceremony may include the presentation of other items of regalia, and other rituals such as the taking of special v ...

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

. In 1964, a vestry was built on the north-eastern side of the church. There is a notable brass on the north wall of the south aisle dedicated to John, 8th Baron Strange of Knokin and his wife Jacquetta (1509). The nearest station to the church is

which is at the distance of 1.73 km.

Hillingdon Court

Hillingdon Court was built in 1858 by Sir Charles Mills as his family home, after he had bought separate adjacent properties in Vine Lane. Both buildings were demolished and the plots combined to allow the construction of the new property. The mansion remained in the family's ownership until Charles Mills, 2nd Baron Hillingdon died in 1919. Part of the estate was bought by the local authority, while the mansion was bought by the Roman Catholic Order of the

Sacred Heart The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus () is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus Christ is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This devotion to Christ is p ...

and became a nursing home in 1920. After the Second World War, the mansion became a girls' school, and in 1978 it was bought by

ACS International Schools ACS International Schools, known as American Community Schools until 2005, is a group of international schools operating three schools near the edge of Greater London, with campuses in Cobham and Egham in Surrey, and Hillingdon Hillingdon ...

to become ACS Hillingdon. Under the ownership of ACS International Schools, the mansion has been extended and converted in parts to meet the needs of a school. The area of land bought by the local authority remains today as Hillingdon Court Park.

Notable people

* Actor Michael Anderson Jr., was born in Hillingdon * Writer A. M. Burrage (1889–1956) was born in Hillingdon * Comedian

James Corden James Kimberley Corden (born 22 August 1978) is an English comedian, actor, writer, producer, singer, and television host. In the United Kingdom, he is best known for co-writing and starring in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom '' Gavin & S ...

was born in Hillingdon * Rhythmic gymnast Rachel Ennis was born in Hillingdon * Actress Lynne Frederick (1954–1994) was born in Hillingdon * Actor Denis Gilmore was born in Hillingdon *

Kwame Kwei-Armah Kwame Kwei-Armah (born Ian Roberts; 24 March 1967 in Hillingdon, London) is a British actor, playwright, director and broadcaster. In 2005, Kwei-Armah became the second black Briton to have a play staged in London's West End when his award-w ...

was born in Hillingdon * Conductor and composer Eugene Goossens (1893–1962) lived in Hillingdon * Actor

Huw Higginson Huw Higginson (born 21 February 1964) is a British-born actor, based in Australia, who is best known for playing PC George Garfield in ''The Bill'' from 1989 to 1999. Higginson has also appeared in '' Heartbeat'', ''EastEnders'', ''Casualty'' ...

was born in Hillingdon * Actress

Elspeth March Elspeth March (5 March 1911 – 29 April 1999) was an English actress. Early years March was born as Jean Elspeth Mackenzie in Kensington, London, England, the daughter of Harry Malcolm and Elfreda Mackenzie. She studied speech and drama un ...

(1911–1999) lived in Hillingdon * Comic actor and comedian

Alfred Marks Alfred Edward Marks (born Alfred Edward Touchinsky; 28 January 19211 July 1996) was a British actor and comedian. In his 60-year career, he played dramatic and comedy roles in numerous television programmes, stage shows and films. His self-title ...

(1921–1996) lived in Hillingdon * Screenwriter and film director

Simon Monjack Simon Mark Monjack (9 March 1970 – 23 May 2010) was an English screenwriter, film director, producer and make-up artist. He was the husband of Brittany Murphy. Early life Monjack was born on 9 March 1970 in Hillingdon, Middlesex, to a Jews ...

(1970–2010) was born in Hillingdon *

Claire Richards Claire Richards (born 17 August 1977) is an English singer and member of the pop group Steps. As a solo artist, Richards has released two studio albums: her debut, '' My Wildest Dreams'', was released in 2019 and ''Euphoria'', a covers album, ...

was born in Hillingdon and attended

* Meinhardt Schomberg (1641–1719) built and lived in Hillingdon House * Actor and director Tony Tanner was born in Hillingdon * Actress

Heather Thatcher Heather Thatcher (3 September 1896 – 15 January 1987) was an English actress in theatre and films. Career Dance By 1922, Thatcher was a dancer. She was especially noted for her interpretation of an Egyptian harem dance. Her exotic clothes wer ...

(1896–1987) lived in Hillingdon at the time of her death * Footballer

Ray Wilkins Raymond Colin Wilkins (14 September 1956 – 4 April 2018) was an English football player and coach. Born into a footballing family with his father and three brothers involved in the game, Wilkins played as a midfielder. He began his career a ...

was born in Hillingdon * Musician

Ronnie Wood Ronald David Wood (born 1 June 1947) is an English rock musician, best known as a member of the Rolling Stones since 1975, and a member of Faces and the Jeff Beck Group. Wood began his career in 1964, playing lead guitar with several Brit ...

was born in Hillingdon * Footballer

Glenn Hoddle Glenn Hoddle (born 27 October 1957) is an English former football player and manager. He currently works as a television pundit and commentator for ITV Sport and TNT Sports. He played as a midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, Monaco, Chelsea and ...

was born in Hillingdon * Footballer Tariq Lamptey was born in Hillingdon

References

;Citations ;Works cited * ;Further reading *

External links

London Borough of Hillingdon

The Parade c.1960, Hillingdon – Francis Frith

Uxbridge Lido
– now Hillingdon Sports and Leisure Complex {{Authority control Areas of London Districts of the London Borough of Hillingdon Places formerly in Middlesex