Harlesden

Harlesden
Craven Park Road
Harlesden  Harlesden shown within Greater London
Population	17,162 (Harlesden ward 2011)[1]
OS grid reference	TQ215835
London borough	Brent
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LONDON
Postcode district	NW10
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	London
UK Parliament	Brent Central
London Assembly	Brent and Harrow
List of places UK England London

Coordinates: 51°32′10″N 0°14′53″W / 51.536°N 0.248°W / 51.536; -0.248

Harlesden /ˈhɑːrlzdən/ is an area in the London Borough of Brent, northwest London. Its main focal point is the Jubilee Clock which commemorates Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee.^[2] Harlesden has been praised for its vibrant Caribbean culture and unofficially named London's reggae capital. The population includes people of Afro-Caribbean heritage, as well as Irish Catholic, Brazilian and smaller Portuguese and Colombian communities.

Harlesden has a rich culture of boxing, with two Olympic Gold medallists hailing from Harlesden: Audley Harrison who won gold in the Super-Heavyweight division at Sydney in 2000, and James Degale who won gold in the Middleweight division at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

History

In the 19th century, Harlesden, then a rural village, began to develop some of its urban appearance with the arrival of the railways. Willesden Junction, Kensal Green and Harlesden stations all had an effect on the developing village. Cottages for railway and industrial workers were built, as was grander housing for the local middle class.

Harlesden increasingly lost its rural nature, with factories replacing farms and woodland. From late Victorian times until the 1930s, housing completed its spread across the area, and Harlesden became part of the London conurbation. Mainly after World War I, one of Europe's biggest industrial estates was constructed at nearby Park Royal, and large factories there included McVitie & Price (later United Biscuits) from 1910, and Heinz from 1919.

The image of Harlesden today began to take shape in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Continued immigration from Ireland and new immigration from the Caribbean, the Indian sub-continent and Africa changed the racial and cultural make up of the area.^[3] More recently the area has now become home to Brazilian and Portuguese communities. Much of the housing is made up of Victorian terraces which have been attracting buyers unable to afford similar properties in nearby Kensal Green and Queen's Park.

Starting 1999, Harlesden and the nearby Stonebridge estate, witnessed a high number of murders and became a crime hotspot. It was done by several rival yardie gangs. It turned Harlesden into one of London's main crack cocaine trading centre, and one of the yardies' strongholds.^[4][5][6] By 2001 the area had the highest murder rate in Britain.^[7] There were 26 shooting incidents that year alone.^[8] Crime rates were significantly reduced in the late 2000s.

During the nationwide riots of 2011, some shops in Harlesden were attacked by looters.^[9]

On 15 May 2016, a route 18 bus lost control and crashed onto a shop in the town centre at two in the afternoon. 17 people, including three children, were injured.^[10][11]

Demography

19% of the population was Black Caribbean, followed by 19% Black African (both including those of mixed heritage), 15% Other White, and 14% White British. ^[12]

Transport and locale

Neighbouring areas of Harlesden

	Brent Park/St Raphael's Estate/Neasden	Willesden	Kilburn
	Stonebridge		Kensal Green
		Harlesden
	Park Royal	North Acton	Wormwood Scrubs

Tube/rail

Stations in the area are:

• Willesden Junction Station (Bakerloo line, Watford DC Line, North London Line and West London Line)
• Harlesden Station (Bakerloo line and Watford DC Line)

Notable residents

• Anthony C. George
• Hastings Banda
• Dennis Brown
• James DeGale
• Ian Hancock
• Audley Harrison
• George the Poet
• K Koke
• Paul Merson
• Gappy Ranks
• Shane Richie^[13]
• Louis Theroux
• Sabrina Washington
• Marlon Davis (Comedian)
• Princess Nyah (singer)

References

External links

• Harlesden Town Centre Partnership at the Wayback Machine (archive index)

London Borough of Brent
Districts	Alperton Brent Park Brondesbury Brondesbury Park Church End Cricklewood Dollis Hill Harlesden Kensal Green Kenton Kilburn Kingsbury Neasden North Wembley Park Royal Preston Queensbury Queen's Park Stonebridge Sudbury Tokyngton Wembley Wembley Park Willesden
Attractions	Brent Museum Dollis Hill House Neasden Temple Oriental City The Stables Gallery & Art Centre Tricycle Theatre Wembley Stadium Willesden Green Library Centre
Parks and open spaces	Barham Park Fryent Country Park Gladstone Park King Edward VII Park Northwick Park Roundwood Park
Constituencies	Brent North Brent Central Hampstead and Kilburn
Tube and rail stations	Alperton Brondesbury Brondesbury Park Dollis Hill Harlesden Kensal Green Kensal Rise Kenton Kilburn Kilburn Park Kingsbury Neasden North Wembley Northwick Park Preston Road Queensbury Queen's Park South Kenton Stonebridge Park Sudbury & Harrow Road Sudbury Town Wembley Central Wembley Park Wembley Stadium Willesden Green Willesden Junction
Other topics	Coat of arms Council Grade I and II* listed buildings Parks and open spaces People Public art Schools