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66-734: Brentford is a suburban town in West London , England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow . It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames , 8 miles (13 km) west of Charing Cross . Its economy has diverse company headquarters buildings which mark the start of the M4 corridor ; in transport it also has two railway stations and Boston Manor Underground station on its north-west border with Hanwell . Brentford has

132-561: A Wurlitzer organ . The Butts Estate, a Georgian square and associated conservation area, contains several Grade II listed buildings some dating back to 1680. In the Butts is located St Mary's Convent, a grade II listed building from the late 18th century, now a convent and residential care home, Maryville Care Home. Griffin Park is the former home of Brentford F.C. and Chelsea Football Club Reserves, plus (from 2002 until 23 September 2005 it

198-442: A battle with Cassivellaunus close by. Cæsar describes the place as fortified with sharp stakes. The discovery of sharp stakes in the river-side at Brentford Dock in the early 20th century was taken by Montagu Sharpe as evidence of a fortified crossing-site, and Caesar's battle. The stakes were removed as a hazard to river-traffic, and Sharpe's claims are not supported by further excavations. Historically part of Middlesex , in

264-569: A century but the graveyard still holds the Ronalds vault where Hugh Ronalds and numerous members of his family are buried. A war memorial stood outside the church until 2009, when it was moved to Brentford Library. St John the Evangelist Church , opened in 1866, was built for Irish railway construction workers, by an architect named Jackman. An unconsecrated chapel was built from subscriptions raised from 57 prominent inhabitants on

330-576: A ceremonial chariot fitting that formed part of local antiquarian Thomas Layton's collection, now held by the Museum of London . The Celtic knot pattern (the 'Brentford Knot') on this item has been copied for use on modern jewellery. An amateur local history and an inscription outside the County Court claim that Julius Cæsar crossed the Thames here during his invasion of Britain in 54 BC, and fought

396-425: A convenience shopping and dining venue grid of streets at its centre. Brentford at the start of the 21st century attracted regeneration of its little-used warehouse premises and docks including the re-modelling of the waterfront to provide more economically active shops, townhouses and apartments, some of which comprises Brentford Dock . A 19th and 20th centuries mixed social and private housing locality: New Brentford

462-400: A couple of drunken middle-aged layabouts, Jim Pooley and John Omally, who confront the forces of darkness in the environs of western Greater London, usually with the assistance of large quantities of beer from their favourite public house, The Flying Swan. Several of Rankin's other books are also set in or reference Brentford. West (London sub region) The term is used to differentiate

528-617: A grounding in classical architecture which was to influence his own neo-classical style . He also renewed his acquaintance with fellow Academy pupil John Soane (1753–1837). After returning to London Hardwick established a reputation as a church architect, designing the church of St Mary the Virgin at Wanstead (completed in 1790 – now a Grade I listed building ), the Hampstead Road Chapel (1791–1792), St John's Wood Church , St John's Wood High Street (1813–1814), and

594-658: A long-standing rivalry with near neighbours, Fulham . The Stadium was also used by the former Premiership Rugby side London Irish . Nearest London Underground stations: Nearest railway stations: The phrase 'like two kings of Brentford' refers to former enemies who are now good friends. It appears in: Brentford's industrial status and the Great West Road are notable facets of Aldous Huxley 's 1932 novel Brave New World . Set in London in AD 2540 (632 A.F.—"After Ford "),

660-597: A majority in both wards. Syon House , the Greater London residence of the Duke of Northumberland , is a large mansion and park in Syon ward, described above, that has long been shared with Isleworth . Some of its seasonally marshy land is now a public nature reserve . The estate has a hotel (Hilton London Syon Park), visitor centre and garden centre. Syon Abbey , demolished and replaced (with reworked gatehouses) by

726-417: A mason, who in 1711 left Herefordshire for Isleworth, where the family retained property, and moved to Brentford in 1725) who worked with the architect brothers Robert and John Adam on nearby Syon House between 1761–1767. Both father and son were associated with Syon from about the 1720s and employment continued until the early 19th century. The Hardwicks were one of the finest architectural families during

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792-601: A monument was made out of two stone pillars that used to support lamps on the old Brentford bridge over the Grand Union Canal. The monument originally stood at the end of Ferry Lane; after being covered in coal unloaded from boats, it was moved further up the lane in 1955. In 1992 it was moved again to its present site at the junction of Brentford High Street and Alexandra Road, outside the County Court. The monument commemorates four major events in Brentford's history:

858-594: A variety of formal purposes with the boundaries defined according to the purposes of the designation. The 2011 iteration of the London Plan included an altered "West" sub-region, to be used for planning, engagement, resource allocation and progress reporting purposes. It consists of the London Boroughs of Brent , Harrow , Ealing , Hammersmith and Fulham , Hillingdon , Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames . As well as including outer areas of West London,

924-523: Is a Jacobean manor house , noted for its fine plasterwork ceilings. Syon Park House ( demolished in 1953 , and not to be confused with Syon House itself) housed the 'Syon Park Academy' where the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley was educated between the ages of 10 and 12 before moving on to Eton . A Royal Mail depot stands on the site now. This may also be the site of the dwelling where Pocahontas lived in Brentford End between 1616 and 1617. In 1909

990-655: Is a major employer in West London, and the University of West London has more than 47,000 students. Thomas Hardwick Thomas Hardwick (1752–1829) was an English architect and a founding member of the Architects' Club in 1791. Hardwick was born in Brentford , Middlesex the son of a master mason turned architect also named Thomas Hardwick (1725–1798, son of another Thomas, 1681–1746, also

1056-487: Is clearly visible. The architect was H. Francis and James Montgomrey was a principal subscriber and chairman of the building committee. In 1959 and 1961 the parishes of the nearby churches of Saint George and Saint Lawrence were amalgamated with Saint Paul. Inside the church is a painting by local artist Johann Zoffany called Christ's Last Supper . It was originally intended to be installed in St Anne's Church, Kew , but

1122-494: Is contiguous with the Osterley neighbourhood of Isleworth and Syon Park and the Great West Road which has most of the largest business premises. The name is recorded as Breguntford in 705 in an Anglo-Saxon charter and means 'ford over the River Brent '. The name of the river derives from * brigant- , a Brythonic word, meaning "high" or "elevated" (possibly in a holy sense). The river may also have been associated with

1188-769: Is in Gunnersbury House, narrowly in Gunnersbury (the north-west of Chiswick) containing artefacts and former furnishings of the Rothschild family , who were culturally and financially pre-eminent across France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and North America. Kew Gardens is visible from the scattering of high rise buildings towering over the town and some of the mid rise ones. The Weir public house, formerly 'The White Horse',

1254-617: The City of London , Westminster (West London) , Southwark (South London) , and 'That Part beyond the Tower' (East London) . The area now usually referred to as North London developed later. As well as the proximity of the centre of government, the West End was long favoured by the rich elite as a place of residence because it was usually upwind of the smoke drifting from the crowded City. A further factor facilitating rapid growth in West London

1320-544: The City of London . In the 17th century these areas of growth would be linked by high status new developments, which formed a focal point in their own right, later becoming known as the West End of London . The development of the area began with the establishment of the Abbey on a site then called Thorney Island , the choice of site may in part relate to the natural ford which is thought to have carried Watling Street over

1386-576: The Municipal Borough of Heston and Isleworth and Feltham Urban District of Middlesex . In Brentford, those who ethnically identify as BAME (Black, Asian and minority Ethnic) was 33.9% in the Brentford ward and 34.2% in the Syon ward at the 2011 UK census. The median age of the population was 32 years in Brentford ward and 34 years in Syon ward. Both wards have about equal proportions of household types, with flats/maisonettes/apartments forming

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1452-699: The Second World War . West London is an informally and inexactly defined area lying north of the River Thames and extends west from the edge of the City of London , to West London's historic and commercial core of Westminster and the West End , on to the Greater London boundary, much of which is formed by the River Colne . Some interpretations of the area include the boroughs of Brent and Harrow , taking ancient Watling Street as

1518-408: The Thames in the vicinity. Tradition dates the foundation to the 7th Century AD with written records dating back to the 960s or early 970s. The Island and surrounding area became known as Westminster in reference to the church. The legendary origin is that in the early 7th century, a local fisherman named Edric ferried a stranger in tattered foreign clothing over the Thames to Thorney Island . It

1584-651: The West End and Knightsbridge , both in west London. Five of the thirteen Metropolitan Centres in the plan are also in West London: Ealing , Hounslow , Harrow , Uxbridge and Shepherd's Bush . Eleven of the London Plan's thirty-eight Opportunity Areas are part of West London; Kensal Canalside , Paddington , Earl's Court and West Kensington , Harrow and Wealdstone , Park Royal , Old Oak Common , Southall , Tottenham Court Road , Victoria, Wembley and White City . London Heathrow Airport

1650-592: The Worshipful Company of Fishmongers presents the Abbey with a salmon in memory of this event. The Palace of Westminster subsequently developed, with Parliament being based there from its establishment in 1265. The presence of the centre of government as a distinct focus for growth, accompanied by the proximity of the City, ensured that western London was the fastest growing part of early London. The growth of

1716-483: The church of St Barnabas (now St Clement) King Square, near Old Street. Arguably, his most notable work is the church of St Mary, Marylebone Road (1813–1817). In 1813 he had begun a chapel-of-ease, designed to accommodate a considerable congregation, on the south side of the New Road in London, for the parish of St Marylebone. It was a basically rectangular building, with two small wings placed diagonally at

1782-413: The 15th century, and the remainder of the church was rebuilt in 1764 from brick. There were a number of interesting monuments in the church, including one dedicated to a Maurice de Berkeley, dating from 1189, who was buried in the original church. The church was closed in 1961 and the monuments removed, and the parish was united with Saint Paul's. The church has now been in a derelict state for more than half

1848-524: The 15th to 17th centuries, growth along the roads from Ludgate ( Fleet Street and The Strand ) and Newgate ( Holborn and High Holborn ) accelerated, and came to extend far beyond Farringdon Without, into Holborn , Bloomsbury and Westminster . Urban growth extending from the Westminster urban area, linked up with that extending from the City in the time of Henry VIII . It was at around that time that Westminster first acquired City status. In

1914-425: The 19th century. Thomas Hardwick, his son Philip Hardwick (1792–1870), and then grandson Philip Charles Hardwick (1822–1892) each held the post of Surveyor to St Bartholomew's Hospital , London . In 1769, aged 17, he enrolled at the new Royal Academy Schools, where he studied architecture under Sir William Chambers , for whom he later worked during the construction of Somerset House . During his first year at

1980-451: The City of London beyond its city walls was much faster outside the western gates of Ludgate and Newgate than it was outside the gates to the north or to the east; this rapid growth was due to the roads from these western gates leading to the political centre of Westminster. The large and prosperous extra-mural ward of Farringdon Without , extensively urbanised during the 12th century, has been described as London's First West End . From

2046-618: The Grand Junction Canal. This waterway is still in use for leisure traffic as part of the Grand Union Canal . Brentford Public Library is a Carnegie library , built by the architect Nowell Parr and opened in 1904. Outside the library is the Brentford War Memorial, accompanied by three smaller war memorials. There is also Jim Pooley 's bench honouring Robert Rankin 's writing connection with

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2112-568: The Hardwick family and at the end of his life chose Hardwick's son, Philip, as an executor. Thomas Hardwick worked with the architect John Shaw Sr. (1776–1832) whilst surveying St James's Church, Piccadilly and St Barthlomew's Hospital in Smithfield; later his son Philip Hardwick married a daughter of John Shaw. Another son, John Hardwick (1790–1875), was a stipendiary magistrate at Great Marlborough Street magistrates' court , London, and

2178-754: The Inigo Jones St Paul's Church in Covent Garden which Hardwick had previously restored. As well as churches, he also designed some civic buildings, including the Shire Hall in Dorchester, Dorset . Built in 1797, this building (also now a Grade I listed building) retains the courtroom where the Tolpuddle Martyrs were sentenced to transportation to Australia for their part in the early trade union movement in 1834. Hardwick

2244-526: The Royal Academy he won the silver medal in architecture, and from 1772 to 1805 he exhibited there. In his early twenties Hardwick travelled to Europe at his own expense, visiting Paris and Lyon , before heading for Italy accompanied by artist Thomas Jones (1742–1803). He lived in Naples and then Rome for two years from 1776, filling his notebooks with sketches and measured drawings and gaining

2310-540: The Victorian era as a result of railway-based commuting; with the building of the termini at Paddington and Marylebone , and the lines radiating from them, having a particularly profound effect. This trend continued in the twentieth century and was subsequently reinforced by motorcar-based commuting. The size of London stabilised after the establishment of the Metropolitan Green Belt shortly after

2376-554: The West End are also a part of Central London , an area which also lacks precise definition. The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames spans the River Thames so its status can be ambiguous. The term West London is used to differentiate the area from other informal radial divisions of London, the Metropolitan Compass ; North London , East London and South London . The term "West London" has been used for

2442-514: The ancient boundary between the parishes of Ealing and Hanwell . It was divided between the chapelry of Old Brentford to the east in Ealing and the chapelry of New Brentford in Hanwell to the west. Of the two areas, Old Brentford was significantly larger. New Brentford was first described as the county town of Middlesex in 1789, on the basis that it was the location of elections of knights for

2508-461: The area from the other parts of London: Central London , North London , East London and South London . West London was part of the historic county of Middlesex . Early West London had two main focuses of growth, the area around Thorney Island , site of Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster , and ribbon development heading west - towards Westminster - from gates in the walls of

2574-401: The borough. Brentford Baths (1896), also by the architect Nowell Parr , is a Grade II listed example of late Victorian architecture . The London Museum of Water & Steam houses the world's largest working beam engine , and its narrow cuboid tower is an emblem of the town. The Musical Museum houses a large collection of mechanical musical instruments, such as player pianos and

2640-611: The boundary in those outer areas. The Grand Union Canal is West London's major internal waterway. West London is bordered by the administrative counties of Surrey to the south west and south; Berkshire to the west and north west; Buckinghamshire to the north west; and Hertfordshire to the north. A publication by the Mayor of London in 2011 referred to the London boroughs of Brent , Harrow , Ealing , Hammersmith and Fulham , Hounslow , Richmond , and Hillingdon as West London. Some parts of West London, such as Westminster and

2706-499: The columns, and iron for the vaulted ceiling. He restored Inigo Jones 's St Paul's, Covent Garden ; he was appointed in 1788 and the eventual 10-year-long restoration project survived an almost disastrous fire in 1795 which destroyed much of Jones's original interior. He also restored Sir Christopher Wren 's St James's, Piccadilly . Beyond London, St John's Church, Workington was built in 1823 to Hardwick's design and although built of local sandstone it bears some resemblance to

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2772-517: The confluence of the River Thames and River Brent – part of the land was James Montgomrey 's Montgomrey's Wharf. A spur line from the GWR at Southall was constructed to the Brentford Dock railway station to facilitate easy transferral of freight from lighters and barges on the Thames to GWR-served destinations in the west of the country. The dock was redeveloped as residential accommodation from

2838-488: The early 1970s, and little industrial archaeology remains. However, Dock Road still retains some of its original fan pattern cobblestone road bed and examples of Brunel's broad-gauge 'bridge section' rail can be seen there. The Brentford Dock flats (originally named the Tiber Estate ) were built alongside formerly important transport infrastructure as Brentford is the terminus of the Grand Union Canal , originally

2904-516: The form of a miniature temple, surrounded by eight caryatids . The interior, with two tiers of galleries supported on iron columns, was left unaltered. In 1823 he restored St Bartholomew-the-Less in the City of London . An octagonal vaulted interior had been constructed within the church's medieval walls by George Dance the Younger using timber, but had succumbed to dry rot. Hardwick replicated it in more permanent materials, using Bath stone for

2970-419: The founding of nearby London . Many pre-Roman artefacts have been excavated in and around the area in Brentford known as 'Old England'. Bronze Age pottery and burnt flints have been found at separate sites in Brentford. The quality and quantity of the artefacts suggests that Brentford was a meeting point for pre-Romanic tribes. One well known Iron Age piece from about 100 BC – AD 50 is the Brentford horn-cap –

3036-466: The goddess Brigantia . The suffix '-ford' is Old English . The ford was most likely located where the main road crossed the river. New Brentford is recorded as Newe Braynford in 1521 and was previously known as Westbraynford . Old Brentford is recorded as Old Braynford in 1476 and was previously known as Estbraynford . The settlement pre-dates the Roman occupation of Britain , and thus pre-dates

3102-411: The influential dystopia anticipates changes in reproductive technology , sleep-learning, psychological manipulation , and classical conditioning that combine to change society profoundly. The BBC Three sitcom People Just Do Nothing is set in and around Brentford. The Brentford Trilogy , a (ten-book) series of "far-fetched fiction" novels by Robert Rankin , humorously chronicle the lives of

3168-509: The liturgical east, and was intended to have an Ionic portico surmounted by a group of figures and a cupola. However, before completion, it was decided that it would make a suitable new parish church for of St Marylebone. Hardwick altered the design to create a suitably grand facade, with a Corinthian portico six columns wide, based on that of the Pantheon in Rome, and a steeple, its top stage in

3234-584: The local people objected, and therefore in 1887 it was installed in Saint George's Church instead. When that church was closed in 1959, the painting was transferred to its present location in Saint Paul's Church. Brentford's other Anglican parish church, Saint Faith's, is a comparatively recent building, dating from 1906 to 1907. Designed in Gothic Revival style, by G F Bodley and D G Hare, it

3300-485: The master mason for the Adam Brothers during the construction of Syon House . Hardwick Junior assisted in the building of Somerset House and was known for his designs of churches in the capital. He was also a tutor of J. M. W. Turner and he helped start Turner's illustrious career in art. Both father and son did a great deal of remodelling and rebuilding on the church of St Laurence. Brentford developed around

3366-540: The mid 17th century Henry Jermyn , was instrumental in developing the St James's and Mayfair districts of Westminster. These districts provided a fashionable new focus for western London, that came to be known as the West End . Jermyn would become known as the Father of the West End . In 1720, John Strype 's "Survey of London" described Westminster as one of the then four distinct areas of London; in it he describes

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3432-637: The newer mansion, had the largest abbey church in England in the Middle Ages . The location of Syon Abbey in the park was unknown until archeological investigations in the grounds in 2003 (for the television series Time Team ) and 2004 revealed the foundations of the abbey church. It was larger than Westminster Abbey is now, but no above-ground structure remains. There were complex reasons for its destruction. The London Butterfly House in Syon Park

3498-498: The shire (or Members of Parliament (MPs)) from 1701. In 1795 New Brentford (as it was then) was "considered as the county-town; but there is no town-hall or other public building" causing confusion that remains to this day (see county town of Middlesex ). The borough of Hounslow was formed in 1965, under the London Government Act 1963 , by the merger of the areas of the Municipal Borough of Brentford and Chiswick ,

3564-620: The site in 1762; previously the parish was part of Ealing. The old chapel was demolished in 1886 and eventually replaced by the current building designed by A. W. Blomfield . The painting of the Last Supper by Zoffany was transferred to the new church. It was closed in 1959 and used as the home for the Musical Museum from 1963 until the Museum moved to new premises. It is now (2017) being converted into flats. Gunnersbury Park Museum

3630-496: The south-eastern corner of Elthorne Hundred , it has formed part of Greater London since 1965. In November 1642 a Royalist army advancing on London overcame a much smaller Parliamentarian force in battle at Brentford. The town was ransacked in the immediate aftermath of the engagement. A local town fair, the Brentford Festival, has been held in Brentford every September since 1900. The building of Brentford Dock

3696-471: The sub-region also includes areas south of the river, not usually counted as part of West London; areas of the cross-river London Borough of Richmond upon Thames . The 2004-2008 and 2008-2011 versions of the sub-region varied in their composition. The W (Western) postcode area was introduced in 1857 to facilitate the distribution of mail. The postcode area is a sub-set of West London. The London Plan defines two areas of London as International Centres,

3762-427: The supposed crossing of the Thames by Julius Caesar in 54 BC; the council of Brentford by King Offa of Mercia in 781; the defeat of King Canute by King Edmund Ironside at the first Battle of Brentford in 1016; and the second Battle of Brentford in 1642. Built in 1868 from Kentish ragstone , Saint Paul's Church is one of Brentford's two current Anglican parish churches , and a distinct landmark. Its spire

3828-514: The third successive generation to practice as an architect, joining his father as a partner and in 1825 taking over the firm's London office. Another of Hardwick's pupils was the artist J. M. W. Turner (1775–1851), whom it is said Hardwick advised to concentrate more on painting than architecture. During the young artist's training Turner made a drawing of Hardwick's design of St Mary the Virgin, Wanstead and later sold some of his early works to his popular tutor. Turner continued to be friends with

3894-499: Was a miraculous appearance of St Peter , a fisherman himself, coming to the island to consecrate the newly built church, which would subsequently develop into Westminster Abbey. He rewarded Edric with a bountiful catch when he next dropped his nets. Edric was instructed to present the King and St. Mellitus, Bishop of London with a salmon and various proofs that the consecration had already occurred . Every year on 29 June, St Peters day,

3960-595: Was an insectarium like a large glasshouse containing a butterfly zoo . Visitors could see butterflies and moths flying about, feeding, and emerging from chrysalises . There was also a colony of large ants (kept with the butterflies), a small tropical bird aviary, and a small gallery of reptiles, amphibians, insects and spiders. The lease on the current site expired in October 2007 and the Butterfly House closed on 28 October. Boston Manor House , built in 1622,

4026-581: Was appointed Clerk of Works at Hampton Court by King George III , following which he also work at Kew Palace and its gardens. He was a founding member of the Architects' Club; but never became an Associate of the Royal Academy. Hardwick's pupils included Samuel Angell , the Plymouth architect John Foulston (1772–1842) designer of the Greek Revival style Plymouth Proprietary Library, and his own second son Philip Hardwick . Philip thus became

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4092-401: Was described by the poet John Betjeman : St Faith's displays all the splendour of Bodley in its simplicity and strength. It rises like a great ship over the housetops and inside the view from the west end leads you naturally to the altar and up to the roof. There has been a church on the site of Brentford's former parish church of Saint Lawrence since the 12th century, but the tower dates from

4158-399: Was started in 1855 and it was formally opened in 1859. The dock yard is now a Marina and housing estate . A notable family from Brentford was the 18th-/19th-century architectural father and son partnership, the Hardwicks. Thomas Hardwick Senior (1725–1798) and Thomas Hardwick Junior (1752–1829) were both from Brentford and are buried in the old church of St Laurence. Hardwick Senior was

4224-462: Was the home of the London Broncos rugby league club – subsequently they were renamed Harlequins RL and transferred to The Stoop ). Brentford F.C. are a professional English football club based in Brentford. They currently play in the Premier League . It was founded in 1889 by members of the defunct Brentford Rowing Club and play their home games at the Gtech Community Stadium , having played at Griffin Park between 1904 and 2020. The club has

4290-417: Was the very large number of bridges linking the area to South London and the area beyond; by contrast, even today, there are no bridges east of Tower Bridge , partly as the river becomes wider as it heads east. The term "West End of London" gained widespread currency as a proper noun, rather than just a geographical description in the 19th century. Like other areas of the capital, West London grew rapidly in

4356-401: Was where the artist J. M. W. Turner lived for one year at the age of ten. He is regarded as having started his interest in painting while living there. Later he lived in Isleworth and Twickenham . Brentford Dock came to single use and engineered enlargement as a freight terminus of the Great Western Railway . It was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and built between 1855 and 1859 at

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