St John's Wood
Coordinates: 51°32′10″N 0°10′30″W / 51.5361°N 0.1751°W
| St John's Wood | |
 St John's Wood
St John's Wood shown within Greater London |
|
| OS grid reference | TQ265835 |
|---|---|
| London borough | Westminster |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | London |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LONDON |
| Postcode district | NW8 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| EU Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament | Westminster North |
| London Assembly | West Central |
| List of places: UK • England • London | |
St John's Wood is a district of north-west London, England, in the City of Westminster, and at the north-west end of Regent's Park. It is approximately 2.5 miles north-west of Charing Cross. Once part of the Great Middlesex Forest, it was later owned by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem.[1]
The postcode NW8 (St. John's Wood) was ranked by Forbes magazine as the 5th most expensive postcode in London and the United Kingdom, with an average home sale price of nearly £2 million ($3.5 million).[2] It is home to some of the most expensive properties in the world.[3][4]
St John's Wood was developed from the early 19th century onwards. It was one of the first London suburbs to be developed with a large amount of low density "villa" housing, as opposed to the terraced housing which was the norm in London up to the 19th century, even in expensive districts. Parts of St John's Wood have been rebuilt at a higher density,[5] but it remains a highly desirable residential district, and one of the most expensive areas of London.[6]
St John's Wood is the location of Lord's Cricket Ground, home of Middlesex County Cricket Club and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), and original headquarters of the sport. It is also famous for Abbey Road Studios and the street Abbey Road, where The Beatles recorded, notably the Abbey Road album, the cover of which features the band crossing the road. Paul McCartney has owned a property in the area since the 1960s along with many other famous music and film stars.[7][8][9]
The King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery has a barracks in St. John's Wood and regularly exercises their horses by parading them through the streets of St. John's Wood.
Philosopher A.J. Ayer was born and grew up in the area, as did Chef Clarissa Dickson Wright, and the former Wrights' home is now home to supermodel Kate Moss.[10] Actor Damian Lewis was born in St John's Wood. The Rolling Stones referenced it in their song "Play With Fire". Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones lived on Carlton Hill, at the northern edge of St John's Wood, in the 1960s, as detailed in his 2010 autobiography, "Life". The director, wit and physician Jonathan Miller was born into a wealthy family in the area. The British World War II flier Douglas Bader was born in St. John's Wood.
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[edit] Education
[edit] Transport and locale
- Nearest places
- Belsize Park to the north-east
- Hampstead to the north
- Kilburn to the north-west
- Lisson Grove to the south
- Maida Vale to the south-west
- Marylebone to the south
- Primrose Hill to the east
- Regents Park to the south
- Swiss Cottage to the north
The nearest London Underground stations are St John's Wood, Swiss Cottage — on the Jubilee Line; Maida Vale, Marylebone Station and Warwick Avenue — on the Bakerloo Line; and Baker Street on Bakerloo Line, Jubilee Line, Hammersmith & City Line, Metropolitan Line and Circle Line.
The nearest London Overground station is South Hampstead
[edit] Notable residents
Past and present residents of the area include:[11][12][13][14]
- Lily Allen - musician
- David Alliance, Baron Alliance
- Sarah Burton - fashion designer
- James Caan - entrepreneur
- Vanessa Feltz - broadcaster
- Andy Fletcher - musician (Depeche Mode)
- Leonard N. Fowles - organist/composer
- Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau - member of the Dutch Royal Family (Wellington Hospital)
- Avram Grant - football manager
- Daphne Guinness – socialite
- Stephen Hough - concert pianist
- Kia Joorabchian - businessman
- Nigel Kennedy - violinist
- Lillie Langtry – actress[5]
- John Lawford - Royal Navy officer
- Terry Manning, music producer
- Paul McCartney - musician
- Ewan McGregor - actor
- Jonathan Rhys Meyers - actor
- Jonathan Miller - writer, opera director, physiologist and sculptor
- Kate Moss - model
- Alex Prior - singer/composer
- Keith Richards - rock musician and songwriter
- Mel Smith - actor
- Gregg Sulkin - actor
- Sachin Tendulkar - cricketer
- Clarissa Dickson Wright - chef
- See also
Category:People from St John's Wood
[edit] St John's Wood in literature and music
- St John's Wood is the home of fictional characters Bingo and Rosie Little in P. G. Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster books.
- Irene Adler lives there (in Briony Lodge on Serpentine Avenue) in Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes story "A Scandal in Bohemia".
- In the first installment of John Galsworthy's The Forsyte Saga, The Man of Property, Young Jolyon lives on fictional Wistaria Avenue with his second wife and family.
- Referenced in the Rolling Stones song, Play with Fire, released in 1965.
- Setting of Howard Jacobson's book The Making of Henry. In Jacobson's 2010 Man Booker Prize winning novel The Finkler Question, St John's Wood is the planned location for the Museum of Anglo-Jewish Culture.
- Count and Countess Fosco live at No. 5 Forest Road, St. John's Wood in Wilkie Collins's 1859 sensation novel "The Woman in White".
[edit] References
- ^ The St. John's Wood Society. St John’s Wood History. (Retrieved 24 January 2011)
- ^ http://www.forbes.com/2007/12/11/postcodes-uk-expensive-forbeslife-cx_po_1212realestate.html
- ^ http://www.foxtons.co.uk/living-in/st-johns-wood/
- ^ http://www.nacel.org/cdlp/Language-Schools/United-Kingdom/English-UKLOS.php
- ^ a b Elrington, C R (Editor); Baker, T F T; Bolton, Diane K; Croot, Patricia E C, "A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 9, p.60–63" British-History.ac.uk, 1989 (Retrieved 24 January 2011)
- ^ http://www.forbes.com/2007/12/11/postcodes-uk-expensive-forbeslife-cx_po_1212realestate.html
- ^ http://www.ludlowthompson.com/area_guides_St-John's-Wood/St-John's-Wood-364.htm
- ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2047215/Paul-McCartney-Nancy-Shevell-wedding-Kate-Moss-Ronnie-Wood-leave.html
- ^ http://www.cwh.org.uk/locations/st-johns-wood/st-john-s-wood-in-the-area/
- ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1363408/Inside-home-Kate-Moss-sell-Whats-putting-buyers--flooding-Location-Or-jungle-themed-living-room.html
- ^ http://www.ludlowthompson.com/area_guides_St-John's-Wood/St-John's-Wood-364.htm
- ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2047215/Paul-McCartney-Nancy-Shevell-wedding-Kate-Moss-Ronnie-Wood-leave.html
- ^ http://www.cwh.org.uk/locations/st-johns-wood/st-john-s-wood-in-the-area/
- ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1363408/Inside-home-Kate-Moss-sell-Whats-putting-buyers--flooding-Location-Or-jungle-themed-living-room.html
[edit] External links
- Map of St John's Wood and the surrounding districts
- YourLocal London - St John's Wood (Community Website)
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