Uxbridge
Encyclopedia
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 15 miles (24.1 km) west-northwest of Charing Cross
and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan
. It historically formed part of the parish of Hillingdon
in the county of Middlesex
and was a significant local commercial centre from an early time. As part of the suburban growth of London in the 20th century it expanded and increased in population, becoming a municipal borough
in 1955 and has formed part of Greater London
since 1965. Uxbridge is a significant retail and commercial centre, and is the location of Brunel University
and the Uxbridge campus of Buckinghamshire New University. The town is close to the boundary with Buckinghamshire
, which is locally the River Colne
.
Several historical events have taken place in and around the town, including attempted negotiations between King Charles I and the Parliamentary Army. The location of these events, a public house, still stands and is named The Crown and Treaty in recognition of the event. Uxbridge also houses the Battle of Britain Bunker, from where the air defence of the south-east of England was coordinated during the Battle of Britain. Situated in RAF Uxbridge, the No. 11 Group Operations Room within the bunker took on a crucial rule during the battle and was later used during the D-Day landings.
Uxbridge is split into north and south sectors by the local authority and for census purposes. The Office of National Statistics recorded an approximate population figure for Uxbridge North of 12,357 in 2008, with 12,967 in Uxbridge South.
who also began to settle in what became Middlesex
. Anglo-Saxons
began to settle and farm in the area of Uxbridge in the 5th century, clearing the dense woodland and remaining there for around 500 years.
Archaeologists found Bronze Age
remains (before 700 BC) and medieval remains during the construction of The Chimes shopping centre. Two miles away at Denham
, Upper Paleolithic
remains have been found. Uxbridge is not mentioned in the Domesday Book
of the 11th century, but a hundred years later the existing church, St Margaret's, was built. The town appears in records from 1107 as "Woxbrigge", and became part of the Elthorne Hundred with other settlements in the area.
garrisoned the town upon the outbreak of the English Civil War
in 1642 and later established their headquarters there in June 1647 on a line from Staines
to Watford
, although the King passed through Uxbridge in April 1946, resting at the Red Lion public house for several hours. Charles I
met with representatives of Parliament at the Crown Inn in Uxbridge in 1645, though negotiations for the end of hostilities were unsuccessful due in part to the king's stubborn attitude. The town had been chosen as it was located between the Royal headquarters of Oxford and the Parliamentary stronghold of London.
The covered market was built in 1788 replacing a building constructed in 1561. In the early 19th century, Uxbridge had an unsavoury reputation. The jurist William Arabin said of its residents "They will steal the very teeth out of your mouth as you walk through the streets. I know it from experience." For about 200 years most of London's flour
was produced in the Uxbridge area.
The Grand Junction Canal
opened in 1794 linking Uxbridge with Birmingham
. By 1800, Uxbridge had become one of the most important market towns in Middlesex
, helped by its status as the first stopping point for stagecoaches travelling from London to Oxford
. The development of Uxbridge declined after the opening of the Great Western Railway
passing through West Drayton
in 1838. A branch line to Uxbridge was later built in 1904.
Harman's Brewery was established in Uxbridge by George Harman in 1763 and moved into its new headquarters in Uxbridge High Street in 1875. The eventual owners of the brewery, Courage, closed the headquarters in 1964. They were demolished and replaced by a Budgen's supermarket which in turn demolished with the construction of The Chimes shopping centre. The brewery building in George Street remained in place until it was demolished in 1967. The office building Harman House was built on the site in 1985, named after the brewery.
In 1871, the town's first purpose-built police station was built in Windsor Street. The building included three cells and stables.
In the early 1900s, the Uxbridge and District Electricity Supply Company was established in Waterloo Road, much of the town was connected by 1902. By 1912, some houses still had gas lighting. A water tower on Uxbridge Common was built in 1906, resembling a church tower, to improve the supply to the town.
Wood panelling from the room in the Crown and Treaty public house was sold in 1924 to an American who installed them in his office in the Empire State Building. It was returned in 1953 as a gift to the newly coronated Queen Elizabeth II and returned to the house, although remaining in the ownership of the monarch.
On 31 August 1935, Uxbridge Lido, an outdoor swimming pool built in the "Moderne" or Art Deco
style, was officially opened. Before the opening, many residents swam in a section of the Frays River
near Harefield Road, and the Colne
. The pool, pavilion building, entrance building and both fountains were granted Grade II listed status in 1998. Despite the listing and the pool becoming closed to the public, the buildings were subjected to heavy vandalism.
During the Second World War, Uxbridge adopted the Royal Navy
destroyer
HMS Intrepid
in 1942 to help towards the ship's costs. Intrepid was later lost in 1943 to enemy action. The town and surrounding areas suffered bombing by the Luftwaffe
. V1 flying bombs fell on the town between June 1944 and March 1945. The first recorded bombing using a V1 was on 22 June 1944 at 07:00, when the bomb passed over the top of a bus and hit four houses nearby. Seven people were killed and 25 injured, leaving 46 houses in the area uninhabitable.
In 1958, the 199 acres (80.5 ha) Lowe & Shawyer plant nursery to the west of RAF Uxbridge entered voluntary liquidation. The nursery had stood in Kingston Lane since 1868 and was the largest producer of cut flowers in the country. Demolition works began in 1962 and the construction of Brunel University
commenced. Chrysanthemum
s are included the coat of arms of the Borough of Uxbridge to remember the nursery. The Uxbridge (Vine Street) railway branch line which partially ran alongside the site was closed in 1964 and in 1966 the university opened, purchasing the land where the railway had run for £65,000 from the local council.
Uxbridge Cricket Club moved from Cricketfield Road in 1971 to make way for the new Civic Centre. The club had been at Cricketfield Road since 1858, but moved to a new site on part of Uxbridge Common on Park Road.
The Market Square shopping precinct in the town centre was built in the late 1970s, though the lack of shelter meant it became unpopular and did not attract the levels of custom hoped for. Many buildings along the High Street and Windsor Street had been demolished to make way for the new precinct. It was eventually sold to the Prudential Assurance Company and was redeveloped with a roof to become the Pavilions Shopping Centre. The new roof was built during the early 1980s and as part of the redevelopment, The Peacock public house in one of the two main squares was demolished and replaced with a cafe named The Chequers which remains.
The Chimes
shopping centre was built beside Uxbridge station in 2001, incorporating many of the existing buildings into the new structure. The centre was originally to be named the St. George's Centre in plans dating back to the early 1990s, though this name was eventually taken by another shopping centre in Harrow on the Hill. Instead, The Chimes was said to refer to the sound of the bells from the nearby market house on the High Street. An Odeon
cinema opened as a major part of the centre, with the smaller cinema at the opposite end of the High Street closing. Some houses on Chippendale Way and the St George's car park were demolished to allow for the construction of the new shopping centre car park. The offices of the local building company Fassnidge were also included in the new development, having been built in the 19th century, and now house a Pizza Express
restaurant. Preserved timber from earlier demolished buildings in Uxbridge were used in the construction of a new building beside the former offices of Fassnidge, built to resemble a much older structure.
In 2002, the dry ski slope situated near Park Road and the Uxbridge Lido was closed, and the remaining buildings and structures removed. The Hillingdon Ski Centre had been subject to several arson attacks during 2001 and the company operating it became bankrupt. The slope, which had been built in 1977, was left to return to nature.
Uxbridge Lido was extensively refurbished and extended, with work beginning in 2008. The lido reopened as the Hillingdon Sports and Leisure Complex in 2010.
within the parish of Hillingdon
. It was split out as a separate civil parish in 1866, and became part of the Uxbridge Urban District
in 1894 under the Local Government Act 1894
. In 1955 the urban district council successfully petitioned for a charter of incorporation and became a municipal borough
. This remained until 1965, when the borough was incorporated into the new London Borough of Hillingdon
. Within the borough, Uxbridge is split into two wards: Uxbridge North and Uxbridge South. Both are served by three Conservative Party councillors each.
Since 2010, the town has been part of the Uxbridge and South Ruislip
Parliament constituency. The Member of Parliament
is John Randall
, of the Conservative Party
.
, John Randall
, who was elected in a 1997 by-election after the sitting MP, Sir Michael Shersby
, died shortly after the 1997 general election. The Randalls store building was awarded Grade II listed status in October 2008.
The town centre today comprises retail outlets and major office buildings, including the main European offices of several international companies including Kuehne + Nagel, Cadbury plc, Parexel
International, Xerox
, Arri
, Bristol-Myers Squibb
, APL
, Herbalife Europe Ltd and the Anadarko Algeria Oil Company
. Other employers include Apple, Unisys
, F. Hinds
, The Coca-Cola Company
, Coca-Cola Enterprises
, Amgen
, Bayer
, Canon
, Anixter International
, WMS Gaming
, Manpower
, AIB
, General Mills
, Nexen Petroleum
and PricewaterhouseCoopers
. Cadbury plc has its head office in the Cadbury House in the Uxbridge Business Park in Uxbridge. In 2007 Cadbury Schweppes had announced that it was moving to Uxbridge to cut costs.
and the Buckinghamshire New University's nursing campus. The main campus of Uxbridge College
is also in the town.
, built in 1933, fronted by a pedestrian high street is a terminus for both the Metropolitan
and Piccadilly
underground lines. The station is connected to a bus terminus with connections to Hillingdon, Hayes, Ealing, Ruislip, and Slough.
A Transport for London
project called the West London Tram
Service has been postponed however "an effective bus-based solution" was cited as an alternative, but no specific plans exist. The route is currently served by the 427, 207, and 607 bus services.
There were once two overground railway stations - Uxbridge Vine Street
(originally just Uxbridge Station) and Uxbridge High Street
, which were to be eventually linked (hence High Street ending on a half built bridge). High Street closed to passengers as a war economy and never reopened. Despite having the most intensive service, the Vine Street line was one of the first Western Region urban branches to close under the Beeching axe
. Uxbridge Belmont Road was the first underground station, built slightly outside of the town centre to allow possible extension to High Wycombe
. This was later replaced by the more conveniently placed current station.
The former Grand Junction Canal
, now Grand Union Canal
, which connects London with Birmingham
, passes immediately to the west of Uxbridge, and forms the borough boundary. The first stretch was built in the late 18th century from Brentford
to Uxbridge. Further upstream is Uxbridge Lock, and nearby is a flourmill belonging to Allied Mills. A Mr King, who called it "Kingsmill", bought this in the 19th century. This brand name is one of the best-selling bread-makers in the UK, though most of the milling is now done on Tyneside
.
London Heathrow Airport
is also located in the London Borough of Hillingdon and is approximately 5 miles from the centre of Uxbridge.
London Buses
routes 222, 331
, 427
, 607
, A10
, U1, U2, U3, U4, U5, U7, U9, U10 and N207 serve the area alongside four non-Tfl
routes: First Berkshire & The Thames Valley
route 58 and Carousel Buses
routes A30, A40 and 740 also serve the town.
, Ruislip-Northwood Urban District
, Hayes and Harlington Urban District
and Yiewsley and West Drayton Urban District
. Before the new building was completed, council services had been spread throughout Uxbridge and the rest of the borough and various buildings, as a result of the merging of the former district councils.
Part of the original Middlesex County Council
office building which stood on site was incorporated into the new Civic Centre. The centre's clock tower is the only visible section from the old building. The Uxbridge Cricket Club Ground
and Uxbridge fire station were relocated as part of the new development, which became controversial due to both its size and cost. Areas of the building, particularly the council chambers, continue to suffer from poor accoustics.
style. A new building with little exterior styling opened nearby in the 1990s and legal proceedings were transferred.
, a 19th century mansion bought by the British Government in 1915, and became most famous for being the home of RAF Fighter Command
's No. 11 Group
Operations Room during the Battle of Britain
. Fighter squadrons at airfields in the south-east of England were directed from the station, which was also visited by the Prime Minister
Winston Churchill
during the Battle, and other foreign leaders throughout the rest of the war.
Following the station's closure, the replica No. 33 Squadron
Supermarine Spitfire
gate guardian was removed from the main entrance for restoration work and moved to the entrance of the Operations Room (now known as the Battle of Britain Bunker
). The area around the bunker was retained as an enclave under the RAF Uxbridge name, under the care of RAF Northolt
. An additional guardian, a Hawker Hurricane
in the colours of No. 303 (Polish) Squadron
was added to the area in November 2010.
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 and is the administrative headquarters 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 forms part of the ceremonial county of 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...
. It is located 15 miles (24.1 km) west-northwest of Charing Cross
Charing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan
London Plan
The London Plan is a planning document written by the Mayor of London, England in the United Kingdom and published by the Greater London Authority. The plan was first published in final form on 10 February 2004 and has since been amended. The current version was published in February 2008...
. It historically formed part of the parish of Hillingdon
Hillingdon
Hillingdon is a suburban area within the London Borough of Hillingdon, situated 14.2 miles west of Charing Cross.Much of Hillingdon is represented as the Hillingdon East ward within the local authority, Hillingdon Council...
in the county of Middlesex
Middlesex
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...
and was a significant local commercial centre from an early time. As part of the suburban growth of London in the 20th century it expanded and increased in population, becoming a municipal borough
Municipal Borough of Uxbridge
Uxbridge was a local government district in north west Middlesex, England, from 1849 to 1965, based around the town of Uxbridge.Uxbridge was one of the first towns in England to adopt the Public Health Act 1848 in 1849 and form a local board of health. Under the Local Government Act 1894 the local...
in 1955 and has formed part of 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...
since 1965. Uxbridge is a significant retail and commercial centre, and is the location of Brunel University
Brunel University
Brunel University is a public research university located in Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom. The university is named after the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel....
and the Uxbridge campus of Buckinghamshire New University. The town is close to the boundary with Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, which is locally the River Colne
River Colne, Hertfordshire
The Colne is a river in England which is a tributary of the River Thames. It flows mainly through Hertfordshire and forms the boundary between the South Bucks district of Buckinghamshire and the London Borough of Hillingdon...
.
Several historical events have taken place in and around the town, including attempted negotiations between King Charles I and the Parliamentary Army. The location of these events, a public house, still stands and is named The Crown and Treaty in recognition of the event. Uxbridge also houses the Battle of Britain Bunker, from where the air defence of the south-east of England was coordinated during the Battle of Britain. Situated in RAF Uxbridge, the No. 11 Group Operations Room within the bunker took on a crucial rule during the battle and was later used during the D-Day landings.
Uxbridge is split into north and south sectors by the local authority and for census purposes. The Office of National Statistics recorded an approximate population figure for Uxbridge North of 12,357 in 2008, with 12,967 in Uxbridge South.
Toponymy
The name is derived from "Wixan's Bridge" which was likely to have been near the bottom of Oxford Road where the "Swan and Bottle" now stands. The Wixan were a 7th-century Saxon tribe from LincolnshireLincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
who also began to settle in what became Middlesex
Middlesex
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...
. Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
began to settle and farm in the area of Uxbridge in the 5th century, clearing the dense woodland and remaining there for around 500 years.
Archaeologists found Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
remains (before 700 BC) and medieval remains during the construction of The Chimes shopping centre. Two miles away at Denham
Denham
- People :* Carl Denham, fictional character from King Kong* Daryl Denham, British radio DJ* Digby Denham, Australian politician* Dixon Denham, British explorer* Henry Denham, British printer* Henry Mangles Denham, , Royal navy...
, Upper Paleolithic
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
remains have been found. Uxbridge is not mentioned in the 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...
of the 11th century, but a hundred years later the existing church, St Margaret's, was built. The town appears in records from 1107 as "Woxbrigge", and became part of the Elthorne Hundred with other settlements in the area.
Early developments
The Parliamentary ArmyRoundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
garrisoned the town upon the outbreak of the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
in 1642 and later established their headquarters there in June 1647 on a line from Staines
Staines
Staines is a Thames-side town in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey and Greater London Urban Area, as well as the London Commuter Belt of South East England. It is a suburban development within the western bounds of the M25 motorway and located 17 miles west south-west of Charing Cross in...
to Watford
Watford
Watford 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...
, although the King passed through Uxbridge in April 1946, resting at the Red Lion public house for several hours. Charles I
Charles I
Charles I may refer to:In Kings and Emperors:* Charles I, Holy Roman Emperor or Charlemagne * Charles I of Naples, King of Sicily * Charles I of Hungary, King of Hungary...
met with representatives of Parliament at the Crown Inn in Uxbridge in 1645, though negotiations for the end of hostilities were unsuccessful due in part to the king's stubborn attitude. The town had been chosen as it was located between the Royal headquarters of Oxford and the Parliamentary stronghold of London.
The covered market was built in 1788 replacing a building constructed in 1561. In the early 19th century, Uxbridge had an unsavoury reputation. The jurist William Arabin said of its residents "They will steal the very teeth out of your mouth as you walk through the streets. I know it from experience." For about 200 years most of London's flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
was produced in the Uxbridge area.
The Grand Junction Canal
Grand Junction Canal
The Grand Junction Canal is a canal in England from Braunston in Northamptonshire to the River Thames at Brentford, with a number of branches. The mainline was built between 1793 and 1805, to improve the route from the Midlands to London, by-passing the upper reaches of the River Thames near Oxford...
opened in 1794 linking Uxbridge with Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. By 1800, Uxbridge had become one of the most important market towns in Middlesex
Middlesex
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...
, helped by its status as the first stopping point for stagecoaches travelling from London to Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. The development of Uxbridge declined after the opening of the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
passing through West Drayton
West Drayton
West Drayton is a suburban area in the London Borough of Hillingdon in the far west of London, England. Formerly part of the Yiewsley and West Drayton Urban District of Middlesex, the district became part of Greater London in 1965....
in 1838. A branch line to Uxbridge was later built in 1904.
Harman's Brewery was established in Uxbridge by George Harman in 1763 and moved into its new headquarters in Uxbridge High Street in 1875. The eventual owners of the brewery, Courage, closed the headquarters in 1964. They were demolished and replaced by a Budgen's supermarket which in turn demolished with the construction of The Chimes shopping centre. The brewery building in George Street remained in place until it was demolished in 1967. The office building Harman House was built on the site in 1985, named after the brewery.
Urban development
The Inclosure of Hillingdon Parish in 1819 saw the reduction in size of Uxbridge Common, which at its largest had been 4 miles (6.4 km) in circumference. The common originally covered both sides of Park Road to the north of the town centre but now covers 15 acres (6.1 ha).In 1871, the town's first purpose-built police station was built in Windsor Street. The building included three cells and stables.
In the early 1900s, the Uxbridge and District Electricity Supply Company was established in Waterloo Road, much of the town was connected by 1902. By 1912, some houses still had gas lighting. A water tower on Uxbridge Common was built in 1906, resembling a church tower, to improve the supply to the town.
Wood panelling from the room in the Crown and Treaty public house was sold in 1924 to an American who installed them in his office in the Empire State Building. It was returned in 1953 as a gift to the newly coronated Queen Elizabeth II and returned to the house, although remaining in the ownership of the monarch.
On 31 August 1935, Uxbridge Lido, an outdoor swimming pool built in the "Moderne" or Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style, was officially opened. Before the opening, many residents swam in a section of the Frays River
Frays River
Frays River is a river in England that branches off the River Colne at Uxbridge Moor and rejoins it at West Drayton.The Frays River leaves the River Colne between Uxbridge and Denham, Buckinghamshire at Denham Weir. It passes Cowley and Yiewsley where it is joined by the River Pinn. It is also...
near Harefield Road, and the Colne
River Colne
There are several different rivers named River Colne in England:* River Colne, Essex — passing through Colchester* River Colne, Hertfordshire — tributary of the River Thames, passing through London Colney and other parts of Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Greater London and Surrey* River...
. The pool, pavilion building, entrance building and both fountains were granted Grade II listed status in 1998. Despite the listing and the pool becoming closed to the public, the buildings were subjected to heavy vandalism.
During the Second World War, Uxbridge adopted the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
HMS Intrepid
HMS Intrepid (D10)
HMS Intrepid was an I-class destroyer that served with Royal Navy during World War II.In World War II, Intrepid attacked and sank the German submarine U-45 south-west of Ireland on 14 October 1939 in company with the destroyers and...
in 1942 to help towards the ship's costs. Intrepid was later lost in 1943 to enemy action. The town and surrounding areas suffered bombing by the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
. V1 flying bombs fell on the town between June 1944 and March 1945. The first recorded bombing using a V1 was on 22 June 1944 at 07:00, when the bomb passed over the top of a bus and hit four houses nearby. Seven people were killed and 25 injured, leaving 46 houses in the area uninhabitable.
Brunel University
Brunel University is a public research university located in Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom. The university is named after the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel....
commenced. Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemums, often called mums or chrysanths, are of the genus constituting approximately 30 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae which is native to Asia and northeastern Europe.-Etymology:...
s are included the coat of arms of the Borough of Uxbridge to remember the nursery. The Uxbridge (Vine Street) railway branch line which partially ran alongside the site was closed in 1964 and in 1966 the university opened, purchasing the land where the railway had run for £65,000 from the local council.
Uxbridge Cricket Club moved from Cricketfield Road in 1971 to make way for the new Civic Centre. The club had been at Cricketfield Road since 1858, but moved to a new site on part of Uxbridge Common on Park Road.
The Market Square shopping precinct in the town centre was built in the late 1970s, though the lack of shelter meant it became unpopular and did not attract the levels of custom hoped for. Many buildings along the High Street and Windsor Street had been demolished to make way for the new precinct. It was eventually sold to the Prudential Assurance Company and was redeveloped with a roof to become the Pavilions Shopping Centre. The new roof was built during the early 1980s and as part of the redevelopment, The Peacock public house in one of the two main squares was demolished and replaced with a cafe named The Chequers which remains.
The Chimes, Uxbridge
The Chimes is a shopping centre in Uxbridge, within the London Borough of Hillingdon, owned and managed by Capital Shopping Centres.Opened in February 2001, the centre includes 71 stores, cafes and restaurants, including Boots, BHS, Debenhams, Gap, H&M and Next as anchor stores...
shopping centre was built beside Uxbridge station in 2001, incorporating many of the existing buildings into the new structure. The centre was originally to be named the St. George's Centre in plans dating back to the early 1990s, though this name was eventually taken by another shopping centre in Harrow on the Hill. Instead, The Chimes was said to refer to the sound of the bells from the nearby market house on the High Street. An Odeon
Odeon
Odea, Odeon, or Odeum may refer to:* Odeon , ancient Greek and Roman buildings built for singing exercises, musical shows and poetry competitions-Modern era:* Cineplex Odeon, North America...
cinema opened as a major part of the centre, with the smaller cinema at the opposite end of the High Street closing. Some houses on Chippendale Way and the St George's car park were demolished to allow for the construction of the new shopping centre car park. The offices of the local building company Fassnidge were also included in the new development, having been built in the 19th century, and now house a Pizza Express
Pizza Express
PizzaExpress is a restaurant group with over 400 restaurants across the United Kingdom and 40 overseas in China, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan and the Middle East. It was founded in 1965 by Peter Boizot.In Ireland, PizzaExpress trades under the name Milano....
restaurant. Preserved timber from earlier demolished buildings in Uxbridge were used in the construction of a new building beside the former offices of Fassnidge, built to resemble a much older structure.
In 2002, the dry ski slope situated near Park Road and the Uxbridge Lido was closed, and the remaining buildings and structures removed. The Hillingdon Ski Centre had been subject to several arson attacks during 2001 and the company operating it became bankrupt. The slope, which had been built in 1977, was left to return to nature.
Uxbridge Lido was extensively refurbished and extended, with work beginning in 2008. The lido reopened as the Hillingdon Sports and Leisure Complex in 2010.
Local government
Uxbridge originally formed a chapelryChapelry
A chapelry was a subdivision of an ecclesiastical parish in England, and parts of Lowland Scotland up to the mid 19th century. It had a similar status to a township but was so named as it had a chapel which acted as a subsidiary place of worship to the main parish church...
within the parish of Hillingdon
Hillingdon
Hillingdon is a suburban area within the London Borough of Hillingdon, situated 14.2 miles west of Charing Cross.Much of Hillingdon is represented as the Hillingdon East ward within the local authority, Hillingdon Council...
. It was split out as a separate civil parish in 1866, and became part of the Uxbridge Urban District
Municipal Borough of Uxbridge
Uxbridge was a local government district in north west Middlesex, England, from 1849 to 1965, based around the town of Uxbridge.Uxbridge was one of the first towns in England to adopt the Public Health Act 1848 in 1849 and form a local board of health. Under the Local Government Act 1894 the local...
in 1894 under the Local Government Act 1894
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
. In 1955 the urban district council successfully petitioned for a charter of incorporation and became a municipal borough
Municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
. This remained until 1965, when the borough was incorporated into the new 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...
. Within the borough, Uxbridge is split into two wards: Uxbridge North and Uxbridge South. Both are served by three Conservative Party councillors each.
Since 2010, the town has been part of the Uxbridge and South Ruislip
Uxbridge and South Ruislip (UK Parliament constituency)
Uxbridge and South Ruislip is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was first contested in the 2010 general election.-Boundaries:...
Parliament constituency. The Member of Parliament
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,...
is John Randall
John Randall (UK politician)
Alexander John Randall, known as John Randall, is a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom, and is the Member of Parliament for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.-Early life:...
, of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
.
Economy
Uxbridge has two shopping centres, The Mall Pavilions (formerly "The Pavilions") and The Chimes. Much of the town centre is pedestrianised. In addition, just off the High Street is Windsor Street, a short road populated by older shops; as well as being home to St Margaret's Church. The Art Deco style department store, Randall's, is owned by the family of the Conservative MP for Uxbridge and South RuislipUxbridge and South Ruislip (UK Parliament constituency)
Uxbridge and South Ruislip is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was first contested in the 2010 general election.-Boundaries:...
, John Randall
John Randall (UK politician)
Alexander John Randall, known as John Randall, is a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom, and is the Member of Parliament for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.-Early life:...
, who was elected in a 1997 by-election after the sitting MP, Sir Michael Shersby
Michael Shersby
Sir Michael Shersby was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was Member of Parliament for Uxbridge.-Early life:...
, died shortly after the 1997 general election. The Randalls store building was awarded Grade II listed status in October 2008.
The town centre today comprises retail outlets and major office buildings, including the main European offices of several international companies including Kuehne + Nagel, Cadbury plc, Parexel
Parexel
PAREXEL International is a contract research organization , based in Lowell, Massachusetts and founded in 1982 by Josef H. von Rickenbach and Anne Sayigh. It provides services for companies in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, including consulting, clinical studies...
International, Xerox
Xerox
Xerox Corporation is an American multinational document management corporation that produced and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems, photo copiers, digital production printing presses, and related consulting services and supplies...
, Arri
Arri
-History:Arri was founded in Munich, Germany as Arnold & Richter Cine Technik in 1917, named after founders August Arnold and Robert Richter. They produce professional motion picture equipment, digital and film cameras and cinematic lighting equipment...
, Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb , often referred to as BMS, is a pharmaceutical company, headquartered in New York City. The company was formed in 1989, following the merger of its predecessors Bristol-Myers and the Squibb Corporation...
, APL
American President Lines
American President Lines Ltd. is the world's seventh-largest container transportation and shipping company, providing services to more than 140 countries through a network combining intermodal freight transport operations with IT and e-commerce...
, Herbalife Europe Ltd and the Anadarko Algeria Oil Company
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation is one of the world’s largest independent oil and gas exploration and production companies, with approximately 2.3 billion barrels of oil equivalent of proved reserves and production of 206 million BOE as of December 31, 2008. Anadarko employs a worldwide...
. Other employers include Apple, Unisys
Unisys
Unisys Corporation , headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, United States, and incorporated in Delaware, is a long established business whose core products now involves computing and networking.-History:...
, F. Hinds
F. Hinds
F. Hinds is a jewellery retailing chain, operating in England and Wales. There are currently 110 F Hinds stores within the United Kingdom.The chain is an independent retailer which was founded in 1856 by George Henry Hinds, although his father Joseph was also a clockmaker in Stamford,...
, The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation and manufacturer, retailer and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. The company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola, invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Columbus, Georgia...
, Coca-Cola Enterprises
Coca-Cola Enterprises
Coca-Cola Enterprises is a marketer, producer, and distributor of Coca-Cola products. It is the anchor bottler for Western Europe, and was formerly the anchor bottler for most of North America....
, Amgen
Amgen
Amgen Inc. is an international biotechnology company headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California. Located in the Conejo Valley, Amgen is the world's largest independent biotech firm. The company employs approximately 17,000 staff members. Its products include Epogen, Aranesp, Enbrel, Kineret,...
, Bayer
Bayer
Bayer AG is a chemical and pharmaceutical company founded in Barmen , Germany in 1863. It is headquartered in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and well known for its original brand of aspirin.-History:...
, Canon
Canon
-Culture and arts:*Canon , material that is considered to be genuine*Western canon, the books, music, and art that have been the most influential in shaping Western cultureMusic...
, Anixter International
Anixter International
Anixter International is a Fortune 500 company based in Glenview, Illinois, USA and founded in 1957. Anixter is a leading global supplier of communications and security products, electrical and electronic wire and cable, fasteners and other small components. Anixter has physical presence in 52...
, WMS Gaming
WMS Gaming
WMS Gaming is a manufacturer of slot machines, video lottery terminals and software to help casinos manage their gaming operations. The company is based in Waukegan, Illinois.- History :...
, Manpower
Manpower Inc.
ManpowerGroup is a workforce solutions and services provider company headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It was established by Elmer Winter and Aaron Scheinfeld in 1948. It was acquired by Blue Arrow of Britain in 1987, but became independent again in 1991.The directors include...
, AIB
Allied Irish Bank (GB)
Allied Irish Bank is the trading name of commercial banks operating in Great Britain. AIB Group p.l.c., registered in Belfast, Northern Ireland and regulated by the Financial Services Authority, is the legal entity which also includes First Trust Bank...
, General Mills
General Mills
General Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
, Nexen Petroleum
Nexen
Nexen Inc. is an energy company based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.-History:Nexen started in 1969 under the name "Canadian Occidental Petroleum Ltd.", aka CanOxy, and was 80% owned by Occidental Petroleum, a Los Angeles-based oil company...
and PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest professional services firm measured by revenues and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms....
. Cadbury plc has its head office in the Cadbury House in the Uxbridge Business Park in Uxbridge. In 2007 Cadbury Schweppes had announced that it was moving to Uxbridge to cut costs.
Education
Uxbridge is home to Brunel UniversityBrunel University
Brunel University is a public research university located in Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom. The university is named after the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel....
and the Buckinghamshire New University's nursing campus. The main campus of Uxbridge College
Uxbridge College
Uxbridge College is one of the general further education with colleges in London. It has two campuses one in Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon and the other one in Hayes in the same borough.-Facilities:...
is also in the town.
Transport
Uxbridge stationUxbridge tube station
Uxbridge is a London Underground station in Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, north-west London. The station is the terminus of the Uxbridge branches of both the Metropolitan Line and the Piccadilly Line. The next station towards London is Hillingdon. The station is 15.5 miles west of...
, built in 1933, fronted by a pedestrian high street is a terminus for both 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 Piccadilly
Piccadilly Line
The Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground, coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the fifth busiest line on the Underground network judged by the number of passengers transported per year. It is mainly a deep-level line, running from the north to the west of London via Zone 1, with...
underground lines. The station is connected to a bus terminus with connections to Hillingdon, Hayes, Ealing, Ruislip, and Slough.
A Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
project called the West London Tram
West London Tram
The West London Tram was a proposed on-street light rail line which was to run along the Uxbridge Road corridor in west London, England. The scheme was promoted by Transport for London but opposed by the councils of all three London Boroughs through which it would run...
Service has been postponed however "an effective bus-based solution" was cited as an alternative, but no specific plans exist. The route is currently served by the 427, 207, and 607 bus services.
There were once two overground railway stations - Uxbridge Vine Street
Uxbridge Vine Street railway station
Uxbridge Vine Street station opened on 8 September 1856 as Uxbridge Station and was the earliest of three railway stations in Uxbridge. It was the northern terminus of the Great Western Railway Uxbridge branch from the main line at...
(originally just Uxbridge Station) and Uxbridge High Street
Uxbridge High Street railway station
Uxbridge High Street railway station in Uxbridge was on what is now Oxford Road near its junction with Sanderson Road. It was the southern terminus and only station on the Great Western Railway branch line from the GWR/GCR joint line, which is now the Chiltern Main Line.The station opened on 1 May...
, which were to be eventually linked (hence High Street ending on a half built bridge). High Street closed to passengers as a war economy and never reopened. Despite having the most intensive service, the Vine Street line was one of the first Western Region urban branches to close under the Beeching axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
. Uxbridge Belmont Road was the first underground station, built slightly outside of the town centre to allow possible extension to High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
. This was later replaced by the more conveniently placed current station.
The former Grand Junction Canal
Grand Junction Canal
The Grand Junction Canal is a canal in England from Braunston in Northamptonshire to the River Thames at Brentford, with a number of branches. The mainline was built between 1793 and 1805, to improve the route from the Midlands to London, by-passing the upper reaches of the River Thames near Oxford...
, now 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...
, which connects London with Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, passes immediately to the west of Uxbridge, and forms the borough boundary. The first stretch was built in the late 18th century from Brentford
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located at the confluence of the River Thames and the River Brent, west-southwest of Charing Cross. Its former ceremonial county was Middlesex.-Toponymy:...
to Uxbridge. Further upstream is Uxbridge Lock, and nearby is a flourmill belonging to Allied Mills. A Mr King, who called it "Kingsmill", bought this in the 19th century. This brand name is one of the best-selling bread-makers in the UK, though most of the milling is now done on Tyneside
Tyneside
Tyneside is a conurbation in North East England, defined by the Office of National Statistics, which is home to over 80% of the population of Tyne and Wear. It includes the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside — all settlements on...
.
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
is also located in the London Borough of Hillingdon and is approximately 5 miles from the centre of Uxbridge.
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 222, 331
London Buses route 331
London Buses route 331 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to First Centrewest.-History:...
, 427
London Buses route 427
London Buses route 427 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to First Centrewest.-History:...
, 607
London Buses route 607
London Buses route 607 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to First Centrewest.-History:...
, A10
London Buses route A10
London Buses Airbus routes describes the dedicated routes run by London Buses and its successors to Heathrow Airport. The routes have the prefix letter A. Currently only one route exists, the A10, with four others having been withdrawn.-Route A10:...
, U1, U2, U3, U4, U5, U7, U9, U10 and N207 serve the area alongside four non-Tfl
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
routes: First Berkshire & The Thames Valley
First Berkshire & The Thames Valley
First Berkshire & The Thames Valley is a bus operator serving Bracknell, Slough and Wokingham, in England. It is part of First Group, a major bus and train operator with a turnover of nearly £2.5 billion a year and 62,000 employees across the UK and North America...
route 58 and Carousel Buses
Carousel Buses
Carousel Buses is an independent bus company based in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England which operates a network of local and inter-urban bus services.-History:Carousel Buses was formed in 2000...
routes A30, A40 and 740 also serve the town.
Civic Centre
The London Borough of Hillingdon's Civic Centre was built in Uxbridge High Street in 1973, as part of an effort to unite the services of the council, which had formed in 1965 with the merger of the Municipal Borough of UxbridgeMunicipal Borough of Uxbridge
Uxbridge was a local government district in north west Middlesex, England, from 1849 to 1965, based around the town of Uxbridge.Uxbridge was one of the first towns in England to adopt the Public Health Act 1848 in 1849 and form a local board of health. Under the Local Government Act 1894 the local...
, 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....
, Hayes and Harlington Urban District
Hayes and Harlington Urban District
Hayes was a local government district in west Middlesex, England from 1904 to 1965.It was originally created in 1904 as an urban district, Hayes Urban District, covering the Hayes parish transferred from Uxbridge Rural District...
and Yiewsley and West Drayton Urban District
Yiewsley and West Drayton Urban District
Yiewsley and West Drayton was an urban district in Middlesex, England.It was formed in 1911 from the parish of Yiewsley, formerly part of Uxbridge Rural District. This rural district was abolished in 1929, and Yiewsley was joined by the parish of West Drayton, resulting in a change of name for the...
. Before the new building was completed, council services had been spread throughout Uxbridge and the rest of the borough and various buildings, as a result of the merging of the former district councils.
Part of the original 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...
office building which stood on site was incorporated into the new Civic Centre. The centre's clock tower is the only visible section from the old building. The Uxbridge Cricket Club Ground
Uxbridge Cricket Club Ground
Uxbridge Cricket Ground opened in 1971. Uxbridge Cricket Club moved here after a redevelopment of Uxbridge High Street saw the club move from their Cricketfield Road ground...
and Uxbridge fire station were relocated as part of the new development, which became controversial due to both its size and cost. Areas of the building, particularly the council chambers, continue to suffer from poor accoustics.
Uxbridge Magistrate's Court
The original Magistrate's Court opened in 1907 in an EdwardianEdwardian architecture
Edwardian architecture is the style popular when King Edward VII of the United Kingdom was in power; he reigned from 1901 to 1910, but the architecture style is generally considered to be indicative of the years 1901 to 1914....
style. A new building with little exterior styling opened nearby in the 1990s and legal proceedings were transferred.
RAF Uxbridge, Battle of Britain Bunker and Hillingdon House
Uxbridge had a Royal Air Force station, known as RAF Uxbridge, until its closure on 31 March 2010. The station was built within the grounds of Hillingdon HouseHillingdon House
Hillingdon House is a Grade II listed mansion in Hillingdon, Greater London. The original house was built in 1717 as a hunting lodge for the Duke of Schomberg. It was destroyed by fire and the present house was built in its place in 1844....
, a 19th century mansion bought by the British Government in 1915, and became most famous for being the home of RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
's No. 11 Group
No. 11 Group RAF
No. 11 Group was a group in the Royal Air Force for various periods in the 20th century, finally disbanding in 1996. Its most famous service was during 1940 when it defended London and the south-east against the attacks of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain.-First World War:No. 11 Group was...
Operations Room 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...
. Fighter squadrons at airfields in the south-east of England were directed from the station, which was also visited by the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
during the Battle, and other foreign leaders throughout the rest of the war.
Following the station's closure, the replica No. 33 Squadron
No. 33 Squadron RAF
No. 33 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Puma HC.1 from RAF Benson, Oxfordshire.-Current role:The squadron is part of the RAF Support Helicopter force, which reports into the Joint Helicopter Command....
Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
gate guardian was removed from the main entrance for restoration work and moved to the entrance of the Operations Room (now known as the Battle of Britain Bunker
Battle of Britain Bunker
The Battle of Britain Bunker is an underground operations room at RAF Uxbridge, formerly used by No. 11 Group Fighter Command during the Second World War. Fighter aircraft operations were controlled from there throughout the War but most notably during the Battle of Britain and on D-Day...
). The area around the bunker was retained as an enclave under the RAF Uxbridge name, under the care of 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...
. An additional guardian, a Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
in the colours of No. 303 (Polish) 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....
was added to the area in November 2010.
Notable people
- Christine KeelerChristine KeelerChristine Margaret Keeler is an English former model and showgirl. Her involvement with a British government minister discredited the Conservative government of Harold Macmillan in 1963, in what is known as the Profumo Affair....
, iconic 1960s model involved in the Profumo AffairProfumo AffairThe Profumo Affair was a 1963 British political scandal named after John Profumo, Secretary of State for War. His affair with Christine Keeler, the reputed mistress of an alleged Russian spy, followed by lying in the House of Commons when he was questioned about it, forced the resignation of...
, was born in Uxbridge
- Bernard MilesBernard MilesBernard James Miles, Baron Miles, CBE was an English character actor, writer and director. He opened the Mermaid Theatre in London in 1959, the first new theatre opened in the City of London since the 17th century....
(1907-1991), actor/writer/director, was born in Uxbridge
- John StearsJohn StearsJohn Stears known as 'the Dean of Special Effects' and 'The Real Q' was an Academy Award winning special effects expert, who created James Bond's lethal Aston Martin DB5, Luke Skywalker's Landspeeder, the Jedi Knights' lightsabers, the endearing robots R2-D2 and C-3PO as well as a host of other...
(1934-1999), Oscar-winning creator of James BondJames BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
's Aston Martin DB5Aston Martin DB5The Aston Martin DB5 is a luxury grand tourer that was made by Aston Martin. Released in 1963, it was an evolution of the final series of DB4. The DB series was named honouring David Brown ....
, Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
robots R2-D2R2-D2R2-D2 , is a character in the Star Wars universe. An astromech droid, R2-D2 is a major character throughout all six Star Wars films. Along with his droid companion C-3PO, he joins or supports Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Obi-Wan Kenobi in various points in the saga...
and C-3POC-3POC-3PO is a robot character from the Star Wars universe who appears in both the original Star Wars films and the prequel trilogy. He is also a major character in the television show Droids, and appears frequently in the series' "Expanded Universe" of novels, comic books, and video games...
, and the Jedi Knights' lightsaberLightsaberA lightsaber is a fictional weapon in the Star Wars universe, a "laser sword." It consists of a polished metal hilt which projects a blade of light about 1.33 metres long. The lightsaber is the signature weapon of the Jedi order and their Sith counterparts, both of whom can use them for close...
s, among other special effects), was born in Uxbridge
External links
- London Borough of Hillingdon
- Uxbridge Lido - now Hillingdon Sports and Leisure Complex
- The Uxbridge Parish of St Margaret's and St Andrew's Churches
- Uxbridge Gazette