Willesden, NW10

Willesden is an area in North West London which forms part of the London Borough of Brent. It is situated 5 miles (8 km) north west of Charing Cross.

The name derives from Willesdune, meaning The Hill of the Spring, and a settlement bearing this name dates back to 939AD. The town's motto is Laborare est orare.

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 be a Black Madonna, which was wantonly insulted by the Lollards and burnt in 1538.

The parish of Willesden remained predominantly rural up until 1875, when its population was 18,500. However, this changed with the opening of the Metropolitan Railway (later the Metropolitan Line) station of Willesden Green on November 24, 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. The Metropolitan Line service was withdrawn in 1940, when the station was served by the Bakerloo Line, and later the Jubilee Line.

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. Corporation of London records show that the first black person recorded in Brent was Sarah Eco, who was christened in St. Mary’s church in Willesden on September 15th 1723. The 1901 census recorded that 42% of the population was born in London (Willesden only became a municipal borough in 1933). 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. The period from 1960 saw migrants settling from the Caribbean and the Indian Subcontinent. Since the 1960s, Willesden has been popular with young working holidaymakers from Australia and New Zealand, although this popularity has declined a little in favour of other areas since about 2003.

In 1965 Willesden Borough was merged into the newly formed London Borough of Brent. The town was featured in the popular novel White Teeth by Zadie Smith in 2000 which was subsequently made into a TV series.

Peter Davison best known as Doctor Who starred in The Last Detective(2002-?) which is filmed and set in and around Willesden. to date 4 series have been made and series 4 is due to be shown in the summer of 2006.

Public transport links in Willesden, NW10

Real estate agents in Willesden, NW10

	Restaurants and places to eat in Willesden, NW10
	Cafes and Coffee shops in Willesden, NW10
	Take-aways in Willesden, NW10
	Hotels and motels in Willesden, NW10
	Pubs and Bars in Willesden, NW10

Why not try one of those options for great ideas in Willesden, NW10:
If you are looking for builders in Willesden, NW10 - we have the best building company for home improvements in the area.
Professional parquet floor companies can be hard to find. We have the best parquet floors in Willesden, NW10.
Order pizza for delivery in Willesden, NW10.

Properties listed on eleflat.co.uk

(1) Willesden, NW10
(35) Marylebone, W1
(10) London Bridge, SE1
(10) Enfield, EN1
(10) Chelsea, SW3
(8) South Kensington, SW7
(7) Tottenham, N17
(7) Bloomsbury, WC1
(6) Mayfair, W1
(6) Islington, N1
(6) Canary Wharf, E14