Dollis Hill

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Dollis Hill
Park Side - geograph.org.uk - 1555345.jpg
Park Side, which runs down from Dollis Hill Lane beside Gladstone Park
Greater London UK location map 2.svg
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Dollis Hill
Location within Greater London
Population14,425 (2011 Census. Ward) [1]
OS grid reference TQ225865
London borough
Ceremonial county Greater London
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town LONDON
Postcode district NW2, NW10
Dialling code 020
Police Metropolitan
Fire London
Ambulance London
UK Parliament
London Assembly
List of places
UK
England
London
51°33′51″N0°14′03″W / 51.5641°N 0.2341°W / 51.5641; -0.2341

Dollis Hill is an area in northwest London, which consists of the streets surrounding the 35 hectares (86 acres) Gladstone Park. It is served by a London Underground station, Dollis Hill, on the Jubilee line, providing good links to central London. It is in the London Borough of Brent, close to Willesden Green, Neasden and Cricklewood, and is in the postal districts of NW2 and NW10 [2]

Contents

The area is mainly residential (Edwardian terraced and 1920s/30s semi-detached houses) with a restaurant, greengrocer and convenience stores near the underground station. The Dollis Hill ward has the highest Irish population in London. [3]

Dollis Hill played a part in the Second World War as the code-breaking computer used at Bletchley Park was built at the Post Office Research Station in Dollis Hill and the rarely used alternative Cabinet War Room bunker for Winston Churchill's government was dug underground here.

History

Crossing the Dudding Hill Line in late Victorian times, near the eastern end of Dudding Hill station, and at the western end of Gladstone Park Gladstone Park level crossing.png
Crossing the Dudding Hill Line in late Victorian times, near the eastern end of Dudding Hill station, and at the western end of Gladstone Park
Burnley Road c. 1905 Burnley road c1910.jpg
Burnley Road c. 1905
Burnley Road c. 1915 with airship flying overhead Burnley road c1915 with Zeppelin.jpg
Burnley Road c. 1915 with airship flying overhead
Shops at top of Burnley Road c. 1910 Burnley road shops c1910.jpg
Shops at top of Burnley Road c. 1910

The Dollis Hill Estate was formed in the early 19th century, when the Finch family bought up a number of farms in the area to form a single estate. Dollis Hill House itself was built in the 1820s. It was later occupied by Lord Aberdeen who often had Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone to stay as a guest.

In 1901, a new public park was created the 35 hectares (86 acres) Gladstone Park, named after the former Prime Minister. An underground station, Dollis Hill Underground station, was opened on 1 October 1909 as part of the Metropolitan line, now on the Jubilee line. Between the park and the underground station, Edwardian terraced houses were built at this time on a grid with names starting with letters in alphabetical order (with some letters missing) from Aberdeen to Normanby.

The first railway in the area was the Dudding Hill Line, opened in 1875 by the Midland Railway to connect its Midland Main Line and Cricklewood goods yard in the east to other lines to the southwest. The Dudden Hill station on the line closed for passengers in 1902, but the line still carried freight.

In World War I, between 1917 and 1921, the tank design team (The Mechanical Warfare Supply Department of the Ministry of Munitions) responsible for the new Anglo-American or Liberty tank, Mark VIII was located here. [4] [5] Early trials of some of the first military tanks were conducted in Dollis Hill. Images of the tanks in Dollis Hill are held at The Imperial War Museum, London. [6] [5]

A Mark Iv Tank - the Experimental Ground, Dollis Hill, London, N.w. Art.IWMART2488 A Mark Iv Tank - the Experimental Ground, Dollis Hill, London, N.w. Art.IWMART2488.jpg
A Mark Iv Tank - the Experimental Ground, Dollis Hill, London, N.w. Art.IWMART2488
A Whippet Tank at the Dollis Hill Experimental Ground Art.IWMART3888 A Whippet Tank at the Dollis Hill Experimental Ground Art.IWMART3888.jpg
A Whippet Tank at the Dollis Hill Experimental Ground Art.IWMART3888

The Post Office Research Station was built in 1921. The code-breaking Colossus computer, used at Bletchley Park during the Second World War, was built at here by a team led by Tommy Flowers. The station was relocated to Martlesham Heath at the end of the 1970s. The Post Office Research Station building has now been converted into 62 flats and is now known as 'Chartwell Court', with an access road called 'Flowers Close'.

The alternative Cabinet War Room bunker for Winston Churchill's World War II government code-named Paddock is located under a corner of the former Post Office Research Station in Brook Road.

Medium-sized, semi-detached houses were built to the east of this area between 1927 and 1935.

The Grunwick dispute in the late 1970s concerned trade union recognition, working conditions and employment law. It centred on the Grunwick Film Processing Laboratories in Chapter Road, Dollis Hill. The protracted dispute became a cause célèbre in the trade union movement at the time, with several acrimonious interactions between large numbers of police and mass pickets. [7] [6]

Demographics

Dollis Hill has a very diverse mix of ethnicities and nationalities. The largest single ethnic group in the Dollis Hill ward of the 2011 Census, White British, comprises 14.3% of the population. The next largest are Other White (13.7%), Indians (11.4%) and Black Africans (10.6%). [8] [9]

44.6% of people living in Dollis Hill were born in England in the 2011 census. The next most common countries of birth were Ireland (5.1%), India (4.3%), Pakistan (4%) and Somalia (3.9%). [10]

The main religious affiliations of Dollis Hill are Christians (43.9%), Muslims (31.3%), and Hindus (10.1%). [10]

Transport

The area is served by a London Underground station, Dollis Hill, on the Jubilee line. There are regular services to Baker Street in 15 minutes and Westminster in 20 minutes. It is in Travelcard Zone 3, three stops from West Hampstead and within easy reach of Wembley Stadium.

London Buses routes 226, 302 and N98 serve the area south of Gladstone Park. The area north of Gladstone Park is served by routes 182, 232, 245 and 332. There are a large number of buses that service nearby Willesden Green.

Notable residents

Chartwell Court, off Brook Road 037 Chartwell court Brook road London (7139300585).jpg
Chartwell Court, off Brook Road

William Ewart Gladstone, the British Prime Minister, was a frequent visitor to Dollis Hill House in the late 19th century. The year after his death, 1899, Willesden Council acquired much of the Dollis Hill Estate for use as a public park, which was named Gladstone Park. [11]

Mark Twain stayed in Dollis Hill House in the summer of 1900. He wrote "Dollis Hill comes nearer to being a paradise than any other home I ever occupied." [12]

Eric Simms, the ornithologist, broadcaster and author, lived in Brook Road. His book, Birds of Town and Suburb (1975), was based on his studies of the birds in Dollis Hill.[ citation needed ]

David Baddiel grew up in the area. [13]

Nihal Arthanayake, BBC Radio 5 Live DJ, resides here with his family.[ citation needed ]

Mark Gottsche, London county team Gaelic footballer, lived on Chapter Road between 2012 and 2019.[ citation needed ]

Ken Livingstone former MP and Mayor of London.

Next to Dollis Hill tube station was home to both The Future Sound of London's Earthbeat and 4 Hero's recording studios during the 1990s. [14] [15] [16]

Fictional references

The fictional Dollis Hill Football Club features occasionally in the British satirical magazine Private Eye as arch-rivals to Neasden Football Club, with on at least one occasion the fictional Dollis Hill South council ward used in the irregular Those Election Results In Full mock section. [ clarification needed ][ citation needed ]

George Bowling, hero of George Orwell's novel Coming Up for Air , lives in Ellesmere Road.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jubilee line</span> London Underground line

The Jubilee line is a London Underground line that runs between Stanmore in suburban north-west London and Stratford in east London, via the Docklands, South Bank and West End. Opened in 1979, it is the newest line on the Underground network, although some sections of track date back to 1932 and some stations to 1879.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cricklewood</span> Human settlement in England

Cricklewood is an area of London, England, which spans the boundaries of the London Borough of Barnet to the east, and the London Borough of Brent to the west. The Crown pub, now the Clayton Crown Hotel, is a local landmark and lies 5 miles (8 km) north-west of Charing Cross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harlesden</span> District in London, England

Harlesden is a district in the London Borough of Brent, North West London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neasden</span> Human settlement in England

Neasden is a suburban area in northwest London, England. It is located around the centre of the London Borough of Brent and is within the NW2 (Cricklewood) and NW10 (Willesden) postal districts. Neasden is near Wembley Stadium, the Welsh Harp, and Gladstone Park; the reservoir and River Brent marks its boundaries with Kingsbury and Wembley, while Gladstone Park and the Dudding Hill line separates it from Dollis Hill and Church End respectively. The A406 North Circular Road runs through the middle of Neasden; to the west is the Neasden Underground Depot, Brent Park retail area and the St Raphael's Estate; on the east is Neasden tube station, the large Neasden Temple, and former Neasden Power Station. The area is known as the place where Bob Marley lived after moving from Jamaica, living at a house in The Circle; the house was honoured with a blue plaque in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Borough of Brent</span> Local government district in London

Brent is a borough in north-west London, England. It is known for landmarks such as Wembley Stadium, the Swaminarayan Temple and the Kiln Theatre. It also contains the Welsh Harp reservoir and the Park Royal commercial estate. The local authority is Brent London Borough Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wembley</span> Suburb of London

Wembley is a large suburb in the London Borough of Brent, north-west London, 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Charing Cross. It includes the neighbourhoods of Alperton, Kenton, North Wembley, Preston, Sudbury, Tokyngton and Wembley Park. The population was 102,856 in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willesden</span> Area of north-west London, England

Willesden is an area of north-west London, situated 5 miles (8 km) north-west of Charing Cross. It is historically a parish in the county of Middlesex that was incorporated as the Municipal Borough of Willesden in 1933; it has formed part of the London Borough of Brent in Greater London since 1965. Dollis Hill is also sometimes referred to as being part of Willesden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dollis Hill tube station</span> London Underground station

Dollis Hill is a London Underground station at Dollis Hill near to Willesden and Gladstone Park of the London Borough of Brent. It is on the Jubilee line, between Neasden and Willesden Green stations and is in Travelcard Zone 3. Metropolitan line trains pass through the station without stopping here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wembley Park tube station</span> London Underground station

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neasden tube station</span> London Underground station

Neasden is a London Underground station in Neasden. It is on the Jubilee line, between Wembley Park and Dollis Hill stations. Metropolitan line trains pass through the station but do not stop. The Chiltern Main Line/London to Aylesbury Line runs to the west of the station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willesden Green tube station</span> London Underground station

Willesden Green is a London Underground station on Walm Lane in Willesden. It is served by the Jubilee line and is between Dollis Hill and Kilburn stations. Metropolitan line trains also pass through the station, but do not stop. The station is in both Travelcard Zone 2 and Zone 3.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Municipal Borough of Willesden</span> Former district in Middlesex, England

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Mapesbury is a residential area of northwest London, England. It forms one of twenty-one electoral wards of the London Borough of Brent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dudding Hill line</span> Railway line in northwest London

The Dudding Hill Line is a railway line in west and north-west London running from Acton to Cricklewood. It is roughly 4 miles (6.4 km) long, with a 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) speed limit, and semaphore signalling. The line has no scheduled passenger service, no stations, and is not electrified. It is lightly used by freight trains and, very occasionally, passenger charter trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dollis Hill House</span>

Dollis Hill House was an early 19th-century house also known as Dollis Hill Villa in today's north London suburb of Dollis Hill. Most of its gardens, south, form Gladstone Park and its owners were the freeholders of the farm estate, north, Dollis Hill Farm which together occupied the eminence, known as Dollis Hill, along with part of Willesden Paddocks in the parish of that name. Guests such as William Ewart Gladstone and Mark Twain were entertained there. The house became derelict after successive fire damage in 1995, 1996 and 2011, the last of which being the basement. As such the building was demolished in 2012 but a performance centre sits on its footprint. Dollis Hill House was an initial-class listed building and reached grade A on the English Heritage Buildings at Risk Register.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dudding Hill railway station</span> Former railway station in England

Dudding Hill railway station was a station in Neasden, London NW2 on the Dudding Hill Line.

The North and West London Light Railway (NWLLR), formerly known as the Brent Cross Railway, is a proposal for a light rail system in North and West London in the UK. It was put forward by the London group of the Campaign for Better Transport and by the Coalition for a Sustainable Brent Cross Cricklewood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gladstone Park, London</span> Park in the Dollis Hill area of London

Gladstone Park is situated in the Dollis Hill area of north-west London. It is about 35 hectares in area.

References

  1. ↑ "Brent Ward population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  2. ↑ https://www.britain-visitor.com/london-parks-gardens/gladstone-park
  3. ↑ "Demographics". Hidden London. 30 January 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  4. ↑ "Tank and Tracked Transport Experimental Establishment - Graces Guide".
  5. 1 2 "BBC - World War One at Home, Dollis Hill, London: Test Base for Tanks". 24 February 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Find an object | Imperial War Museums".
  7. ↑ "Grunwick: Chronology of events". University of Leeds . Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  8. ↑ "Dollis Hill". Hidden London. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  9. ↑ Good Stuff IT Services. "Dollis Hill - UK Census Data 2011". Ukcensusdata.com. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  10. 1 2 "Dollis Hill Demographics (Brent, England)". Dollis-hill.localstats.co.uk. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  11. ↑ Brent Arts Council are staging a play in Gladstone Park in July 2009 to mark the 200th anniversary of Gladstone's birth. [ permanent dead link ]
  12. ↑ Railton, Stephen. "London, England 1896-1900". Mark Twain in His Times. University of Virginia Library. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  13. ↑ "I grew up in Dollis Hill. But no sign so far of Duke of Dollis Hill. Despite it tripping so easily off the tongue". Twitter. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  14. ↑ Richard Buskin (November 2006). "CLASSIC TRACKS: Future Sound Of London 'Papua New Guinea'". Sound On Sound.
  15. ↑ "A Mermaid's Dream: Inside J Majik's Slow Motion LP". Godisnolongeradj.wordpress.com. 12 April 2019.>
  16. ↑ "Dusted Down: Neotropic – 15 Levels of Magnification". Juno. 7 March 2016.
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