Northolt


Northolt is an area in the London Borough of Ealing, London, England, and is west-northwest of Charing Cross.
It had a population of 30,304 at the 2011 UK census.

History

The settlement of Northolt is located in the ancient county of Middlesex. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Northall as being held by Geoffrey de Mandeville, and archaeological evidence suggests that there was a Saxon village at the location from the 8th century onwards. The medieval village had its origins in the Saxon period. Up to late Victorian times, the area was rural with predominantly arable crops being grown. The fourteenth century Northolt Manor existed behind the present Court Farm Road and was excavated from 1950 onwards. A barn constructed in the area in 1595 can now be seen in the Chiltern Open Air Museum. In the early part of the 18th century farmland was enclosed in order to provide hay for the City of London, alongside more traditional crops such as peas and beans.
Suburban development began in the 1920s. Most of the housing north of the Western Avenue was built in the 1920s–1930s, and is in the private housing sector. Most of the housing built to the south of the Western Avenue was built in the 1960s–1970s, and is in the social housing sectors, particularly along the Kensington and Ruislip Roads.
Two important transport links run through Northolt: the Grand Union Canal and the modern A40 road.
In the 21st century, a new large private housing development was built on the former site of the Taylor Woodrow company, adjacent to the Grand Union Canal. This development is known as "Grand Union Village" and incorporates a new canal boat marina.

Landmarks

Geography

The centre of Northolt lies at an elevation of about above sea level. It is hillier in the north whereas the south is lower, about. The town is mainly suburban, with some industrial land to the east, large green parts such as Lime Tree Park and Rectory Park, and semi-rural land to the west
Northolt is located from Hayes; from Southall; from Greenford; from Wembley; from Harrow; from Ruislip; and from Uxbridge.

Demography

Northolt is covered by two electoral wards of the London Borough of Ealing. Northolt Mandeville ward covers the main area of Northolt. Northolt West End ward covers the area south of the A40 road, including housing that is contiguous from Yeading directly to the south.
WardDetachedSemi-detachedTerracedFlats and apartments
Northolt Mandeville3.7%29.6%25.3%40.8%
Northolt West End3.0%26.4%17.4%53.1%

The median house price as of 2014 was £300,000 in Northolt Mandeville and £226,111 in Northolt West End. The population who are from BAME background was 51.7% and 55.1% respectively. The median age was 34 years and 32 years respectively.

Population

While Northolt remained a rural, agricultural area in the 19th century, its population growth remained slow:
The rapid growth of the population in the mid-20th century can be explained by Northolt's growth as a dormitory town for nearby Ealing, and the construction in 1935 of the A40 road through the area. Modern family homes were built in the 1920s and 1930s. In the 1950s and 1960s, predominantly local authority rented housing was constructed. 3,423 council houses had been built in Northolt by 1963. Northolt tube station was opened in 1948 to serve the growing population of the area.

Crime

Anti-social behaviour has recently been the most common reported crime, followed by violent and sexual offences. Crime levels notably increased, by up to 50% between 2013 and 2014.

RAF Northolt

The Royal Air Force station is situated in neighbouring South Ruislip in the London Borough of Hillingdon. Most early RAF airfields were named after the nearest railway station; in this case Northolt Junction,.

Pony racing

Northolt was famous for the pony racing which took place in Northolt Park. A racecourse was constructed by Sir William Bass and Viscount Lascelles, and opened in 1929 by the Earl of Harewood and his wife the Princess Royal.
During the Second World War, the land was taken over and used as an army depot and prisoner of war camp. Despite numerous attempts to revive pony racing after the war the land was given over to housing construction. The Racecourse Estate was constructed between 1951 and 1955 in order to solve a severe housing shortage within the borough. The gates of the original racecourse remain in Petts Hill, and a section of the track can be observed as a long, flat stretch of land alongside Mandeville Road.

Education

Northolt has two stations: Northolt on the London Underground Central line and Northolt Park, a Network Rail station served by Chiltern Railways.
Numerous London Buses routes serve Northolt.

Political representation

The constituency of Ealing North is currently represented by Labour and Co-operative Party Member of Parliament James Murray, and has been since 2019 following the retirement of Stephen Pound.
Northolt is made up of two electoral wards, as well as part of the electoral ward of North Greenford, which elect councillors to Ealing Council. As of 6 May 2010 the area is represented by five Labour councillors and one Conservative councillor.
At the same election Labour took control of Ealing Council from the Conservatives with a major swing against the Tories, which conflicted with the nationwide swing in the General Election.
Northolt comes under the London Assembly constituency of Ealing and Hillingdon which has one assembly member, currently Onkar Sahota, who was elected in May 2012.
Political status on Ealing Council:

Notable people