Hatch End

Hatch End
Hatch End  Hatch End shown within Greater London
OS grid reference	TQ125915
London borough	Harrow
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	PINNER
Postcode district	HA5
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	London
UK Parliament	Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner
London Assembly	Brent and Harrow
List of places: UK • England • London

Hatch End is a suburban area of North West London, situated within the London Borough of Harrow. It is located 13 miles north west of Charing Cross.

Attractions

Hatch End is home to the Harrow Arts Centre, a complex which centres around a large theatre and a smaller studio theatre. Music, dance, theatre, comedy and literature events are all hosted here, along with many workshops and summer schemes run during the holidays.

Local businesses include a number of furniture shops including Chaplins, which holds the largest selection of contemporary designer furniture in Europe, plus numerous restaurants including Italian (for example, there is a branch of ASK on the Uxbridge Road), Greek, Chinese, American and Indian. Hatch End was also previously home to The Railway public house; the site on which it once stood is now home to a Tesco Express store.

Also of interest is Letchford House on Headstone Lane, a Grade II listed building which was built in 1670.

Geography

The nearest regional centre for higher order goods is Harrow town centre, 2.5 miles to the southeast, with two shopping malls and a 9-screen cinema, along with numerous restaurants, places of entertainment and bookshops. Pinner town centre, approximately 1 mile to the southwest, offers additional amenities, including a DIY centre, a bookshop and two gift shops. Pinner tube station is also the nearest London Underground station to Hatch End, and the two are linked by the H12 bus service. Hatch End is also convenient for Watford, around 3.5 miles to the north, which also serves as a regional retail centre. The two areas are linked by regular rail services.

Demographics

Hatch End has a predominantly affluent population and properties in the area are popular. It is an area of London that has experienced a rise in population since the early twentieth century due to the demographic process of suburbanisation.

Day-to-day migration movements largely involve commuting into central London. Hatch End's population is served by excellent transport links including the London Overground (with regular services to London Euston), nearby London Underground stations and good A-road connections.

The area's tree-lined streets, open spaces, leisure amenities and restaurants (as well as close proximity to golf courses, parks and woods) make it one of the most desirable places to live in the capital. This, coupled with its low crime rate and aftorementioned transport links, has meant that many residents have moved to the area from districts closer to central London in search of a better quality of suburban life.

Using data from the 2001 Census, 74.02% of the population of the Hatch End ward identify as 'white', 18.94% as 'Asian or Asian British', 3.12% as 'Black or Black British', 2.16% as 'mixed', 1.14% as 'Other ethnic group' and 0.61% as Chinese. Christians make up 52.98% of the population of Hatch End. In addition, in common with many other parts of North West London, the area is also home to a sizeable Jewish community; Jews make up 11.38% of the population and the area has two synagogues (and a third in neighbouring Pinner) and a kosher butcher. The suburb is also home to a Hindu community which represents 11.86% of the population.

Notable residents

• David Badiel, English comedian, novelist and television presenter, lives in Hatch End
• Mrs Beeton, the first celebrity cook, lived in Uxbridge Road, Hatch End
• Barry Cryer, comedy writer and author, lives in Hatch End
• Stephanie O'Brien, singer, one of The Puppini Sisters, was brought up in Hatch End
• Rod Stewart, singer and musician, owns property in Hatch End
• Merlyn Rees, Welsh politician, taught in Harrow Weald Grammar School and lived in Hatch End
• Mark Ramprakash, cricketer, lived in Hatch End

Transport and locale

Nearby places

• Pinner
• Wealdstone
• Stanmore
• Northwood

Nearest stations

Hatch End and Headstone Lane, both served by the London Overground. For the Transport for London map showing details of buses serving these stations, go to [1].

Pinner and Harrow and Wealdstone, both served by the London Underground, are also in close proximity and the stations are served by local bus routes.

Main bus routes

The following London bus routes serve Hatch End (correct at 30 January 2012):

• H12 South Harrow to Stanmore
• H14 Hatch End to Northwick Park Hospital
• 182 Hatch End to Brent Cross Shopping Centre
• H18 Harrow circular, anticlockwise via North Harrow
• H19 Harrow circular, anticlockwise via Kenton