Editing Willesden (section)

===Early history===
[[File:St. Marys Church, Neasden Lane, NW10 (geograph 2822687).jpg|thumb|Church of St. Mary on Neasden Lane, Willesden]]
Willesden became a [[civil parish#ancient parish|civil parish]] in the medieval period. From the 14th to 16th centuries, the town was a place of pilgrimage due to the presence of two ancient statues of the [[Blessed Virgin Mary|Virgin Mary]] at the Church of St Mary. One of these statues is thought to have been a [[Black Madonna]], venerated as [[Our Lady of Willesden]], which was insulted by the [[Lollards]], taken to Thomas Cromwell's house and burnt in 1538 on a large bonfire of "notable images" including those of [[Our Lady of Walsingham]], Our Lady of Worcester, and [[Our Lady of Ipswich]].  There was also a "holy well" which was thought to possess miraculous qualities, particularly for blindness and other eye disorders.
Much of the district supplied apples, pears and vegetables to the city of London for many years from the early years of the industrial revolution.