Ruislip
Encyclopedia
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 some of the earliest settlements still exist today, designated as local heritage sites. The parish church, St Martin's, dates back to the 13th century and remains in use. The buildings at the northern end of Ruislip High Street form the core of the original village square and are now Grade II listed. It originally featured a central water pump which was moved out of the road in the 1970s as a result of increased traffic.
The expansion of the Metropolitan Railway
in the early 20th century acted as a catalyst for development in the area. A station was opened in Ruislip in 1904 and the parish council created a new urban district to address the forthcoming population growth. The Ruislip-Northwood Urban District
continued until 1965 when Ruislip became part of the newly established London Borough of Hillingdon
. Between 1911 and 1961, Ruislip experienced a significant rise in population, from 6,217 to 72,791, largely attributed to the extension of the railway.
, the parish
es of Ruislip and Ickenham
belonged to a Saxon named Wlward Wit, a thane
of the king who owned land in 11 counties. Ruislip parish included what is now the modern Ruislip, Northwood, Eastcote
, Ruislip Manor
and South Ruislip
. Wit lost much of his land during the Norman conquest of England
; Ernulf de Hesdin took control of Ruislip - his ownership is recorded within the 1086 Domesday Book
.
Ruislip appears in the Domesday Book as Rislepe, thought to mean 'leaping place on the river where rushes grow', in reference to the River Pinn
. It is formed from the Old English 'rysc' and 'hlȳp'. Translated from Latin
, an entry reads:
Under Edward the Confessor, Ruislip had been valued at £30, though the reduction to £12 by the time Ernulf de Hesdin took possession is believed to have been caused by a passing unit of the Norman
Army taking crops. This led to the construction of buildings at Manor Farm
to protect produce.
Before leaving England to fight in the Holy Lands, Ernulf de Hesdin gave ownership of Ruislip to the Benedictine
Bec Abbey
in 1087. He died fighting and is commemorated in annual masses held in June at Sacred Heart Church and on the remains of the Motte-and-bailey
at Manor Farm.
, has been dated to the mid-13th century. An earlier church is believed to have been built during the Norman period, as a stone was found within the grounds with markings from that time. The name St. Martin is believed to have been given to the church by the monks of the Bec Abbey, after Martin of Tours
, a saint in Normandy
. Before 1245, references to the church only name it as "Ruislip church".
The present church was believed to have been built upon the insistence of the Proctor-General, William de Guineville, to serve the growing population under the Bec Abbey
's ownership. He used the priory at Manor Farm as his main residence The first recorded vicar was William de Berminton in 1327. The building itself has been remodelled in parts over the centuries and was substantially restored by George Gilbert Scott
in 1870. It received Grade B listed status as an Anglican church in 1950, corresponding as Grade II.
Under the ownership of the Bec Abbey
, timber from the woods around Ruislip - Park Wood, Mad Bess Wood and Copse Wood - was used in the construction of the Tower of London
in 1339, Windsor Castle
in 1344, the Palace of Westminster
in 1346 and the manor of the Black Prince in Kennington
. The woods were coppiced on rotation throughout the years with the timber sold to local tanneries. By the time Kings' College took ownership of the manor, the woods were let for sport, with pheasants kept for shooting.
In 1812, Bishop Winnington Ingram School was established by the vestry of St Martin's church in Eastcote Road. The school had 111 pupils by 1845 but fell into a state of disrepair until it was rebuilt in 1931.
Ruislip came under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Police
in 1845. By 1869, the police were renting a house in the High Street to serve as the local police station, the copyhold of which was purchased in 1873. A new station was built in The Oaks in 1961.
In 1863, the White Bear public house came under the ownership of the Harman's Brewery in Uxbridge. It had been built close to Primrose Hill Farm near the junction of the Ickenham Road and Kings End. Kings End was a hamlet, with one building dating back to the 16th century. It was named after a family who had lived there at that time.
A well was sunk in 1864 in the High Street at the junction with Bury Street, constructed by Mr Charles Page from Uxbridge. The first 15 feet (4.6 m) were dug, before 90.75 feet (27.7 m) was bored through the London clay
and the final 30 feet (9.1 m) was cut through chalk. A drought in 1898 led to the parish council requesting a well be created on what are now the Pinn Meadows, to make use of the natural spring there. The Colne River Water Company agreed, upon the guarantee of £45 per year, and the service was established.
A report had been prepared for the parish council in 1903 which noted the population in Northwood - 2,700 by that time, with 530 houses - compared with the largely rural character of the rest of Ruislip parish. At a meeting of the Ruislip parish council on 28 October 1903, the forthcoming extension of the Metropolitan Railway
from Harrow on the Hill to Uxbridge
was also discussed as it was known that a station would be opened in Ruislip on the new line. Councillors were also aware that Kings College, Cambridge, owners of much of the land in the parish and lords of the manor, were planning to sell some for development. With this in mind, a vote was cast which went in favour of becoming an urban district. The new district was designed to better reflect to increase in development, as councillors felt a parish council would work slower than an urban district.
The first train on the new railway line ran on 30 June 1904, and the new station at Ruislip opened on 4 July. The area became popular with ramblers, who would head to the Ruislip Lido
, and general day-trippers who sought out the countryside. Local residents in Ruislip established their own tea gardens, which they advertised for the visitors. In particular, the Poplars, a Georgian
house built in 1774 on the corner of the High Street and Ickenham Road, opened a tea garden in the grounds. It was eventually demolished in 1929 to make way for shops. A similar establishment was opened in light of the new railway on the corner of Sharps Lane, known as the Orchard Bungalow. It was eventually expanded and became the Orchard Hotel.
The new urban district was formed on 30 September 1904, covering the parish, which had previously been part of the Uxbridge Rural District
. At the time the parish incorporated Ruislip Manor
, South Ruislip
, Eastcote
and Northwood. The new urban district council held its first meeting at Northwood School on 1 October, the day after forming.
Kings End was developed as a residential road in the early 1900s. By 1907, the first of the new homes were completed and residents began to move into them. The road was named Kings End Avenue, though reverted to the original name of Kings End later in the century.
The district experienced a sharp rise in population, from 6,217 in 1911 to 72,791 in 1961, caused by the extension of the Metropolitan Railway, termed Metro-land
, which brought with it an increase in suburban house building. As a consequence, the district was one of the first in England to devise a statutory planning scheme in 1914, following the Housing and Town Planning Act 1909
. The council had been prompted to follow this new act by the Chairman of the Council, a Mr. Elgood, an architect, and the Clerk to the Council, Mr. Abbot. Members of the council had already raised concerns over some of the new building work around Eastcote and South Ruislip, and the new development near Northwood station which they described as "badly arranged and closely-packed".
Together with King's College, the urban district council worked to establish plots of land for development around Ruislip and Ruislip Manor. A town planning competition was held, won by A & J Soutar from Wandsworth
, who sought to create a symmetrical design spreading across Ruislip parish. Many of the woods and historic sites including Manor Farm
were to be demolished and cleared as part of the plan, making way for a projected total of 7,642 homes, enough for 35,000 residents. Only St. Martin's church would have been spared. An outline map was made public on 30 November 1910 with few objections. A Local Board inquiry followed on 17 February 1911 which required negotiations with landowners to allow for a full planning scheme to be compiled. This was presented in February 1913 with an adaptation of the original Soutars plan, receiving approval from the Local Government Board in September 1914. Three roads with residential housing, Manor Way, Windmill Way and Park Way were completed before the outbreak of the First World War when all construction work was halted. It did not resume until 1919.
Manor Farm and the local woods were eventually saved from demolition in January 1930, after the visit by a member of the Royal Society of Arts
to choose the buildings that should be conserved. The Great Barn and Little Barn were singled out from the site, together with the old Post Office, the Old Bell public house
and the Priest's House of the local church. The woods were included in a sale by King's College to the district in February 1931. Park Wood was sold for £28,100 with Manor Farm and the old Post Office included as a gift to the people of Ruislip. King's had wished to also present the wood as a gift but was required by the University and College's Act to receive payment being as it was the trustee of the land. Middlesex County Council
contributed 75% of the cost as the urban district council argued that many of those who would make use of the land would be recreational day trippers from outside the district. Under a 999 year lease, the council agreed to maintain the wood and ensure no new building was constructed without the permission of the county council. An area of the wood to the south was not included in the lease agreement and three residential roads were later constructed on it.
Copse Wood was later purchased by Middlesex County Council and London County Council
in 1936 for £23,250, later joined by Mad Bess Wood in the same year. The urban district council purchased the 186 acres (75.3 ha) wood together with Middlesex and London County Councils for £28,000 in a compulsory purchase
from Sir Howard Stransom Button. Sir Howard became High Sheriff of Middlesex
in 1937.
On 6 January 1948 a British European Airways
Vickers VC.1 Viking
flying from Renfrew Airport
to RAF Northolt
crashed in a ploughed field in Ruislip, five miles from the runway. The crew had tried to land the aircraft twice successfully when the aircraft struck a tree on the third approach attempt. Of the 18 passengers and crew onboard, one crew member was killed in the crash.
In 1961, the Portland Spy Ring
was uncovered. Peter and Helen Kroger
were found to have been involved, while living in Ruislip. They were visited each Saturday evening by Gordon Lonsdale and were eventually placed under police surveillance. The Kroger's were eventually arrested and found to have codes, a microdot reader and film of the Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment in Portland Harbour
concealed within ordinary household items. A radio transmitter hidden in the garden was not retrieved until 1977.
Primrose Hill Farm was demolished to make way for housing in 1965. Field End Farm, covering 50 acres (20.2 ha) at the junction of Wood Lane and West End Road, was demolished in 1966. The farm house had been owned by the manor of Northolt under the name of Berrengers. Bishop Winnington Ingram School moved to Southcote Rise in 1968 and the original school building was demolished. In 1976, the war memorial dedicated to those killed during the First World War was moved from the graveyard of St Martin's Church to the entrance of Manor Farm. Bury Street Farm near the Plough was demolished in 1980.
In 1984, the Battle of Britain House
, built within Copse Wood in 1905, was destroyed by fire and the ruins demolished. The house became a college in 1948 and included plaques with the crests of all Royal Air Force squadrons involved in the Battle of Britain as a memorial.
In April 2007, restoration work began on the Manor Farm site using funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund
. The work was completed in June the following year, and included the renovation of the Grade II listed library. The Duck Pond Market began in the Great Barn in December 2008, following the refurbishment, and runs once a month. Winston Churchill Hall on the site received a £370,000 grant from Hillingdon Council in March 2011 to enable its refurbishment.
. Following the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
, the parish lost control of poor relief to Uxbridge
Poor Law Union
and it was grouped into the Uxbridge rural sanitary district
in 1875. In 1894 the sanitary district was replaced by Uxbridge Rural District
and the parish vestry was replaced with a parish council. Due to increasing population, the parish split off from the rural district and formed the Ruislip-Northwood Urban District
, with the parish council replaced by an urban district council. The urban district was abolished in 1965 and was transferred to Greater London to form part of the newly established London Borough of Hillingdon.
's Emerald GAA Grounds
.
Ruislip Golf Course, on Ickenham Road, was opened in 1922, and is operated by a private company on behalf of the London Borough of Hillingdon. Ruislip is also the home of Eastcote Hockey Club, based at Kings College playing fields. The club was originally based in Eastcote, from where it took its name, but moved to the present location in 1964.
stations. Ruislip
and Ruislip Manor
are served by the Metropolitan
and Piccadily lines, while Ruislip Gardens
, South Ruislip
and West Ruislip
are served by the Central line
and National Rail
services operated by Chiltern Railways
. Additionally, the London Buses
routes 114, 331, E7, H13, U1 and U10 serve the area.
as having been built around 1280. A working farm until the 1930s, the farm was let by King's College
, Cambridge, the owners of the land from 1500 to the mid 20th century. It has been designated as a local heritage site and was refurbished between 2007 and 2008 with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund
.
reservoir with an artificial sand beach, surrounded by woodlands through which runs the Ruislip Lido Railway
, a miniature 12" gauge
railway with diesel and steam locomotives. The Lido was established as a reservoir to feed the Grand Union Canal
by damming and flooding the lower part of the valley between Park Wood and Copse Wood, including the hamlet of Park Hearn. Work began in 1811; the consulting engineer John Rennie announced completion of the project to the Grand Junction Waterworks Company on 5 December that year.
steak house, which it remains, and was recently extended with a Premier Inn hotel. During the Battle of Britain
, the Orchard was very popular with the pilots of No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron
stationed at RAF Northolt
, who would celebrate their successes in battle at the Orchard. The owner was known to open a bottle of Champagne for each German aircraft shot down by the squadron.
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...
.
It was formerly also a parish covering the neighbouring areas of Eastcote
Eastcote
Eastcote 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...
, Northwood, Ruislip Manor
Ruislip Manor
Ruislip Manor is an area of Ruislip in the London Borough of Hillingdon. It is located approximately north west of Charing Cross.-History:The area was originally owned by King's College, Cambridge, as a part of the Manor of Ruislip...
and South Ruislip
South Ruislip
South Ruislip is a suburban area in the London Borough of Hillingdon.The population, according to the 2001 UK census, was 10,823. By 2008, this had reached 11,116.-Education:...
in the area. The parish appears in the Domesday Book, and some of the earliest settlements still exist today, designated as local heritage sites. The parish church, St Martin's, dates back to the 13th century and remains in use. The buildings at the northern end of Ruislip High Street form the core of the original village square and are now Grade II listed. It originally featured a central water pump which was moved out of the road in the 1970s as a result of increased traffic.
The expansion of 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...
in the early 20th century acted as a catalyst for development in the area. A station was opened in Ruislip in 1904 and the parish council created a new urban district to address the forthcoming population growth. 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....
continued until 1965 when Ruislip became part of the newly established 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...
. Between 1911 and 1961, Ruislip experienced a significant rise in population, from 6,217 to 72,791, largely attributed to the extension of the railway.
Toponymy
At the time of Edward the ConfessorEdward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....
, the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es of Ruislip and Ickenham
Ickenham
Ickenham is a suburban area centred on an old village in Greater London, part of the London Borough of Hillingdon.While no major historical events have taken place in Ickenham, settlements dating back to the Roman occupation of Britain have been discovered during archaeological surveys, and the...
belonged to a Saxon named Wlward Wit, a thane
Thegn
The term thegn , from OE þegn, ðegn "servant, attendant, retainer", is commonly used to describe either an aristocratic retainer of a king or nobleman in Anglo-Saxon England, or as a class term, the majority of the aristocracy below the ranks of ealdormen and high-reeves...
of the king who owned land in 11 counties. Ruislip parish included what is now the modern Ruislip, Northwood, Eastcote
Eastcote
Eastcote 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...
, Ruislip Manor
Ruislip Manor
Ruislip Manor is an area of Ruislip in the London Borough of Hillingdon. It is located approximately north west of Charing Cross.-History:The area was originally owned by King's College, Cambridge, as a part of the Manor of Ruislip...
and South Ruislip
South Ruislip
South Ruislip is a suburban area in the London Borough of Hillingdon.The population, according to the 2001 UK census, was 10,823. By 2008, this had reached 11,116.-Education:...
. Wit lost much of his land during the Norman conquest of England
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
; Ernulf de Hesdin took control of Ruislip - his ownership is recorded within the 1086 Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
.
Ruislip appears in the Domesday Book as Rislepe, thought to mean 'leaping place on the river where rushes grow', in reference to the River Pinn
River Pinn
The River Pinn is a river in West London which originates around Pinner and flows into the Frays River, which is a branch of the River Colne.-Route:...
. It is formed from the Old English 'rysc' and 'hlȳp'. Translated from Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, an entry reads:
Under Edward the Confessor, Ruislip had been valued at £30, though the reduction to £12 by the time Ernulf de Hesdin took possession is believed to have been caused by a passing unit of the Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
Army taking crops. This led to the construction of buildings 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...
to protect produce.
Before leaving England to fight in the Holy Lands, Ernulf de Hesdin gave ownership of Ruislip to the Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
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...
in 1087. He died fighting and is commemorated in annual masses held in June at Sacred Heart Church and on the remains of the Motte-and-bailey
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
at Manor Farm.
Early developments
The parish church, St Martin'sSt Martin's Church, Ruislip
St Martin's Church is a church in the town of Ruislip, within the London Borough of Hillingdon. It has been designated since January 1950 by English Heritage as a Grade B listed building. The present chancel and nave date back to the 13th century...
, has been dated to the mid-13th century. An earlier church is believed to have been built during the Norman period, as a stone was found within the grounds with markings from that time. The name St. Martin is believed to have been given to the church by the monks of the Bec Abbey, after Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours was a Bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued, and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints...
, a saint in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
. Before 1245, references to the church only name it as "Ruislip church".
The present church was believed to have been built upon the insistence of the Proctor-General, William de Guineville, to serve the growing population under 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...
's ownership. He used the priory at Manor Farm as his main residence The first recorded vicar was William de Berminton in 1327. The building itself has been remodelled in parts over the centuries and was substantially restored by George Gilbert Scott
George Gilbert Scott
Sir George Gilbert Scott was an English architect of the Victorian Age, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches, cathedrals and workhouses...
in 1870. It received Grade B listed status as an Anglican church in 1950, corresponding as Grade II.
Under the ownership 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...
, timber from the woods around Ruislip - Park Wood, Mad Bess Wood and Copse Wood - was used in the construction of the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
in 1339, Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
in 1344, the Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
in 1346 and the manor of the Black Prince in Kennington
Kennington
Kennington is a district of South London, England, mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth, although part of the area is within the London Borough of Southwark....
. The woods were coppiced on rotation throughout the years with the timber sold to local tanneries. By the time Kings' College took ownership of the manor, the woods were let for sport, with pheasants kept for shooting.
Urban development
| 1881 | 1,455 |
|---|---|
| 1891 | 1,836 |
| 1901 | 3,566 |
| 1911 | 6,217 |
| 1921 | 9,112 |
| 1931 | 16,042 |
| 1941 | war* |
| 1951 | 68,288 |
| 1961 | 72,791 |
| * no census was held due to war | |
| source: UK census | |
In 1812, Bishop Winnington Ingram School was established by the vestry of St Martin's church in Eastcote Road. The school had 111 pupils by 1845 but fell into a state of disrepair until it was rebuilt in 1931.
Ruislip came under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
in 1845. By 1869, the police were renting a house in the High Street to serve as the local police station, the copyhold of which was purchased in 1873. A new station was built in The Oaks in 1961.
In 1863, the White Bear public house came under the ownership of the Harman's Brewery in Uxbridge. It had been built close to Primrose Hill Farm near the junction of the Ickenham Road and Kings End. Kings End was a hamlet, with one building dating back to the 16th century. It was named after a family who had lived there at that time.
A well was sunk in 1864 in the High Street at the junction with Bury Street, constructed by Mr Charles Page from Uxbridge. The first 15 feet (4.6 m) were dug, before 90.75 feet (27.7 m) was bored through the London clay
London Clay
The London Clay Formation is a marine geological formation of Ypresian age which crops out in the southeast of England. The London Clay is well known for the fossils it contains. The fossils from the Lower Eocene indicate a moderately warm climate, the flora being tropical or subtropical...
and the final 30 feet (9.1 m) was cut through chalk. A drought in 1898 led to the parish council requesting a well be created on what are now the Pinn Meadows, to make use of the natural spring there. The Colne River Water Company agreed, upon the guarantee of £45 per year, and the service was established.
A report had been prepared for the parish council in 1903 which noted the population in Northwood - 2,700 by that time, with 530 houses - compared with the largely rural character of the rest of Ruislip parish. At a meeting of the Ruislip parish council on 28 October 1903, the forthcoming extension of 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...
from Harrow on the Hill to Uxbridge
Uxbridge
Uxbridge is a large town located in north west London, England and is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. It forms part of the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is located west-northwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres...
was also discussed as it was known that a station would be opened in Ruislip on the new line. Councillors were also aware that Kings College, Cambridge, owners of much of the land in the parish and lords of the manor, were planning to sell some for development. With this in mind, a vote was cast which went in favour of becoming an urban district. The new district was designed to better reflect to increase in development, as councillors felt a parish council would work slower than an urban district.
The first train on the new railway line ran on 30 June 1904, and the new station at Ruislip opened on 4 July. The area became popular with ramblers, who would head to the Ruislip Lido
Ruislip Lido
Ruislip Lido is a reservoir and artificial beach in Ruislip, within the London Borough of Hillingdon, situated between Ruislip Common, Ruislip Woods , and Poors Field....
, and general day-trippers who sought out the countryside. Local residents in Ruislip established their own tea gardens, which they advertised for the visitors. In particular, the Poplars, a Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
house built in 1774 on the corner of the High Street and Ickenham Road, opened a tea garden in the grounds. It was eventually demolished in 1929 to make way for shops. A similar establishment was opened in light of the new railway on the corner of Sharps Lane, known as the Orchard Bungalow. It was eventually expanded and became the Orchard Hotel.
The new urban district was formed on 30 September 1904, covering the parish, which had previously been part of the Uxbridge Rural District
Uxbridge Rural District
Uxbridge was, from 1875 to 1925, a local government district in Middlesex, England.The district was formed as a rural sanitary district in 1875. It was based on the existing poor Uxbridge Poor Law Union, except for Uxbridge, to the west, which was an urban sanitary district. Part of the Hillingdon...
. At the time the parish incorporated Ruislip Manor
Ruislip Manor
Ruislip Manor is an area of Ruislip in the London Borough of Hillingdon. It is located approximately north west of Charing Cross.-History:The area was originally owned by King's College, Cambridge, as a part of the Manor of Ruislip...
, South Ruislip
South Ruislip
South Ruislip is a suburban area in the London Borough of Hillingdon.The population, according to the 2001 UK census, was 10,823. By 2008, this had reached 11,116.-Education:...
, Eastcote
Eastcote
Eastcote 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...
and Northwood. The new urban district council held its first meeting at Northwood School on 1 October, the day after forming.
Kings End was developed as a residential road in the early 1900s. By 1907, the first of the new homes were completed and residents began to move into them. The road was named Kings End Avenue, though reverted to the original name of Kings End later in the century.
The district experienced a sharp rise in population, from 6,217 in 1911 to 72,791 in 1961, caused by the extension of the Metropolitan Railway, termed Metro-land
Metro-land
Metro-land is a name given to the suburban areas that were built to the north west of London in the counties of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Middlesex in the early part of the 20th century, and were served by the Metropolitan Railway, an independent company until absorbed by the London...
, which brought with it an increase in suburban house building. As a consequence, the district was one of the first in England to devise a statutory planning scheme in 1914, following the Housing and Town Planning Act 1909
Housing and Town Planning Act 1909
The Housing, Town Planning, &c. Act 1909 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which prevented the building of "back-to-back" houses. The act also meant local authorities must introduce systems of town planning and meant homes had to be built to certain standards....
. The council had been prompted to follow this new act by the Chairman of the Council, a Mr. Elgood, an architect, and the Clerk to the Council, Mr. Abbot. Members of the council had already raised concerns over some of the new building work around Eastcote and South Ruislip, and the new development near Northwood station which they described as "badly arranged and closely-packed".
Together with King's College, the urban district council worked to establish plots of land for development around Ruislip and Ruislip Manor. A town planning competition was held, won by A & J Soutar from Wandsworth
Wandsworth
Wandsworth is a district of south London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-Toponymy:...
, who sought to create a symmetrical design spreading across Ruislip parish. Many of the woods and historic sites including 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...
were to be demolished and cleared as part of the plan, making way for a projected total of 7,642 homes, enough for 35,000 residents. Only St. Martin's church would have been spared. An outline map was made public on 30 November 1910 with few objections. A Local Board inquiry followed on 17 February 1911 which required negotiations with landowners to allow for a full planning scheme to be compiled. This was presented in February 1913 with an adaptation of the original Soutars plan, receiving approval from the Local Government Board in September 1914. Three roads with residential housing, Manor Way, Windmill Way and Park Way were completed before the outbreak of the First World War when all construction work was halted. It did not resume until 1919.
Manor Farm and the local woods were eventually saved from demolition in January 1930, after the visit by a member of the Royal Society of Arts
Royal Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce is a British multi-disciplinary institution, based in London. The name Royal Society of Arts is frequently used for brevity...
to choose the buildings that should be conserved. The Great Barn and Little Barn were singled out from the site, together with the old Post Office, the Old Bell public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
and the Priest's House of the local church. The woods were included in a sale by King's College to the district in February 1931. Park Wood was sold for £28,100 with Manor Farm and the old Post Office included as a gift to the people of Ruislip. King's had wished to also present the wood as a gift but was required by the University and College's Act to receive payment being as it was the trustee of the land. Middlesex County Council
Middlesex County Council
Middlesex County Council was the principal local government body in the administrative county of Middlesex from 1889 to 1965.The county council was created by the Local Government Act 1888, which also removed the most populous part of the county to constitute the County of London...
contributed 75% of the cost as the urban district council argued that many of those who would make use of the land would be recreational day trippers from outside the district. Under a 999 year lease, the council agreed to maintain the wood and ensure no new building was constructed without the permission of the county council. An area of the wood to the south was not included in the lease agreement and three residential roads were later constructed on it.
Copse Wood was later purchased by Middlesex County Council and London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
in 1936 for £23,250, later joined by Mad Bess Wood in the same year. The urban district council purchased the 186 acres (75.3 ha) wood together with Middlesex and London County Councils for £28,000 in a compulsory purchase
Compulsory purchase order
A compulsory purchase order is a legal function in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland that allows certain bodies which need to obtain land or property to do so without the consent of the owner. It may be enforced if a proposed development is considered one for public betterment - for...
from Sir Howard Stransom Button. Sir Howard became High Sheriff of Middlesex
High Sheriff of Middlesex
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Middlesex.-History of the office:From c.1131–1889 there was no separate sheriff for the county. By a charter of Henry I the livery of the City of London were given the right to elect two sheriffs of "London and Middlesex" on a payment of £300 per annum to...
in 1937.
On 6 January 1948 a British European Airways
British European Airways
British European Airways or British European Airways Corporation was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974. The airline operated European and North African routes from airports around the United Kingdom...
Vickers VC.1 Viking
Vickers VC.1 Viking
The Vickers VC.1 Viking was a British twin-engine short-range airliner derived from the Vickers Wellington bomber and built by Vickers Armstrongs Limited at Brooklands near Weybridge in Surrey. In the aftermath of the Second World War, the Viking was an important airliner with British airlines...
flying from Renfrew Airport
Renfrew Airport
Renfrew Airport was the former domestic airport serving the city of Glasgow until it was decommissioned in 1966.It was located in the Newmains area of Renfrew, approximately 2 kilometres east of Abbotsinch Airfield which would eventually replace it...
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...
crashed in a ploughed field in Ruislip, five miles from the runway. The crew had tried to land the aircraft twice successfully when the aircraft struck a tree on the third approach attempt. Of the 18 passengers and crew onboard, one crew member was killed in the crash.
In 1961, the Portland Spy Ring
Portland Spy Ring
The Portland Spy Ring was a Soviet spy ring that operated in England from the late 1950s till 1961 when the core of the network was arrested by the British security services. It is one of the most famous examples of the use of illegal residents — spies who operate in a foreign country but...
was uncovered. Peter and Helen Kroger
Lona Cohen
Leontine Theresa "Lona" Cohen , also known while she was in London as Helen Kroger, was an American spy for the Soviet Union. She was the wife of another spy, Morris Cohen.-Espionage:...
were found to have been involved, while living in Ruislip. They were visited each Saturday evening by Gordon Lonsdale and were eventually placed under police surveillance. The Kroger's were eventually arrested and found to have codes, a microdot reader and film of the Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment in Portland Harbour
Portland Harbour
Portland Harbour is located beside the Isle of Portland, off Dorset, on the south coast of England. It is one of the largest man-made harbours in the world. Grid reference: .-History:...
concealed within ordinary household items. A radio transmitter hidden in the garden was not retrieved until 1977.
Primrose Hill Farm was demolished to make way for housing in 1965. Field End Farm, covering 50 acres (20.2 ha) at the junction of Wood Lane and West End Road, was demolished in 1966. The farm house had been owned by the manor of Northolt under the name of Berrengers. Bishop Winnington Ingram School moved to Southcote Rise in 1968 and the original school building was demolished. In 1976, the war memorial dedicated to those killed during the First World War was moved from the graveyard of St Martin's Church to the entrance of Manor Farm. Bury Street Farm near the Plough was demolished in 1980.
In 1984, the Battle of Britain House
Battle of Britain House
Battle of Britain House, also known over time as Franklin House and Kokyo, was a private mansion in Ruislip that was used by the United States military to train agents for undercover missions in occupied France during the Second World War...
, built within Copse Wood in 1905, was destroyed by fire and the ruins demolished. The house became a college in 1948 and included plaques with the crests of all Royal Air Force squadrons involved in the Battle of Britain as a memorial.
In April 2007, restoration work began on the Manor Farm site using funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
. The work was completed in June the following year, and included the renovation of the Grade II listed library. The Duck Pond Market began in the Great Barn in December 2008, following the refurbishment, and runs once a month. Winston Churchill Hall on the site received a £370,000 grant from Hillingdon Council in March 2011 to enable its refurbishment.
Local government
Ruislip formed an ancient parish of 6585 acre in the Elthorne hundred of MiddlesexMiddlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
. Following the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, sometimes abbreviated to PLAA, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed by the Whig government of Lord Melbourne that reformed the country's poverty relief system . It was an Amendment Act that completely replaced earlier legislation based on the...
, the parish lost control of poor relief to Uxbridge
Uxbridge
Uxbridge is a large town located in north west London, England and is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. It forms part of the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is located west-northwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres...
Poor Law Union
Poor Law Union
A Poor Law Union was a unit used for local government in the United Kingdom from the 19th century. The administration of the Poor Law was the responsibility of parishes, which varied wildly in their size, populations, financial resources, rateable values and requirements...
and it was grouped into the Uxbridge rural sanitary district
Sanitary district
Sanitary districts were established in England and Wales in 1875 and in Ireland in 1878. The districts were of two types, based on existing structures:*Urban sanitary districts in towns with existing local government bodies...
in 1875. In 1894 the sanitary district was replaced by Uxbridge Rural District
Uxbridge Rural District
Uxbridge was, from 1875 to 1925, a local government district in Middlesex, England.The district was formed as a rural sanitary district in 1875. It was based on the existing poor Uxbridge Poor Law Union, except for Uxbridge, to the west, which was an urban sanitary district. Part of the Hillingdon...
and the parish vestry was replaced with a parish council. Due to increasing population, the parish split off from the rural district and formed 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....
, with the parish council replaced by an urban district council. The urban district was abolished in 1965 and was transferred to Greater London to form part of the newly established London Borough of Hillingdon.
Sports clubs
Ruislip Rugby Club is based in West End Road and was formed in 1954, succeeding an earlier club from around 1950. The club shares its ground with the Gaelic County Board of LondonLondon GAA
The London County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or London GAA is one of the county boards outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in London...
's Emerald GAA Grounds
Emerald GAA Grounds
The Emerald G.A.A Grounds , otherwise known as Ruislip GAA are the current headquarters, and principal gaelic games facility, of the Gaelic County Board of London. The grounds is the current venue for the finals of the Toureen Mangan Junior Football Championship, the Intermediate Football...
.
Ruislip Golf Course, on Ickenham Road, was opened in 1922, and is operated by a private company on behalf of the London Borough of Hillingdon. Ruislip is also the home of Eastcote Hockey Club, based at Kings College playing fields. The club was originally based in Eastcote, from where it took its name, but moved to the present location in 1964.
Transport
Ruislip is served by five 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...
stations. Ruislip
Ruislip tube station
Ruislip is a London Underground station in Ruislip in west London. The station is on the Uxbridge branch of both the Metropolitan line and Piccadilly line, between Ruislip Manor and Ickenham stations. The station is located on West End Road...
and Ruislip Manor
Ruislip Manor tube station
Ruislip Manor is a London Underground station in Ruislip Manor in west London. The station is on the Uxbridge branch of both the Metropolitan line and Piccadilly line, between Eastcote and Ruislip stations. The station is located on Victoria Road, where the line crosses on a bridge: there are two...
are served by the Metropolitan
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...
and Piccadily lines, while Ruislip Gardens
Ruislip Gardens tube station
Ruislip Gardens is a London Underground station. It lies on the Central line, between West Ruislip and South Ruislip, in Travelcard Zone 5. The closest stations on the Metropolitan line and Piccadilly line are Ruislip and Ruislip Manor.- History :...
, South Ruislip
South Ruislip station
South Ruislip is a station served by London Underground and Chiltern Railways in South Ruislip in west London. The station is owned, managed and staffed by London Underground. The station is in Travelcard Zone 5.-History:...
and West Ruislip
West Ruislip station
West Ruislip is a Network Rail station located on Ickenham Road between Ickenham and Ruislip in western Greater London; it is served by both London Underground and National Rail trains on independent platforms....
are served by the Central line
Central Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
and National Rail
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
services operated by Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
. Additionally, the London Buses
London Buses
London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London that manages bus services within Greater London, UK. Buses are required to carry similar red colour schemes and conform to the same fare scheme...
routes 114, 331, E7, H13, U1 and U10 serve the area.
Village square
The buildings at the north end of Ruislip High Street, Nos 1 to 15, the Duck House restaurant and the Swan public house, form the core of the original village and are Grade II listed. This area formed the village square, at the junction of the High Street, Bury Street and Eastcote Road. The village water pump was sunk in the centre of the square in 1864, to a depth of 105 feet (32 m) 9 inches (22.9 cm), though was moved to be beside the Manor Farm Lodge in the 1970s. It was moved again in 1982 to sit outside 7-15 High Street.Manor Farm
To the north of Ruislip High Street, the 22 acres (8.9 ha) Manor Farm site incorporates the remains of settlements dating back to the 9th century, as well as buildings including the Great Barn, dated by English HeritageEnglish Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as having been built around 1280. A working farm until the 1930s, the farm was let by King's College
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....
, Cambridge, the owners of the land from 1500 to the mid 20th century. It has been designated as a local heritage site and was refurbished between 2007 and 2008 with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
.
Ruislip Lido
Ruislip Lido is a VictorianVictorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
reservoir with an artificial sand beach, surrounded by woodlands through which runs the Ruislip Lido Railway
Ruislip Lido Railway
The Ruislip Lido Railway is a gauge miniature railway around Ruislip Lido in Ruislip, west of central London. Running from the main station at Woody Bay by the lido's beach, on a track around the reservoir, the railway passes through Ruislip Woods to Ruislip Lido station near the Water's Edge...
, a miniature 12" gauge
Rail gauge
Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers...
railway with diesel and steam locomotives. The Lido was established as a reservoir to feed the Grand Union Canal
Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 137 miles with 166 locks...
by damming and flooding the lower part of the valley between Park Wood and Copse Wood, including the hamlet of Park Hearn. Work began in 1811; the consulting engineer John Rennie announced completion of the project to the Grand Junction Waterworks Company on 5 December that year.
The Orchard Hotel
Following the extension of the Metropolitan Railway to Ruislip, and the resulting influx of visitors to the area, Albert Cross built a bungalow from where teas were served to day-trippers. This became a success and Cross had the building expanded, which soon became The Orchard Hotel. Between 1933 and 1971 it became an Ansells licensed bar and well-known high-class restaurant. It then became a BeefeaterBeefeater (restaurant)
Beefeater is a chain of pub restaurants in the United Kingdom, owned by Whitbread. There are currently 131 Beefeater restaurants in the UK.- History :...
steak house, which it remains, and was recently extended with a Premier Inn hotel. During the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
, the Orchard was very popular with the pilots of No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron
No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron
No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron was one of 16 Polish squadrons in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. It was the highest scoring RAF squadron of the Battle of Britain....
stationed at 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...
, who would celebrate their successes in battle at the Orchard. The owner was known to open a bottle of Champagne for each German aircraft shot down by the squadron.
Notable people
- Eminent optical mineralogist Stuart Olof AgrellStuart Olof AgrellStuart Olof Agrell was an outstanding optical mineralogist and pioneer collaborator applying the electron microprobe to petrology. His involvement in the Apollo program brought him to the attention of the British media and public.Agrell was born in Ruislip, Middlesex to a Scandinavian father and...
(1913-1996) was born in Ruislip.
- Lady Mary BankesMary BankesLady Mary Bankes née Hawtry was a Royalist who defended Corfe Castle from a three-year siege during the English Civil War from 1643 to 1646...
(c. 1598-1661), RoyalistCavalierCavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
figure of the English Civil WarEnglish Civil WarThe English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, was born in Ruislip.
- Experimental musician Paul BurwellPaul BurwellPaul Dean Burwell was a British thaumaturge and percussionist, influential in the fields of free improvisation and experimental art....
(1949-2007) was born in Ruislip.
- Actor Simon Fisher-BeckerSimon Fisher-BeckerSimon Fisher-Becker is a British stage, television and film actor, specialising in comedy and character parts. His more notable roles include The Fat Friar in the Harry Potter film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and Dorium Maldovar in series 5 and 6 of Doctor Who.-Background:He was...
, the fat friar in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, released in the United States and India as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, is a 2001 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. The film is the first instalment in the Harry Potter film series,...
, was raised in Ruislip.
- Poet Peter LeviPeter LeviPeter Chad Tigar Levi, FSA, FRSL, , Professor of Poetry at the University of Oxford was a poet, archaeologist, sometime Jesuit priest, travel writer, biographer, academic and prolific reviewer and critic.-Early life and education:Levi was born in Ruislip, Middlesex of parents with Mediterranean...
(1931-2000) was born in Ruislip.
- Actress Lana MorrisLana MorrisLana Morris, born Averil Maureen Anita Morris was a British film, stage and television actress during the 1950s and 1960s....
(1930-1998) was born in Ruislip.
- Eminent cinematographer Oswald MorrisOswald MorrisOswald Norman Morris OBE, DFC, AFC, BSC is a British cinematographer. Known to his colleagues by the nicknames "Os" or "Ossie", Morris' film cinematography career spanned six decades.-Early life and career:...
was born in Ruislip.