Kingsbury facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kingsbury
St Andrews Road and Church, Kingsbury
Area	5.63 km2 (2.17 sq mi)
Population	29,217
• Density	5,190/km2 (13,400/sq mi)
OS grid reference	TQ195885
London borough	Brent
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LONDON
Postcode district	NW9
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	London
UK Parliament	Brent North
London Assembly	Brent and Harrow

Kingsbury is a district of northwest London in the London Borough of Brent. The name Kingsbury means "The King's Manor". Its ancient scope stretches north and west to include Queensbury and parts of Kenton and Wembley Park in other directions. Kingsbury was in 2001 a ward and in 2011 was identifiable with the Fryent and Barnhill wards approximately. About 25% of Kingsbury is Fryent Country Park, forming the southern quarter. It is of highly mixed density, ranging from high rise to suburban to a green wildlife reserve in the country park.

History

Kingsbury was historically a rural parish of a fairly modest 6.9 square kilometres (2.7 sq mi) in the Hundred of Gore and county of Middlesex. It formerly included Queensbury. Following local government redrawing of electoral wards Kingsbury corresponds to the Fryent and Barnhill wards and in all of its various older guises, a minority or all of the Queensbury ward.

The early English kings had parted with their manor of Kingsbury long before the Conquest. An estate called Tunworth, in the northern part of Kingsbury parish, was granted by Edwy to his thegn Lyfing in 957. By 1066 it probably formed part of the manor of Kingsbury, which was then held by Wlward White, a thegn of the Confessor, and passed from him to Ernulf of Hesdin who died in 1097 and his lands passed to the family of Walter of Salisbury. Thereafter the overlordship of Kingsbury descended with Edgware manor. By 1086 on the Domesday survey of property, Ernulf's manor in Kingsbury had been subinfeudated to Albold as Lord. It was not mentioned again until 1317, when, under the name of the manor of Kingsbury, it belonged to Baldwin Poleyn of Tebworth.

Kingsbury developed little in housing and population in the 19th century, remaining a polyfocal village. In this age, Oliver Goldsmith, writer and playwright, lived at Hyde Farm, Kingsbury (1771–1774); the third Lord Mansfield was buried at St. Andrew's churchyard in 1840.

Although it lay close to London, development started slowly, and it was not until after World War I that the district became built up. An aircraft industry was established in the part of Kingsbury adjacent to Hendon aerdrome during the war, while the road network was improved to cater for the British Empire Exhibition in nearby Wembley in 1924. The number of inhabited houses in the civil parish increased from just 140 in 1901 to 3,937 in 1931. By 1951 this had risen to 11,776. Between 1921 and 1931 Kingsbury's population increased by 796%.

John Logie Baird's experimental television transmissions from the United Kingdom to Berlin, Germany were transmitted from the stable block of Kingsbury Manor, now the Veterans Club in Roe Green Park.

From 1923 to 1979 Kingsbury Road was the location of the Vanden Plas specialist motor body works, body makers for Bentley and later part of Austin, BMC, and British Leyland. The site is now Kingsbury Trading Estate. In 1894 Kingsbury was included in the urban district of Wembley. However, as Kingsbury had only three councillors on the urban district council to Wembley's nine, Kingsbury's councillors felt the needs of the area were not well-served. In 1900 Kingsbury became a separate urban district with six councillors. The new council was immediately involved in controversy and in 1906 it failed to make a rate or meet its financial commitments. Following an inquiry initiated by ratepayers, the councillors numbered nine, not halting fiscal accusations directed towards the initial three councillors.

In 1934 the Kingsbury Urban District was abolished and merged once more in Wembley Urban District. The urban district became a municipal borough in 1937 and in 1965 the area became part of the London Borough of Brent.

A congregation of Jews affiliated to the United Synagogue is first recorded in Kingsbury in 1939. In 1942 Eden Lodge at Kingsbury Green was registered for worship, becoming Kingsbury district synagogue in 1954.

Demography

The 2011 census showed that the Fryent ward's largest ethnic group was Indian at 21%. Whites as a whole form 37% (17% British, 14% Other, 6% Irish). 11% was Other Asian. 41% were Christian, 21% Muslim and 20% Hindu. The Welsh Harp ward, which covers southern areas of Kingsbury Green, was 17% White Other, 17% Indian, and 16% White British.

In film, literature and music

The first two series of BBC children's drama Grange Hill were filmed at Kingsbury High School. Video of Round Here, about George Michael's childhood, features Roe Green Park, Roe Green Primary School and other local landmarks.

Transport

Roads

Kingsbury Road A4006 is the largest road within the district.

Buses

London Buses serving Kingsbury are:

Route	Start	End	Operator
79	Alperton Sainsburys	Edgware	Metroline
83	Ealing Hospital	Golders Green	Metroline
183	Pinner	Golders Green	London Sovereign
204	Sudbury	Edgware	Metroline
302	Mill Hill Broadway	Kensal Rise	Metroline
305	Kingsbury Circle	Edgware	Arriva Shires & Essex
324	Brent Cross Tesco	Stanmore	London Sovereign
628	Southgate	Kingsbury JFS	Sullivan Buses
653	Muswell Hill	Kingsbury JFS	Sullivan Buses
683	Friern Barnet	Kingsbury JFS	Sullivan Buses
688	Kingsbury JFS	Southgate	Sullivan Buses
N98	Holborn	Stanmore	Metroline

Tube

Stations in the area are:

• Kingsbury Station (Jubilee line)

Local parks

• Barn Hill Open Space
• Fryent Country Park
• Kingsbury Green Recreation Ground
• Roe Green Park
• Silver Jubilee Park
• Grove Park Open Space