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Ickenham

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Ickenham
Ickenham Village Pump
Population9,933 (2001)
OS grid referenceTQ075855
• Charing Cross14.3 mi (23.0 km) ESE
London borough
Ceremonial countyGreater London
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townUXBRIDGE
Postcode districtUB10
Dialling code01895
PoliceMetropolitan
FireLondon
AmbulanceLondon
London Assembly
List of places
UK
England
London

Ickenham is a suburban area, centred on an old village in west London and is part of the London Borough of Hillingdon. The area has a rich history with settlements dating back to the Roman occupation of Britain discovered during archaeological surveys. Buildings dating back to the 14th, 15th and 16th century remain and have been restored in recent years. The 17th century Jacobean mansion Swakeleys House was requsitioned during the Second World War for the use of a searchlight battery on the grounds, while a Royal Air Force station, RAF West Ruislip, was used for the Navy Exchange of the U.S. Naval Activities, United Kingdom command until 2006.

Ickenham had a population of 329 in the 1901 Census.[1] This had reached 9,933 by the time of the 2001 Census,[2] though a marked decline from census figures in the 1960s and 1970s. The establishment of a stop on the railway line linking Ickenham with Harrow and later Central London commenced a great deal of development in the village, as it gradually became an area for commuters to live in and travel from to work. The sale and development of much of the estate of Swakeleys in 1922 also brought with it many new homes, with the resulting expansion of Ickenham becoming part of what came to be termed "Metro-land".

History

Toponomy

Ickenham appears in the Domesday Book three times under the name 'Ticheham'. Translated from Latin, the second entry read:

Manor Ickenham answers for 9½ hides. 3 men-at-arms and 1 Englishman hold it from Earl Roger. Land for 6 ploughs; 4 ploughs there; a further 6 possible. 6 villagers with 1 hide; 2 others with 1 hide and 1 virgate; 2 others with 2 virgates; 4 smallholders with 20 acres; 3 cottages. Meadow for 4 ploughs; pasture for the village livestock; woodland, 200 pigs. Total value £4; when acquired the same; before 1066 £6.[3]

The Domesday Book describes the land as being predominantly flat and composed of London clay with the exception of alluvium along the banks of the River Pinn. While few archaeological surveys of Ickenham have been completed, one in 1994 by the Museum of London found a system of Roman fields, dating back to the 1st and 2nd century, together with pieces of pottery. It is believed that the area may have been abandoned for a length of time following the departure of the Romans from Britain around AD 410.[1]

Early developments

Swakeleys House was built in 1638

Ickenham was originally split into four manors, Ickenham, Tykenham, Swalcliff (Swakeleys) and Herses (Hercies). Tykenham and Herses were within the parish of Hillingdon, though Herses subsequently became part of the manor of Swalcliff.[3] These manors eventually came together to form the main manors of Ickenham and Swakeleys. The original lord of the manor of Ickenham was Geoffrey de Mandeville from whom it passed to William de Brock and then to John Charlton in 1334, whose son John owned Swakeleys from 1350.[3] Ickenham later came under the ownership of the Shorediches from the mid-14th century, with whom it remained until 1819. The Shorediche family built their manor house on a track off Long Lane, which they originally named Ickenham Hall but subsequently changed to Manor Farm. The Crosier family in turn renamed their manorial home from Sherwyns to Ickenham Hall.[3] Swakeleys manor was named after Robert Swalcliffe, who owned the manor in the 14th century. Although John Charlton had taken ownership of Swakeleys, a relative of his was later killed during the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 while fighting on the side of Richard III. Although Henry VII subsequently granted Charlton's widow a life interest in the manor, the king gave possession to Sir Thomas Bourchier. The Bourchiers later passed Swakeleys to Sir John Pecche, from whom it then passed to the Earl of Devon, Henry Courteney, then Ralph Pexall.[1]

St Giles' church dates back to 1335

Swakeleys House, a 17th century Jacobean mansion became the manorial home for the lords of the manor of Swakeleys. The house that stands today was not the first on the site; that was dated to around the 1300s and was subject to extensive remedial work under the possession of John Bingley. Bingley sold the estate to Sir Edmund Wright, a future Lord Mayor of London in 1629, and it was Sir Edmund who had the current house built in 1638.[1] During the Second World War the house was leased to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and a searchlight battery established in the grounds.[4] The house was Grade I listed in 1956, and the cottage lived in by the head gardener on the junction of Swakeleys Road and The Avenue was Grade II listed in 1959.[5]

The Pump and Coach and Horses public house

A church for Ickenham is not mentioned in the Domesday Book, so it is likely that residents travelled to nearby Harefield for services. The original nave and chancel of St Giles' church has been dated back to the mid-14th century, specifically 1335, although the nave was later extended west in 1959.[6] The bell turret was built in the 15th century and a brick aisle added in 1575.[1] In the 1980s, the church formed a covenant with the neighbouring United Reformed Church when it celebrated its 650th anniversary.[7] The United Reformed Church moved to its current building in 1936, after the previous chapel building had proven too small for the growing congregation. This is now used by a local company as a wood and scrap metal yard.[1]

The focus of the area is 'The Pump' - a water pump donated to the village by Charlotte Gell in 1866 which stands close by the village pond, at the intersection of Swakeleys Road and Long Lane. Gell died in 1863 and her will stipulated that the water pump should be sunk for the benefit for the community. Beside the Pump is the village pond which was dug at the same time the 144 foot (44 m) well for the pump was sunk in order to take the waste from the construction.[8] An older pond on the other side of the village was filled in with the earth dug up for the new one.[9] The Pump was in use until December 1914 and was restored in 2003 in partnership with a local building company.[10] Gell had also donated some of her land near St Giles's church in 1857 for five almshouses to be built for longstanding servants to the Gell household or Ickenham residents who were members of the Church of England. No more than three people were allowed to live in the houses at one time. The cottages remain and are maintained by the local church. The Coach & Horses public house stands close to the Pump, licensed for the sale of alcohol in 1759 but dating back further within the 16th century. The house was used for manorial courts throughout the 19th century until 1878.[1]

Urban development

On 25 September 1905 a small halt was opened by the Metropolitan Railway on the line between Harrow and Uxbridge, following lobbying by the Ickenham Parish Council. The railway company had been reluctant to open a station in the area due to a perceived lack of revenue and so a compromise was reached with the halt. The new halt brought with it travellers from London seeking a day-out in rural surroundings. Villagers living near the halt sold flowers from their gardens and served teas.[1] The parish council later requested shelters for passengers on the platforms, which were built in December 1905. A booking hut followed in 1910.[11] The platforms, which had been too short for trains to call at fully, were extended in 1922.[12] Ickenham Halt was later rebuilt as a station in the 1970s.[13]

The marathon of the 1908 Summer Olympics in London passed through Ickenham and Uxbridge on the route to the White City Stadium.[8]

The railway meant more commuters began to move to Ickenham and travel to work in London. On 5 July 1922 the estate of Swakeleys was significantly reduced in size when a total of 1,382 acres (559 ha) of the estate was auctioned for development. New roads were laid out across the land: Warren Road, Swakeleys Drive, Court Road, Milton Road, Ivy House Road, The Avenue and Thornhill Road (originally named Park Road). Other land bordering the River Pinn was designated as public open land.[1] Shops were built around Swakeleys Road, while houses were built along the length of it. The road was widened into a dual carriageway in 1937. Milton Farm, one of the farms of the former Swakeleys estate was demolished in 1939, including the farm's pond and listed pond, and developed into housing as Milton Court, though this was marketed as "Ickenham Garden City".[3]

View of Ickenham village pond

A military station, operated by the Royal Air Force and later the United States Navy, was opened on part of Home Farm close to the parish boundary with Ruislip in 1917, later becoming known as RAF West Ruislip. The site was used originally for the British No. 4 Maintenance Unit, together with the RAF Records division. It was involved in the repair of aircraft equipment and later became involved in the servicing of American vehicles from RAF South Ruislip. Between 1955 and 1975 the United States Air Force were based there,[8] before the U.S. Naval Activities, United Kingdom command leased the site from the Ministry of Defence for the American Naval Exchange. In the 1980s, many military buildings were demolished and housing constructed on part of the site in the 1980s under the Brackenbury Village name.[1] The US Navy eventually left in 2006 and the base was permanently closed.[14] The site is currently undergoing redevelopment as residential housing.[15]

St Giles' church and the Pump, circa 1900

The original village school was built on Ickenham High Road in 1866, although by 1920 it had become overcrowded. Older children were moved to the village hall in 1928 under the name Ickenham Temporary Council School and in 1929 the village school closed with the infants also moving to the village hall. The road was widened in 1934 which necessitated the demolition of the school building together with the original Fox & Geese public house.[8] Breakspear Primary School was later built in 1937, followed by Glebe Primary in 1952 on the other side of the railway line.[1] The Roman Catholic secondary school Douay Martyrs was built in 1962 and later expanded onto the former site of Swakeleys School nearby.[8] Swakeleys School had opened in 1929 for the older children from the village school. In 1952 the boys moved to the newly opened Abbotsfield School and Swakeleys became a girls' secondary modern school. The girls' school moved from Ickenham to share the site of Abbotsfield Boys School in Hillingdon in 1973.[8] Vyners School was opened as a grammar school on 12 January 1960, later becoming a comprehensive. Delays in building work meant the first intake of pupils were taught at St Mary's Grammar School in Northwood Hills from 9 September 1959.[8]

The village hall had been built on part of Church Farm in 1926, designed by Clifton Davy. It was opened by Princess Victoria. As well as becoming the temporary village school, it also became a restaurant during the Second World War and went on to be used as a bank and a polling station. A police telephone box was introduced in February 1936 beside the Pump, and became operational on 4 May 1936.[8] Church Farm opposite St Giles' church was eventually demolished after the Second World War and replaced with shops, while new roads were established in the area. By 1951 the population of Ickenham had reached 7,107, though this had risen to 10,370 by 1961 and 11,214 by 1971. The ford over the River Pinn on Swakeleys Drive, nicknamed "The Splash", was replaced in 1957 by a road bridge.[3]

Middlesex County Council bought Ickenham Hall and its grounds in 1948 in order to convert it into a youth centre. In 1968 a theatre was built behind the hall, later named the Compass Theatre by the Theatre Director John Sherratt. The two buildings were connected by a new building in 1976.[8]

The village library was opened in 1962 on the site of the 16th century cottage and tea garden, The Orchard.[8] After much discussion, Uxbridge Borough Council were persuaded to place a three sided clock commemorating the coronation of Elizabeth II into the library's tower in 1954, where it remains, rather than within the eight sided Village Pump.[16]

In 2009 the Royal Mail officially recognised Ickenham as a postal address town. Previously Uxbridge had been used, but following the agreement, Ickenham could also be included.[17]

Local government

Ickenham had a parish council but came within the Uxbridge Rural District until 1925, when this was absorbed into the Municipal Borough of Uxbridge. This remained until 1965, when the borough was included in the newly established London Borough of Hillingdon.[18]

Landmarks and events

The 2010 Ickenham Festival within the grounds of Swakeleys House
Part of the Pynchester Moat

Ickenham Festival

The biennial Ickenham Festival has taken place in the town since 1976, originally with the aim of highlighting the variety of societies and groups in the area.[19] The festival normally centres on a charity gala day in June, when various groups including Scouts, church groups and schools parade through the town, finishing with a large fête in the grounds of Swakeleys House. Fireworks mark the end of the festival in the evening.[20]

Pynchester Moat

The Pynchester Moat is a Scheduled Ancient Monument on the River Pinn just east of Copthall Road West.[21] Although usually dry in the summer months, the moat surrounding the location of a manor house can still be seen. Excavations of the site between 1966 and 1969 found pottery and an oven dating back to the 14th or 15th century.[1] It is believed the manor house, Pynchester, at the centre of the moat was owned by the Hastings family in the 16th century.[3]

The moat is a point of interest on the Celandine Route - a 12-mile walk along the River Pinn from Pinner to the Grand Union Canal at Cowley.

Swakeleys House

The house was built between 1629 and 1638 for Sir Edmund Wright, replacing an existing house dating back to the 1300s.[9] In later years the Foreign & Commonwealth Office Sports Association bought the house, followed by the London Postal Region Sports Club. Cricket matches between the club and local teams from Ickenham and Uxbridge were played within the grounds.[8] The house was bought by three local residents in the 1980s and restored, whereupon it was leased to Bristol-Myers Squibb for 25 years.[1] Since the expiration in 2009 of the lease the house has been open to the public for one day a year as part of Open House London.[22]

Education

Primary schools include Breakspear Infant & Nursery School,[23] Breakspear Junior School,[24] and Glebe Primary School.[25] Secondary schools include The Douay Martyrs School[26] and Vyners School.[27]

The local library was closed for a complete refurbishment in 2009 and reopened in March 2010.[28]

Sports clubs and societies

The Ickenham and District Society of Model Engineers was formed in September 1948 originally meeting in the old ARP huts, before moving to Ickenham Hall. The society held their first exhibition of miniature locomotives in a field off Swakeleys Road on 14 May 1949. On 18 June 1955 the society opened its new clubhouse at a new site near the Coach & Horses public house where it remains.[8] The miniature railway is open to the public on the first Saturday of each month.[29]

Ickenham has a residents' association, established in 1924, which maintains an active role within the community.[8] In recent years the association has been involved in halting planned developments by Tesco and Ikea in the local area which would have affected Ickenham.[30]

Transport

Ickenham tube station is served by the Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines.[31] The London Buses routes U1 and U10 serve Ickenham.[32]

West Ruislip station (opened as Ruislip & Ickenham)[1] is on the border of Ruislip and Ickenham and is served by the Central line and Chiltern Main Line.[33]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Bowlt, Eileen. M. (1996). Ickenham & Harefield Past. London: Historical Publications. ISBN 0-948667-36-2. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ Office for National Statistics. "Area: Ickenham (Ward)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Hughes, Morris. W. (1983). The Story of Ickenham. Uxbridge: London Borough of Hillingdon. ISBN 0-907869-04-1. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  4. ^ Ickenham Online. "A Wartime Childhood in Ickenham". Ickenham Online. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
  5. ^ "Listed buildings" (PDF). London Borough of Hillingdon. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
  6. ^ St Giles' Church, Ickenham. "History". St Giles' Church, Ickenham. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
  7. ^ Ickenham Online. "1980s". Ickenham Online. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Skinner, James (2005). Images of England: Ickenham. Stroud: Tempus. ISBN 0-7524-3411X. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  9. ^ a b Newbery, Mary (1996). Around Ruislip. Stroud: The Chalfont Publishing Company. ISBN 0-7524-0688-4. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ Ickenham Church News (November 2003). "Local Heritage Site Work Gets The Go Ahead". Ickenham Church News. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
  11. ^ Ickenham Online. "The Arrival of Public Transport The Metropolitan Railway". Ickenham Online. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  12. ^ Ickenham Online. "The Suburb That Never Was!". Ickenham Online. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  13. ^ Ickenham Online. "1970s". Ickenham Online. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  14. ^ Navy News Service (28 September 2006). "Eye on the fleet". US Navy. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  15. ^ Cala Homes (14 December 2007). "Cala Acquires West Ruislip RAF Site For Record £180M Housing Development". Cala Homes. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  16. ^ Ickenham Online. "1960s". Ickenham Online. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
  17. ^ Ickenham Residents' Association (April 2009). "Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the Ickenham Residents' Association". Ickenham Residents' Association. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  18. ^ Cotton, Carolynne (1994). Uxbridge Past. London: Historical Publications. ISBN 0-948667-30-3. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  19. ^ Ickenham Festival. "History Of The Festival". Ickenham Festival. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  20. ^ Ickenham Festival. "Festival Calendar". Ickenham Festival. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  21. ^ Ickenham Church News (June 2005). "Pynchester Moat, Ickenham: The Archaeology". Ickenham Church News. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  22. ^ Coombs, Dan (17 August 2009). "Row over Swakeleys House open days". Uxbridge Gazette. Retrieved 1 April 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |newspaper= (help)
  23. ^ Breakspear Infant & Nursery School (2011). "Breakspear Infant & Nursery School". London Borough of Hillingdon. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  24. ^ Breakspear Junior School (2011). "Breakspear Junior School". London Borough of Hillingdon. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  25. ^ Glebe Primary School (2011). "Glebe Primary School". London Borough of Hillingdon. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  26. ^ The Douay Martyrs School (2011). "The Douay Martyrs School". London Borough of Hillingdon. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  27. ^ Vyners School (2011). "Vyners School". London Borough of Hillingdon. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
  28. ^ Ickenham Church News (March 2010). "A New Page in the Life of the Library". Ickenham Church News. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  29. ^ Ickenham and District S.M.E. (1 March 2010). "Ickenham Miniature Railway". Ickenham and District S.M.E. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
  30. ^ "Ickenham Residents'". Ickenham Residents' Association. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  31. ^ London Underground (2011). "Ickenham". Transport for London. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  32. ^ London Buses (2011). "Bus maps". Transport for London. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  33. ^ National Rail (2011). "West Ruislip (WRU)". National Rail. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
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