Queen's Park (London)
Encyclopedia
Queen's Park, managed by the City of London Corporation, is an area of northwest London
, England, located on the boundary between the London Borough of Brent
and the City of Westminster
.
was developed from 1875 and was named to honour Queen Victoria. The open space opened in 1887, located to the north, also shares the name.
The Queen's Park ward located in the northwest of the City of Westminster
is represented by three Labour Party
councillors on Westminster City Council
. This ward forms part of the Westminster North
constituency, represented by Labour MP Karen Buck
.
The adjacent Queen's Park ward in the southeast of the London Borough of Brent
is represented by one Liberal Democrat
and two Labour Party councillors on Brent London Borough Council. This ward forms part of the Hampstead and Kilburn
constituency, represented by Labour MP Glenda Jackson
.
link. The area has a well established community, and "almost village atmosphere" in the words of the local residents' association, QPARA.
. In 1879 the Royal Agricultural Society
chose Willesden
as the site of its annual show. A 100 acre (0.404686 km²) site was designated at Kilburn, and on 30 June the show was opened. Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales
attended to view a working dairy, agricultural machinery and a wide range of farm animals. The show ran for a week, in extremely bad weather. Although it attracted 185,000 visitors, it made a loss of £15000. It was decided to set up a permanent venue for the show, and the Society chose a place in Twyford. A public campaign was launched to try to secure the whole 100 acre (0.404686 km²) site (bounded by Salusbury Road to the east, Chamberlayne Road to the west, and railway lines to the north and south) as a park to ensure some green space was retained in a fast-developing part of London. In the end only the central part of the site (30 acres) was purchased. The park opened in 1886 and was named Queen's Park in honour of the reigning monarch, who was celebrating her Golden Jubilee the following year.
Queen's Park is now managed by the City of London Corporation. It has recently been named a Green Flag Park in recognition of the quality of its services and environment. Facilities in the park include six all-weather tennis
courts, a pitch-and-putt course, a pétanque
pitch, an ornamental garden, a children’s playground with paddling pool, a children's animal farm and a cafe.
on Chevening Road was founded by Abdul Majid al-Khoei
, who returned to Iraq
following the second Gulf War to help in the reorganisation of the country. Only few weeks from his arrival he was murdered. Tony Blair
had visited the religious leader several times at the mosque. Queen's Park is also home to a number of Islamic schools, including the Al-Sadiq/Al-Zahara Islamic Schools, for boys and girls respectively, which are attached to the mosque, and the Islamia Schools, founded by Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens).
is a tube
and Network Rail
station in Travelcard Zone 2
; it has direct links to south and central London
via the Bakerloo Line
or to Euston
, Watford Junction and intermediate stations via London Overground
trains (or to Harrow & Wealdstone station using Bakerloo Line trains). Brondesbury Park station
, on the London Overground North London Line
, is near the northeast corner of Queen's Park.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England, located on the boundary between the London Borough of Brent
London Borough of Brent
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough had a total population of 2,022. This rose slowly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 5,646 in the middle of the century. When the railways arrived the rate of population growth increased...
and the City of Westminster
City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
.
Toponymy
The neighbourhood near Kensal GreenKensal Green
Kensal Green, also referred to as Kensal Rise is an area of London, England. It is located on the southern edge of the London Borough of Brent and borders the City of Westminster to the East and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to the South....
was developed from 1875 and was named to honour Queen Victoria. The open space opened in 1887, located to the north, also shares the name.
Local government
Queen's Park formed a detached part of the parish of Chelsea. In 1900 it was united with the parish of Paddington.Urban development
The northern half of Queen's Park was developed by developer Solomon Barnett, who developed much of Kilburn. The two-story terraced houses east of the park, developed between 1895 and 1900, typically have clean, classical lines. Those west of the park, developed between 1900 and 1905, tend to be more Gothic in style. Barnett's wife was from the West Country, and many of the roads he developed are named either for places she knew (e.g. Torbay, Tiverton. Honiton) or popular poets of the time (e.g. Tennyson). The first occupants of the area in late Victorian times were typically lower middle class clerical workers, school-teachers, insurance company employees and bank clerks.Governance
There are two wards in Greater London called Queen's Park.The Queen's Park ward located in the northwest of the City of Westminster
City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
is represented by three Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
councillors on Westminster City Council
Westminster City Council
Westminster City Council is the local authority for the City of Westminster in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council and is entitled to be known as a city council, which is a rare distinction in the United Kingdom. The city is divided into 20 wards, each electing three councillors...
. This ward forms part of the Westminster North
Westminster North (UK Parliament constituency)
Westminster North is a UK Parliamentary constituency in Central London and west London, comprising the northern part of the City of Westminster. It existed from 1983 to 1997...
constituency, represented by Labour MP Karen Buck
Karen Buck
Karen Patricia Buck is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Regent's Park and Kensington North since 1997, and is a former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport....
.
The adjacent Queen's Park ward in the southeast of the London Borough of Brent
London Borough of Brent
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough had a total population of 2,022. This rose slowly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 5,646 in the middle of the century. When the railways arrived the rate of population growth increased...
is represented by one Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
and two Labour Party councillors on Brent London Borough Council. This ward forms part of the Hampstead and Kilburn
Hampstead and Kilburn (UK Parliament constituency)
Hampstead and Kilburn is a borough constituency electing one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
constituency, represented by Labour MP Glenda Jackson
Glenda Jackson
Glenda May Jackson, CBE is a British Labour Party politician and former actress. She has been a Member of Parliament since 1992, and currently represents Hampstead and Kilburn. She previously served as MP for Hampstead and Highgate...
.
Geography
During the post-war years, the northern half of Queen's Park had a relatively high proportion of bedsits (one-room rentals) amongst its terraced streets. However, over the past 20 years a large proportion of these multi-occupancy properties have been converted back to single family use. The main shopping streets of Salusbury Road and Chamberlayne Road have fewer convenience stores and more high-value shops and restaurants than previously, a trend that began with the opening of The Organic Cafe restaurant and Worldy Wicked and Wise homeware and gift shop in the mid-90s. Local schools - some of which struggled to attract the children of wealthier local families in the past - are now over-subscribed. House prices have risen accordingly, with the common selling prices for 3/4 bedroom terraced houses to the east of the Park (land values are slightly lower on the west hand side of the park, closer towards Kensal Rise) having recently surpassed £1,000,000, whilst larger 5-7 bedroomed houses overlooking the park on the east side sell for millions. The area is still relatively undiscovered by non-residents, although it is extremely popular for its proximity to central London by direct London UndergroundLondon 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...
link. The area has a well established community, and "almost village atmosphere" in the words of the local residents' association, QPARA.
Queen's Park
The main focus of the area is Queen's Park itself - a park with an area of 30 acres (121,405.8 m²). Queens Park Rangers originally came from here, as the name implies, though they now play nearby in Shepherd's BushShepherd's Bush
-Commerce:Commercial activity in Shepherd's Bush is now focused on the Westfield shopping centre next to Shepherd's Bush Central line station and on the many small shops which run along the northern side of the Green....
. In 1879 the Royal Agricultural Society
Royal Agricultural Society
The Royal Agricultural Society of England was established in the United Kingdom in 1838 with the motto "Practice with Science". The RASE aim is to promote the scientific development of agriculture. The society received its Royal Charter from Queen Victoria in 1840.From its early days the society...
chose Willesden
Willesden
Willesden is an area in North West London which forms part of the London Borough of Brent. It is situated 5 miles north west of Charing Cross...
as the site of its annual show. A 100 acre (0.404686 km²) site was designated at Kilburn, and on 30 June the show was opened. Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
attended to view a working dairy, agricultural machinery and a wide range of farm animals. The show ran for a week, in extremely bad weather. Although it attracted 185,000 visitors, it made a loss of £15000. It was decided to set up a permanent venue for the show, and the Society chose a place in Twyford. A public campaign was launched to try to secure the whole 100 acre (0.404686 km²) site (bounded by Salusbury Road to the east, Chamberlayne Road to the west, and railway lines to the north and south) as a park to ensure some green space was retained in a fast-developing part of London. In the end only the central part of the site (30 acres) was purchased. The park opened in 1886 and was named Queen's Park in honour of the reigning monarch, who was celebrating her Golden Jubilee the following year.
Queen's Park is now managed by the City of London Corporation. It has recently been named a Green Flag Park in recognition of the quality of its services and environment. Facilities in the park include six all-weather tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
courts, a pitch-and-putt course, a pétanque
Pétanque
Pétanque is a form of boules where the goal is, while standing inside a starting circle with both feet on the ground, to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet or jack. It is also sometimes called a bouchon or le petit...
pitch, an ornamental garden, a children’s playground with paddling pool, a children's animal farm and a cafe.
Queen's Park Estate
The part of Queen's Park which is in the City of Westminster is south of Queen's Park station and hence south of the railway line out of Euston. It includes the Queens Park Estate, built from 1874 by the Artisans, Labourers & General Dwellings Company. The architecture of that estate of some 2,000 small houses is distinctively Gothic-revival, with polychrome brickwork, pinnacles and turrets along the bigger roads. It retains Avenues 1-6 and originally had streets A-P. The street names have been made into full words, (Alperton Street, Barfett Street, Caird Street, Droop Street, Enbrook Street, Farrant Street, Galton Street, Huxley Street, Ilbert Street, Kilravock Street, Lothrop Street, Marne Street, Nutbourne Street, Oliphant street, Peach Street). It was on this estate that the first QPR footballers had their homes. It stretches from Kilburn Lane down to the Harrow Road.Culture
Queen's Park is host to a number of cultures and religions, the most prominent of which is Christianity. According to the 2001 National Census, 54.9% of residents of Queen's Park ward (the area either side of the park plus some neighbouring roads in Kilburn and Kensal) define themselves as Christians. St Anne's and St Andrew's church (a joint Church of England/United Reform Church ecumenical foundation, which is also home to the London Interfaith Centre) was opened just over a decade ago on Salusbury Road. St Anne Brondesbury, the Anglican parish church, was established on Salusbury Road in 1902, at first using a temporary metal building known as "the old tin church' before a permanent building was erected in 1905. This Gothic Revival church was demolished in 1995 in the face serious structural problems, and was replaced by the current ecumenical centre in 1997. Other Christian centres in the area include the Church of The Transfiguration, a Roman Catholic church on the corner of Wrentham Avenue and Chamberlayne Road, and the West Kilburn Baptist Church on Carlton Vale. The area used to have a significant Jewish population; this has now declined to around 2%, in line with the London average. The former synagogue on Chevening Road was converted into a mosque in the 1990s, although there is an important synagogue nearby in Willesden. The area also has a number of Islamic institutions, even though the Muslim population, at 6.1%, is small for Brent (the average for the borough, according to the 2001 Census, is 12.25%). The mosqueMosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
on Chevening Road was founded by Abdul Majid al-Khoei
Abdul Majid al-Khoei
Sayyid Abdul Majid al-Khoei , 16 August 1962 – 10 April 2003) was a Twelver Shia cleric and the son of Ayatollah Al-Udhma Sayyid Abul Qasim al-Khoei. He was born in the holy city of Najaf.-Life:...
, who returned to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
following the second Gulf War to help in the reorganisation of the country. Only few weeks from his arrival he was murdered. Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
had visited the religious leader several times at the mosque. Queen's Park is also home to a number of Islamic schools, including the Al-Sadiq/Al-Zahara Islamic Schools, for boys and girls respectively, which are attached to the mosque, and the Islamia Schools, founded by Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens).
Economy
Salusbury Road has an increasing number of shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants. The Queen's Park Farmers' Market, which operates on Sunday mornings in the grounds of Salusbury Primary School on Salusbury Road, draws people from across north west London to stock up on locally grown/produced produce.Crime
Queen's Park is also one of the areas home to London's postcode wars, and as a result some of the streets in Queen's Park are less safe at night.Transport
Queen's Park stationQueen's Park station
Queen's Park station is a station served by London Underground and London Overground. It is in West Kilburn at the southern end of Salusbury Road, near the public park from which it takes its name...
is a tube
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...
and Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
station in Travelcard Zone 2
Travelcard Zone 2
Fare zone 2 is an inner zone of Transport for London's zonal fare system used for calculating the price of tickets for travel on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and, since 2007, on National Rail services.-Background:...
; it has direct links to south and central London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
via the Bakerloo Line
Bakerloo Line
The Bakerloo line is a line of the London Underground, coloured brown on the Tube map. It runs partly on the surface and partly at deep level, from Elephant and Castle in the south-east to Harrow & Wealdstone in the north-west of London. The line serves 25 stations, of which 15 are underground...
or to Euston
Euston railway station
Euston railway station, also known as London Euston, is a central London railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden. It is the sixth busiest rail terminal in London . It is one of 18 railway stations managed by Network Rail, and is the southern terminus of the West Coast Main Line...
, Watford Junction and intermediate stations via London Overground
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
trains (or to Harrow & Wealdstone station using Bakerloo Line trains). Brondesbury Park station
Brondesbury Park railway station
Brondesbury Park railway station is on the North London Line in Travelcard Zone 2, between and . It is close to Queen's Park, and opened in 1908.-History:...
, on the London Overground North London Line
North London Line
The North London Line is a railway line which passes through the inner suburbs of north London, England. Its route is a rough semicircle from the south west to the north east, avoiding central London. The line is owned and maintained by Network Rail...
, is near the northeast corner of Queen's Park.