Northolt
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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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[edit] History
The settlement of Northolt is mentioned in the Domesday book as being held by Geoffrey de Mandeville, although archaelogical 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 poorer areas near the Racecourse Estates and Rectory Park. Northolt has two secondary schools: Northolt High School and West London Academy.
[edit] Local landmarks
- St. Mary's Parish Church (C:15th century), which stands on the high ground over looking the old village
- 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.
- The Polish War Memorial, at the junction of the A40 and the A4080, 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 that is 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] RAF Northolt Air Base
The Royal Air Force station of RAF Northolt is not named after the town. It is situated in neighbouring town 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).
[edit] 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 wards (Northolt Mandeville and Northolt West End) since the 2002 local elections both the Conservatives and the Labour Party 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 their landslide victory in the 2006 local elections in which they gained an extra 20 seats giving them a majority of five.
Political standings on Ealing Council:
Conservative: 37 seats
Labour: 29 seats
Liberal Democrats: 3 seats
[edit] Transportation
[edit] Nearest Tube Stations
[edit] Nearest railway stations
[edit] Nearest airfields
- RAF Northolt (military and civil)
- London Heathrow Airport (civil)
[edit] Nearest places
[edit] In fiction
The series My Hero featuring Ardal O'Hanlon and Emily Joyce was set in Northolt. It was produced between 2000 and 2006.
[edit] Sources
[edit] External links
- [www.Ealing.gov.uk Ealing Council]
