Hillingdon
| Hillingdon | |
| Middlesex | |
|---|---|
 Hillingdon Court Park | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TQ071827 |
| Location: | 51°31’58"N, 0°27’18"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Uxbridge |
| Postcode: | UB8, UB9, UB10 |
| Dialling code: | 020 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Hillingdon |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Uxbridge and South Ruislip |
Hillingdon is a town in western Middlesex subsumed in suburbia between Uxbridge and Hayes. Northolt Airport lies to the north and the fields of Sipson and Harlington to the south, providing a welcome green gap between Hillingdon and full immersion in the swollen, encroaching metropolis
Name
The name Hillingdon appears in the Domesday Book (1086) as Hillendone, possibly meaning "hill of a man named Hilla".[1]
History
Early developments
Hillingdon was an ancient parish, and had within it the chapelry of Uxbridge, which latter became a separate parish as it grew.
Hillingdon’s position as a rural village changed dramatically with the growth of the suburbs within Middlesex. The railway came this way and brought commuters and new houses with it, and the Western Avenue (now the A40) likewise spurred expansion.
The A40 Western Avenue was rerouted in the early 1990s to run slightly north of its original route, thereby allowing traffic to flow without interruption at the junction of Hillingdon Circus. Hillingdon tube station was required to be demolished in order for the new road to be constructed, and a new station was opened further south along the line in 1994, winning the Underground Station of the Year award for that year.[2]
Sights of the town
Church of St John the Baptist
The church of St John the Baptist stands at the top of Hillingdon Hill, at its junction with Royal Lane. It was built in 1629, replacing an earlier building deemed to have become unsafe.[3] In 1846, the architect George Gilbert Scott was asked to design an extension, after the increasing population meant the church was becoming too cramped. This extension was completed between 1847 and 1848 by the Fassnidge builders from Uxbridge.[3]
The barrel roof of the chancel was renovated in 1953 to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. In 1964, a vestry was built on the north-eastern side of the church.[4] On 8 November 1940, a bomb fell on the south side of the church, damaging many of the windows on the south and east sides of the church. The windows were repaired following the end of the Second World War.[5]
Hillingdon Court
Hillingdon Court was built in 1858 by Sir Charles Mills as his family home, after he had bought separate adjacent properties in Vine Lane. Both buildings were demolished and the plots combined to allow for the construction of the new property. The mansion remained in the family's ownership until the death of the Second Baron Hillingdon, Charles Mills in 1919. Part of the estate was bought by the local authority, while the mansion was bought by the Roman Catholic Order of the Sacred Heart and became a nursing home in 1920.
After the Second World War, the mansion became a girls' school, and in 1978 was bought by ACS International Schools to become ACS Hillingdon. Under the ownership of ACS International Schools, the mansion has been extended and converted in parts to meet the needs of a school. The area of land bought by the local authority remains today as Hillingdon Court Park.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Hillingdon) |
References
- Citations
- ↑ Pearce 2007, p. 7.
- ↑ Coombs, Dan (13 June 2011). "Tube station among Hillingdon buildings to get protection". Uxbridge Gazette. http://www.uxbridgegazette.co.uk/west-london-news/local-uxbridge-news/2011/06/13/tube-station-among-hillingdon-buildings-to-get-protection-113046-28868693/. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Pearce 2007, p.16
- ↑ Pearce 2007, p.17
- ↑ Pearce 2007, p.20
Books
- Ken Pearce, Hillingdon Village (Stroud: Sutton Publishing, 2007). ISBN 978-0-7509-4675-9