Northwood
Encyclopedia
Northwood is a suburban area in Greater London
, and is part of the London Borough of Hillingdon
.
The population was recorded as 11,068 in 2008, by the Office for National Statistics
.
. Northwood Hills
shares the origin.
The monks of the Bec Abbey
who lived at Manor Farm
in Ruislip in the 11th century owned a grange in Northwood.
Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury
had 568 acres (229.9 ha) cleared in the Manor of Ruislip in 1608. Much of this land was in Northwood, and the area remained as wasteland until the 1814 Enclosure Act.
A land survey conducted in 1565 by King's College, Cambridge
, the new lords of the manor of Ruislip, recorded ten houses and several farms.
By 1881, the population of Northwood had reached 257, with 62 houses recorded. The Eastbury estate owned by David Carnegie covered much of the area by that time. In 1887, the Metropolitan Railway
was extended from Harrow-on-the-Hill to Rickmansworth
, and Carnegie sold his land to Frank Murray Maxwell Hallowell Carew for development for £59,422. Northwood station opened in August that year.
Carew stipulated the prices for the new housing he had built, with the cottages along the west side of the High Street priced at £120. He had hoped these would be owned by the staff of the larger houses in the area. The High Street itself had been a track leading on from Rickmansworth Road to Gate Hill Farm. The first shops opened in 1895 on the east side of the road, and included a hairdresser, butchers and a fishmongers. Carew sold the majority of the estate to George Wieland in 1892.
By 1902, the population had reached 2,500, with a total of 500 houses and 36 shops also recorded. In 1904, the Emmanuel Church opened, having been designed by Sir Frank Elgood, a local architect. It had been built in 1895, originally to serve as a school. Sir Frank also served as chairman of the Ruislip-Northwood Urban District Council
.
Northwood and Pinner Cottage Hospital was built in 1926 as a memorial to the First World War
, using donations from the Ruislip Cottagers' Allotments Charity. The hospital was closed in 2008 after the Hillingdon Primary Care Trust admitted it had become too costly to maintain. In 2010, the trust announced the hospital would remain empty for another four years, while funding was used to improve services in other areas of the London Borough of Hillingdon. In 2011, the trust admitted the hospital could remain closed for a further ten years.
Northwood is home to Northwood Headquarters
, based in the grounds of Eastbury Park, the estate purchased by David Carnegie in 1857. The Royal Air Force
took over the site in 1939 for the use of RAF Coastal Command
which made use of Eastbury house and also created a network of underground bunkers and operations blocks. The house was used as an Officers' Mess, though was subsequently damaged by fire. The RAF vacated the site in 1969, and it is now the location of the British Armed Forces
Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) for planning and controlling overseas military operation
s, together with the NATO Regional Command.
of the HA postcode area area extends into Hertfordshire
to include Eastbury
and Moor Park
. A triangular area of Northwood including the old High Street, Chester Road and Hallowell Road has been deemed a place of special-interest restriction, in order to protect the numerous Victorian houses situated there.
on a flight from Amsterdam
to RAF Northolt
collided
with a RAF Avro York
coming from Malta
over Northwood. Both aircraft crashed, killing all 39 people on both aircraft.
, Northwood Hills
and Moor Park
London Underground
stations, situated along the Metropolitan line
.
and Northwood Cricket Club
and became part of the Ruislip-Northwood Urban District
in 1904. The urban district was abolished in 1965 and merged with others to became part of the London Borough of Hillingdon
in Greater London
. Northwood has three elected local Councillors: Cllr Scott Seaman-Digby (first elected 1998), Cllr Richard Lewis (first elected 2002) and Cllr Carol Melvin (first elected 2008). They can be contacted via London Borough of Hillingdon, High Street, Civic Centre, Uxbridge, UB8 1UW.
The MP
for the constituency of Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner
is currently Nick Hurd
, who was elected in the May 2010 general election with 57.5% of the vote. The current voting constituency was created from the former Ruislip-Northwood
and parts of the Harrow West constituency, for the 6 May 2010 general election
.
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
, and is part of the London Borough of Hillingdon
London Borough of Hillingdon
The London Borough of Hillingdon is the westernmost borough in Greater London, England. The borough's population was recorded as 243,006 in the 2001 Census. The borough incorporates the former districts of Ruislip-Northwood, Uxbridge, Hayes and Harlington and Yiewsley and West Drayton in the...
.
The population was recorded as 11,068 in 2008, by the Office for National Statistics
Office for National Statistics
The Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Overview :...
.
Toponomy
Northwood was first recorded in 1435 as Northwode, formed from the Old English 'north' and 'wode', meaning 'the northern wood', in relation to RuislipRuislip
Ruislip is a suburban area, centred on an old village in Greater London, and is part of the London Borough of Hillingdon.It was formerly also a parish covering the neighbouring areas of Eastcote, Northwood, Ruislip Manor and South Ruislip in the area. The parish appears in the Domesday Book, and...
. Northwood Hills
Northwood Hills
Northwood Hills is a suburban town within the London Borough of Hillingdon in west London.The nearest places are Hatch End, Northwood, Pinner, Ruislip, South Oxhey, Eastbury and Eastcote....
shares the origin.
Urban development
By 1891, Northwood had 115 houses, one shop and one public house. In 1901, there was a population of 2,500, with around 500 houses and 26 shops.The monks of the Bec Abbey
Bec Abbey
Bec Abbey in Le Bec Hellouin, Normandy, France, once the most influential abbey in the Anglo-Norman kingdom of the twelfth century, is a Benedictine monastic foundation in the Eure département, in the Bec valley midway between the cities of Rouen and Bernay.Like all abbeys, Bec maintained annals...
who lived at Manor Farm
Manor Farm, Ruislip
Manor Farm is a historic site in Ruislip, Greater London. It incorporates an old barn dating from the 13th century and the remains of a motte-and-bailey castle believed to date from shortly after the Norman conquest of England...
in Ruislip in the 11th century owned a grange in Northwood.
Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury
Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury
Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, KG, PC was an English administrator and politician.-Life:He was the son of William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley and Mildred Cooke...
had 568 acres (229.9 ha) cleared in the Manor of Ruislip in 1608. Much of this land was in Northwood, and the area remained as wasteland until the 1814 Enclosure Act.
A land survey conducted in 1565 by King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
, the new lords of the manor of Ruislip, recorded ten houses and several farms.
By 1881, the population of Northwood had reached 257, with 62 houses recorded. The Eastbury estate owned by David Carnegie covered much of the area by that time. In 1887, the Metropolitan Railway
Metropolitan railway
Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...
was extended from Harrow-on-the-Hill to Rickmansworth
Rickmansworth
Rickmansworth is a town in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire, England, 4¼ miles west of Watford.The town has a population of around 15,000 people and lies on the Grand Union Canal and the River Colne, at the northern end of the Colne Valley regional park.Rickmansworth is a small town in...
, and Carnegie sold his land to Frank Murray Maxwell Hallowell Carew for development for £59,422. Northwood station opened in August that year.
Carew stipulated the prices for the new housing he had built, with the cottages along the west side of the High Street priced at £120. He had hoped these would be owned by the staff of the larger houses in the area. The High Street itself had been a track leading on from Rickmansworth Road to Gate Hill Farm. The first shops opened in 1895 on the east side of the road, and included a hairdresser, butchers and a fishmongers. Carew sold the majority of the estate to George Wieland in 1892.
By 1902, the population had reached 2,500, with a total of 500 houses and 36 shops also recorded. In 1904, the Emmanuel Church opened, having been designed by Sir Frank Elgood, a local architect. It had been built in 1895, originally to serve as a school. Sir Frank also served as chairman of the Ruislip-Northwood Urban District Council
Ruislip-Northwood Urban District
Ruislip-Northwood was an urban district in west Middlesex, England, from 1904 to 1965. From its inception Ruislip-Northwood fell within the Metropolitan Police District and from 1933 it was part of the London Passenger Transport Area....
.
Northwood and Pinner Cottage Hospital was built in 1926 as a memorial to the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, using donations from the Ruislip Cottagers' Allotments Charity. The hospital was closed in 2008 after the Hillingdon Primary Care Trust admitted it had become too costly to maintain. In 2010, the trust announced the hospital would remain empty for another four years, while funding was used to improve services in other areas of the London Borough of Hillingdon. In 2011, the trust admitted the hospital could remain closed for a further ten years.
Northwood is home to Northwood Headquarters
Northwood Headquarters
Northwood Headquarters is a military headquarters facility of the British Armed Forces in Eastbury, Hertfordshire, England, adjacent to the London suburb of Northwood...
, based in the grounds of Eastbury Park, the estate purchased by David Carnegie in 1857. The Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
took over the site in 1939 for the use of RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force . Founded in 1936, it was the RAF's premier maritime arm, after the Royal Navy's secondment of the Fleet Air Arm in 1937. Naval aviation was neglected in the inter-war period, 1919–1939, and as a consequence the service did not receive...
which made use of Eastbury house and also created a network of underground bunkers and operations blocks. The house was used as an Officers' Mess, though was subsequently damaged by fire. The RAF vacated the site in 1969, and it is now the location of the British Armed Forces
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) for planning and controlling overseas military operation
Military operation
Military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state's favor. Operations may be of combat or non-combat types, and are referred to by a code name for the purpose...
s, together with the NATO Regional Command.
Geography
The Northwood post townPost town
A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system. Including the correct post town in the address increases the chances of a letter or parcel being delivered on time. Post towns are usually based upon the location of...
of the HA postcode area area extends into Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
to include Eastbury
Eastbury, Hertfordshire
Eastbury is a settlement in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire, adjacent to the London suburb of Northwood in Hillingdon. Other settlements nearby include Moor Park and South Oxhey, and Eastbury is about equal distance between the Northwood and Moor Park tube stations . Northwood...
and Moor Park
Moor Park, Hertfordshire
Moor Park Estate is a private residential estate in north-west London. The area borders Northwood, London and is part of the affluent suburb of Ruislip. It takes its name from Moor Park, a country house which was originally built in 1678–9 for James, Duke of Monmouth, and was reconstructed...
. A triangular area of Northwood including the old High Street, Chester Road and Hallowell Road has been deemed a place of special-interest restriction, in order to protect the numerous Victorian houses situated there.
Air disaster
On 4 July 1948 a Scandinavian Airlines Douglas DC-6Douglas DC-6
The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
on a flight from Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
to RAF Northolt
RAF Northolt
RAF Northolt is a Royal Air Force station situated in South Ruislip, east by northeast of Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, West London. Approximately north of London Heathrow Airport, the station also handles a large number of private civil flights...
collided
Northwood mid-air collision
The Northwood mid-air collision happened on 4 July 1948 when a SAS DC-6, registration SE-BDA and a RAF Avro York, serial number MW248 collided over Northwood, London close to RAF Northolt...
with a RAF Avro York
Avro York
The Avro York was a British transport aircraft that was derived from the Second World War Lancaster heavy bomber, and used in both military and airliner roles between 1943 and 1964.-Design and development:...
coming from Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
over Northwood. Both aircraft crashed, killing all 39 people on both aircraft.
Transport
The area is served by NorthwoodNorthwood tube station
Northwood is a station on the Watford branch of the Metropolitan Line, in Travelcard Zone 6. The line serves as the sole continuous link between the town of Northwood and London, key for a region known as Metro-Land. Northwood used to be a terminus for many Metropolitan trains, similar to the...
, Northwood Hills
Northwood Hills tube station
Northwood Hills tube station is a London Underground station on the Metropolitan Line, in Zone 6.In the northbound direction the station is served primarily by trains to Watford, and occasionally at peak commuting times by 'slow' Amersham and Chesham trains...
and Moor Park
Moor Park tube station
Moor Park is a London Underground station in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire. The station is outside the Greater London boundary but is in both Zone 6 and Zone 7....
London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
stations, situated along the Metropolitan line
Metropolitan Line
The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
.
Sport
The area is home to Northwood F.C.Northwood F.C.
Northwood F.C. is an English football club based in Northwood in the London Borough of Hillingdon. They play their home games at Northwood Park Stadium...
and Northwood Cricket Club
Local government
Northwood was part of the ancient parish of RuislipRuislip
Ruislip is a suburban area, centred on an old village in Greater London, and is part of the London Borough of Hillingdon.It was formerly also a parish covering the neighbouring areas of Eastcote, Northwood, Ruislip Manor and South Ruislip in the area. The parish appears in the Domesday Book, and...
and became part of the Ruislip-Northwood Urban District
Ruislip-Northwood Urban District
Ruislip-Northwood was an urban district in west Middlesex, England, from 1904 to 1965. From its inception Ruislip-Northwood fell within the Metropolitan Police District and from 1933 it was part of the London Passenger Transport Area....
in 1904. The urban district was abolished in 1965 and merged with others to became part of the London Borough of Hillingdon
London Borough of Hillingdon
The London Borough of Hillingdon is the westernmost borough in Greater London, England. The borough's population was recorded as 243,006 in the 2001 Census. The borough incorporates the former districts of Ruislip-Northwood, Uxbridge, Hayes and Harlington and Yiewsley and West Drayton in the...
in Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
. Northwood has three elected local Councillors: Cllr Scott Seaman-Digby (first elected 1998), Cllr Richard Lewis (first elected 2002) and Cllr Carol Melvin (first elected 2008). They can be contacted via London Borough of Hillingdon, High Street, Civic Centre, Uxbridge, UB8 1UW.
The MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for the constituency of Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner
Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner (UK Parliament constituency)
Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
is currently Nick Hurd
Nick Hurd
Nicholas Richard Hurd , known as Nick Hurd, is a United Kingdom Conservative Member of Parliament.He was elected Member for Ruislip-Northwood at the May 2005 general election with 47.7% of the votes...
, who was elected in the May 2010 general election with 57.5% of the vote. The current voting constituency was created from the former Ruislip-Northwood
Ruislip-Northwood (UK Parliament constituency)
Ruislip-Northwood was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
and parts of the Harrow West constituency, for the 6 May 2010 general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
.
Nearest places
- EastcoteEastcoteEastcote is a suburban area established around an old village in Greater London, and is part of the London Borough of Hillingdon.In the Middle Ages, Eastcote was one of the three areas that made up the parish of Ruislip, under the name of Ascot...
- Hatch EndHatch EndHatch End is a place in the London Borough of Harrow, located north west of Charing Cross in Central London. The suburb is part of the Pinner post town.-Attractions:...
- Northwood HillsNorthwood HillsNorthwood Hills is a suburban town within the London Borough of Hillingdon in west London.The nearest places are Hatch End, Northwood, Pinner, Ruislip, South Oxhey, Eastbury and Eastcote....
- PinnerPinner- Climate :Pinner's geographical position on the far western side of North West London makes it the furthest London suburb from any UK coastline. Hence the lower prevalence of moderating maritime influences make Pinner noticeably warmer in the spring and the summer compared to the rest of the capital...
- RuislipRuislipRuislip is a suburban area, centred on an old village in Greater London, and is part of the London Borough of Hillingdon.It was formerly also a parish covering the neighbouring areas of Eastcote, Northwood, Ruislip Manor and South Ruislip in the area. The parish appears in the Domesday Book, and...
- South OxheySouth OxheySouth Oxhey is a suburb of Watford in the Watford Rural parish of the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire, England. It is located in the south western corner of Hertfordshire and close to the boundary with Greater London.-History:...
- WatfordWatfordWatford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
Notable people
- Actress Kathleen ByronKathleen ByronKathleen Byron was a British actress of stage, screen and television.-Early life:Byron was born Kathleen Elizabeth Fell in West Ham – now in the London Borough of Newham...
(1921-2009) lived in Northwood at the time of her death
- Television and radio presenter Fearne CottonFearne CottonFearne Cotton is an English television and radio presenter who is known for presenting a number of popular TV programmes such as Top of the Pops and the Red Nose Day telethon. In 2007, she became the first regular female presenter of BBC Radio 1's Chart Show...
was born in Northwood
- Sir William DicksonWilliam Dickson (RAF officer)Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir William Forster Dickson GCB, KBE, DSO, AFC was a Royal Naval Air Service aviator during World War I, an middle-ranking Royal Air Force officer during the inter-war years and a senior Royal Air Force commander during and after World War II...
(1898-1987), former head of the British armed forces, was born in Northwood
- Artist Roger HiltonRoger HiltonRoger Hilton CBE was a pioneer of abstract art in post-war Britain. He was born in 1911 in Northwood, London and studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, London under Henry Tonks and also in Paris, where he developed links with painters on the Continent.In World War II he served in the Army, part...
(1911-1975), post-war pioneer of abstract artAbstract artAbstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
, was born in Northwood
- Film director Derek JarmanDerek JarmanMichael Derek Elworthy Jarman was an English film director, stage designer, diarist, artist, gardener and author.-Life:...
(1942-1994), whose credits include Jubilee and The Tempest (1979), was born in Northwood
- Actor Geoffrey KeenGeoffrey KeenGeoffrey Keen was an English actor who appeared in supporting roles in many famous films.-Early life:Keen was born in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, England, the son of stage actor Malcolm Keen. He was educated at Bristol Grammar School. He then joined the Little Repertory Theatre in Bristol for whom...
(1916-2005) lived in Northwood at the time of his death
- Actress Betty MarsdenBetty MarsdenBetty Marsden was an English comedy actress.Originally from Liverpool, she attended the Italia Conti Stage School and ENSA.In the radio series Beyond Our Ken, she played Fanny Haddock, a takeoff of Fanny Cradock...
(1919-1998) lived in Northwood at the time of her death
- Actor David QuilterDavid QuilterDavid Quilter is an English actor who has made numerous appearances in UK television plays and series since the mid 1960s.He was born in Northwood, London and attended Bryanston School, Dorset...
was born in Northwood
- Actor Arnold RidleyArnold RidleyMajor William Arnold Ridley, OBE was an English playwright and actor, first notable as the author of the play The Ghost Train and later in life for portraying the elderly Private Charles Godfrey in the popular British sitcom Dad's Army .-Early life:Ridley was born in Walcot, Bath, England where...
(1896-1984), best known as Private Charles GodfreyPrivate Charles GodfreyFor the American football player see Charles Godfrey Private Charles Godfrey MM is a fictional Home Guard platoon member and retired shop assistant portrayed by Arnold Ridley on the BBC television sitcom Dad's Army.-Personality:Godfrey is a gentle, mild-mannered and kindly - though more complex...
in BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sitcom Dad's ArmyDad's ArmyDad's Army is a British sitcom about the Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on BBC television between 1968 and 1977. The series ran for 9 series and 80 episodes in total, plus a radio series, a feature film and a stage show...
, lived in Northwood
- Actress Patsy SmartPatsy SmartPatsy Smart was an English actress who is best remembered for her performance as Miss Roberts in the 1970s ITV television drama Upstairs, Downstairs....
(1918-1996) lived in Northwood at the time of her death
- Character actor Geoffrey TooneGeoffrey TooneGeoffrey Toone was an Irish-born character actor.Most of Toone's film roles after the 1930s were in supporting parts, usually as authority figures, though he did play the lead character in the Hammer Films production The Terror of the Tongs in 1961Toone was born in Dublin, Ireland to English...
(1910-2005) lived in Northwood at the time of his death