Hanwell
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Hanwell is a town situated in the London Borough of Ealing in west London, between Ealing and Southall.
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[edit] Places of interest
[edit] The Central London District School
The Central London District School was built in 1856 to house and educate the poor of London. By far its most famous resident was Charlie Chaplin who lived at the school from June 1896 until January 1898.[1] The school was closed in 1933 but parts of it remain standing and are in use as the Hanwell Community Centre. The Community Centre was used as a location in the film Billy Elliot. It has been declared a Grade II listed building by English Heritage[2] but its future is uncertain.
[edit] Westminster Cemetery
In 1987 the Westminster Cemetery in Hanwell was one of three cemeteries that Shirley Porter's Westminster City Council controversially sold to land developers for 15p.[3]
[edit] Hanwell Asylum
Lying to the west of the River Brent and so actually in the precinct of Norwood, the Middlesex County Lunatic Asylum was commonly referred to as the Hanwell Asylum because it was closer to the centre of Hanwell than either Norwood or Southall. The asylum was opened in 1831 to house pauper lunatics. It became St Bernard's Hospital and has since become the St Bernard's wing of Ealing Hospital. Most of the original asylum still remains, with over half having been turned into flats and the rest remaining as a psychiatric hospital. The most interesting parts being the chapel and an entrance arch visible from the Uxbridge Road.
[edit] The Wharncliffe Viaduct
Carrying the Great Western Railway across the River Brent, the Wharncliffe Viaduct was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
[edit] Hanwell Flight of Locks
The Hanwell flight of six locks raises the Grand Union Canal by just over 53 ft and has been designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by English Heritage.[4] At the top of the flight of locks towards Norwood Green is the Three Bridges designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It is still often referred to locally as simply Windmill Bridge and is very close to the spot where the eponymous windmill once stood; attracting the attention of a local Brentford artist named Joseph Mallord William Turner.
[edit] St Thomas The Apostle Church
St Thomas the Apostle Church was designed by architect Edward Maufe in preparation for his work on Guildford Cathedral and includes a sculpture by Eric Gill.[5]
[edit] Hanwell Clock Tower
The art deco clock tower on Hanwell Broadway was unveiled on 7 May 1937 in celebration of the coronation of King George VI. The mayor at the time Frederick Woodward, said "I consider Hanwell one of the finest gateways to the city of London, and I cannot think of a more fitting place for the clock".[6]
[edit] Other places of interest
- Brent Lodge Park (known locally as "The Bunny Park").
- Elthorne Park including a Sarsen stone displayed at the entrance.
[edit] Famous Hanwell residents past and present
- Rick Wakeman, keyboardist for the band, Yes. Although Wakeman never lived in Hanwell, he attended Drayton Manor Grammar School, on Drayton Bridge Road, leaving in 1966.
- The Magic Numbers, indie-pop band.
- Charlie Chaplin, actor.
- Philip Jackson, actor.
- John Conolly was superintendent at the Hanwell asylum between 1839 and 1844. He then ran a private asylum at Lawn House, Hanwell.
- Derwent Coleridge distinguished scholar, author was rector at Hanwell.
- Jim Marshall had a small shop in Hanwell where he started manufacturing and selling his world famous amplifiers. In an interview for Musicians Hotline Jim Marshall said "So many players came to my
Hanwell shop, it was almost like a rock and roll labor exchange because a lot of groups were formed there".[7]
Jonas with his brolly - Henry Corby, businessman and politician, born in 1806 at Hanwell, died 25 October 1881 at Belleville, Ontario, Canada.
- Peter Crouch, footballer, was a former pupil of Drayton Manor High School.
- Rock band Deep Purple rehearsed for their 1970 album Deep Purple in Rock in the Hanwell Community Centre and promotional photographs for the album were taken in the grounds.[8]
- The Right Hon. Spencer Perceval: Lived at Elm Grove which he bought bought in 1808. He became the only British Prime Minister to get assassinated.[9]
- Anna Brownell Jameson writer and feminist.
- Freddie Frinton, comedian, is buried in Westminster Cemetery.
- Al Bowlly, singer, is buried in Westminster Cemetery.
- Jonas Hanway, writer, philanthropist and the first man to carry an umbrella in London is buried in the crypt of St Mary's Church.
- Jimi Hendrix owned a house in Hanwell, but never lived in it.
[edit] The Hanwell Carnival
The Hanwell Carnival, which had existed up until World War II was resurrected in 1961 with the help of circus showman Billy Smart, Jr.[10] It is now a popular annual event with a procession of floats which travels from Brentside High School to Elthorne Park where a show arena hosts various events and local charities and organisations have stalls. There is also a music stage, a craft fair, a dog show and a funfair.
[edit] Transportation
In 1901 the first electric trams began to run along the Uxbridge Road causing the population of the village to expand. There are plans to reintroduce trams again in the form of the West London Tram scheme. As of 2006, there is great resistance to this and many of the residents have anti tram posters up in their window.
[edit] Nearest tube station
[edit] Nearest railway stations
- Castle Bar Park railway station
- Drayton Green railway station
- Hanwell railway station Built circa 1875-77 it is has been declared a Grade II listed building by English Heritage but the buildings are in "a dilapidated condition".[11]
[edit] Nearest places
[edit] External links
- Hanwell: Introduction, A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 3: Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell, Sunbury, Teddington, Heston and Isleworth, Twickenham, Cowley, Cranford, West Drayton, Greenford, Hanwell, Harefield and Harlington (1962), pp. 220-24. Date accessed: 24 June 2006.
- Hanwell History
- Central London District Schools
Local Cemeteries
Local sport clubs:
[edit] References
- ^ Higginbotham, Peter Central London School DistrictOxford University last accessed: September 2nd 2006
- ^ English Heritage entry for Hanwell Community Centre; accessed: September 2nd 2006
- ^ House of Commons Hansard Debates for 16 Jul 1990 accessed 8 September 2006
- ^ British Waterways Hanwell Flight of Locks accessed 8 September 2006
- ^ St Thomas The Apostle, Hanwell Our Building accessed 8 September 2006
- ^ London Borough of Ealing Hanwell Clock Tower accessed 8 September 2006
- ^ Musicians Hotline interview with Jim Marshall accessed: September 30 2006
- ^ Deep Purple Appreciation Society Deep Purple A-Z accessed: September 8 2006
- ^ Neaves, Cyrill (1971). A history of Greater Ealing. United Kingdom: S. R. Publishers, p95. ISBN 0-85409-679-5.
- ^ Hanwell Carnival - A Short History. Retrieved on January 30, 2007.
- ^ English Heritage entry for Hanwell Station accessed: September 2nd 2006
