Editing Greenford

{{Short description|Town in West London, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox UK place
| country                  = England
| region                   = London
| official_name            = Greenford
| coordinates              = {{coord|51.5299|-0.3488|display=inline,title}}
| os_grid_reference        = TQ135825
| population               = 46,787
| population_ref           = ([[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 Census]])<ref>Greenford is made up of 3 wards in the London Borough of Ealing: Greenford Broadway, Greenford Green, and North Greenford. {{cite web|url=http://data.london.gov.uk/2011-census-ward-pop |title=2011 Census Ward Population Estimates &#124; London DataStore |access-date=9 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222202755/http://data.london.gov.uk/2011-census-ward-pop |archive-date=22 February 2014 }}</ref>
| post_town                = GREENFORD
| postcode_area            = UB
| postcode_district        = UB6
| london_borough           = Ealing
| dial_code                = 020
| constituency_westminster = [[Ealing North (UK Parliament constituency)|Ealing North]]
| static_image_name        = Greenford_Ruislip-Road.jpg
| static_image_caption     = Greenford Broadway
}}
[[File:Ealing Borough Areas Map.tif|thumb|Map of the London Borough of Ealing, showing Greenford and the other seven "towns" which make up the borough.]]
'''Greenford''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|g|r|iː|n|f|ər|d}}) is a large town in the [[London Borough of Ealing]] in [[West London]], [[Greater London|London]], England, lying {{convert|11|mi|km}} west from [[Charing Cross]].  It has a population of 46,787 inhabitants, or 62,126 with the inclusion of [[Perivale]].

Greenford is served by [[Greenford station|Greenford Station]] ([[London Underground]] [[Central line (London Underground)|Central Line]] and [[Greenford branch]] of the [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway mainline service)]]. [[South Greenford station|South Greenford]] mainline station (on the A40 Western Avenue, also on the Greenford branch of the [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|GWR]]) is actually in Perivale.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ealing.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/2056/perivale_a-z_map.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713162235/https://www.ealing.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/2056/perivale_a-z_map.pdf |archive-date=13 July 2019 |url-status=live|title=Perivale ward map|last=Ealing Council}}</ref> Neither station is in Greenford Town Centre (Greenford Broadway), which instead is served by many local buses.

Nearby places include [[Yeading]], [[Hanwell]], [[Perivale]], [[Southall]], [[Northolt]], [[Ealing]], [[Sudbury, London|Sudbury]] and [[Sudbury Hill]]. The most prominent landmark in the suburb is [[Horsenden Hill]], {{convert|279|ft|m}} above sea level.

Greenford covers a large area, including the two miles of Greenford Road, giving it three  localities: North Greenford, Greenford Green, and Greenford Broadway – this is also reflected in the names of the [[electoral ward]]s. Though a separate "town" within the borough of [[Ealing]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201143/tourism/94/perivale/1|title=Perivale|last=Leary|first=Gemma|website=www.ealing.gov.uk|language=en|access-date=13 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ealing.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/488/welcome_guide_for_new_residents|title=London Borough of Ealing: Guide for Residents|last=Ealing Council}}</ref> the Royal Mail includes [[Perivale]] within the Greenford post area and as such the two share the UB6 postcode.

==Toponymy==
The name is first recorded in 848 as ''Grenan forda''. It is formed from the [[Old English]] 'grēne' and '[[Ford (crossing)|ford]]' and means 'place at the green ford'. Greenford was known as '''Great Greenford''' in order to distinguish it from Little Greenford, which is now known as [[Perivale]] (Greenford and Perivale, though different places, still share the UB6 postal code). The affixes 'Magna' and 'Parva' have also been used to denote the difference.<ref name=mills>{{cite book |last=Mills |first=D. |title=Oxford Dictionary of London Place Names |year=2000 |publisher=Oxford}}</ref>

==History==
Greenford was an ancient parish in the historic [[Elthorne Hundred]], county of [[Middlesex]].

=== Industrial ===
Greenford is considered to be birthplace of the modern [[organic chemical]] industry, as it was at [[Sir William Henry Perkin|William Perkin]]'s chemical factory in North Greenford, by the [[Grand Union Canal]], that the world's first [[aniline]] dye was discovered in March 1856. Perkin called his amazing discovery '[[mauveine]]'. Today there is a [[blue plaque]] marking the spot in Oldfield Lane North, just south of the Black Horse [[public house]]. Local anecdote says that Queen Elizabeth I would only eat bread made from wheat grown in Greenford,{{citation needed|date=July 2019}} and until 2013/14 Greenford was the home to the [[Hovis]] factory.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bradbury |first=Poppy |url=http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/local-news/hovis-close-greenford-distribution-centre-5972145 |title=Hovis to close Greenford distribution centre |publisher=Get West London |date= 20 November 2012|access-date=24 December 2015}}</ref> The former [[Rockware Glass|Rockware glassworks]] on the canal is commemorated by Rockware Avenue. Greenford formed part of [[Greenford Urban District]] from 1894 to 1926 and was then absorbed by the [[Municipal Borough of Ealing]].

===J. Lyons and Co.===
[[File:Grand Union Canal, Greenford - geograph.org.uk - 835456.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A modern view of the [[Grand Union Canal]] through Greenford, with the former J. Lyons & Co. factory in the background]]
{{main|J. Lyons and Co., Greenford}}
Post [[First World War]], tea blender and food manufacturer [[J. Lyons and Co.]] were looking for a secondary site on which to expand production beyond [[Cadby Hall]], [[Hammersmith]]. In 1921 they bought the first piece of an eventual {{convert|63|acre}} site, due to its location close to good transport links from both the [[Grand Union Canal]] and the [[Great Western Railway]]'s [[Great Western Main Line]], and the [[West Coast Main Line]] and onwards to the Midlands at [[Willesden Junction railway station|Willesden Junction]].

The factory officially opened in July 1921, with the first single-storey buildings known as "Zig-Zag" due to their northern light-aligned windows allowing maximum light into the production area. There were steam and electrical power plants on site, which powered both the plant as well as the staff canteen and medical facilities, accessible to all plant employees and their dependents.<ref name=PBird/> Transport docks and a canal basin had been developed, allowing shipment of tea and coffee directly from [[London Docks]] into [[HM Customs]] excise controlled [[bonded warehouse]]s. The extensive onsite railway infrastructure allowed precise positioning of heavy raw goods into the factory, as well as the extraction of finished product. Lyons bought their own steam shunters to move wagons between the GWR exchange sidings and the factory system.<ref name=PBird/>

Lyons quickly became Greenford's biggest employer. A later pioneer in electronic machines and computing, Lyons deployed the latest factory automation technology, making Greenford a showplace that was regularly visited by the media, academics, competitors and royalty, with more than one visit by [[George V|King George V]] and [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]]. In the 1950s, the site developed the breakfast cereal [[Ready Brek]].<ref name=PBird/> Areas of the site not initially developed for factory use were landscaped, with many trees planted. As the factory developed these diminished, particularly after the development of the [[Lyons Maid]] [[Bridge Park factory]] in the 1950s, and the new administration block in 1971.<ref name=PBird/>

After the merger of Lyons with [[Allied Bakeries]] in the 1980s, and the focus of the new [[Allied Domecq]] business to focus on spirits, with the sell-off of the businesses associated with the factory, the need for the facility dwindled. Redeveloped from 1998, today it is known as [[Lyon Way Industrial Estate]].<ref name=PBird>{{cite web|url=http://kzwp.com/lyons/greenford.htm|publisher=Peter Bird|title=The First Food Empire: A History of J. Lyons & Co|access-date=21 January 2012}}</ref>

===Art and culture===
Five hundred yards north east from William Perkin's dye factory was a triangular field in which he kept horses. On this ground was built the Oldfield Tavern public house, which became a popular venue for a rock group called the Detours, who met a drummer there called [[Keith Moon]]. On Thursday 20 February 1964 they were introduced to the audience of the Oldfield Tavern as [[the Who]].<ref>Joe McMichael, Jack Lyons  (2004) [https://books.google.com/books?id=w_bXxPnQtooC&pg=PA11 The Who Concert File]. Omnibus Press. {{ISBN|1-84449-009-2}}.  Accessed 25 June 2010</ref><ref>John Atkins (2000) [https://books.google.com/books?id=AcdRcQMWEVQC&dq=%22the+who%22+%22oldfield+tavern%22&pg=PA15 The Who on record: a critical history, 1963–1998] McFarland, {{ISBN|0-7864-0609-7}}</ref> (The tavern has not survived, however, and has since been replaced by a small block of flats and a [[Texaco]] petrol station).
Andy Locke, Dave Kerr-Clemenson and Wal Scott were all in [[Edison Lighthouse]], and with chart-topping Love Grows all came from Greenford.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}}

===Expansion===
{| class="wikitable"  style="float:left; font-size:85%; margin-left:10px;"
|+'''Greenford (parish) population'''
|-
! style="text-align:center;"| 1881
| style="text-align:center;"| 538
|-
! style="text-align:center;"| 1891
| style="text-align:center;"| 545
|-
! style="text-align:center;"| 1901
| style="text-align:center;"| 672
|-
! style="text-align:center;"| 1911
| style="text-align:center;"| 843
|-
! style="text-align:center;"| 1921
| style="text-align:center;"| 1,199
|-
| colspan=2| Absorbed by Ealing parish [[Ealing|►]]
|-
| colspan="2" style="font-size:smaller; text-align:center;"|source: [[Census#United Kingdom|UK census]]
|}{{clear}}

==Education==
===Primary and Junior Schools===
* Coston Primary School<ref name="primary">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ealing.gov.uk/directory/15/primary_and_junior_schools/category/68|title=Ealing Council – Greenford|last=Council|first=Ealing|website=www.ealing.gov.uk|language=en|access-date=13 July 2019}}</ref>
* Horsenden Primary School<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.horsenden.ealing.sch.uk/ |title=Horsenden Primary School |publisher=Horsenden.ealing.sch.uk |date=11 July 2015 |access-date=24 December 2015}}</ref><ref name="primary"/>
* Oldfield Primary School<ref name="primary"/>
* Our Lady of the Visitation Catholic Primary School<ref name="primary"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Our Lady of the Visitation Catholic Primary School |url=https://www.visitation.ealing.sch.uk |website=Our Lady of the Visitation Catholic Primary School |access-date=17 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.olov.ik.org/ |title=Our Lady of the Visitation Catholic Primary School Greenford Middlesex |access-date=9 November 2011 |archive-date=25 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425152644/http://www.olov.ik.org/ |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>
* [[Ravenor Primary School]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ravenor.ealing.sch.uk |title=Ravenor Primary School &#124; Reasoning – Responsible – Resilient – Resourceful – Reflective |publisher=Ravenor.ealing.sch.uk |access-date=24 December 2015}}</ref><ref name="primary"/>
* Selborne Primary School<ref name="primary"/>
* [[Stanhope Primary School]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stanhopeprimaryschool.co.uk/|title=Stanhope Primary School - Home|website=www.stanhopeprimaryschool.co.uk}}</ref><ref name="primary"/>
* The [[Edward Betham]] CofE Primary School<ref name="primary"/>
* Vicar's Green Primary School<ref name="primary"/>

===High schools===
* [[The Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School, Greenford|The Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School]]<ref name="high">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ealing.gov.uk/directory/5/high_schools|title=High schools|last=Leary|first=Gemma|website=www.ealing.gov.uk|language=en|access-date=13 July 2019}}</ref>
* [[William Perkin Church of England High School]] (an [[Academy (English school)|Academy High School]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.williamperkin.org.uk |title=Welcome – William Perkin C of E High School |publisher=Williamperkin.org.uk |date=18 May 2015 |access-date=24 December 2015}}</ref><ref name="high"/>

==Transport==
[[File:Greenford Road London.jpg|thumb|left|Bus stop on Greenford Road]]
The [[A40 road|A40]], a major dual-carriageway, serves the area.

===Tube===
North Greenford is served by [[Sudbury Hill tube station|Sudbury Hill station]] on the [[Piccadilly line]] and [[Greenford railway station|Greenford]] on the [[Central line (London Underground)|Central line]].
[[File:Ravenor Park-Greenford Autumn.JPG|thumb|right|Ravenor Park in Greenford]]

===Rail===
[[Greenford railway station|Greenford]] and [[South Greenford railway station|South Greenford]] stations are served by [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]] services on the [[Greenford branch line]] to [[West Ealing railway station|West Ealing]].

===Buses===
Greenford has the following bus routes travelling through it: [[London Buses route 92|92]], [[London Buses route 95|95]], [[London Buses route 105|105]], [[London Buses route 282|282]], [[London Buses route 395|395]], [[London Buses route 487|487]], [[London Buses route E1|E1]], [[London Buses route E2|E2]], [[London Buses route E3|E3]], [[London Buses route E5|E5]], [[London Buses route E6|E6]], [[London Buses route E7|E7]], [[London Buses route E9|E9]], [[London Buses route E10|E10]], [[London Buses route E11|E11]], [[London Buses route H17|H17]] and [[London Buses route N7|N7]].

==Geography==
The town lies between about {{convert|10|m|ft|order=flip}} and {{convert|30|m|ft|order=flip}} [[Height above sea level|above sea level]].

===Parks and recreation===
The grounds of the former Ravenor Farm has become Greenford's largest park; Ravenor Park is the venue for the annual Greenford Carnival, which is held every July.<ref>Ealing Council [http://www.ealing.gov.uk/services/leisure/ealing_summer/carnival.html Greenford Carnival].</ref>

Until 1910, the land that formed Ravenor Farm/Ravenor Park was a detached part of [[Northolt]] parish, with the tithes to the land going to [[St Mary the Virgin, Northolt|St. Mary's Church, Northolt]] and not the Greenford parish of Holy Cross, Greenford.

There are also [[Perivale Wood]], the [[Horsenden Hill]], and [[Northala Fields]] near Northolt, [[Marnham Fields]], and [[Brent Valley Park]].

===Neighbouring areas===
{{Geographic Location
|width = auto
|title     = '''Neighbouring areas (counted from Greenford Green)'''
|Northwest = [[Northolt]]
|North     = North Greenford, [[Sudbury Hill]], [[Harrow-on-the-Hill]]
|Northeast = ''[[Horsenden Hill]]'', [[Sudbury, London|Sudbury]], [[Wembley]]
|East      = [[Perivale]], [[Alperton]]
|West      = [[Northolt]]
|Centre    = Greenford Green
|Southwest = [[Northolt]], [[Yeading]]
|South     = Greenford Broadway, [[Dormers Wells]], [[Southall]]
|Southeast = [[Perivale]], [[Pitshanger]], [[Ealing]]
}}

==Demography==
Greenford is covered by three [[electoral ward]]s of the [[London Borough of Ealing]], together counting a population of 46,787 as of the 2011 UK census.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ 2011 Census homes %
!Ward !!Detached  !!Semi-detached!!Terraced!!Flats and apartments<ref name=ons>{{cite web|url=https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/ward-profiles-and-atlas|title= Neighbourhood statistics|publisher=[[Office for National Statistics]]}}</ref>{{London ward populations|reference}} 
|-
|Greenford Broadway||5.0%||22.1%||20.9%||51.6%
|-
|Greenford Green||4.8%||39.1%||26.7%||	29.4%
|-
|North Greenford||4.4%||35.0%||40.2%||	20.2%
|-
|}
The median house price as of 2014 was £249,000 in Greenford Broadway, £307,000 in Greenford Green, and £345,000 in North Greenford. In Greenford Green and North Greenford, over 60% of houses are owned, whereas in Greenford Broadway a majority are rented. The population are from a diverse set of backgrounds including Polish, English and other [[Classification of ethnicity in the United Kingdom|BAME]] backgrounds (i.e. Black, Asian and minority Ethnic). The median age of those from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds was 33, 34 and 34 years respectively.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/ward-profiles-and-atlas|title=Ward Profiles and Atlas – London Datastore}}</ref>

==Sport and leisure==
Greenford has three [[Non-League football]] teams, [[London Tigers F.C.]] who play at the Avenue Park Stadium, [[North Greenford United F.C.]] who play at Berkeley Fields and Greenford Celtic.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}

The [[Greenford Park Trotting Track]] was a pioneer [[Motorcycle speedway|speedway]] venue and open meetings were staged 1928–1930.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greyhoundderby.com/Greenford%20speedway.html|title=Greenford Speedway|publisher=Greyhound Derby.com}}</ref> The track would be called a long track now, as it was of the order of half a mile/800 metres per lap. The trotting track was situated on the south side of Birkbeck Avenue, just north of the [[A40 road (London)|A40]] [[Western Avenue (London)|Western Avenue]].

==Places of interest==
[[File:Greenford Heritage Centre 3668.jpg|thumb|Heritage centre]]
The Greenford heritage centre displays 20th century British-made domestic household items that were commonly found in British homes and gardens in the past.<ref>{{cite news |title=All the news from Ealing – getwestlondon |url=http://www.ealinggazette.co.uk/lifestyle-ealing/listings-ealing/2008/09/19/what-s-on-at-greenford-64767-21857258/ |access-date=23 March 2021 |work=www.ealinggazette.co.uk |date=19 September 2008 |language=en}}</ref>

The Parish Church of Holy Cross is a late 15th or early 16th century parish church.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1294306|desc=Parish Church of Holy Cross (old church)|grade=I|access-date=23 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.greenfordmagna.info/documents/general%20-%20visitors%20guide.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=9 September 2010 |archive-date=21 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721203811/http://www.greenfordmagna.info/documents/general%20-%20visitors%20guide.pdf |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>

Betham House, is an 18th-century former charity school built by [[Edward Betham]].<ref>{{NHLE|num=1358755|desc=Betham House|grade=II|access-date=23 March 2021}}</ref>

==Economy==
[[File:Westway Cross shopping centre, Greenford - geograph.org.uk - 835124.jpg|thumb|Sign at the Westway Cross Shopping Park]]
Significant local businesses include: British Bakeries, [[IBM]], Aurora (TV Lighting), [[Panavision]], Panalux, [[Wincanton plc|Wincanton]] (Distribution Centre) and [[Royal Mail]] (Regional distribution centre). [[KBR (company)|KBR]] has an office in Greenford.<ref>"[http://www.kbr.com/locations.aspx Locations] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108151823/http://www.kbr.com/locations.aspx |date=8 January 2009 }}." ''[[KBR (company)|KBR]]''. Retrieved on 13 January 2008.</ref>

The Westway Cross Shopping Park is in Greenford Green. This [[retail park]] has stores including [[Next plc|Next]], [[Smyths Toys]] and [[Sports Direct]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://completelyretail.co.uk/scheme/Westway-Cross-Shopping-Park-London|title = Westway Cross Shopping Park, London}}</ref>

==Political representation==
Greenford is part of the [[Ealing North (UK Parliament constituency)|Ealing North]] [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|UK parliament]]ary [[constituency]], represented since 2019 by [[Labour and Co-operative|Labour and Co-operative Party]] [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) [[James Murray (London politician)|James Murray.]]

Greenford is made up of three and a half [[electoral ward]]s for [[Local government in the United Kingdom|local council]] elections: Greenford Broadway, Greenford Green, North Greenford and half of the Lady Margaret ward, which is situated on the south side of Greenford Broadway. These wards all elect councillors to [[London Borough of Ealing|Ealing Council]]. Ealing Council is currently run by a [[British Labour Party|Labour]] administration.

Political status of Ealing Council after the May 2022 local elections:
* [[British Labour Party|Labour]]: 59 seats
* [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]]: 6 seats
* [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]]: 5 seats

Greenford is in the [[London Assembly]] constituency of [[Ealing and Hillingdon]] which has one assembly member: [[Onkar Sahota]] (Labour), who was elected in May 2012.

==Notable people==
{{more citations needed section|date=March 2021}}
* Sculptor [[C. J. Allen (sculptor)|C. J. Allen]] (1862–1956), a figure in the [[New Sculpture]] movement, was born in Greenford.
* Tennis player [[Blanche Bingley]] (1863–1946), six times women's singles champion at the [[Wimbledon Championships]], was born in Greenford.
* Model [[Jourdan Dunn]] was brought up in Greenford.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025|reason=unreferenced in associated wikilink}}
* Pop singer [[Elyar Fox]] was brought up in Greenford.<ref name=getwestlondon1>{{cite web|url=http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/local-news/greenford-pop-star-release-debut-6435014 |title=Greenford pop star to release debut single |publisher=Get West London |date=20 December 2013 |accessdate=28 January 2014}}</ref>
* Comedian [[Freddie Frinton]] (1909–1968), who remains a household name in Germany and Scandinavia, lived in Greenford.
* [[Jack Good (producer)|Jack Good]], pioneering music [[Television producer|TV producer]] with links to artists including [[the Beatles]] and [[the Monkees]], was born in Greenford.
* 19th century actor [[Charles Kean]] (1811–1868) grew up partly in Greenford.
* David Kerr-Clemenson – bass player with [[Edison Lighthouse]], [[White Plains (band)|White Plains]] and Fast Buck – lived in Hedgerley Gardens, Greenford for twenty-two years.
* Singing sisters [[the Nolans]] attended [[The Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School, Greenford]].
* [[Doug Sandom]], musician, (1930-2019) was born in Greenford. Sandom was the original [[the Who|Who]] drummer.<ref name="lentz">{{cite book |last1=Lentz |first1=Harris M. III |title=OBITUARIES IN THE PERFORMING ARTS, 2019 |date=2020 |publisher=MCFARLAND |location=JEFFERSON |isbn=978-1-4766-4059-4 |page=358}}</ref> 
* [[Lieutenant General]] Sir [[William Thornton (British Army officer)|William Thornton]] (1779–1840), a leader of the [[Light infantry|Light Brigade]], lived in Greenford.
* [[Jason Roberts (footballer)|Jason Roberts]], professional footballer, attended The Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School, Greenford.
* [[Bukayo Saka]], professional footballer, was raised in Greenford and attended Greenford High School.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bukayo Saka |url= https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/bukayo-sakas-journey-a-role-24384962.amp |website=The Mirror|date= 23 June 2021 |access-date=16 July 2021}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://www.greenfordmagna.info/ The Parish of Greenford Magna]

{{LB Ealing}}{{Areas of London}}{{Capital Ring Walking Route | locale=Greenford | back=[[Osterley|Osterley Lock]] | forward= [[South Kenton]] | A=8 | B=9 }}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Areas of London]]
[[Category:Districts of the London Borough of Ealing]]
[[Category:Places formerly in Middlesex]]
[[Category:Chemical industry in London]]
[[Category:District centres of London]]