Misplaced Pages

#750249

28-577: The Ashridge Dining Club was a political club set up in 1933 in West London with the object of extending the associations and activities of the Bonar Law College, Ashridge , by discussion over the dinner table. The Bonar Law College had been opened in 1929 by Stanley Baldwin having been presented to the Conservative Party by Mr Urban Broughton as a training college for Conservative workers. It

56-506: A geographical description in the 19th century. Like other areas of the capital, West London grew rapidly in 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

84-503: Is a manifestation of the god Nodens . There are other suggestions for the origins of the name, although none has been universally accepted. Later writers said it was derived from "flood gate" or "Fleet gate", from "ludgeat", meaning "back gate" or " postern ", or from the Old English term "hlid-geat" a common Old English compound meaning "postern" or "swing gate". Ludgate is believed to have been one of four original gates in

112-470: Is thought to have carried Watling Street over 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

140-609: 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 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

168-467: Is used to differentiate 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

196-524: 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, 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

224-647: 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 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

252-562: The Roman London Wall , work on which started in 190 AD. Anti-royalist forces rebuilt the gate during the First Barons' War (1215–17) using materials recovered from the destroyed houses of Jews . The gate was rebuilt about 1450 by a man called Foster who at one time was lodged in the debtor's prison over the gate. He eventually became Sir Stephen Foster , Lord Mayor of London . His widow, Agnes , renovated and extended Ludgate and

280-547: The walls of 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

308-477: The 12th century, has been described as London's First West End . From 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

SECTION 10

#1732851949751

336-634: The City in the time of Henry VIII . It was at around that time that Westminster first acquired City status. In 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

364-476: The City, ensured that western London was the fastest growing part of early London. The growth of 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

392-602: 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 is a major employer in West London, and the University of West London has more than 47,000 students. Ludgate Ludgate

420-501: The Thames to Thorney Island . It 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

448-422: The area include the boroughs of Brent and Harrow , taking ancient Watling Street as 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

476-507: The consecration had already occurred . Every year on 29 June, St Peters day, 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

504-572: The debtor's prison; the practice of making the debtors pay for their own food and lodging was also abolished. Her gift was commemorated by a brass wall plaque, which read: Devout souls that pass this way, For Stephen Foster, late mayor, heartily pray; And Dame Agnes , his spouse, to God consecrate, That of pity this house made, for Londoners in Ludgate; So that for lodging and water prisoners here nought pay, As their keepers shall answer at dreadful doomsday! In February 1554, Ludgate

532-751: The dining club illustrate some of the political concerns at that time. Meetings continued until the outbreak of the Second World War. In London there was also the London Ashridge Circle, which arranged dinners at St Ermin's Hotel, Caxton Street, Westminster, and the London Ashridge Club. Following the fiftieth dinner in 1938 a review of the club was included in the Ashridge Journal on the occasion of Miss Kerr resigning as chairman and Mr W R C Snape taking over. West London The term

560-712: The establishment of the Metropolitan Green Belt shortly after 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

588-660: The reign of King Edward VI . The gateway was finally demolished in 1760 at the request of the local citizens. It was still in use as a debtor's prison, so the inmates were transferred to the City workhouse in Bishopsgate . The statues from the facade were preserved at the Church of St Dunstan-in-the-West in Fleet Street . When the church was rebuilt in 1831, they were sold and taken to Hertford Villa in Regent's Park , but were returned to

SECTION 20

#1732851949751

616-407: The smoke drifting from the crowded City. A further factor facilitating rapid growth in West London 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

644-466: The then four distinct areas of London; in it he describes 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

672-554: Was by subscription. Meetings took place at York Mansions Restaurant, Petty France, London . The president of the club was Mr Arthur Bryant , editor of the Ashridge Journal and author of "The Spirit of Conservatism"; the founder and chairman was Miss Sheelagh Dumay Kerr. The organising secretary was Mrs A B P Kerr. Other members of the committee were: Vice-Presidents Mr L H Sutton, Mr T N Graham, The Principal of Ashridge. Hon. Secretary Miss E M Soutter Hon Treasurer Lt. Col. A. H. Burne, D.S.O. The speakers and subjects discussed by

700-461: 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, 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

728-591: Was named as a memorial to Bonar Law , the British Conservative Party politician and Prime Minister, who had died in 1923. The aim of the College was to provide political education and was not explicitly Conservative. Associated with the College were regional or county circles or clubs; their activities were reported by The Ashridge Journal. Ordinary membership was open to those who had attended courses at Ashridge, with others being associate members. Membership

756-624: Was the final setting of Wyatt's rebellion , when Sir Thomas Wyatt the Younger arrived at the gate with part of his army numbering three or four hundred men. The gate was defended by Lord William Howard with the local militia , who refused entry to the rebels, causing them to retreat and later surrender. Ludgate was rebuilt in 1586 to the design of William Kerwin; niches in the facade were furnished with statues of Queen Elizabeth I and King Lud with his two sons; these statues replaced medieval ones that had been defaced by Protestant iconoclasts during

784-625: Was the westernmost gate in London Wall . Of Roman origin, it was rebuilt several times and finally demolished in 1760. The name survives in Ludgate Hill , an eastward continuation of Fleet Street , Ludgate Circus and Ludgate Square. According to legend, recorded by the Norman-Welsh cleric Geoffrey of Monmouth , Ludgate was named after the ancient British king Lud . Lud was said to be the brother of King Cassivelaunus but some folklorists think he

#750249