Hounslow

Hounslow
Osterley House
Hounslow  Hounslow shown within Greater London
OS grid reference	TQ145755
- Charing Cross	10.6 mi (17.1 km)  ENE
London borough	Hounslow
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	HOUNSLOW
Postcode district	TW3
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	London
UK Parliament	Brentford & Isleworth
London Assembly	South West
List of places: UK • England • London

Hounslow is the principal town in the London Borough of Hounslow. It is a suburban development situated 10.6 miles (17 km) west south-west of Charing Cross. It forms a post town in the TW postcode area.

Etymology

The origin of the name Hounslow is uncertain. It may derive from the Anglo-Saxon Honeslaw (meaning an area of land suitable for hunting), or from a name or description for a mound or hill associated with the pagan Hundi, of Anglo-Saxon times.

History

Positioned on the Great Western Road, Hounslow was centred around Holy Trinity Priory founded in 1211. The priory developed what had been a small village into a town with regular markets and other facilities for travellers heading to and from London. Although the priory was dissolved in 1539 the town remained an important staging post on the Great Western Road. The adjacent Hounslow Heath that had been used as a military encampment by both Oliver Cromwell and James II developed a reputation as the haunt of highwaymen and footpad.

The building of the Great Western Railway line from London to Bristol from 1838 seriously impacted travel along the Great Western Road. By 1842 the local paper was reporting that the 'formerly flourishing village', which used to stable 2,000 horses, was suffering a 'general depreciation of property'.

The construction of the Great West Road in the 1920s gave the town a new lease of life as an industrial area. These factories were the town's primary employer until their decline in the 1970s. In the next two decades offices replaced factories and Hounslow expanded to what it is now.

London buses confined to Hounslow bus station during the 2009 snowfall

Transport

South West Trains also provide National Rail services from Hounslow railway station. Hounslow abuts the perimeter of London Heathrow Airport, which is itself located in the London Borough of Hillingdon. To the north of Hounslow is the Great West Road.

There is a large bus garage, with adjoining bus station, located at the junction of London Road and Kingsley Road. The property is owned by the Transdev London group and operated through their company London United Busways Ltd, previously owned by London Transport. In addition to its frequent and regular daytime services throughout the surrounding areas Hounslow figures on the N9 night service from Heathrow to Central London.

Owing to its proximity to Heathrow and the ease of access into Central London, central Hounslow has developed a number of new hotels - some converted from former office buildings. In the 1960's Hounslow experienced a large influx of south Asian immigrants, hailing from the former British colonies.

Hounslow Heath Aerodrome was a grass airfield, operational 1914-1920. It was situated in the London borough of Hounslow, and in 1919 was the location from which the first scheduled daily international commercial air services took place.

Hounslow Heath and other parks

Hounslow Heath is a large public open space and local nature reserve to the west of Hounslow, a London borough. It now covers about 200 acres (80 ha), the residue of the historic Hounslow Heath that covered over 4,000 acres (1,600 ha).

The Heath has major historical importance, originally crossed by principal routes from London to the west and southwest of Britain. Staines Road, the northern boundary of the present Heath, is formerly the Roman Road, Via Trinobantes. There are several historic references to Roman camps on or close to the Heath. Continuous recorded history dates back to Norman times. It gave its name to what became Heathrow Airport.

Notable people

• Comedian Jimmy Carr was born in Hounslow

• Singer/songwriter Elvis Costello attended Hounslow Secondary Modern School (now St Mark's Catholic School)

• Actor Cyril Cusack (1910-1993) lived in Hounslow at the time of his death

• Ian Gillan, vocalist of rock band Deep Purple, was born in Hounslow

• Gustavus Green (1865-1964), aircraft engine pioneer, was born in Hounslow

• Charles Hawtrey (1914-1988), Carry On film legend, was born in Hounslow

• Actress Patsy Kensit was born in Hounslow

• Eminent historian Francis Maddison (1927-2006) was born and educated in Hounslow

• Award-winning musician M.I.A. was born in Hounslow

• Father Ted actor Dermot Morgan (1952-1998) lived in Hounslow at the time of his death

• Alistair Overeem, martial arts champion, was born in Hounslow

• Cyril Vosper (1935-2004), adherent then critic of Scientology, was born in Hounslow

• Maria Whittaker, 1980s page three girl, was born in Hounslow

• Actor Jack Wild (1952-2006), definitive Artful Dodger in the film Oliver! and star of H.R. Pufnstuf, grew up in Hounslow

Gallery

• 

  Hounslow Railway Station

• 

  Old post office

• 

  Blenheim centre

• 

  Holy Trinity Church

• 

  Banks

• 

  Jersey Gardens

• 

  Hounslow East tube station

• 

  Rear of the Treaty centre

See also

Nearest places

• Brentford           
• Chiswick
• Feltham
• Heathrow
• Heston

• Isleworth
• Osterley                     
• Richmond
• Whitton

• List of people from Hounslow
• List of schools in Hounslow

References

Notes

External links

• Hounslow Online - www.hounslowtw3.net Hounslow's local community website
• Community Guide to Hounslow - www.activhounslow.com Hounslow's online guide