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| Northolt | |
  Northolt shown within Greater London |
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| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| London borough | Ealing |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | London |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NORTHOLT |
| Postcode district | UB5 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| European Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament | Ealing North |
| London Assembly | Ealing and Hillingdon |
| List of places: UK • England • London | |
Northolt is a suburb in the London Borough of Ealing, west of London, England. It spreads across both sides of the A40. The name Northolt means northern wood and separates it from Southolt (Southall).
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History
The settlement of Northolt is mentioned in the Domesday Book as being held by Geoffrey de Mandeville, and archaeological evidence suggests that there was a Saxon village at the location from the 8th century onwards.
From medieval times through to late Victorian times, the area was rural with predominantly arable crops being grown. 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. A barn constructed in the area in 1595 can now be seen in the Chiltern Open Air Museum. A 14th century moated manor existed behind the present Court Farm Road and was excavated from 1950 onwards.
Northolt remained a rural, agricultural area throughout the 19th century. Its population growth remained slow:
- 1801 - 336 inhabitants
- 1871 - 479
- 1921 - 904
- 1961 - 26,000 [1]
- 1991 - 32,000
The rapid growth of the population of the area during the mid part of the 20th century can be attributed to Northolt's growth as a dormitory town for nearby Ealing and the construction of the A40 road through the area in 1935. Modern family homes were built in the 1920s and 1930s, although by the 1950s and 1960s the housing being constructed was predominantly local authority rented housing. 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. Northolt is diverse in the fact that it has fairly wealthy areas such as Northolt Village and Wood End including areas up to Sudbury Hill and South Harrow and poorer areas such as Racecourse Estates, Grange Court and Rectory Park.
Most of the housing north of the Western Avenue was built in the 1920s-1930s and is in the private housing sector, while most of the housing built to the south of the Western Avenue was built in the 1960s-1970s and is in the public/social housing sectors, particularly along the Kensington and Ruislip Roads. 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. The former old village centre still survives and on viewing St Mary's church from the village green, one could believe that one was still in a rural village. The population mainly consists of young people and growing families. The younger people are racially diverse. Areas to the north of the Western Avenue which incorporate many bungalows tend to have an older population.
Northolt does not have a recognised centre, and is made up of mainly residential areas with very few facilities and as a consequence there is very little community cohesiveness. There is a village community centre building in Ealing Road opposite St Mary's church, which incorporates an open air miniature railway.
Local landmarks
- St. Mary's Parish Church (15th century), which stands on the high ground overlooking the old village. The Welsh poet Goronwy Owen was briefly a curate here.
- Willow Cottages, on the village green. Willow Cottages are said to have been built from 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. The two towers are situated in the Wood End wireless station recreation ground which is bordered on all sides by housing (Bayshill Rise, Lancaster Road, Blenham road). The location is now home to a National Air Traffic Control base.
- In the centre of the village is a freestanding clock tower erected to commemorate the coronation of George VI in 1937.
- A large area alongside the A40 road is currently being redeveloped as an extension to the Northolt and Greenford Country Park, by the name of Northala Fields. The development incorporates four large person-made conical hills, which act as a sound barrier to block traffic noise from the Western Avenue. Behind the mounds are new ponds and a visitor centre, a car park is available off Kensington Road.
- The Polish War Memorial, at the junction of the A40 and the A4180, which commemorates soldiers from the Polish Air Force, many of whom were stationed at the nearby Royal Air Force base.
- The White Hart public house, and the nearby White Hart Roundabout. The pub is on the site of a very old coaching inn, and the roundabout 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.
- The recently redecorated Larkspur Rovers F.C. clubhouse in Rowdell Road, Northolt, is a strikingly noticeable building to passers-by. It signifies the greatness of the club and is a man-made representation of its superiority over teams such as North Greenford United and others, although local rivals Northolt Rangers appear to be gathering the momentum to surpass their achievements.
- A new swimming pool, incorporating a fitness centre, is under construction on the site of the former swimming pool at the junction of Mandeville Road and Eastcote Lane North, and is due to open in 2010.
Pony racing
Northolt was famous for the pony racing which took place in Northolt Park. A one and a half mile racecourse was constructed by Sir William Bass and Viscount Lascelles, and opened in 1929 by the Earl of Harewood and his wife the Princess Royal. During World War II the land was taken over and used as an army depot and prisoner of war camp. Despite numerous attempts to revive pony racing after the war [2], 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 still remain in Petts Hill, and a section of the track can be observed as a long, flat stretch of land alongside Mandeville Road.
RAF Station Northolt
The Royal Air Force station of RAF Northolt is not named after the town. It is situated in the neighbouring town of 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).
Political representation
The constituency of Ealing North is currently represented by Labour Party Member of Parliament Stephen Pound, and has been since 1997.
Northolt is made up of two electoral wards (Northolt Mandeville and Northolt West End), which both elect councillors to Ealing Council. Since the 2002 local elections both the Conservatives and the Labour have had an equal number of councillors — three Conservatives in Mandeville, three Labour in West End ward.
Ealing Council is currently run by a Conservative administration since its landslide victory in the 2006 local elections in which it gained an extra 20 seats giving it a majority of five. In July 2007, the Conservative majority increased to 15 when 5 Southall Labour Councillors defected to the Conservatives on Ealing Council. In May 2008, the Conservatives majority increased once again after winning a by-election in Greenford Broadway after the resignation of Labour Leader Sonika Nirwal.
Northolt comes under the GLA constituency of "Ealing & Hillingdon" which has one GLA member, currently Richard Barnes (Conservative), who was re-elected in May 2008.
Political status on Ealing Council:
- Conservatives: 43 seats
- Labour: 23 seats
- Liberal Democrats: 3 seats
Education
- Northolt High School, a specialist Technology College
- West London Academy.
Transportation
Nearest Tube Stations
Nearest railway stations
Nearest airfields
- RAF Northolt (military and civil)
- London Heathrow Airport (civil)
Nearest places
In fiction
The popular BBC comedy series My Hero featuring Ardal O'Hanlon and Emily Joyce was set in Northolt. It was produced between 2000 and 2006.
An episode of the popular CBBC series Tracy Beaker had scenes filmed in the old Swimarama swimming pool.
The faux-documentary called Ghostwatch that aired on Halloween in 1992 was filmed in Northolt and sent a nation in to a panic, Ghostwatch is the tale of a single mother being haunted in her Northolt home by a mysterious figure called "pipes". Events appear to be fabricated by the family when BBC reporters investigate, but then all hell breaks loose in a heart-stopping finale.
See also
Sources
External links
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