Everything about Kilburn totally explained
Kilburn is an area of north
London,
England, which is divided between three London Boroughs,
London Borough of Brent, the
London Borough of Camden, and small part in
Westminster. The main thoroughfare running northwest-southeast is Kilburn High Road, part of the modern
A5 road which forms the boundary between the boroughs of Brent and Camden. The road dates back to pre-Roman times and is part of the
Roman road known as
Watling Street. The town of Kilburn has its origins in a 12th-century priory on the banks of the Kilburn Brook. Kilburn today is a busy London district which used to be strongly associated with its Irish population. However, it has become very multicultural as of late.
History
Kilburn High Road was an
ancient trackway which originated as a
Celtic route between the modern cities of
Canterbury and
St Albans. Under
Roman rule, the route was paved; part of this
Roman road is identified on the
Antonine Itinerary as
Iter III: "Item a Londinio ad portum Dubris" - from
London to the port of
Dover. In
Anglo-Saxon times the road became known as
Watling Street.
Kilburn grew up on the banks of a river which has been known variously as
Cuneburna, Kelebourne and
Cyebourne, which flows from
Hampstead down through
Hyde Park and into the
River Thames. It is suggested the name means either Royal River or Cattle River ('
Bourne' being an Anglo-Saxon word for 'river'). The river is known today as the
Westbourne River. From the 1850s it was piped underground and is now one of London's many
underground rivers.
The name Kilburn was first recorded in 1134 as
Cuneburna, referring to a
priory which had been built on the site of the cell of a hermit known as Godwyn.
Godwyn had built his hermitage by the Kilburn river during the reign of
Henry I, and both his hermitage and the priory took their name from the river. Kilburn Priory was a community of
Augustinian canonesses. It was founded in 1134 at the Kilburn river crossing on Watling Street (the modern-day junction of Kilburn High Road and Belsize Road. Kilburn Priory's position on Watling Street meant that it became a popular resting point for pilgrims heading for the
shrines at
St Albans or
Willesden. The Priory was dissolved in 1536 by
Henry VIII, and nothing remains of it today.
The priory lands included a mansion and a
hostium (a guesthouse), which may have been the origin of the Red Lion pub, thought to have been founded in 1444. Opposite, the Bell Inn was opened around 1600, on the site of the old mansion.}}
In the 19th century the wells declined, but the Kilburn Wells remained popular as a tea garden. The Bell was demolished and rebuilt in 1863, the building which stands there today.
The Kilburn area is most strongly associated with its Irish population and culture; 13% of the population were born in
Ireland with an even higher percentage of Irish descent, making it the highest Irish population of any London area. The Irish presence is evident in Irish community activities, Irish pubs (many of which attract custom by screening
Gaelic games), local
GAA sports clubs, newsagents selling a wide range of
Irish newspapers, and the annual
St Patrick's Day celebrations in the area. Kilburn's Irish connections have earned it the nicknames "Little Éire", or "County Kilburn", a
pun on the name of
County Kildare in Ireland.
Landmarks
Kilburn High Road
Kilburn High Road is the main road in Kilburn. It follows a part of the line of the
Roman Iter II route which later took the
Anglo-Saxon name
Watling Street. This was based on an earlier
Celtic route from
Verlamion to
Durovernum Cantiacorum, modern day
St Albans and
Canterbury.
Running roughly North to South, it forms the boundary between the London boroughs of
Camden (to the east) and
Brent (to the west). It is a section of the
Edgware Road (which is in turn part of
Watling Street), between
Shoot Up Hill and
Maida Vale.
There are three railway stations on the Kilburn High Road:
Kilburn tube station (
Jubilee Line) at its northern end, then
Brondesbury station (
London Overground), shortly south of this. Approximately 1.25km further south is
Kilburn High Road station (also London Overground, on the
Watford DC Line). There is also
Kilburn Park tube station, on the
Bakerloo Line, which is just off the High Road and very close to the High Road station.
The green space of
Kilburn Grange Park is located to the east side of Kilburn High Road.
Gaumont State Cinema
A notable landmark on the Kilburn High Road is the grade II* listed Gaumont State Cinema, which was designed by
George Coles and opened in 1937. It was then the biggest auditorium in Europe, with seating for 4,004 people. Entertainers such as
Gracie Fields,
Larry Adler and
George Formby performed at the official opening. And since then, The State has seen performances by bands including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Faces, Jethro Tull and Deep Purple. The cinema is designed in an
Art Deco Italian Renaissance style, covered in cream ceramic tiles. The 130-foot tower, designed in the style of a 1930s New York
skyscraper, can be seen for miles around, and bears the name "STATE" in large red neon letters. The interior was designed in the opulent style of cinemas of the day, and includes a
Wurlitzer organ which is today the largest fully functioning Wurlitzer in Britain.. For the past 20 years, the building has been run as a bingo hall by
Mecca Bingo. However, the bingo hall has now closed, and the building and surrounding site have been put up for sale. A campaign to "Save the Kilburn State!" from unsympathetic property developers, and restore it as a cultural centre, has been started by local residents.
The Tricycle Theatre
The
Tricycle Theatre is a renowned arts centre, including a gallery, cinema and theatre, located on the High Road. In the mid-2000s the centre achieved some fame for its theatrical staging of politically significant court cases, and for a production about the US detention centre at
Guantanamo Bay,
Cuba, which subsequently transferred to the
West End, and in due course to
New York City.
Other buildings
To the south, the Kilburn skyline is dominated by the
gothic spire of
St. Augustine's, Kilburn. Completed in 1880 by the architect
John Loughborough Pearson, the church has an ornate Victorian interior, a carved stone reredos and screen and stained glass. The church is sometimes nicknamed "the Cathedral of North London" due to its size.
Transport
Nearest places
Nearest tube stations
Kilburn tube station (Jubilee line)
Kilburn Park tube station (Bakerloo line)
Queen's Park station (Bakerloo line)
Nearest railway stations
Brondesbury railway station (London Overground)
Kilburn High Road railway station (London Overground)
Bus services
Kilburn is served by many bus routes that go along the High Road. Most routes come south from Cricklewood, and serve various points in central and west London.
Sport
Kilburn is the home of Kilburn Gaels Hurling Club.
Kilburn is also home to Kilburn Cosmos RFC, one of the few rugby clubs in inner London.
N.N (No Name) F.C. originated from Kilburn in 1863. They are now defunct but were one of the 12 founder members of the Football Association.[citationrequired]
Famous Residents
Zadie Smith
David Mitchell
Robert Webb
Gavin RossdaleFurther Information
Get more info on 'Kilburn'.
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