Hendon Central

Underground station, existing between 1923 and now.

 HOME  ·  ARTICLE  ·  MAPS  ·  STREETS  ·  BLOG  ·  CONTACT US 
(51.583 -0.227, 51.583 -0.227) 
MAP YEAR:175018001810182018301860190019502024Show map without markers
ZOOM:14 15 16 17 14 15 16 17 14 15 16 17 14 15 16 17 14 15 16 17 14 15 16 17 14 15 16 17 18 14 15 16 17 14 15 16 17 18
TIP: To create your own sharable map, right click on the map
Underground station · * · NW4 ·
MARCH
3
2021
Hendon Central tube station is on the Edgware branch of the Northern Line.

Hendon Central, like all stations north from Golders Green, is a surface station - the tracks enter twin tunnels a short distance further north on the way to Colindale. When it was built it stood in 'lonely glory amid fields', as one writer puts it, south of the old village of Hendon.

Hendon Central station is a Grade II listed building, designed in a neo-Georgian style by Stanley Heaps, who also designed Brent Cross tube station in a similar style, with a prominent portico featuring a Doric colonnade.

The fact that the area was largely undeveloped allowed a hitherto unusual degree of coordination between the station and the surrounding buildings that were constructed over the next few years. The station was intended to be the centre and a key architectural feature of a new suburban town; it faces a circus 73 metres in diameter that is intersected by four approach roads which provide access to all parts of Hendon and the surrounding areas beyond. For many years this was a roundabout known as ’Central Circus’; however it is now a very busy crossroads controlled by traffic signals.

Hendon Central Circus had been built on a bend on a tiny road once called Butcher's Lane. Butcher's Lane had been officially renamed Queen's Road for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1887 but the name change hadn't reached the mapmakers of the turn-of-the-twentieth-century Ordnance Survey - the map did not yet reflect the new moniker.

The lane connected Brent Street to the Burroughs. The OS map shows that  two large houses - Brent Lodge and Foster House flanked the lane at the Brent Street end. From here, the lane ran due west, past a small farm called Stoney Farm to form a junction with Gutters Hedge Lane. Gutters Hedge Lane ran originally from the Edgware Road in the area of the Welsh Harp.

At the future site of Hendon Central, Butcher's Lane bent to the northwest and continued past Burroughs Farm towards the Burroughs itself and Hendon 'proper'.


1900butcherslaneNW4
Butchers Lane, looking south in the early 1900s
(click image to enlarge)


This bucolic scene would remain largely untouched until the 1920s. In that decade, two transport developments were planned together.

In the 1830s, the Finchley Road had been built to bypass the steep hills and congestion of Hampstead. Nearly a century later, Finchley - or rather the Great North Road (A1) already needed its own bypass. Thus Hendon Way and Watford Way were planned.

A series of other arterial roads were laid out this part in north London. The North Circular Road was built along the as-yet undeveloped (due to its regular flooding) course of the River Brent, to complement the Hendon/Watford Way (A41) and the Great North Way (A1).

Further north, at Fiveways Circus, the new A41 and A1 combined for a while for a trip through Mill Hill, before dividing again at Apex Corner.

Meanwhile, finally the long planned northward extension of the Northern Line was finally constructed in the years up to and including 1923. From the old terminus at Golders Green, recently built houses there had to be demolished before the new line started to run across fields. The first station north was named Brent, serving the new Hendon greyhound stadium - itself later the site of Brent Cross Shopping Centre.

Next came Hendon Central  before the new line entered a tunnel immediately to the north of the new station, re-emerging before Colindale station and then Burnt Oak station before a new terminus at Edgware.

That bend in Butcher's Lane became the site of Hendon Central Circus, with the new station built on the circus itself. Queen's Road ran east towards Brent Street along the course of the land. Along the line of the rest of Butcher's Lane and Gutters Hedge Lane became Watford Way.

To get some 1900-era bearings, let's take a look at the area as mapped then:





 

The G.P. marker on the old map is more or less in the centre of the future Hendon Central Circus.

The next photo is a bit of a mystery. It is recorded as depicting the bend in Butcher's Lane and if correct it would date from 1921.



1009
Bend in Butcher's Lane , Hendon
(click image to enlarge)



Possibly the following is true: It is as viewed from the west. Taken now, the photographer would be standing at the end of Vivian Avenue looking across the Circus and pointing the camera down Queen's Road.

Tracking down exactly what we are seeing, we have had to use a little bit of photographic forensics. This is because there is a building - the wooden one depicted - which is not there on the 1900-era map (nor on a 1914 map come to that). We have to look at other contemporary photographs - there is one in the London Transport Museum Collection
entitled "Future site of Hendon Central Underground station" and includes the same wooden building.

Additionally we are positioned at the end of a road emerging from behind us which also shouldn't be there, according to the old 1900 map. Vivian Avenue however preceded the 1920s development, built just before the First World War to link to Hendon (Midland) station, the 1890s Schweppes factory in West Hendon and to begin to exploit the land of Sir Audley Neeld.

If this is so, there is a large tree on the left of the photo which would roughly be on the site of the station. The signpost towards the centre-right of the photo marks the then end of Gutters Hedge Lane which leads from its junction, along modern Watford Way before a bend towards the Edgware Road where Gutters Hedge Lane becomes the modern Park Road. The sign in the photo at the end of this lane reads <something> Way, presumably Hendon.

But all this is conjecture since there are things which don't match up. "Bucolic scene" above should include the trees beside the signpost right at the bend which it doesn't - Vivian Avenue would have been driven through the scene however. Queen's Road snaking into the distance seems to bend too much, , there's a fence on the right in photo 1 but on the left in photo 2 and the first word in the sign does not seem long enough to say "Hendon". In favour of the conjecture, no other angles would match up.











1008


This 1928 photo - taken some seven years later - shows a completely transformed scene with shops starting to line the new Watford Way. This is looking north from roughly from the site of the signpost in the photo above.


Further up Hendon Way you can see an island site between the two carriageways with a pond and war memorial. The houses here were demolished in the 1940s. The United Dairies occupied the domed building in the foreground - a prestigious site.


Writing in 1932, William Passingham commended the integrated approach taken at Hendon Central as an outstanding example of the co-ordination of road-planning with passenger station requirements. He noted, only nine years after the station opened, that it had already become the centre of an ever-widening cluster of new houses.




Licence: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence


Click here to explore another London street
We now have 664 completed street histories and 46836 partial histories
Find streets or residential blocks within the M25 by clicking STREETS


CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LOCALITY

Comment
Kevin Pont   
Added: 29 Aug 2023 15:15 GMT   

Not as Central as advertised...
Hendon Central was by no means the centre of Hendon when built, being a green field site. It was built at the same time as both the North Circular Road and the A41 were built as major truck roads �’ an early example of joined up London transport planning.

Reply

LATEST LONDON-WIDE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PROJECT

Comment
Wendy    
Added: 22 Mar 2024 15:33 GMT   

Polygon Buildings
Following the demolition of the Polygon, and prior to the construction of Oakshott Court in 1974, 4 tenement type blocks of flats were built on the site at Clarendon Sq/Phoenix Rd called Polygon Buildings. These were primarily for people working for the Midland Railway and subsequently British Rail. My family lived for 5 years in Block C in the 1950s. It seems that very few photos exist of these buildings.

Reply

Steve   
Added: 19 Mar 2024 08:42 GMT   

Road construction and houses completed
New Charleville Circus road layout shown on Stanford’s Library Map Of London And Its Suburbs 1879 with access via West Hill only.

Plans showing street numbering were recorded in 1888 so we can concluded the houses in Charleville Circus were built by this date.

Source: Charleville Circus, Sydenham, London

Reply
Comment
Steve   
Added: 19 Mar 2024 08:04 GMT   

Charleville Circus, Sydenham: One Place Study (OPS)
One Place Study’s (OPS) are a recent innovation to research and record historical facts/events/people focused on a single place �’ building, street, town etc.

I have created an open access OPS of Charleville Circus on WikiTree that has over a million members across the globe working on a single family tree for everyone to enjoy, for free, forever.

Source: Charleville Circus, Sydenham, London

Reply
Comment
Charles   
Added: 8 Mar 2024 20:45 GMT   

My House
I want to know who lived in my house in the 1860’s.

Reply

NH   
Added: 7 Mar 2024 11:41 GMT   

Telephone House
Donald Hunter House, formerly Telephone House, was the BT Offices closed in 2000

Reply
Comment
Paul Cox   
Added: 5 Mar 2024 22:18 GMT   

War damage reinstatement plans of No’s 11 & 13 Aldine Street
Whilst clearing my elderly Mothers house of general detritus, I’ve come across original plans (one on acetate) of No’s 11 & 13 Aldine Street. Might they be of interest or should I just dispose of them? There are 4 copies seemingly from the one single acetate example. Seems a shame to just junk them as the level of detail is exquisite. No worries if of no interest, but thought I’d put it out there.

Reply
Comment
Diana   
Added: 28 Feb 2024 13:52 GMT   

New Inn Yard, E1
My great grandparents x 6 lived in New Inn Yard. On this date, their son was baptised in nearby St Leonard’s Church, Shoreditch

Source: BDM London, Cripplegate and Shoreditch registers written by church clerk.

Reply
Comment
Vic Stanley   
Added: 24 Feb 2024 17:38 GMT   

Postcose
The postcode is SE15, NOT SE1

Reply


NEARBY LOCATIONS OF NOTE
Brent Street The largest hamlet of Hendon parish was Brent Street.
Butchers Lane (1923) Photographed in 1923, this stretch of Butchers Lane would soon become Hendon Central Circus and have Watford Way built along the route of the old lane.
Foster House Foster House and Brent Lodge were two 18th-century brick houses at the corner of Butcher's Lane and Brent Street. Butcher's Lane later became Queen’s Road
Hendon Central Hendon Central tube station is on the Edgware branch of the Northern Line.
Hendon Central (1928) Photographed in 1928, this stretch of Watford Way at Hendon Central Circus had recently been built along ancient Butchers Lane and shops were rapidly lining its sides. The United Dairies occupied the domed building, a prestigeous site.
Hendon Park Hendon Park, totalling 12 hectares, between Queens Road (formerly Butchers Lane) and Shire Hall Lane was created by Hendon Urban District Council in 1903.
Hendon War Memorial Hendon War Memorial is located on the central reservation at the junction between Watford Way and The Burroughs.

NEARBY STREETS
Alderton Crescent, NW4 Alderton Crescent is a street in Hendon (Hendon Central)
Alderton Way, NW4 Alderton Way is a street in Hendon (Hendon Central)
Allington Road, NW4 Allington Road dates from the early 1920s (Hendon Central)
Audley Road, NW4 Audley Road was built along the line of a former footpath (Hendon)
Bavdene Mews, NW4 Bavdene Mews is a small thoroughfare off of The Burroughs (Hendon Central)
Beaufort Gardens, NW4 Beaufort Gardens is a street in Hendon (Hendon Central)
Belle Vue Road, NW4 Belle Vue Road is a road in the NW4 postcode area (Hendon)
Bertram Road, NW4 Bertram Road is one of a grid of pre-First World War streets (Hendon)
Breasy Place, NW4 Breasy Place is a street in Hendon (Hendon Central)
Brent Green, NW4 Brent Green is a street in Hendon (Hendon Central)
Brent Street, NW4 Brent Street was a section of a main road north out of London. (Hendon)
Central Circus, NW4 Central Circus is the postal designation for addresses around Hendon Central circus (Hendon Central)
Cheyne Walk, NW4 Cheyne Walk is a road in the NW4 postcode area (Hendon Central)
Colindeep Gardens, NW4 Colindeep Gardens is a street in Hendon (Hendon)
Cowley Place, NW4 Cowley Place is a road in the NW4 postcode area (Hendon)
Crespigny Road, NW4 Crespigny Road is a street in Hendon (Hendon Central)
Denehurst Gardens, NW4 Denehurst Gardens is a road in the NW4 postcode area (Hendon Central)
Eaton Road, NW4 Eaton Road is a road in the NW4 postcode area (Hendon)
Edgeworth Avenue, NW4 Edgeworth Avenue is a road in the NW4 postcode area (Hendon)
Edgeworth Crescent, NW4 Edgeworth Crescent is a road in the NW4 postcode area (Hendon)
Edmunds Court, NW4 Edmunds Court is a block on Vivian Avenue (Hendon)
Elliot Road, NW4 Elliot Road extended Vicarage Road eastwards in the early 1920s (Hendon Central)
Elm Close, NW4 Elm Close is a road in the NW4 postcode area (Hendon Central)
Elm Park Gardens, NW4 Elm Park Gardens is a road in the NW4 postcode area (Hendon Central)
Elms Avenue, NW4 Elms Avenue is a road in the NW4 postcode area (Hendon Central)
Fairfield Avenue, NW4 Fairfield Avenue dates from the 1920s (Hendon Central)
Foscote Road, NW4 Foscote Road is a road in the NW4 postcode area (Hendon Central)
Foster Street, NW4 Foster Street is a street in Hendon (Hendon)
Georgian Court, NW4 Georgian Court can be found on Vivian Avenue (Hendon Central)
Graham Road, NW4 Graham Road dates from before the First World War (Hendon Central)
Haley Road, NW4 Haley Road runs along a sliproad from Hendon Way (Hendon Central)
Haslemere Avenue, NW4 Haslemere Avenue is a road in the NW4 postcode area (Hendon Central)
Hendon Way, NW4 Hendon Way is a major route through Hendon (Hendon Central)
Heriot Road, NW4 Heriot Road is a street in Hendon (Hendon)
Hollyview Close, NW4 Hollyview Close is a road in the NW4 postcode area (Hendon)
Mayfield Gardens, NW4 Mayfield Gardens is a street in Hendon (Hendon Central)
Neeld Crescent, NW4 Neeld Crescent was named after the family which owned and developed the land - the Neelds (Hendon Central)
New Brent Street, NW4 New Brent Street was built between 1843 and 1863 (Hendon)
Parade Mansions, NW4 Parade Mansions is a block along Vivian Avenue (Hendon Central)
Park View Gardens, NW4 Park View Gardens is a street in Hendon (Hendon Central)
Prestige Way, NW4 Prestige Way is a road in the NW4 postcode area (Hendon)
Prothero Gardens, NW4 Prothero Gardens is a street in Hendon (Hendon Central)
Quadrant Close, NW4 Quadrant Close is a block on the corner of Watford Way and The Burroughs (Hendon Central)
Queens Gardens, NW4 Queens Gardens is a road in the NW4 postcode area (Hendon Central)
Queens Parade, NW4 Queens Parade is a parade of shops along Queens Road, Hendon (Hendon Central)
Queens Road, NW4 Queens Road was formerly known as Butcher’s Lane (Hendon Central)
Queens Way, NW4 Queens Way leads off Queens Road (Hendon Central)
Raleigh Close, NW4 Raleigh Close is a street in Hendon (Hendon)
Renters Avenue, NW4 Renters Avenue lies on the land of the former Renter’s Farm (Hendon Central)
Rundell Crescent, NW4 Rundell Crescent dates from the 1920s when the local Neeld family sold land around Hendon Central station (Hendon Central)
Sevington Road, NW4 Sevington Road was part of the Neeld lands in Hendon (Hendon)
Shirehall Close, NW4 Shirehall Close is a road in the NW4 postcode area (Hendon Central)
Shirehall Gardens, NW4 Shirehall Gardens is a road in the NW4 postcode area (Hendon Central)
Shirehall Lane, NW4 Shirehall Lane is a street in Hendon (Hendon Central)
Shirehall Park, NW4 Shirehall Park is a street in Hendon (Hendon Central)
Simon Court, NW4 Simon Court is sited on Neeld Crescent (Hendon)
Station Road, NW4 Station Road led from the centre of Hendon village to its first station and to the Edgware Road (Hendon)
Sydney Grove, NW4 Sydney Grove is the western extension of Heriot Road (Hendon Central)
Trenchard Court, NW4 Trenchard Court is sited on Neeld Crescent (Hendon)
Vaughan Avenue, NW4 Vaughan Avenue is a street in Hendon (Hendon)
Vivian Avenue, NW4 Vivian Avenue dates from just before the First World War (Hendon Central)
West View, NW4 West View is a road in the NW4 postcode area (Hendon)
Wykeham Road, NW4 Wykeham Road leads north from Hendon Central station to Brampton Grove (Hendon Central)

NEARBY PUBS
White Bear It is believed that there was an inn at the site of The White Bear since Tudor times.


Click here to explore another London street
We now have 664 completed street histories and 46836 partial histories


Click here to see photos of the area


  Contact us · Copyright policy · Privacy policy