Neasden

  This is the 22nd station I have visited on the Jubilee line. The station opened in 1880 as part of the Metropolitan railway with the name Kingsbury and Neasden. It changed to the current name of Neasden in 1932. A few years later in 1939 it was transferred to the Bakerloo Line and Metropolitan Line trains stopped calling at the station. It was 1979 that the service was transferred to the Jubilee Line. 

Neasden is one of the few stations on this section of the old Metropolitan Railway to still have its original platform buildings 

I exited the train onto the island platform with its back to back seating.

The sign on the toilets is not a welcoming first greeting to the area. Having never been here before it hardly fills me with exciting anticipation of what I might find.

Until the late 1990s there were no barriers as you exited the station. Now there are the usual automated ticket collection barriers with a small shop inside the station.

The station's surface building has been changed over the years. The original roof and high chimneys were removed in the 1990s. A section of the front was also rebuilt when a newsagent shop was removed.

 Not an inspiring view as you leave the station. Across the road is a large retail park but that was about all. I am now out in the suburbs so finding places of interest is much more difficult. I decided to follow signs to the town centre.

Before getting there I had to negotiate the North Circular Road. Opened in 1922 this road is a main arterial route round London. Traffic on the North Circular and Neasden Lane became an increasing problem in the post war years. Despite much local opposition  the Ministry of Transport enlarged the North Circular and diverted traffic on Neasden Lane to an underpass. The project which involved the demolition of numerous houses was completed in 1973. Although it solved some of the traffic problems it effectively cut Neasden in two. Pedestrian access to Neasden shopping centre which was already isolated because of the North Circular Road was further separated by the construction of the Underpass.

 

I chose to walk over the bridge rather than go through the subway. The traffic wasn't that bad at all this morning but I still wasn't going to be foolish enough to attempt to cross over the road and onto the roundabout.

In the middle of the roundabout is the Grange nature reserve as well as the building known as the Grange which was saved from demolition when the Underpass was built.

The nature reserve has been created to show how wildlife may be attracted to urban areas. A hedge of native plants including Hawthorn, Dog Rose and Field Maple has been planted around the perimeter of the roundabout to provide a screen. 

Although it was early spring when I visited I didn't see much sign of wildlife but I'm sure that was a fault on my part not the nature area.

The Grange is a Grade II listed building and is the last one of a group of large houses and farms that once made up Neasden Green. The Grange was originally an outbuilding of an early 18th century farm converted into a cottage in the 19th century. In 1962 it was purchased by the then Willesden Borough Council. The house was threatened with demolition when the Neasden Underpass scheme was proposed in 1964. It now sits in the middle of a roundabout. From 1993 to 2004 the site was used as Brent's local community history museum, which had an old well from the original farm in the rear garden and a nature reserve to the front. In 2006 The Grange was purchased by a company that provides space and training to local charitable organisations.

From the roundabout I could see St Catherine's church with a brightly coloured awning next to it. I was curious to see what it was advertising. However there was no way I could cross the road as there was no  break long enough in the traffic to even make an attempt. I had to wait ages to just take a photo which I could enlarge to discover it was 'Jerk Chicken' that was being advertised!

As I was now on the other side of the roundabout from the bridge I thought I might be able to get across somehow to the shops but it was impossible.

The only way to get to the town centre was to retrace my steps back over the bridge. I doubt many people actually come across to the roundabout to look at the nature reserve.

From the bridge you can see the white arch of Wembley Stadium in the distance which is the next station for me to visit on the Jubilee Line.

There were more shops here than I expected. Prior to the building of the underpass in the early 70s more traffic went through here and more people used Neasden shopping centre. The building of a Tesco superstore at Brent Park in 1982 and an out of town shopping centre at Brent Cross has also had a detrimental effect on the town's shopping precinct.

I have noticed a number of buildings on High Streets now being used as churches. This one is a new one on me. The Believers' Loveworld also known as Christ Embassy. A relatively new Christian organisation dating back to 1987, it was founded in Nigeria. It apparently has millions of followers all over the world. 

This supermarket was once home to Dicey Reilly's nightclub and bar for over thirty years. A popular venue for the local Irish community. However, after a spate of violent events in 2010 the police would not renew its license. 

From the town centre I decided to follow signs to the Neasden Temple. I had seen it before when I visited Stonebridge Park underground station on the Bakerloo Line. This time I wanted to have a look inside although no photography is allowed. I should have done my research before coming as it closes between 1200 - 1600 hrs. Needless to say it was just after noon by the time I got there.

The signs took me alongside the North Circular which wasn't very pleasant.

Much better to be away from the road traffic pollution and walk through the residential streets with their terraced housing.

Turn a corner and here you are looking at the most eye catching piece of architecture, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayam Mandir. It is the first traditional Hindu temple to be built in Europe and the largest outside India. The marble was carved in India and then shipped to the UK where the 26,300 pieces were assembled. It opened in 1995.

Although the temple was closed to the public the security guard let me through the gates to take some closer photos from the outside.

The intricate marble carvings were amazing.

Although Neasden didn't have many local attractions, one look at this building made the visit worthwhile so one day I will return and have a look inside the temple.

Dollis Hill

This is the 21st station on the Jubilee Line that I've visited and the 160th out of 272 stations on the underground system that I have now photographed and posted. Like the previous few stations it has an island platform with a 1930s style waiting room but it lacks the character of the previous station at Willesden Green.

It only services the Jubilee Line although the Metropolitan line passes through the station on the outer rail lines. It is thought the unusual name of the station is derived from a 16th century local family with the name Dalley.

Flower beds on the platform give it a more attractive look.

 

Stairs at the end of the platform lead down to the ground level giving you a choice of  two exits. The tube line seems to split Dollis Hill into two distinct areas. To the left takes you through quiet wide streets of semi-detached houses leading you uphill to Gladstone Park. The other exit takes you out onto narrower streets of terraced housing. The passageway between the exits is decorated with illustrated panels.

The panels were designed by the artist, Amanda Duncan, who won a competition organised by London Underground Limited in 1995. The information board next to the panels explains that the inspiration for the panels comes from a group of words: the passage of time, travel, maps, endurance, destinations, underground and overground, the heavens and the earth, change and constancy. 

 

'The development of the area is traced through the use of land maps incorporating those of the 16th century through to the 20th century. These are juxtaposed with the notion of relative constancy of the stars revealed through an artist's interpretation of classical star maps.'

I decided to take the exit to the right first.

There are a few shops opposite the station but not enough to call it a shopping parade. I followed the road uphill to Gladstone Park and the top of Dollis Hill. The park had the usual facilities of playground, outdoor gym, basketball and tennis courts. 

From the top of the hill you have good views of London. I could see the distinctive triangular spire of the Shard at London Bridge and in the other direction was the arch of Wembley Stadium.

In 1800 this area was completely rural with woods and farmland. The farms around Willesden were known for their hay, grown for the horses of London and dairy farms  producing milk. By 1818 the Finch family bought up land which became the Dollis Hill estate. one of the largest estates in the area. In 1825 the family replaced one of their farmhouses with Dollis Hill House which they rented out to Lord Tweedmouth. From 1881 Lord and Lady Aberdeen (daughter of Lord Tweedmouth) used the property as a Summer residence. The Aberdeens were old friends of William Gladstone who loved coming to Dollis Hill House and used it as a retreat from 1882 to 1896 just two years before he died. 

For much of this time he was the Prime Minister. He liked to rest in a hammock beneath the trees and take a dip in the pond.   In 1900, Willesden Council acquired Dollis Hill House and 96 acres of surrounding land as a park for the increasing population. The park was opened in 1901 and named in honour of William Gladstone who died in 1898. The house was used as a hospital during the First World War and then a convalescent home for ex servicemen until 1923. From 1974 until 1989 it was used as a catering college.

The house was then closed as it needed major roof and other repairs. following two fires in 1995 and 96. It was finally demolished in 2012 leaving these remains.

This used to be the stables for Dollis Hill House but now it is a cafe.

From the park I could see an interesting building rising above the other buildings. 

The building turned out to be of great historical interest although there is nothing outside to indicate what discoveries were made here. It used  to be the Post Office Research Centre, which moved here in 1921. Specially equipped laboratories researched everything from cable testing to new signalling methods. Its engineers developed the trans Atlantic telephone cable and built the world's first programmable electronic computer, Colossus. The computer was designed by Tommy Flowers, to solve a mathematical problem posed by the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park. Alun Turing contributed to the design of the computer. The Colossi computers played a major role in shortening the length of the Second World War by helping to break the German Coded messages during 1943-45. ERNIE (Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment) was also developed here to be used for the government's premium bond lottery.

 

In a bomb proof basement of one of the outer buildings, Winston Churchill held two war cabinet meetings here instead of the War Office in Downing Street.

In 1975 the Research Station moved from Dollis Hill to Martlesham Heath in Suffolk. The buildings were sold and converted into luxury flats with the adjoining land used to build a housing estate. 

I walked back down the hill on Parkside past the Jewish school. The school occupies the site of the former Dollis Hill synagogue. The Jewish community moved from the East End of London to these more affluent suburbs in the 1920s. The building is an interesting design and until I saw the sign I didn't realise this was a school. There are two main window shapes, hexagonal and inverted arch. The  hexagonal ones are stained glass windows whereas the other ones are plain glass.  The architect, Sir Owen Williams, wanted to use Jewish religious symbolism in the window design with the hexagon suggesting the Star of David and the inverted arch based on the seven candle menorah.

At the bottom of the hill was Cricklewood library/cafe. Sadly not open until much later in the day.

I could now see what looked like a large Victorian chimney and wandered through a few streets until the mystery was solved when I came across this Thames Water pumping station shrouded in scaffolding. Built in 1905 so not really Victorian but almost. The pumping station was built to provide water from the River Thames to London's outer suburbs. The water was pumped up from the river and stored in reservoirs. The pumping station was coal fired until the 1950s and the 135ft (41m) tall chimney was used to discharge smoke. By the late 1950s the station had converted to electric power and the chimney became obsolete.

 The chimney is now used as a mobile phone mast.

Not far from the pumping station was this one time evangelical church which is now an Ethiopian Orthodox church.

At the bottom of the hill is this Polish church. It would seem that this is a very multi cultural area.

I returned to the station and walked through it to the other exit to see the other half of Dollis Hill. 

The exit took me out onto a street of terraced houses with a colourful mural on the wall.

Somehow the streets looked dirtier with much heavier traffic. I wandered down a couple of side roads and then followed a sign to the Jewish Cemetery. 

 The visitors centre was closed. I tried to find my way into the main cemetery but I obviously walked the wrong way round and after half an hour gave up on that idea.

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I could see into the cemetery through the railings and it looked quite large.

Smart new university building plus the  bus garage and the fire station were the only places  I could find so I decided to call it a day and go home.