The London Borough of Hounslow is a part of west London, England. It is located in Outer London. The local government for the area is the Hounslow London Borough Council.

Hounslow stretches from near Central London in the east to the border with Surrey in the west. It includes five main towns: Chiswick, Brentford, Isleworth, Hounslow, and Feltham. The borough shares borders with Richmond upon Thames, Hammersmith and Fulham, Ealing, and Hillingdon. It also borders the Spelthorne district in Surrey.

This area is home to the London Museum of Water & Steam. You can also visit Osterley Park, Gunnersbury Park, Syon House, and Chiswick House. Nearby landmarks include Twickenham Stadium and London Heathrow Airport.

What's in a Name? Hounslow's Meaning

The town of Hounslow has been around since the 1200s. It is in the middle of the Borough of Hounslow. The name "Hounslow" means 'Hund's mound'. Hund was likely a person, and hlaew is an Old English word for a mound or burial place. The area was first written about in the Domesday Book as Honeslaw.

A Look Back: Hounslow's History

The Borough of Hounslow was created in 1965. This happened under the London Government Act 1963. It brought together three older areas: Municipal Borough of Brentford and Chiswick, Municipal Borough of Heston and Isleworth, and Feltham Urban District. The area became one of the 32 London Boroughs. It was named Hounslow because that town was at its center.

Hounslow is an outer borough of Greater London. It sits on the north side of the River Thames. Long ago, it was the first stop on a major coach route to places like Southampton and Bath. The A30 Great South West Road, which goes all the way to Penzance in Cornwall, starts here. Many inns were built in Hounslow to serve travelers on the main road. Some, like The Bell, still exist today.

Hounslow grew quickly in the late 1900s. This was partly because of its connection to Heathrow Airport. Heathrow is in the Hounslow post town but is actually managed by the London Borough of Hillingdon. Aviation has been important here since the early 1900s. One of London's first airfields was on Hounslow Heath. The Great West Road goes through the borough. It was once home to famous factories like Firestone and Gillette. This area was even called the "Golden Mile". Today, some factory sites remain, and many well-known companies are still located along the Great West Road.

Exploring Hounslow: Geography and Areas

Main Towns and Districts

Hounslow includes several main towns and their smaller areas:

Chiswick W4 (Turnham Green, Gunnersbury)
Brentford TW8 (Gunnersbury)
Isleworth TW7 (Osterley, Spring Grove, Old Isleworth)
Hounslow TW3, TW4, TW5 (Lampton, Hounslow West, Heston, Cranford, North Hyde)
Feltham TW13, TW14 (Hanworth, Bedfont)
Ashford TW15 (Appledore)

Some parts of these towns actually extend into neighboring boroughs. For example, a third of Chiswick is in the London Borough of Ealing. Parts of Brentford and Isleworth are in Ealing and Richmond upon Thames. Also, some areas of Hounslow are in Richmond upon Thames or London Borough of Hillingdon. Small parts of Feltham are even outside Greater London, in Surrey.

Parks and Green Spaces

About a quarter of Hounslow is parkland. There are many large open spaces here. These include:

The River Thames forms a natural border between Hounslow and Richmond-upon-Thames. It flows through Chiswick, Brentford, and Isleworth. Many smaller rivers and canals also run through the borough. These include the River Crane, River Brent/Grand Union Canal, and the Duke of Northumberland's River.

How Hounslow is Governed

The local government for Hounslow is the Hounslow Council. Its main office is at Hounslow House. This council makes decisions about local services and the community.

Local Representatives

For elections to the London Assembly, Hounslow is part of the South West area. This means people in Hounslow vote for a representative for this part of London.

Getting Around: Transport in Hounslow

Air Travel

View from Isleworth of Twickenham Stadium

Hounslow is very close to Heathrow Airport. This airport is actually in the London Borough of Hillingdon. People in Hounslow often worry about noise and pollution from the airport. However, the airport also provides many jobs and helps the local economy.

Bridges

Four bridges connect Hounslow to the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames across the River Thames:

Barnes Railway Bridge
Chiswick Bridge
Kew Railway Bridge
Kew Bridge

Many other bridges cross smaller rivers and canals within the borough. These include the River Brent, Grand Union Canal, and River Crane.

Road Network

Major roads in Hounslow help people travel easily. These include:

A4 Great West Road/Bath Road
A205 South Circular
A406 North Circular
A312 The Parkway
A316 Chiswick Lane/Great Chertsey Road
M4

Trains and Underground

Hounslow East tube station

Hounslow has good connections to Central London and Heathrow Airport. You can travel by National Rail or London Underground.

National Rail stations :

Chiswick (Zone 3)
Kew Bridge (Zone 3)
Brentford (Zone 4)
Syon Lane (Zone 4)
Isleworth (Zone 4)
Hounslow (Zone 5)
Feltham (Zone 6)

London Underground and London Overground stations :

Stamford Brook (Zone 2)
Turnham Green (Zone 2/3)
Gunnersbury (Zone 3)
Boston Manor (Zone 4)
Osterley (Zone 4)
Hounslow East (Zone 4)
Hounslow Central (Zone 4)
Hounslow West (Zone 5)

Hounslow's Economy

GSK building at Brentford

Hounslow is home to the main offices of big companies like GlaxoSmithKline and Sky plc. Both are located in Brentford along the 'Golden Mile' stretch of the A4 Great West Road. This area was once famous for its many factories. Now, it is being redeveloped with new apartments and offices.

Fuller's Griffin Brewery is also in Chiswick. Other companies with offices here include DHL Air UK, Air France-KLM (for UK and Ireland), Sega Europe, Menzies Aviation, and JCDecaux UK.

People and Cultures: Hounslow's Demographics

Population pyramid of the Borough of Hounslow in 2021

Hounslow is a very diverse place. In 2021, about 44.1% of the people living here were White. About 36.7% were Asian, and 7.2% were Black. There are many different cultures and backgrounds in Hounslow.

Many people in Hounslow follow different religions. In 2021, about 38.3% were Christian, 16.7% Muslim, 9.5% Hindu, and 8.6% Sikh. About 18.6% of the population said they had no religion. Hounslow has the largest percentage of Sikhs in London.

Learning in Hounslow: Education

There are many schools in the London Borough of Hounslow. These include primary and secondary schools.

Sports in Hounslow

Hounslow is home to several football clubs:

Brentford F.C.
CB Hounslow United F.C.
Hanworth Villa F.C.
Bedfont & Feltham F.C.
Bedfont Sports F.C.
Ashford Town F.C. (Middlesex)

The Premiership Rugby team London Irish also plays here. They share the Gtech Community Stadium with Brentford Football Club.

Hounslow's Sister Cities

Hounslow has special agreements with other places around the world. These are called sister district or twinning agreements.

Leningradsky District in Krasnodar Krai, Russia.
Issy-les-Moulineaux in Île-de-France, France.

Famous People from Hounslow

Several well-known people were born or lived in Hounslow:

Ian Gillan, the singer for the band Deep Purple.
Alistair Overeem, a famous UFC fighter.
MF DOOM, a well-known Hip-Hop rapper and producer.

Freedom of the Borough

The "Freedom of the Borough" is a special honor given to people or groups. It recognizes their great service or connection to Hounslow.

Individuals

Lance Sergeant Johnson Beharry: Awarded on September 17, 2014.

Military Units

2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers: Awarded in 2009.
The Royal British Legion: Awarded on March 12, 2017.

Images for kids

River Thames at Chiswick overlooking Chiswick Bridge
The Thames looking towards Brentford, Chiswick and Hammersmith, with the Brentford Towers on the left.
Brentford Lock development with GlaxoSmithKline building in the background
View from Chiswick, from right to left; Brentford Museum of Water and Steam pumping tower, Kew Bridge (Centre), River Thames, Brentford Towers, GSK building
Richmond Lock view from Isleworth
West End of Hounslow High Street
Central section of Hounslow High Street
Back of Treaty Centre, Hounslow
The Centre, Feltham
New Developments at The Centre, Feltham
View of the Blenhiem Centre from Hounslow Central Station
River Crane at Hounslow Heath, Separating Feltham and Hounslow