The famous Harlesden Clock Tower

Although Harlesden appears to be the vital and modern London town centre, this is in fact a relatively modern occurrence. In common with many of London’s other centres such as nearby Wembley and Willesden, Harlesden has been for much of its history the quintessential English village. This is a fact that may be difficult to imagine when standing in the bustling Harlesden High Road of today.

To trace the origins and progress of Harlesden we have to first look back in history to the famous Domesday Book commissioned by William the conqueror during the 11^th century.

In this most famous of national survey’s, the name given to Harlesden was a very Saxon name, Herewulf’s Tun which means Herewulf’s farm.

Whilst Herewulf may or may not have been a leading individual in Harlesden at its very beginning, the name did over 900 years eventually evolve into our modern Harlesden. During this long period of time, Harlesden remained a small village on the very outskirts of London and existed in the main by servicing the needs of an ever growing London with its dairy farms and perhaps even Royal hunts for wild animals in its woodland.

Nearby Kensal Green, was indeed once called Kings Holt meaning Kings Woodland. So it is more than feasible to imagine that Kings and Queens of England did ride with their horses on hunts where today our residents and visitors shop for bargains and high quality produce.

Over the course of Harlesden’s history it has also possessed some interesting links with notable institutions. The most famous of which is perhaps All Souls College Oxford founded by Henry VI and Henry Chichelle Archbishop of Canterbury in May 1438. This leading figure of the Church at the time Archbishop Henry Chichelle had acquired lands in Harlesden and the surrounding area which were bequeathed to All Souls College Oxford upon his death.

All Souls remained an important landowner in Harlesden for the best part of 500 years and as recently as the early 20^th century shared responsibility for developing Harlesden into the town centre we recognise today. The majority of homes on Wrottesley Road in Harlesden, for example, were in fact built by All Souls College as recently as 1900.  Whilst All Souls may no longer own land in Harlesden their contribution to its history is also evident in the naming of one of Harlesden’s largest existing local churches, All Souls Parish Church.

Whilst the majority of Harlesden’s history has firmly been rooted in the rural world, the introduction of the railways in the 19^th century and the intense development of the early 20^th century accelerated Herewulf’s Tun’s journey to the cosmopolitan and modern 21^st century Harlesden we see before us today.

Of equal importance have been the new communities that have come to live and work in Harlesden from the 19^th century right up to today. This began with those from Ireland and other parts of the UK to newcomers from Africa and the Caribbean who came to support the post-war reconstruction of London and Britain as a whole.

This mixture which is being complimented by new residents from other parts of our country, Europe and even South America is helping to create one of the most interesting, bohemian and different destinations in London today. An exciting destination that is  modern and forward looking but with roots clearly in it’s past and present.