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Home , Blue plaque, Coldfall Wood, Crofton Roman Villa, Croydon Cat Killer, Furnival Gardens, Gracie Fields

10INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT ’S BOROUGHS BARKING & / BARNET BEXLEY / BRENT / CAMDEN / / / ENFIELD GREENWICH / HACKNEY & HARINGEY / HARROW / HAVERING HILLINGDON / / KENSINGTON & CHELSEA / KINGSTON UPON THAMES / / MERTON NEWHAM / REDBRIDGE RICHMOND UPON THAMES / SUTTON TOWER HAMLETS / WALTHAM FOREST / Foreward Barking and Dagenham

Lots of people feel that they ‘know’ The population of Barking grew rapidly in 1 the 19th century as a result of its thriving London even if they’ve never actually fishing industry. visited it. At its peak in the 1950s the Ford motor One of only a handful of truly global cities with a plant at Dagenham covered four million square feet 2 reputation an economic powerhouse with world famous and employed 40,000 people. architecture, rich in history and art, an open, vibrant and diverse culture, and one of the world’s top tourist The only English Heritage Plaque in Barking and destinations. 3Dagenham is on the home of World Cup winning captain Bbbby Moore. It is all these things of course but a closer look reveals the capital as it is experienced by its 8 million or so Barking and Dagenham is at the heart of the Thames inhabitants, a patchwork of neighbourhoods and Gateway with excellent road and public transport 4 localities, each with their own unique flavour and their links to central London and the rest of east London, own unique histories. between central London and the M25.

These localities are the domain of London local used Barking government that provides the majority of services that 5 Abbey as his headquarters while the Londoners and London businesses use on a daily basis. was being built. It is the From schools to social care, from parking to parks and second oldest abbey in the country. from emergency planning to waste collection, it is their local council that Londoners rely on. The estate was built in 1921 to reward the families of soldiers who 6 London Councils is the representative body for all 32 had served in the First World War. It was the and the City of London, committed to largest council housing estate in the world at the time. fighting for a fair share of resources for our members and to ensure they have the powers needed to do the The borough has seven Grade I best possible job for their residents and businesses. 7 and II listed buildings, including the . This guide includes a mixture of facts, figures and some more unusual history and trivia that offer an insight into is one of the the distinctive character of the 33 local authorities that UK’s largest regeneration sites, 8 collectively comprise ‘London’. We hope it gives you with plans for around 11,000 new an idea of the variety of the capital and its communities homes, equivalent to the town of Windsor. that help create and maintain London’s status as one of the world’s most interesting cities in which to live, work Famous inhabitants have included Billy Bragg, Dudley or visit. 9 Moore, Vera Lynn, and Sandie Shaw. At 2.41 births per woman Barking and Dagenham has England’s 10 highest total fertility rate (England average is 1.83). BARNET BEXLEY

Barnet was the site of one of the most important The ruins of Lesnes Abbey, founded by Richard de 1 battles in the War of the Roses - the Battle of 1 Luci in 1178 but closed by Cardinal Wolsely to finance Barnet on 13 April, 1471. Wolsley College Oxoford, have been described as a ‘hidden treasure in the heart of suburban London’. A fair has been held in Barnet every year since 1588 and became so well known that ‘Barnet 2 Famous Bexley residents have included Kate Bush, fair’ became Cockney rhyming slang for hair. and Lennox Lewis.2 Barnet has the highest proportion of Jewish residents With around 78,000 jobs within the borough, Bexley 3of any local authority area in the UK. 3has a high economic activity rate in comparison to other outer London Boroughs. Barnet is the most populous London borough, with a population bigger than cities such as , 4 Bexley-born architect John Shaw (1776 Coventry and Leicester. – 1832) was one of the first to design 4 ‘semi-detached’ housing in the capital. An 1895 film of a hay cart crossing 5Barnet’s Hadley Green is one of than half (51 per cent) of all earliest films ever made. 5 Bexley’s waste is recycled, the highest rate in London.

The English Dictionary can trace its origins The Crossness Pumping Station, built by Sir Joseph to a tin shed in the grounds of Mill Hill school where 6 Bazalgette as part of Victorian London’s sewerage headmaster James Murray edited the first edition. system, contains some of the period’s finest 6 ornamental cast ironwork. Barnet is twinned with eight other towns around the 7 world, including Jinja (Uganda); Ramat Gan (Israel) The historic Red House and Tempelhof (Germany). in Bexleyheath was 7 originally built for the It is rumoured that secretly met Victorian artist William Rudolf Hess in Barnet. 8 Morris and is known as the home of the Arts and Crafts Barnet is home to the first Roman built road in Movement. 9 England (formerly Watling Street, now the A5). Bexley is mentioned in The oldest tree in London, a yew dating back 2,000 the of 1086, where it is described as 8 years to Anglo-Saxon times, can be found in St 10 a village with 12 ploughs and a mill. Andrew’s churchyard in Totteridge. Bexley, Ohio a suburb of the city of Columbus was 9 named after its British predecessor at the suggestion of an early settler.

Bexley has a five mile frontage onto the . 10 BRENT BROMLEY

Neasden Temple, the first and largest traditional Hindu Bromley has 26 rail stations, more than any other 1 Mandir outside , is made of 2,000 tonnes 1 London borough, but no underground stations. of Italian marble and 3,000 tonnes of Bulgarian limestone which were A labyrinthine network of underground caves at carved by Indian craftsmen and were formed when digging for chalk used 2 shipped to London. in brick-making for the building of London.

The famous ‘Tricycle Theatre’ Legendary cricketer W.G Grace is buried in opened on Kilburn High 2 3Beckenham cemetery. Road in 1980 was based on the Georgian Theatre Royal in Crofton , managed on behalf Richmond, . of the borough by Archaeological 4 Rescue Unit, is the only such villa open to the Covering twice the public in . 3area of the original venue, and with 90,000 Bromley boasts the largest area of seats, the new 5 green space in London, with half of the Stadium is the largest borough covered by green belt covered football stadium countryside. in the world. The Crystal , Brent is widely recognised as one of the most the huge exhibition hall 6 ethnically diverse local authorities in the country. 4 constructed for the Great Exhibition in 1851, was In 1986 Merle Amory became leader of Brent relocated to in 1854 5 council, the first black woman to reach this position but was destroyed by within a British local authority. fire in 1936.

The 4,004 seat State Cinema in Kilburn was the largest in HG Wells, author of The Europe when Gracie Fields opened it 7 Time Machine and The in 1937. 6 War of the Worlds, was born in Bromley in 1866. Brent is named after the River Brent which runs 7 through the borough. Other famous residents of Bromley have included Napoleon 8 Famous residents of Brent have included: Daniel III, and . Craig, Lily Allen, Sienna Miller, Jade 8 Jagger and Peter O’Toole. aerodrome, built in the early 1930s, was 9 the main aerodrome for RAF fighter pilots during the John Logie Baird receved the first Battle of Britain. 9 TV pictures from the continent at Kingsbury Manor studio in 1929. In the 10th century, Bromley was chosen by the Bishops of Rochester to be their base for visitors to 10 Brent will become the ‘London London; the latest Bishop’s Palace, built in 1775, Borough of Culture’ in 2020 coinciding with 10 with its moat, now forms part of the extensive Bromley Euro2020 when Wembley will host the final. Civic Centre. CAMDEN CITY OF LONDON

Camden has 39 conservation areas which cover half The City of London is ancient, founded 1 the borough, including several parks such as Regent’s 1 in AD 43-50 by the Romans. Park, and Heath. The City has a resident population At their peak in the 19th century, of just 9,401 but more than 300,000 2 Charles Goodall and Son’s 2 people commute to and work there. Camden works produced 75% of all playing cards produced in Britain and St Paul’s Cathedral is the most popular visitor spot in the first mass producedChristmas cards 3 the city. in 1866. The City’s population was estimated at 208,000 in The 1665 outbreak of Bubonic 1700 (139,000 of which was within the city walls). 4 3 plague first struck in , around the poor, overcrowded area of The City of London is not classed as a ‘borough’ – it is St Giles-in-the-Field. 5 governed by the City of London Corporation, elected by residents and businesses, and has several unusual London’s first bypass was opened features, such as its own police force. in Camden in 1756 and is now the 4 Euston Road running from Paddington London’s firstpublic drinking fountain was unveiled to Islington. on 21 April 1859, at the boundary wall of St. 6 Sepulchre’s church, Snow Hill. Camden Market is the fourth 5 most popular visitor attraction The City controls the full spans of in London, attracting approximately 7 and Blackfriars Bridge 250,000 people each week. but only half of the river underneath them, a feature which is uncommon The German Gymnasium in King’s Cross was the first within British local administration. purpose-built gym in England when it opened in 1865. 6 The City Bridge Trust is London’s largest independent Famous residents have included , grant-making trust, of which the City of London 8 7 Benjamin Disraeli, Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and Corporation is the sole trustee. . The City of London Corporation owns and manages Camden is home to three of London’s largest rail 9 land elsewhere in London, notably stations: King’s Cross, St Pancras and Euston. 8 and . The borough is home to London Zoo, the world’s From medieval times, the City has 9 oldest scientific zoo which opened in 1828. comprised of 25 ancient wards, each 10 headed by an Alderman, who chairs Camden had the first Bangladeshi Wardmotes, which still take place at least and Muslim mayor in England, 10 annually. who was also the youngest mayor in the country (Nasim Ali in 2003 elected mayor at the age of 34). CROYDON EALING

The Brit school in Selhurst, which was Ealing is home to the biggest 1 established in 1990, has produced talented 1 Sikh community in London. artists such as Amy Winehouse, King Krule, Leona Lewis and Jessie J. has many churches, temples and mosques and the 2 The Croydon Aerodrome was built in biggest Sikh temple in Europe, the 1915 as London’s first airport, but was replaced by 2 Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Heathrow in 1959. is here.

Croydon is London’s second most populous borough Ealing is derived from the Saxon “Gillingas” and is 3with a population of more than 390,000. 3recorded as a settlement in the 12th century. It was originally in the middle of a great forest to the west of Around 14,000 businesses are based in Croydon London. – including offices for well-known brands such as 4 Superdrug, Body Shop and EDF Energy. More than a quarter of Ealing is open space, including 1,000 hectares of space 4 The Street Market in Croydon, designated as natural conservation areas. 5founded in 1276, is one of the oldest markets in the country. Ealing started to develop in the mid-19th 5century, and by the 20th century was nicknamed Croydon has over 3,000 acres of the ‘Queen of Suburbs’ because of its attractive, parkland, countryside and open space 6 tree-lined streets. within its borders. Mick Jagger and Keith The Surrey Iron Railway from Croydon to Richards first met 6 7 Wandsworth opened in 1803 and was the world’s first Brian Jones at the Ealing horse-drawn railway. Jazz club in 1962.

Since opening in 1962, Croydon’s Fairfield hall has More than a fifth of hosted many famous concerts, including David 8 households in Ealing do Bowie, , Elton John and The Beatles. not have anyone in the household with English as 7 their main language. Croydon was once known as ‘The Valley of the 9Crocus’ and was where England’s Archbishops The 2011 Census population of entertained kings and queens. Ealing was 338,400, making it 8 the 3rd largest borough in London. Croydon has the most schools of any borough in London, including 95 primary and 10 Ealing has one of the largest 21 secondary schools. 9 Polish communities in London. The British children’s television comedy show Rentaghost was set in Ealing. 10 ENFIELD GREENWICH

The Royal Small Arms factory at Enfield Greenwich was formally granted Royal 1 Lock, built in 1815, became the main 1 Borough status on 3 February 2012, manufacturing site for the British army’s in recognition of hundreds of years infantry weapons, including the association between the borough and the Lee Enfield rifle. Monarchy.

Although not bordering the Thames, Enfield includes The first golf club in England was set up in the longest length of river corridor in London, known 2 Blackheath in 1608. 2 as the New River Loop, which covers more than 27 miles. Maritime Greenwich was awarded World Heritage Site Enfield FC beat a team from 3status in 1997. 3Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 at their Tucker’s Field ground in 1893. The club The Blackwall Tunnel was the largest underwater joined the league in 1895, but they folded tunnel in the world when it opened in 1897. 4 in 1898. Greenwich is world famous as the traditional location Sir Cameron Mackintosh, the 5of the Prime Meridian, on which all Coordinated producer behind shows such as Les 4 Universal Time is based. Miserable, Miss Saigon, Phantom of the Opera and Cats, was born in Enfield. The capital’s firststeam railway was extended to Greenwich in 1838 and 6 The world’s first electric fire, halogen linked the borough with London Bridge. 5cooker and man-made fibres were all invented in Enfield. At eight miles, Greenwich has the 7 longest embankment along the River Thames. The borough offers thesecond largest expanse of parks and open spaces in London, covering more 6 Greenwich was the site of a royal than 900 hectares. palace from the 15th century, and 8 was the birthplace of many in the Enfield is home to threeMiddlesex House of Tudor, including Henry VIII and 7 University campuses with more than . 140 nationalities are represented at the university’s campus alone. Greenwich is home to the world’s 9 largest tea clipper, the . Former famous Enfield residents include horror actor Boris Karloff, TV legend, Sir , who was 8 Greenwich was one of six host born in Edmonton, Myleene Klass and Amy Winehouse. boroughs for the 2012 London 10 Olympics and events were held at the The Rose & Crown Pub in Enfield dates back to the Royal Artillery Barracks (shooting), 9 15th Century and was once owned by the notorious (equestrianism) and The O2 highwayman Dick Turpin’s grandfather Mr Mott. It is said – the former Millennium Dome (gymnastics that Dick would hide in the pub to avoid capture and that and basketball). his ghost still haunts the pub today.

Barclay’s Bank in Enfield was home to the world’s first cash point machine, officially opened by local 10 resident and On the Buses star Reg Varney in 1967. HACKNEY Hammersmith and Fulham

Hackney Marshes has the largest Originally known as the London Borough of 1 concentration of football pitches 1 Hammersmith in 1965, the council voted to in Europe; over a hundred games are change the name to include Fulham on 1 played there every winter weekend. January 1979.

The Rio Cinema in is The rules of polo were established at one of the few independent and 2 the Hurlingham Club in 1873. 2 community-run cinemas in the country. The first half of the annualO xford and 3 Cambridge boat race course is along Stamford Hill is home to the largest Jewish Charedi the borough’s southern border on the 3community in the world, outside New and Israel. River Thames. Built in 1901, the famous Hackney Empire has been The borough’s Westfield shopping centre took 13 million a and a TV studio - following a recent 4 man-hours to build and used enough concrete to fill restoration it is still a major arts 117 Olympic swimming pools. 4 attraction today. The Grade II art deco The Gunpowder Plot was uncovered 5 Hammersmith Apollo originally 5 in on 26 October 1605, opened as the Gaumont Palace in when an anonymous letter arrived at 1932. In 1952 Buddy Holly played his the home of local resident Lord last UK shows at the venue. Monteagle, warning him not to attend Parliament. A German street lamp that stands on was given to the borough by former The first aerial bomb ever dropped onLondon hit 16 German Chancellor Willy Brandt when he was 6 Alkham Road in Stoke Newington on 31 May 2915. 6 Mayor of West in 1963. In the Tudor period Hackney became a retreat for the Built in 1829, Gasholder 2 at the Fulham Gasworks nobility and Henry VIII built a Palace by 7 is by far the oldest surviving Gasholder in the world. roundabout7 , where BSix Sixth Form College stands today. The borough is home to three of the The National Centre for Circus Arts, which offers BA country’s top football teams: Chelsea, 8 degrees in circus skills, is based in a former Victorian 8 Fulham and Queens Park Rangers. power station in Hoxton. The Franco-British Exhibition Pop art veterans Gilbert and George have had 9 in 1908 that celebrated the 1904 9 the same dinner at the same time at the same Entente Cordiale attracted 8 million visitors to the Turkish restaurant on Kingsland High Street white painted exhibition halls, that gave their name for more than 20 years. to the area ‘White City’.

Hackney is home to the Geffrye The borough is home to the Museum - originally opened by The London Academy of Music 10 the in 10 and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), the oldest 1914 - that explores home life from school in the UK, alumni include 1600 to the present day. Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Malcolm McDowell and Kim Cattrall. HARINGEY HARROW

Finsbury Park was Britain’s first public park, created by Mrs Beeton, the original domestic goddess, 1 an Act of Parliament in 1857. 1 lived at Chandos Villas in Hatch End from 1856-62. In 1909 Walter Tull was the firstblack player for FC and the first black army officer 2 54 per cent of Harrow’s residents are commissioned in the UK. married, which is the highest level in 2 London. Haringey has a relatively young population with 3 around 20 per cent of its population aged 0-15 and Harrow public school is famous less than 10 per cent of pensionable age. 3for educating seven Prime Ministers, including Winston Seven Sisters is named after seven elm trees planted Churchill, and has also featured in in the Page Green area. 4 the Harry Potter films. In ancient times, what we now know as Haringey The fictional BBC comedy series‘ One Foot in the 5 was made up of two large manors, and Grave’, starring Richard Wilson and Annette Crosbie, 4 Tottenham. In the Middle Ages, Tottenham’s population was set in the borough. consisted of 59 serfs, four slaves, two freemen and a priest. One fifth of the borough is composed ofparkland and 5open spaces, creating a green belt equivalent to eight The world’s first public broadcasts of high- Hyde Parks. definition television were made by the 6 BBC from in 1936. Harrow is a religiously diverse area with the highest proportion of Hindu followers in the country (25.3%) 6 Haringey was formed in 1965 and the highest number of Jains (2.2%). 37.3% of 7 from the Municipal Boroughs of residents are Christians and 12.5% are Muslims. Hornsey, and Tottenham which had all previously been part of Punk designer Vivienne Westwood . 7 studied fashion at Harrow Art School, near where her parents ran a sub post Haringey is home to five ancient office on Station Road. woods, including , 8 Bluebell Wood and North Wood. David Sutch renamed himself Screaming Lord Sutch, 3rd Earl of Harrow in the 8 Now a free 1960s and enjoyed string of minor hit records prior to 9 museum, Bruce founding the Monster Raving Loony Party in 1983 and Castle in Tottenham is unsuccessfully contesting more than 40 elections. one of the capital’s oldest brick buildings, originally You can find the remains of one of the last built by one of Henry VIII’s leading 9surviving Saxon Churches in England at St Mary’s courtiers. Church in Harrow.

The firstLotus cars were built in Haringey 98% of households in 1954. 10 in Harrow have 10 central heating in their homes - the highest level in London. HAVERING HILLINGDON

Romford market has been in Hillingdon has more land under 1 existence since 1247 when Henry III 1 prestigious Green Flag status ordered the sheriff of to than any other London borough. establish a market there to be held on Wednesday. Hillingdon is the second largest London borough Havering is home to three by area, and is home to one of the world’s busiest 2 large County parks. 2 airports, Heathrow. In 1937, plans Ruislip Lido used been used as to stage races at 3 a set for major films including Romford Greyhound Stadium The Young Ones with and saw the Titanic sink 3 using Cheetahs imported from in the 1958 film A Night to Remember. Kenya were abandoned due to safety concerns. Hillingdon is home to Brunel University whose alumni include footballer Tony Adams, actress Archie Panjabi 4 Harold Hill Estate, built during the 1940s, was once and comedian Jo Brand. Europe’s largest council estate. 4 Harefield Hospital, where Sir Alexander Fleming did much Upminster Windmill, built in 1803 by local farmer of his work, is one of the world’s largest centres 5James Noakes, is considered one of the finest 5 for heart and lung transplants. In 1983, a team of examples of a ‘smock’ windmill remaining in England. doctors, led by the eminent Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub, performed Britain’s first heart-lung transplant. The name Havering is recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book as the ancient folk name of Hillingdon is home to RAF Northolt, which has the longest Haueringas, which means ‘the settlement of the 6 history of continuous use of any RAF airfield. family of a man called Hæfer’. 6 The Fountain House Hotel in Hayes was The borough was formerly known as the Royal Liberty once a school where the famous 7 of Havering, to which Edward IV granted a charter 7 writer - author of in 1465. Animal Farm - lived and taught.

Parliamentarian Richard Deane, one In October 2008, Hillingdon opened of the signatories of the death the country’s first playground warrant of Charles II, was a 8 designed specifically for 8 tenant at Havering-atte-Bower. disabled children.

Havering Palace manor house Hillingdon’s Blue Plaque scheme formerly in the Liberty of celebrates important people who have lived in the 9 Havering has royal associations 9 borough, including Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander going back as far as . Fleming, Second World War fighter pilot Douglas Bader, and anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce. While men in Havering (16%) are less likely to smoke than the London average (18.5%), but 10 The name Hillingdon appears in the Domesday Book women in Havering (13.9%) are more likely to smoke than (1086) as Hillendone, meaning “The hill of a man women in London as a whole (11.9%). named Hille”. 10 LONDON’S BOROUGHS

ENFIELD

BARNET

HARROW HARINGEY WALTHAM REDBRIDGE FOREST HAVERING

CAMDEN ISLINGTON BRENT HACKNEY BARKING & NEWHAM DAGENHAM WESTMINSTER CITY OF TOWER KENSINGTON & HAMLETS EALING CITY HILLINGDON HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM CHELSEA

SOUTHWARK GREENWICH HOUNSLOW LAMBETH BEXLEY WANDSWORTH LEWISHAM

RICHMOND MERTON

KINGSTON BROMLEY SUTTON CROYDON HOUNSLOW ISLINGTON

Artists Hogarth and Turner are among Water plays a big part in Islington 1 the famous residents who once lived 1 history; wells, springs, a canal and a within the borough. man-made river have brought commerce to the area since the 13th century. was once one of the most dangerous stretches 2 Camden Passage at Angel is one of London’s best of land in London, famous for loved antiques markets. 2 highwaymen and robbers including Dick Turpin. George Orwell began writing 3 his dystopian novel 1984 Today, Hounslow Heath is one of while living at 27b 3London’s largest nature reserves, Square, N1. home to 132 bird species and several rare insects and plants. Elizabeth Garrett Anderson school in Angel has its own 4 The first mention of a settlement special relationship with former at Hounslow was by Robert 4 First Lady Michelle Obama who visited the school in 2009 Fitzwalter, leader of the Barons at the and invited pupil sto the White House in 2010. signing of Magna Carta in 1215 From 1734, William Caslon ran England’s leading Other famous people to have been born or 5 typefoundry from his premises in Clerkenwell, the 5 educated in Hounslow include the comedian Jimmy foundry continued to trade until 1936. Carr, the musician Elvis Costello and the actor Charles Hawtrey of Carry On fame. Whittington Stone on Hill is where Dick Whittington supposedly heard the Bow Bells calling 6 The Native American Pocahontas travelled to London him to be Mayor of London. in 1616 and stayed in Brentford. 6 Islington resident Douglas Adams The firstEnglish strawberry is said to 7 named the character Hotblack Desiato 7 have been cultivated in Isleworth in 1806. in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy after a well-known local estate agent. In 1647 Oliver Cromwell encamped his army of 20,000 men on Hounslow Heath, 8 Islington was the location of the UK’s before marching, at their head, to London. first gay rights demonstration by the Gay Liberation 8 Front in 1970. Hounslow council is currently building a new civic 9 centre while its former home for more than 40 years Playwright Joe Orton, sci-fi novelistD ouglas Adams, will be redeveloped to create hundreds of new homes. 9 singer Alexandra Burke and ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair all lived in Islington. Hounslow Heath (which is around 200 acres today) once covered 10 The first recorded gay right more than 40,000 acres. demonstration in the UK took 10 place in November 1970 at where the Gay Liberation Front held a torch lit rally to protect police harassment. KENSINGTON KINGSTON AND CHELSEA

Life expectancy in Kensington and Chelsea is Kingston’s Coronation Stone dates back to the 10th 1 85.1 years for men and 89.8 for women the highest 1 century and was used at the coronation of King in the UK. Athelstan, crowned in 925 and generally regarded as the first King of England. Queen Anne moved to the then rural Kensington in part due to her husband, 2 The Korean population in New Malden is estimated to Prince George’s, asthma to escape the be the largest in Europe. 2 ‘grime of Whitehall. The first filtered water supply to Kensington and Chelsea has 175 English 3London came from Seething Wells 3 Heritage blue plaques, second only to the sand beds in Surbiton by the river Thames. in London. This water supply played a major part in reducing cholera in London. Bob Dylan played his first London show at the Troubadour café on Old Brompton Road. 4 Kingston Upon Thames is the UK’s oldest Royal Borough, having been designated as 4 The borough is home to around 4,000 listed buildings, such in 925 AD by Saxon, King Athelsen. including the Natural History 5 Museum, the V&A and also The oldest surviving bridge in Trellick Tower, the 1970s high-rise 5 London is the Clattern Bridge designed by Erno Goldfinger. at Kingston, dating back to the 12th century. The carnival is one of London’s most important cultural Motion picture pioneer events and the largest street Eadweard Muybridge was born 6 party in Europe. 6 and died in Kingston and hosts a selection of material Up until the 1940s, Portobello Road he bequeathed, including over 2,000 market mainly sold food and other glass magic lantern slides. essential items from the 40s onwards it first became home to more rag and bone Kingston Bridge was the only crossing of the River 7 men and subsequently the antiques it is 7 Thames between London Bridge and Staines Bridge best known for today. until Putney Bridge was opened in 1729.

Isaac , the artist J.M.W Turner, The famous Sopwith Camel fighter plane was Sir Thomas More and Queen Elizabeth I all developed in Kingston in 1917 and destroyed more 8 lived in the borough. 8 enemy aircraft than any other during the First World War. In 1916, cocaine was sold to the public in Kingston’s Old London Road is home to a famous art and described as ‘A Welcome Present for Friends 9 installation in the form of falling over phone boxes 9 at the Front’. officially named ‘Out of Order’ by artist David Mach. The Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square has had a reputation for showcasing new playwrights since it The borough hosts one of the opened in in 1888. 10 country’s leading theme parks - 10 World of Adventure. Lambeth LEWISHAM

Lambeth is home to world class In the Middle Ages the manor of 1 attractions such as the Southbank 1 Lewisham belonged to the Abbey of Centre, the Oval Cricket Ground, Ghent in Flanders. , the London Aquarium, the Old Vic and some other gems Astronomer Edmond Halley is buried at such as Windmill Gardens, the Cinema St Margaret’s Church, Lee. 2 Museum and the .

The Ritzy Cinema, , built in Elizabethan dramatist and poet, Christopher Marlowe 1911 was one of England’s first purpose built cinemas. 2 3 is buried in an unmarked grave in the churchyard of St Nicholas, Deptford. Pioneering British documentary ‘We 3 Are The Lambeth Boys’ was shot over six weeks in the summer of 1958, in and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who lived in Grove around the Alford House, a youth club Park in the early 1970s, was made a Freeman of the 4 in the Oval area of South London. Borough in 1990.

Both former Prime Minister The Rivoli in Crofton Park is John Major (Brixton) and former London Mayor 4 5 London’s only intact 1950s ballroom Ken Livingstone () were born and raised in and appears frequently on film and TV. Lambeth. Sydenham Parish records note 5 Lambeth is home to the UK’s largest Portuguese in 1791 the burial of Elizabeth 6 population at ‘little Portugal’ near Vauxhall. Fearman, whose coffin was six feet and ten inches long, three feet five inches wide, and two feet Lambeth Palace was acquired by the archbishopric of 6 six inches deep. Canterbury around 1200 AD and has been their London residence ever since. New Cross in Lewisham is home to Goldsmiths, whose 7 alumni include Antony Gormley, Mary Quant, Damien 7 Former Lambeth residents include , Hirst, Bridget Riley and Malcolm McLaren. diarist Samuel Pepys, actor and supermodel Naomi Campbell. Lewisham was the first council to have a directly- elected young mayor. 8 Built as part of the Festival of Britain in 1951, the Royal 8 Festival Hall became a Grade I listed building in 1988; the Lewisham was administratively part of Kent until 1889. first post-war building to do so. 9 The ever-popular, bizarrely 9 West Norwood cemetery is one of the finest over-stuffedHorniman 10 examples of Victorian cemeteries; notable burials include Walrus has been displayed at the sugar magnate and gallery founder Henry , Paul , Forest Hill Julius Baron von Reuter, founder of the news agency and since 1901. It was mounted around famous cookery writer Isabella Beeton. 1870 when people knew little about the walrus anatomy. Built in 1891 the Velodrome 10 hosted the cycling events at the 1948 London Games. Tucked away amid East streets, Herne Hill is still a cycle track and considered the home of UK track cycling.

MERTON NEWHAM

At the time of the firstcensus in 1801, Merton’s Newham is one of the most ethnically diverse places in 1 population was 6,382; based on the most recent 1 the country. Top languages spoken other than English census information, in 2014 the population was estimated include Bengali, Urdu, Lithuanian and Romanian. at 203,515, and is projected to grow by between 1.7 per cent and 6.4 per cent by 2020. Westfield Stratford City, the new shopping complex in Stratford, is 2 Baitul Futuh Mosque in the largest urban shopping centre in is the largest 2 Europe, also hosting the biggest casino purpose-built mosque in Europe, in London. accommodating 1,600 worshippers in each of its two prayer halls. Newham is home to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic 3 Park and the London Stadium which is now home to Merton is famous for being West Ham United. 3 the one-time residence of Lord Horatio Nelson. Newham has the highest proportion of young people in London and one in four residents is aged 15 4 Merton is the only London borough to be or younger. served by tube, rail and tram services. 4 . Newham has the only airport in inner Merton is home to the world- 5 London. It’s two miles from the Olympic 5 famous All England Lawn site, three miles from Canary Wharf and six Tennis Club, where the Wimbledon miles from the City of London. Championships take place every year bringing an extra 500,000 people into Newham offers a pioneering programme the borough. called ‘Every Child a Musician’ that offers free music tuition and a free 6 Henry VI was crowned at Merton Priory in musical instrument to every year 5 pupil 1437, the only coronation of an English King outside of 6 in the borough. Westminster in 1,000 years. Green Street - dubbed Comedian Paul Martin is better known by his ‘the Bond Street of the East End’ - 7 stage name inspired by the area of London he grew 7 has over 400 independent shops up in, Merton. selling food, jewellery, designer saris and a myriad of cafes and restaurants from Merton has 677 hectares of open space on 76 sites, around the world. covering 18 per cent of the borough. 8 London’s historic Royal Docks were once the beating In 1798, Prime Minister William Pitt fought a duel heart of Britain’s overseas trade. They used to be the 8 9 against the MP for Southwark on Wimbledon largest Docks in the world attracting shipping from every Common. corner of the globe.

Arthur Liberty, founder of the More than 7,500 Newham volunteers supported the world famous Liberty department 10 9 Games and 1,000 residents took part in the opening store, began his business hand-printing and closing ceremonies. imported silks at his factory on the banks of the in Merton. “Newham’s’ motto is ‘Progress with People’ taken from the latin ‘Progressio cum Populo’ used by the 10 . former Westham County Borough. RedBRIDGE RICHMOND UPON THAMES

The only mammoth specimen with a complete skull Richmond derives its name from the palace of 1 was found in Ilford, and mammoth remains can be 1 the same name built by Henry VIII and named in seen in Redbridge Museum. An important Palaeolithic site recognition of his ancestral home in Richmond, Yorkshire. was also found in Woodford during building of the M11. Richmond, Virginia, was in turn named after Ilford Hospital Chapel for ‘infirm men’ is the oldest Richmond upon Thames by that town’s founder 2 building in Redbridge. It was founded in 1145 and later 2 William Byrd II because the view of the James River was took in people with leprosy returning from the Crusades. strikingly similar to the view of the River Thames from Richmond Hill. The ‘Great Vine’ at Hampton Court 3Palace was grown from a cutting taken Built in 1899, from Valentines Mansion in 1768. A cutting 3remains one of the country’s most was returned to Valentines Mansion in 1987, successful theatres and attracts more which is now a thriving visitor attraction after than a quarter of a million theatre-goers a major restoration. a year.

Redbridge is one of the greenest is around three times the size of New London boroughs, with large areas of 4 York’s Central Park. 4 forest and parkland. They include Claybury Woods and Park, which incorporates some , one of the country’s design ideas by renowned landscape architect 5 largest sporting venues, was built on Sir Humphrey Repton. land previously used to grow vegetables, giving rise to the stadium’s nickname of The former Epping and Woodford constituency was the ‘cabbage patch’. 5 represented in Parliament by Sir Winston Churchill from 1924 to 1964, and his statue stands in Woodford The borough Green. is home to the 6 Royal Botanic Gardens The name ‘Redbridge’ is from a red brick bridge across in , one of London’s four the River Roding. The borough was named after this 6 World Heritage sites. former landmark when it was created in 1965 from the municipal boroughs of Ilford and Wanstead and Woodford. Richmond is the only London borough 7 to span both sides of the River Thames. Barnardo’s has its headquarters in Barkingside, on the 7 site where the original children’s homes were built in Remembrance Poppies have been the late 1800s. produced at the Poppy Factory in 8 Richmond since 1925. The Ilford Photo Company that became worldwide for its black and white film was founded in and named at 8 The area has traditionally the town in 1879. 9 been home to large number of actors, musicians and entertainers, including An 1851 Act of Parliament that Richard Attenborough, Mick Jagger and 9 designated as waste Eddie Izzard. ground saw more than 92 per cent of its trees felled and sparked the birth of the in Richmond has been the modern British conservation movement. finishing line for the Oxford and Cambridge Boat 10 race since 1838. Dame Maggie Smith was born in Ilford in 1934. 10 SOUTHWARK SUTTON

Modern foodie mecca can be traced Sutton has a good claim to be 1 back to at least 1276 and has occupied its current site 1 London’s ‘greenest borough’ since 1756. with around 1,500 acres of green open space and parks. Over 120 languages are spoken in Southwark. Other than English, top languages spoken include Spanish, 2 Sutton is twinned with five towns in Europe, including Chinese, French and Arabic. Gladsaxe in Denmark, Minden in Germany and 2 Tavernelle in . London’s first crossing over the River 3 Thames stretched from Southwark, Sutton is one of the few London boroughs not the poorer side of the river, to the more 3 to have a London Underground station within its prosperous City on the north bank. boundaries.

The borough has a wide tourism offer; being home Sutton is recorded in the 1086 to the , borough market and the Golden Domesday Book as Sudtone, which 4 Hinde, a recreation of Francis 4 in Old English means ‘The south farm’. Drake’s famous ship. Sutton railway station opened in Charles Dickens, the scientist 5 1847 and this connection to central 5 , Charlie Chaplin London saw the area’s population and William Shakespeare all lived in more than double within a decade. the borough. Famous Sutton residents include Noel Coward, Sir Library was awarded the Harry Secombe and Joan Armatrading. 6 Stirling Prize for architecture in 2000. 6 The Thomas Wall centre, formerly known as the 7 Sutton Adult School, was opened by benefactor There has been a church on the site of Southwark Thomas Wall of Ice Cream fame in 1910. 7 Cathedral since AD 606 and archaeological evidence of Roman pagan worship on the site long before that. There are two grade II listed buildings in Sutton; Sutton Baptist church built in 1934 and the police 8 Southwark has a long tradition as a centre station built in 1908. of entertainment and in 1599 Shakespeare’s 8 Globe Theatre was built in the area. Sutton has three accredited museums - Honeywood Although the original theatre burnt down in 9 in Carshalton, Little Holland House in Carshalton 1613, a modern replica has been built near Beeches and Whitehall in Cheam. the original site. There have been several archaeological finds in Sutton, The City and South London railway including the site 9 line, the world’s first deep level of a Roman villa in 10 underground railway line was opened Beddington. 1890, and ran through Southwark.

The Shard at London Bridge, completed in 2012, is Europe’s 10 tallest building at 310 meters high. TOWER HAMLETS waltham foresT

Tower Hamlets takes its name from Waltham Forest Town Hall is one 1 the historical association between the 1 of the most impressive in London. Tower of London and the surrounding Built in the 1930s, it is Grade II listed hamlets (villages). and features on the borough’s Olympic pin badge. Prompted by the poor conditions in the East End, William Booth formed 2 The gallery his Salvation Army at a meeting held on in Central 2 the Whitechapel Road. Today, a statue celebrates the life and art of one of the borough’s commemorates both his mission and his most celebrated former residents, and a work in helping the poor. leader in the Arts and Crafts movement.

The Victorians renamed Other famous residents of 3Petticoat Lane ‘Middlesex 3 Waltham Forest have included: Street’ in the 1830s to avoid any footballer, David Beckham; film reference to underwear, although director, Sir ; the market there is still known by actor, Sir Derek Jacobi; and iPod the original name. designer, Sir Jonathan Ive.

Tower Hamlets is London’s fastest growing borough, The first all-British aircraft was with a population increase of 33 per cent expected 4 assembled on Walthamstow 4 by 2020. marshes in 1909, and piloted by Alliot Verdon Roe. Thomas Barnardo opened his first ‘ragged school’, 5 proving free eduction to poor children in Mile End In the early 20th century, Walthamstow in 1867. 5 was home to the fledgling Britishfilm industry, with four film studios. Walford East, the fictitious district line station in EastEnders, is supposedly positioned between Bow 6 is Europe’s longest Road and West Ham stations, thus replacing the real daily street market. 6 Bromley-by-Bow station. Waltham Forest boasts rich The docks around Canary Wharf were 7 natural resources including vast areas 7 once part of the world’s largest port, of marshland in the Lea Valley to the west and the area takes its name from the many of the borough, and Epping Forest to the goods imported from the Canary Islands. north east.

The Whitechapel area was notorious The Bremer, Britain’s first car with an internal haunt of Victorian serial killer Jack the Ripper. 8 combustion engine, was produced in Waltham Forest 8 in the 1890s. An example can be seen today in the Nearly half Tower Hamlet’s population is age 20-39, borough’s . 9 making the boroughs median age of 30.6 one of the lowest in the UK. Waltham Forest established royal links when Queen 9 Elizabeth I used a hunting lodge which still stands – Alongside some of the highest income households, and now accepts visitors - in . Tower Hamlets has some of the highest rates of 10 child and pensioner poverty in England. Waltham Forest is the London borough of Culture 2019, the first borough to hold this accolade. 10 WANDSWORTH WESTMINSTER

Many of the Huguenots who fled in the 1600s has been the 1 settled in Wandsworth. A Huguenot monument was 1 coronation church for the British Monarch erected by public subscription in 1911 and still stands today since 1066, with 39 coronations taking on Wandsworth High Street. place there, the most recent being Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Wandsworth is home to London’s only licenced heliport. 2 Westminster is an internationally known tourist area, 2 Leading Suffragettes Christabel and with 40 per cent of London’s hotel beds 3 held a number of meetings of located in the borough. the Women’s Social and Political Union at Town Hall, now Battersea Arts Centre. The Waterloo and City Line is the only London tube 3line not serving a station in Westminster. Wandsworth takes its name from the River Wandle, which enters the 4 Westminster was originally an Thames at Wandsworth. island above the Thames marshes, 4 and there is evidence of an early In 2005, Tooting had a crater on Roman settlement. 5 Mars officially named after it by the International Astronomical Union. Westminster’s population 5 includes the second highest In 1913 Battersea elected London’s first black mayor, proportion of Buddhist residents in John Archer. In 1922 Battersea 6 the country. North elected London’s first communist MP, the The economy in Westminster is driven by the Indian-born Shapurji Saklatvala. service sector, and it has the highest GDP of 6 any London borough. The decommissioned grade 7 II listed Battersea Power Around 5,300 food businesses are regulated by the Station is now a mixed use 7 council’s Food Team, more than any other London neighbourhood containing local authority. restaurants, an exercise studio, housing and hosts events throughout the year. It is estimated that more than 95 per cent of visitors to London visit Westminster, representing approximately 8 Wandsworth has five Grade I and 39 Grade II* listed 28.5 million people per year. buildings, ranging from the Church of St Mary’s in 8 Battersea to the Young’s Brewery in Wandsworth Town. Created in the 10th century, The College 9 Garden in Westminster is Britain’s The famous Junction, Britain’s busiest oldest garden. 9 railway station, is really in Battersea, but when it opened in 1863 the railway company The oldest serviving English felt the name Clapham would attract more Heritage Blue Plaque, put up 10 middle class passengers. in 1875 in honour of Napleon III, is situated in Kind Street, St Jame’s. The world famous Battersea Dogs and Cats Home finds 10 new homes for more than 5,000 animals each year. LONDON COUNCILS

London Councils is a We manage the Freedom Pass, funded 1 cross-party organisation, 7 by London’s boroughs, to provide free funded and run by our 24 hour travel on London buses, tubes, member authorities to trams and trains to more than one million work on behalf of them older and disabled Londoners. all, regardless of political persuasion. Our members London Councils seeks to influence – all 32 London boroughs the government and others on 8 and the City of London issues of importance to London through – find our work through commissioning research and developing subscription. policy to support our lobbying campaigns. This involves making the case for changes London Councils’ main policy decisions are taken by to proposed legislation and promoting private legislation our Leaders’ Committee, which meets monthly and to win more powers for our member councils. brings together the leaders of all member authorities.2 London Councils carries out a wide range of London’s 1,833 elected local members 9 policy work covering all the important issues 3 are at the heart of the capital’s for our member authorities, and Londoners. This democracy and provide a vital link between includes children and young people, crime and public their local communities and the wider protection, culture, tourism, economic development, network of local, regional and national bodies the environment, health and adult services, housing, responsible for the governance of London. infrastructure and finance.

London Councils’ purpose is to help London’s local government successfully shape London as a world 4 Prior to 2006 London class city and best serve its individual communities Councils was known 10 and localities. as the Association of London Government which itself was London Councils’ annual a merger of the London 5 London Government Boroughs Association and Directory contains details the Association of London of every London councillor, Authorities in 1995. senior managers in the 32 boroughs and the City of London and is distributed free to members every autumn. An online directory is available at directory. londoncouncils.gov.uk

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