Editing Wembley

{{short description|Suburb of London}}
{{About|the town in north-west London}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox UK place
| country = England
| region = London
| official_name = Wembley
| os_grid_reference = TQ175855
| coordinates = {{coord|51.5528|-0.2979|display=inline,title}}
| london_borough = Brent
| post_town = WEMBLEY
| postcode_district = HA0, HA9
| postcode_area = HA
| dial_code = 020
| constituency_westminster = [[Brent West (UK Parliament constituency)|Brent West]]
| static_image_name = cmglee_London_Wembley_aerial.jpg
| static_image_caption = An aerial view of Wembley, showing part of High Road, the industrial estate, [[Wembley Arena]] and [[Wembley Stadium]]
| population = 102,856
| population_ref = ([[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 Census]]<ref>Wembley is made up of 7 wards in the London Borough of Brent: Alperton, Barnhill, Northwick Park, Kenton, Preston, Sudbury, Tokyngton, and Wembley Central. {{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 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222202755/http://data.london.gov.uk/2011-census-ward-pop |archive-date=22 February 2014 |df=dmy }}</ref>
| charingX_distance_mi = 
| charingX_direction = 
| type = [[Suburb]] in [[London]]
}}
'''Wembley''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|ɛ|m|b|l|i}}) is a large suburb<ref group="note">In British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself.</ref> in the [[London Borough of Brent]], north-west [[London]], {{convert|8|miles|km}} northwest of [[Charing Cross]]. It includes the neighbourhoods of [[Alperton]], [[Kenton, London|Kenton]], [[North Wembley]], [[Preston, London|Preston]], [[Sudbury, London|Sudbury]], [[Tokyngton]] and [[Wembley Park]]. The population was 102,856 in 2011.<ref>{{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 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222202755/http://data.london.gov.uk/2011-census-ward-pop |archive-date=22 February 2014 |df=dmy }}</ref>

Wembley was for over 800 years part of the [[Civil parish|parish]] of [[Harrow on the Hill#History|Harrow on the Hill]] in [[Middlesex]]. Its heart, Wembley Green, was surrounded by agricultural [[manorialism|manors]] and their hamlets. The small, narrow, Wembley High Street is a [[conservation area (United Kingdom)|conservation area]]. The railways of the [[London & Birmingham Railway]] reached Wembley in the mid-19th century, when the place gained its first church. Slightly south-west of the old core, the main station was originally called Sudbury, but today is known as [[Wembley Central station|Wembley Central]]. By the 1920s, the nearby long High Road hosted a wide array of shops and Wembley was a large [[suburb]] of [[London]]. Wembley then, within three decades, became an integral outer district of London, in density and contiguity. Wembley formed a separate [[civil parish]] from 1894, [[Municipal Borough of Wembley|incorporated as a municipal borough]] of Middlesex in 1937. In 1965, when [[London Government Act 1963|local government in London was reformed]], the area merged with the [[Municipal Borough of Willesden]], which was separated by the [[River Brent]], to create the [[London Borough of Brent]], one of the 32 [[Districts of England|local government district]]s of Greater London.

The estate of [[Wembley Park]] was largely pleasure grounds when the [[Metropolitan Railway]] reached this part in 1894. It was chosen to host the [[British Empire Exhibition]] in 1924, resulting in the development of landmarks including the Empire Stadium, later known as [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]], which became an iconic football stadium.<ref name="failedarchitecture.com">{{cite web|url=https://failedarchitecture.com/how-the-british-buried-their-imperial-history-along-with-wembley-football-stadium/|title=How the British buried their Imperial History along with Wembley Stadium|first=Failed|last=Architecture|date=20 December 2019 }}</ref> Suburban protection of public parkland and low-to-mid building density of all but high-rise western Wembley Park means most of Wembley is integral to and archetypal of the once well-advertised &ndash; mainly Middlesex &ndash; [[Metro-land|Metroland]]. After years of debate, the 1923 stadium was replaced by a [[Wembley Stadium|modernised stadium]] with a grand, skyline [[arch]] which opened in 2007;<ref name="failedarchitecture.com"/> it is home to the [[England national football team]], hosts latter and/or final stages of annual competitions such as the [[FA Cup]] and has the greatest capacity nationwide. In the early 21st century the [[London Designer Outlet]] pedestrianised plaza was built.

==History==
{| class="wikitable"  style="float:right; font-size:85%; margin-left:10px; width:50%"
|+'''Wembley (civil parish then Metropolitan Borough from its inception) population'''
|-
|colspan="2" | [[Harrow on the Hill|◄]] Split from Harrow on the Hill
|-
! style="text-align:center;"| 1901
| style="text-align:center;"| 4,519
|-
! style="text-align:center;"| 1911
| style="text-align:center;"| 10,696
|-
! style="text-align:center;"| 1921
| style="text-align:center;"| 16,187
|-
! style="text-align:center;"| 1931
| style="text-align:center;"| 48,561
|-
|colspan="2" | [[Kingsbury, London|◄]] From abolition, 1 April 1934, of Kingsbury Urban District ({{convert|1827|acres|km2}}) until 1965 about, that is if static as at 1931, 16,636 residents, absorbed<ref>1931 Census of England and Wales, Table B, 'Areas altered between 26th April, 1931 and 30th June, 1934, showing constitution as at the latter date, in terms of constitution as at the former date, together with particulars of acreage and population'.; M. of H. Order No. 78096. The Middlesex Review Order, 1934; 8.2.1935. M. of H. Declaration under Section 145 of the LGA, 1933</ref>
|-
! style="text-align:center;"| 1939
| style="text-align:center;"| 112,563
|-
! style="text-align:center;"| 1951
| style="text-align:center;"| 131,384
|-
! style="text-align:center;"| 1961
| style="text-align:center;"| 124,892
|-
|style="font-size:smaller" colspan=2|Note no 1941 census due to war
|-
| colspan="2" style="font-size:smaller; text-align:center;"|source: [[Census#United Kingdom|UK census]]/The 1939 Register<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10153050/cube/TOT_POP |title=Wembley MB/UD through time &#124; Population Statistics &#124; Total Population |publisher=Visionofbritain.org.uk |date= |accessdate=2021-10-05}}</ref>
|}

===Toponymy===
Wembley is derived from the [[Old English]] proper name "Wemba" and the Old English "lea" for meadow or clearing. The name was first mentioned in the charter of 825 of Selvin. A further instance may be seen in the [[Plea rolls|Plea Rolls]] of the Common Pleas, as Wambeleye.<ref>aalt.law.uh.edu; http://aalt.law.uh.edu/E3/CP40no357/aCP40no357mm1toEnd/IMG_7441.htm; third entry, line 3, "apud Wambeleye"; in 1349</ref>

===The old manor===
The village of Wembley grew up on the hill by the clearing with the [[Harrow Road]] south of it. Much of the surrounding area remained wooded. In 1547 there were but six houses in Wembley. Though small, it was one of the wealthiest parts of Harrow. At the dissolution of the monasteries in 1543, the manor of Wembley fell to Richard Andrews and [[Sir Leonard Chamberlain|Leonard Chamberlain]], who sold it to Richard Page, {{abbreviation|Esq.|Esquire}}, of [[Harrow on the Hill]], the same year. There was a mill on Wembley Hill by 1673.

The Page family continued as lords of the manor of Wembley for several centuries and eventually commissioned [[Humphry Repton]] (1752–1818) the landscape gardener to design what is now [[Wembley Park]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/london-environs/vol2/pp559-588|title=Harrow on the Hill &#124; British History Online|website=www.british-history.ac.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/middx/vol4/pp203-211|title=Harrow, including Pinner : Manors &#124; British History Online|website=www.british-history.ac.uk}}</ref> Wembley Park thus derived its name from Repton's habit of referring to the areas he designed as "parks".

The former Barley Mow pub was recorded in 1722 thus was the earliest long-lasting pub of Wembley.<ref name=conservation>{{cite web|url=http://brent.gov.uk/media/16402730/wembley-high-street-conservation-area-appraisal.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314150202/https://www.brent.gov.uk/media/16402730/wembley-high-street-conservation-area-appraisal.pdf |archive-date=2020-03-14 |url-status=live |title=Appraisal |publisher=brent.gov.uk |date= |accessdate=2021-10-05}}</ref>

===Railways, parish formed and development===
In 1837, the [[London & Birmingham Railway]] (now part of the [[West Coast Main Line]]) was opened from [[Euston railway station|London Euston]] through Wembley to [[Hemel Hempstead railway station|Hemel Hempstead]], and completed to [[Birmingham Curzon Street railway station (1838-1966)|Birmingham Curzon Street]] the following year. The changing names of the local station demonstrated the increasing importance of the 'Wembley' name. 'Sudbury' station opened in 1845, renamed as 'Sudbury and Wembley' in 1882, renamed as 'Wembley for Sudbury' in 1910, renamed as 'Wembley Central' in 1948, at the time of the [[1948 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]].

[[File:St John the Evangelist, Wembley - geograph.org.uk - 5022706.jpg|thumb|St John the Evangelist church was built in 1846]]
To modernise the service, a new [[Watford DC line]] was built alongside the main lines and [[Bakerloo line]] trains, and electric trains to [[Broad Street railway station (England)|Broad Street]] started in 1917. Electric trains to London Euston began running in 1922. Since 1917, there have been six platforms at what is now [[Wembley Central railway station|Wembley Central station]]. In 1880, the [[Metropolitan Railway]] opened its line from [[Baker Street tube station|Baker Street]] through the eastern side of Wembley, but only built a station, [[Wembley Park tube station|Wembley Park]], in 1894. There are now three physically separate services, the [[London to Aylesbury Line]], the [[Metropolitan line]] and the [[Jubilee line]]. Only the latter two services have platforms at Wembley Park station.

Anne and Frances Copland, who in 1843 inherited Sudbury Lodge and its lands, gave a plot for a church to serve the southern part of Harrow parish.<ref name=vch>Diane K Bolton, H P F King, Gillian Wyld and D C Yaxley, 'Harrow, including Pinner : Modern churches', in [[Victoria County History|A History of the County of Middlesex]]: Volume 4 ed. T F T Baker, J S Cockburn and R B Pugh (London, 1971), pp. 257-260. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/middx/vol4/pp257-260</ref> In spite of less support from local farmers, who preferred part of Lord Northwick's property on Wembley Hill, the sisters' offer was accepted since they would bear all the cost of building.<ref name=vch/> The church of Saint John the Evangelist, Wembley, designed by [[George Gilbert Scott]] and W. B. Moffatt, was consecrated in 1846, in which year Wembley became a parish.<ref name=vch/> It was built of flint with stone dressings, in the Gothic style, and comprised chancel, nave, northeast chapel, and wooden bell turret.<ref name=vch/> A north aisle was added in 1859 and a south aisle in 1900; extensions were made to the west to designs of G. P. Pratt in 1935.<ref name=vch/> It has one church bell.<ref name=vch/>

[[File:Harrow Road, Sudbury postcard.jpg|thumb|left|Harrow Road, c. 1910, showing Sudbury Park Farm on the left and Crabs House on the right (now buildings of [[Barham Park]])]]
In November 1905, the [[Great Central Railway]] (now, in this section, part of the [[Chiltern Main Line]]) opened a new route for fast expresses that by-passed the congested Metropolitan Railway tracks. It ran between Neasden Junction, south of Wembley, and Northolt Junction, west of London, where a new joint main line with the [[Great Western Railway]] began. Local passenger services from [[Marylebone railway station|London Marylebone]] were added from March 1906, when new stations were opened, including 'Wembley Hill', next to what later became the site of Wembley Stadium – the national stadium of English sport – which opened for the [[1923 FA Cup Final|FA Cup Final]] of April 1923, remaining open for 77 years until it closed for reconstruction in October 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wembleystadium.com/gloriouspast/historyintroduction|title=History Introduction|last=TheFA|access-date=9 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101017232053/http://www.wembleystadium.com/GloriousPast/historyIntroduction|archive-date=17 October 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> After a long planning and redevelopment process dogged by a series of funding problems and construction delays, the new stadium finally opened its doors in March 2007.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6459415.stm | work=BBC News | title=Doors finally open at new Wembley | date=17 March 2007}}</ref> Wembley Hill station was renamed 'Wembley Complex' in May 1978, before getting its present name of '[[Wembley Stadium railway station|Wembley Stadium]]' in May 1987.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Mitchell |first1=Vic |last2=Smith |first2=Keith |title=Marylebone to Rickmansworth |series=Midland Main Lines |date=February 2005 |publisher=Middleton Press |location=Midhurst |isbn=1-904474-49-7 |chapter=Figure 51 }}</ref>

Wembley was also served by [[Trams in London|tram]] (route 62) and later [[Trolleybuses in London|trolleybus]] (route 662) which ran through the [[Harrow Road]] from Sudbury to [[Paddington]] until the abandonment of the networks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trolleybus.net/crich3.htm|title=David Bradley Online - Anniversary Parade of London Tram and Trolleybus abandonment|website=www.trolleybus.net}}</ref> The route is now mostly served by [[London Buses route 18|bus route 18]] which is also one of the busiest bus routes in all of London today.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylondon.news/news/zone-1-news/11-busiest-london-bus-routes-17210691|title=The 11 busiest bus routes in London where finding a seat is a real challenge|first=Qasim|last=Peracha|date=8 November 2019|website=MyLondon}}</ref>

[[File:Wembley Fire Station - geograph.org.uk - 3845548.jpg|thumb|Wembley Fire Station]]
The 1937-built fire brigade headquarters of [[Middlesex County Council]] on Harrow Road, in Moderne style, is now a fire station of the [[London Fire Brigade]]. It is statutorily recognised and protected in the initial category, Grade II, of [[listed building]].<ref>{{NHLE|num=1247236|desc=Fire Station}}</ref>

Wembley, in common with much of northwest London, had an extensive manufacturing industry, but much of it closed in the 1980s. Its factories included Glacier Metals (bearings), Wolf Power Tools, Sunbeam Electrical Appliances, Griffin & George (laboratory equipment) and GEC (whose research laboratories, opened in 1923, were one of the first of their type in the United Kingdom<ref>{{cite book |last1=Clayton |first1=Robert |last2=Algar |first2=Joan |title=The GEC Research Laboratories 1919–1984 |publisher=Peter Peregrinus | year=1989 |isbn=0-86341-146-0}}</ref>).

===Empire Exhibition and the Stadium===
[[File:GB British Empire Exhibition Postage Stamps.jpg|thumb|left|British Empire Exhibition postage stamps]]
What had been Wembley Park hosted the [[British Empire Exhibition]]<ref>[http://disused-rlys.fotopic.net/p49262227.html Photograph of exhibition site]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>[http://disused-rlys.fotopic.net/p49002875.html Map of exhibition site]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>[http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040905/spectrum/art.htm Sunday Tribune of India (newspaper)] Article on exhibition (2004)</ref> of 1924–1925.<ref>[http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=75167 British Pathe (agency)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611090756/http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=75167 |date=11 June 2011 }} Film of British Empire Exhibition, reel one</ref><ref>[http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=75168 British Pathe (agency)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611090732/http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=75168 |date=11 June 2011 }} Film of British Empire Exhibition, reel two</ref><ref>[http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=75169 British Pathe (agency)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611090812/http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=75169 |date=11 June 2011 }} Film of British Empire Exhibition, reel three</ref><ref>[http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=75170 British Pathe (agency)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611090829/http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=75170 |date=11 June 2011 }} Film of British Empire Exhibition, reel four</ref> Until the 2000s, remnants of the many [[reinforced concrete]] buildings, including the [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|original Wembley Stadium]], remained, but nearly all have now been removed, to make way for redevelopment.

Most of the rest of Wembley's housing consists of inter-war semi-detached houses and terraces and of modern apartment blocks, with a significant minority of detached houses.

Expansion in the town centre continued. In 1929 the Majestic Theatre was opened, later becoming [[Odeon Cinemas|Odeon]] Wembley cinema. It closed in 1961 and was demolished, replaced by a [[C&A]] store (today a [[Wilko (retailer)|Wilko]] store).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/13739|title=Odeon Wembley in Wembley, GB - Cinema Treasures|website=cinematreasures.org}}</ref> Another cinema in the town was an ABC cinema originally opened as The Regal in 1937, on Ealing Road, which operated until 1976. After this it operated for some years as an independent cinema showcasing [[Bollywood]] films. The building was demolished in 1987.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/23644|title=ABC Wembley in Wembley, GB - Cinema Treasures|website=cinematreasures.org}}</ref>

===Post-war===
[[File:Office block on Park Lane, Wembley - geograph.org.uk - 4470314.jpg|thumb|Chesterfield House, demolished in 2017]]
During the 1960s, rebuilding of Wembley Central station, a block of flats, an open-plan shopping plaza, and a car park were constructed on a concrete raft over the railway. The retail centre of Wembley (the High Road and north end of Ealing Road) has suffered from chronic traffic congestion and from the opening of neighbouring purpose-built shopping centres, first [[Brent Cross Shopping Centre]] in the 1970s and later the [[Harrow, London|Harrow]] and [[Ealing Broadway]] shopping centres.

Following continuing decline, Wembley had become unattractive and increasingly derelict by the century's end. However the large Indian community in the town maintained a growing jewellery market with their shops on Ealing Road.<ref name="brent.gov.uk">{{cite web|url=https://www.brent.gov.uk/services-for-residents/culture-leisure-and-parks/brent-museum-and-archives/find-out-about-your-local-area/history-of-wembley-and-tokyngton/|title=Brent Council - History of Wembley and Tokyngton|website=www.brent.gov.uk}}</ref>

A [[British Army]] recruitment centre led away from the High Road and came under attack by an [[Provisional Irish Republican Army|IRA]] bomb in 1990, seeing a soldier die and four people injured (see [[1990 Wembley bombing]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/257998235/|title=The Observer from London, Greater London, England on June 3, 1990 · 3|website=Newspapers.com|date=3 June 1990 }}</ref>

===Recent regenerations===
{{multiple image
 |total_width=400
 |image1=Central Square, Wembley - geograph.org.uk - 216341.jpg
 |width1=200
 |image2=Wembley Central Square - geograph.org.uk - 4470255.jpg
 |width2=200
 |footer= Central Square during vacancy in 2006 (left) and in 2015 (right) after regeneration
}}
The town's regeneration is one of the major development projects in [[London]] in the early 21st century, as specified in the London Plan published by the [[Mayor of London]] [[Ken Livingstone]] in 2004. A shopping plaza along High Road, an attractive shopping district in the 1950s, suffered slow decline by the 1980s and was therefore poorly maintained.<ref name="brent.gov.uk"/> Its [[Marks & Spencer]] department store closed in 2005 after 71 years trading.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/news/marks-spencer-returns-to-wembley-and-creates-55-jobs-3709598|title=Marks & Spencer returns to Wembley and creates 55 jobs|first=Stephanie|last=Harrison|date=21 October 2013|website=Kilburn Times}}</ref>

In a bid to reverse Wembley's fortunes, in the mid-2000s plans were created and approved to completely regenerate the place, carried out by construction company St. Modwen. The first phase, including construction of eighty-five homes, reconstruction of the plaza as a new [[public square]] and opening of new retail units including a [[TK Maxx]], was completed in 2009.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.brentbrain.org.uk/brain/brainzones.nsf/nsgnews/NT00056C82 | title=Public square reopens in Wembley Central|last=Brent Resource and Information Network (BRAIN)|publisher=Brent Council|access-date=25 October 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.stmodwen.co.uk/new-public-square-launched-at-wembley-central/ |title = New Public Square Launched at Wembley Central|date = 9 October 2009}}</ref> The rest was completed in phases until 2015 after nine years' time, with additional retail and housing units.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mylondon.news/news/business/wembley-central-invites-you-fun-filled-8912022 |title = Wembley Central invites you to fun-filled day to mark shop openings|date = 27 March 2015}}</ref> The local [[Argos (retailer)|Argos]] store also moved to a new unit in the redeveloped Central Square.

Purpose-built [[Brent Civic Centre]] near the stadium was completed in 2013, with all Brent administration moving to this complex. As a result, other offices were closed. The Chesterfield House block on Park Lane that was used as council offices, built in the 1960s replacing a Methodist church that moved further down the road, was demolished in 2017 and replaced by 21 and 26 storey blocks of apartments.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.plmc.org.uk/about-us-1/history-of-park-lane/|title=Park Lane Methodist Church|website=www.plmc.org.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://nla.london/projects/chesterfield-house|title=Chesterfield House|website=New London Architecture}}</ref> Brent House, an office complex on High Road, was sold by the council sold Brent House to a developer called Henley Homes who demolished the building and also replaced it with residential apartments.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/news/parents-shock-as-building-in-wembley-crashes-down-next-to-3768842|title=Parents' shock as building in Wembley crashes down next to school playground|first=Lucy|last=Mansfield|date=17 March 2017|website=Kilburn Times}}</ref> Mahatma Gandhi House on Wembley Hill Road, another council office block, was also sold off.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/news/new-homes-bid-for-former-council-building-in-wembley-sold-3737554|title=New homes bid for former council building in Wembley sold for almost £10m|first=Lorraine|last=King|date=13 July 2015|website=Kilburn Times}}</ref> The listed [[Brent Town Hall]] was also disposed and became a French school, [[Lycée International de Londres Winston Churchill]].

The regeneration project is focused on the "[[Wembley Park]]" site which includes [[Wembley Stadium]] and [[Wembley Arena]], about a mile northeast from Wembley town centre. The [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Original Wembley Stadium]] closed in October 2000 and was demolished in 2003.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.nce.co.uk/features/nce-insite/wembley-towers-to-arches/8609503.article|title=Wembley: Towers to arches|magazine=New Civil Engineer|date=22 December 2010|access-date=2016-07-03}}</ref> The new Wembley stadium was designed by a consortium including engineering consultant Mott MacDonald and built by the Australian firm Multiplex. It cost £798 million and opened in 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wembleystadium.com/Press/Press-Releases/2013/4/90-Years-Of-Wembley-Stadium.aspx|title=90 Years of Wembley Stadium {{!}} Wembley Stadium|last=Stadium|first=Wembley|website=www.wembleystadium.com|language=en-GB|access-date=2016-07-03|archive-date=11 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611000017/http://www.wembleystadium.com/Press/Press-Releases/2013/4/90-Years-Of-Wembley-Stadium.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> Grade II-listed Wembley Arena, now the SSE Arena, has been sensitively refurbished in keeping with its [[Art Deco]] style.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.johnsiskandson.com/uk/expertise/historic-building-restoration/wembley-arena|title=Wembley Arena {{!}} John Sisk and Son|website=www.johnsiskandson.com|access-date=2016-07-03|archive-date=16 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816221059/http://www.johnsiskandson.com/uk/expertise/historic-building-restoration/wembley-arena|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2004, Brent Council approved a mixed use plan by [[Buro Happold]] for the development of 55 [[acres]] (223,000 m<sup>2</sup>) adjacent to the stadium, which was presented by [[Quintain Estates and Development|Quintain Limited]].

==Governance==
[[File:Brent Town Hall (Front), Wembley - geograph.org.uk - 865102.jpg|thumb|[[Brent Town Hall]] was the headquarters of the Borough of Wembley (1940-1965) and Brent (1965-2013)]]
Wembley falls within the UK Parliament constituency of [[Brent North (UK Parliament constituency)|Brent North]], currently represented by [[Barry Gardiner]] MP ([[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]). It falls within the London Assembly constituency of [[Brent and Harrow (London Assembly constituency)|Brent and Harrow]].

Wembley formed part of the large ancient parish of [[Harrow on the Hill]] in the [[Gore (hundred)|Gore]] hundred of [[Middlesex]]. In 1894 Wembley was split from Harrow, creating a new parish and [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|urban district]]. It included [[Alperton]], [[Preston, London|Preston]], [[North Wembley]], [[South Kenton]], [[Tokyngton]], [[Sudbury, London|Sudbury]], [[Wembley Park]] and [[Northwick Park]]. The urban district included the neighbouring parish of [[Kingsbury, London|Kingsbury]] until 1901 and again from 1934.

In 1937 it was incorporated as the [[Municipal Borough of Wembley]]. [[Brent Town Hall|Wembley Town Hall]] on Forty Lane, built in 1938, became [[Brent Town Hall]] when the municipal boroughs of Wembley and [[Municipal Borough of Willesden|Willesden]] were amalgamated in 1965 to form the [[London Borough of Brent]] and transferred to [[Greater London]].

===Willesden merger and split proposal===
Brent proved to be one of the more unpopular of the mergers occurring during the creation of the modern [[London boroughs]]. Reasons for this included the limited road links between the two main areas of Wembley and [[Willesden]] (with the A4088 and A404 Harrow Road, the only major road links across the Brent valley boundary), the lack of a focal point or ‘heart’ for the borough and the contrasting characteristics; with Willesden more inner-city in nature, and Wembley more suburban. Widening schemes for the [[North Circular Road, London|North Circular Road]], which passed along the [[River Brent|Brent]] valley, close to the boundary between the two, increased this sense of separation. The clash quickly turned political amid the plans to build [[Chalkhill Estate]], as Wembley was [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] while Willesden was [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]; the balance of power between the two parties contributed to the borough council becoming a byword for polarised politics.<ref name="brent.gov.uk"/>

The unpopularity persisted and in 1989 more than ten thousand people signed a petition calling for Wembley to regain its independence or else join with the [[London Borough of Harrow]] with which it had historic administrative links, had better transport integration and had shared common suburban interests. The 1994, the Boundary Commission considered this, and other requests, considering a wide range of options<ref>[http://s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/lgbce/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/11897/651.-london-borough-of-brent-and-its-boundaries-with-barnet,-camden,-ealing,-hammersmith-and-fulham,-harrow,-knc-and-westminster.pdf Boundary Commission Report of 1994]</ref> including restoring independence to the districts, or joining them to different neighbouring boroughs – an option the Commission preferred.

Wembley and Harrow were felt to be a natural match, and the London Borough of Harrow supported these proposals and called for a boundary rationalisation with [[London Borough of Barnet|Barnet]] so that the [[Watling Street|A5 Road (Watling Street)]] formed the enlarged borough's entire eastern boundary. Willesden was harder to satisfactorily match with a neighbour, with [[London Borough of Ealing|Ealing]] considered the most natural choice, the main problem being the lack of a focal point, with the industrial areas of [[Park Royal]], [[Old Oak Common]] and [[North Acton]] forming a relatively ill-connected barrier between the two. The Commission concluded that there was insufficient justification for the disruption caused by the changes, and that such changes should only be considered during a comprehensive review of London's boundaries.

==Geography==
[[File:House in the Park - geograph.org.uk - 4896655.jpg|thumb|A house at King Edward VII Park, Wembley]]
Until the nineteenth century, Wembley was rural. In broadest terms Wembley has eight main green spaces, all but the golf course being public (no farms or private parks exist). The formal five are King [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|Edward VII]] Park, set out in 1914 slightly north of the centre (10.5 hectares), [[Barham Park]] (10.5 hectares), One Tree Hill Park, Sudbury Green and Brent River Park / Tokyngton Recreation Ground (20.26 hectares) has been restored, returning the river to a more natural course. The informal three are [[Horsenden Hill]], Vale Farm sports ground (30 hectares) and partly horse-grazed Barn Hill (19.9 hectares), east of which is its [[Kingsbury, London|Kingsbury]] continuation: [[Fryent Country Park]].

Sudbury Golf Course abuts the [[Paddington Arm]] of the Grand Union Canal, with a towpath running into central London. Sudbury Squash and Tennis Club has outdoor tennis courts, an indoor squash court, and a clubhouse. Wembley is a short distance away from the [[Brent Reservoir|Welsh Harp]] reservoir and open space, created in the early 19th century by damming the [[River Brent]] to provide water for the [[Grand Union Canal]].

Wembley is made up of six wards: [[Wembley Central (ward)|Wembley Central]], [[Alperton]], [[Tokyngton]], Barnhill, [[Preston, London|Preston]] and [[Sudbury, London|Sudbury]]. The town takes up the south-western quarter of the borough of Brent, being west of [[Harlesden]] and [[Willesden]] and south of [[Kenton, London|Kenton]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Wembley/@51.5507388,-0.3036726,13z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x4876116207a6d0bd:0xaf7016a2cadb21e4!8m2!3d51.550501!4d-0.3048409|title=Wembley|website=Wembley}}</ref> It is also east of [[Greenford]] and [[Northolt]] in the neighbouring [[London Borough of Ealing]]. The area is identified in the [[Mayor of London]]'s [[London Plan]] as one of thirty-five major centres in Greater London.<ref name=London_plan_f08>{{cite web | url=http://www.london.gov.uk/thelondonplan/docs/londonplan08.pdf | author=Mayor of London | author-link=Mayor of London | publisher=[[Greater London Authority]] | title=London Plan (Consolidated with Alterations since 2004) | date=February 2008 | access-date=2 August 2009 | archive-date=2 June 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100602000714/http://www.london.gov.uk/thelondonplan/docs/londonplan08.pdf | url-status=dead }}</ref> Wembley is part of both [[HA postcode area|HA0 and HA9 post codes]], and has its own post town.

{{Geographic location
|title     = '''Neighbouring areas of Wembley'''
|width=auto
|Northwest = [[North Wembley]], [[Harrow on the Hill]], [[Harrow, London|Harrow]]
|North     = [[Wembley Park]], [[Preston, London|Preston]], [[Kenton, London|Kenton]]
|Northeast = [[Wembley Park]], [[Kingsbury, London|Kingsbury]]
|West      = [[Sudbury, London|Sudbury]], [[North Greenford]], [[Northolt]]
|Centre    = Wembley<small>(centre)</small>
|East      = [[Neasden]], [[Dollis Hill]], [[Willesden]]
|Southwest = [[Perivale]], [[Greenford]]
|South     = [[Alperton]], [[Ealing]]
|Southeast = [[Stonebridge, London|Stonebridge]], [[Harlesden]]
}}

==Demographics==
{{section update|2024|date=August 2024}}
[[File:Central Wembley Ethnicity 2001.jpg|thumb|left|A pie chart showing the ethnic makeup of central Wembley in 2001]]
Wembley is known for its high degree of ethnic and religious diversity, and the population includes a large number of people of Asian, Afro-Caribbean and Eastern European origin.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4223322.stm|title=Multiculturalism the Wembley way|date=8 September 2005|via=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/comment-big-india-in-little-england-1156123|title=Big India in little England|first=Chelna|last=Khatau|date=15 March 2008|website=DNA India}}</ref> According to the [[1991 census]], 49.2% of the Wembley Central ward identified themselves as Asian (39% Indian). The ward along with neighbouring Tokyngton (eastern Wembley) and [[Alperton]] were in the top 10 most diverse in London. In the [[United Kingdom Census 2001|2001 census]], 78.6% of the ward identified themselves as being of black or minority ethnic ([[Black and Minority Ethnic|BME]]) groups.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://intelligence.brent.gov.uk/BrentDocuments/Ward%20Profiles%20-%20Chapter%203a.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=21 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221195304/https://intelligence.brent.gov.uk/BrentDocuments/Ward%20Profiles%20-%20Chapter%203a.pdf |archive-date=21 December 2016 |url-status=dead  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://intelligence.brent.gov.uk/BrentDocuments/A%20Profile%20of%20Brent.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=21 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611032210/https://intelligence.brent.gov.uk/BrentDocuments/A%20Profile%20of%20Brent.pdf |archive-date=11 June 2016 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> The White British population of Wembley Central (792 people, 5.3% of the population) in the 2011 census makes it the sixth least White British ward in London (seventh in the country).<ref name="auto">{{cite web|title = Wembley Central – UK Census Data 2011|url = http://www.ukcensusdata.com/wembley-central-e05000104#sthash.Cyv74tbC.dpbs|website = UK Census Data|access-date = 20 December 2015}}</ref> Other ethnicities include 7.0% Other White, 66.2% Asian (46.2% Indian), and 13.9% Black.<ref name="auto"/> In 2011, 86% of Wembley Central ward was of [[Classification of ethnicity in the United Kingdom|BAME]] background, which is the highest in Brent and 5th highest in Greater London. In Wembley the lowest BAME ward was Northwick Park, 68.8%.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/ward-profiles-and-atlas |title = Ward Profiles and Atlas – London Datastore}}</ref>

The 2011 census also showed that, in the Wembley Central ward, the unemployment rate stood at 5.3%. Of the 4,380 households, 2,065 of the properties were tenure owned, 1,469 was privately rented and 684 was socially rented from the council. The largest religion was Hinduism (45%) followed by Christianity (25%). The median age was 32. By far the most spoken foreign language was [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ukcensusdata.com/wembley-central-e05000104 |title = Wembley Central - UK Census Data 2011}}</ref> Wembley Central only covers Wembley town centre and the whole district is represented by five other wards.

There are varying levels of social deprivation in the area. Places such as the central area and Chalkhill have had relatively high deprivation, with the latter having been troubled for a long time. In more recent years, regeneration has helped these areas fare better albeit with a higher general cost of living. Some parts of the town meanwhile are among the least deprived in the borough, especially Barn Hill estate and North Wembley's Sudbury Court Estate.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thinkhouse.org.uk/site/assets/files/1481/smith0319.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919022526/https://thinkhouse.org.uk/site/assets/files/1481/smith0319.pdf |archive-date=2020-09-19 |url-status=live |title=Data |publisher=thinkhouse.org.uk |date= |accessdate=2021-10-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/news/brent-deprived-areas-ranked-by-postcode-3828862|title=Most 'deprived' areas revealed – new figures show rich-poor divide|first=Hannah|last=Somerville|date=19 November 2019|website=Kilburn Times}}</ref>

==Media==
Local news in Wembley is provided by the ''[[Brent & Kilburn Times]]'' and the ''[[Harrow Times]]'' in print and online forms.

==Economy==
[[File:Wembley, Sunday market - geograph.org.uk - 665092.jpg|thumb|The former Sunday Market traded at the stadium car park for 41 years]]
[[File:Wembley, IKEA home furnishings store - geograph.org.uk - 726017.jpg|thumb|Wembley IKEA store, Brent Park retail area]]
The main shopping area was generally centred on Wembley High Road, Central Square, and Ealing Road. Unlike typical British [[high street]]s Wembley does not have a town centre network or pedestrianised high streets, with almost all commercial high street businesses along a 1000-yard stretch of road (High Road). In 1971 the High Road was seen as being the 11th best place to shop in London. However, it had fallen to 24th place by 1987.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.brent.gov.uk/media/387392/Wembley.pdf|title=Places in Brent Wembley and Tokyngton|last=Barres-Baker|first=M.C.|access-date=2016-07-03|archive-date=14 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414022720/http://brent.gov.uk/media/387392/Wembley.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Ealing Road remains important as a centre of South Asian jewellery and gold shops,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2764476/Rallying-to-the-gold-standard.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2764476/Rallying-to-the-gold-standard.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Rallying to the gold standard|date=4 June 2002|access-date=2016-07-03}}{{cbignore}}</ref> attracting people from as far afield as [[Leicester]], but otherwise the focus of shopping has shifted north and east to the more recent development of [[London Designer Outlet]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.londondesigneroutlet.com/whats-on/in-wembley-park|title=Enjoy more things to do in Wembley Park / London Designer Outlet|website=www.londondesigneroutlet.com|access-date=2016-07-03|archive-date=23 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160623003227/http://www.londondesigneroutlet.com/whats-on/in-wembley-park|url-status=dead}}</ref> in [[Wembley Park]], which is part of the Stadium's complex and also includes a fully pedestrianised street near the Stadium. The regenerations were co-funded by Brent Council to add an attractive shopping destination.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.brent.gov.uk/media/16404341/d64-wembley-area-action-plan.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103123135/https://www.brent.gov.uk/media/16404341/d64-wembley-area-action-plan.pdf |archive-date=2020-01-03 |url-status=live |title=Action plan |publisher=brent.gov.uk |date= |accessdate=2021-10-05}}</ref>

The Wembley Sunday Market was a popular market held weekly from the 1970s until 2014 and run by Wendy Fair Markets. The market was ousted by the landowners, Quintain, in favour of the London Designer Outlet development. The market was then set up at the former Unisys tower near [[Stonebridge Park station]] before it was closed within a year by the council citing traffic disruption.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/news/beloved-wembley-sunday-market-closed-for-the-foreseeable-future-3720642|title=Beloved Wembley Sunday Market closed for the foreseeable future|first=Myron|last=Jobson|date=7 July 2014|website=Kilburn Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/local-news/new-market-wembley-opens-every-7897896|title=New market in Wembley opens every Sunday to ensure no fake goods are being sold|first=Caitlin|last=Black|date=7 October 2014|website=MyLondon}}</ref>

[[IKEA]] Wembley is in the Brent Park retail area near North Circular Road, [[Neasden]]. It opened in 1988 and was the Swedish retailer's second store in the UK after the initial store in [[Warrington]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lep.co.uk/business/ikea-phenomenon-ikeas-long-history-north-west-290659|title=The IKEA phenomenon - IKEA's long history with the North West|website=www.lep.co.uk|date=18 May 2018 }}</ref>

The [[Air France-KLM]] European Sales and Service Centre, which is a sales channel for 15 European countries, is in Brent Civic Centre in Wembley Park.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.airfrance.us/US/en/local/avotreservice/relationclientele/clientele-remboursement.htm|title=Air France – Refund request – Official website|website=AirFrance|access-date=2016-07-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160706161934/http://www.airfrance.us/US/en/local/avotreservice/relationclientele/clientele-remboursement.htm|archive-date=6 July 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Sport and leisure==
Wembley has two local [[non-League football]] clubs, [[Wembley F.C.]] and [[South Kilburn F.C.]], that both play at Vale Farm stadium in nearby [[Sudbury, London|Sudbury]]. Nearby is Vale Farm Sports Centre.

There once were two golf clubs in Wembley. Wembley Golf Club, founded in 1896, was situated north of the Metropolitan Railway line in what is now the [[Fryent Country Park]]. The club closed in the late 1920s.<ref>[http://www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=794 "Wembley Golf Club"], "Golf's Missing Links".</ref> Wembley Park Golf Club was founded in 1912 in [[Sir Edward Watkin]]'s [[Wembley Park]] pleasure gardens, improving on the 9-hole course that had opened, along with Watkin's Wembley Park, in 1896. The course itself became the site of the British Empire Exhibition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk/index.php/england/south-east/london/795-gl-wembley-park-golf-club|title=Wembley Park Golf Club, Greater London.|last=Llewellyn|first=John|website=www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk|access-date=2016-07-03}}</ref>

The rugby union club, [[Wasps RFC]], was based at Repton Avenue in Sudbury from the 1920s until 1996.

==Landmarks==
[[File:Ace Cafe, North Circular near Stonebridge - geograph.org.uk - 16153.jpg|thumb|The famous [[Ace Cafe]] is on the North Circular near Wembley]]
Apart from Wembley's earliest church, which is to St John the Evangelist of 1846 (see above) another [[listed building]] is what was Saint Andrew's Presbyterian Church built in 1904, designed by [[Thomas Edward Collcutt|Thomas Collcutt]] and Stanley Hemp. It is made mainly of brick and the design was influenced by the [[Arts and Crafts Movement]]. It is listed in the initial, mainstream, [[Listed building|Grade II category]] since 1993.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-435824-st-andrew-s-presbyterian-church-wembley |title=St Andrew's Presbyterian Church – Wembley|work=britishlistedbuildings.co.uk |year=2011 |access-date=13 November 2011}}</ref> It was converted into the [[Central Mosque Wembley]] in the late 1990s. To the south on Ealing Road is the [[Shree Sanatan Hindu Mandir]], a major mandir opened in 2010.

The  Catholic [[St Joseph's Church, Wembley|church of Saint Joseph]], a post-war church, became equally listed in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1431030|title=Roman Catholic Church of St Joseph, Non Civil Parish - 1431030 &#124; Historic England|website=historicengland.org.uk}}</ref>

The [[Ace Cafe]] is unusually a transport café, opened in 1938 and re-opening in 1997 after decades of closure. This venue has been used to hold and plan car and bike events by motoring enthusiasts, nationally and internationally.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.heritagecarinsurance.co.uk/newsroom/news-and-articles/ace-cafe-facing-closure/|title=Ace Cafe facing closure? &#124; Heritage Insurance}}</ref>

Wembley Point, formerly Station House, is a 21-storey building next to [[Stonebridge Park station]]. It was Brent's first skyscraper, built in 1965, and is visible from a radius of several miles. The building has had various uses, including partly as a gym and offices.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/abandoned-wembley-skyscraper-thats-transformed-18297565|title=The abandoned Wembley skyscraper that's about to be transformed|first=Thomas|last=Kingsley|date=29 May 2020|website=MyLondon}}</ref>

Brent's only [[English Heritage]] [[blue plaque]] is on Forty Lane, commemorating the comedian and entertainer [[Arthur Lucan]].<ref name="EngHet">{{cite web| url=http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/discover/blue-plaques/search/lucan-arthur-1887-1954-a.k.a.-arthur-towle-old-mother-riley|title=LUCAN, Arthur (1887–1954)|publisher=English Heritage| access-date=23 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.brent.gov.uk/media/7031206/Arthur%20Lucan%20-%20the%20man%20who%20was%20Old%20Mother%20Riley.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305131401/http://www.brent.gov.uk/media/7031206/Arthur%20Lucan%20-%20the%20man%20who%20was%20Old%20Mother%20Riley.pdf |archive-date=2014-03-05 |url-status=live|title=Arthur Lucan – the man who was "Old Mother Riley"|last=Grant|first=Philip|access-date=2016-07-03}}</ref>

{{wide image|Wembley Arena Evening 172XS Web.jpg|600px|[[Wembley Arena|The SSE Arena]] concert venue opened in 1934, originally as a swimming pool}}

The prime landmark is [[Wembley Stadium]], rebuilt 2003&ndash;07 at a cost of £827 million,<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/oct/15/football.wembleystadium | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Denis | last=Campbell | title=Eight-year Wembley stadium saga is over at last | date=15 October 2006}}</ref> which is approached via the [[White Horse Bridge]] designed by the [[London Eye]] architects. About half of the stadium's width northwest is the [[Wembley Arena|SSE Arena]], a [[listed building|Grade II-listed]] concert venue built in 1934 as the Empire Pool, a multi-use facility built for the [[1934 British Empire Games|2nd Empire Games]] and much renovated. The former [[Brent Town Hall|Wembley (later Brent) Town Hall]] is likewise listed on Barn Hill remotely facing Wembley Stadium; it has now been refurbished as a French school, the [[Lycée International de Londres Winston Churchill]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lyceeinternational.london/|title=Lycée International De Londres – Home|website=www.lyceeinternational.london|access-date=2016-07-03}}</ref> The [[London Borough of Brent]]'s council chamber and main offices occupy Brent Civic Centre, Engineers Way, Wembley Park.

==Transport==
===Tube/train===
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[[File:Marylebone train leaves Wembley Stadium - geograph.org.uk - 3154682.jpg|thumb|A [[Chiltern Railways]] [[British Rail Class 165|Class 165]] leaves [[Wembley Stadium railway station|Wembley Stadium station]]]]
Stations in the town are:
#[[Wembley Stadium railway station|Wembley Stadium]] ([[Chiltern Railways]])
#[[Wembley Central railway station|Wembley Central]] ([[Bakerloo line]], [[Southern (train operating company)|Southern]], [[West Midlands Trains]] and [[Watford DC line]])
#[[North Wembley tube station|North Wembley]] ([[Bakerloo line]] and [[Watford DC line]])
#[[Wembley Park tube station|Wembley Park]] ([[Jubilee line]] and [[Metropolitan line]])
#[[Sudbury Town tube station|Sudbury Town]] ([[Piccadilly line]])
#[[Preston Road tube station|Preston Road]] ([[Metropolitan line]])
#[[Alperton tube station|Alperton]] ([[Piccadilly line]])
#[[Stonebridge Park tube station|Stonebridge Park]] ([[Bakerloo Line]] and [[Watford DC line]])
{{clear}}

===Buses===
[[File:A404 in Wembley - geograph.org.uk - 2742642.jpg|thumb|left|View of High Road near Park Lane; on the right is the town's former post office, now a public house]]
Wembley has numerous [[Transport for London]] bus routes that run through its centre on High Road, namely routes [[London Buses route 18|18]], [[London Buses route 79|79]], [[London Buses route 83|83]], [[London Buses route 92|92]], [[London Buses route 182|182]], [[London Buses route 204|204]], [[London Buses route 223|223]], [[London Buses route 224|224]], [[London Buses route 297|297]], [[London Buses route 483|483]], [[London Buses route H17|H17]], and night route [[London Buses route N18|N18]].

===Canal===
The [[Paddington Arm]] of the [[Grand Union Canal]] runs through the south of Wembley.

===Road===
Wembley lies very close to the [[A406 road|A406 North Circular Road]]. The A404 [[Harrow Road]] passes through its centre. The town centre is served by three pay-and-display car parks.

=== SSE Arena access ===
Wembley Arena is served by [[Wembley Park tube station|Wembley Park station]] on the [[London Underground]] via [[Olympic Way]], [[Wembley Stadium railway station|Wembley Stadium]] on the [[Chiltern Railways]] line from [[Marylebone railway station|London Marylebone]] to [[Birmingham Snow Hill railway station|Birmingham Snow Hill]], and [[Wembley Central station|Wembley Central]] (walking via the [[White Horse Bridge]]). Bus [[London Buses route 92|route 92]] stops directly outside.

The onsite parking facilities are close by, with a multistorey car park called Red Parking and a surface level car park on the eastern flank of the Stadium called Green Parking.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wembleypark.com/visit/getting-here/road-and-parking/|title=Road and parking – WEMBLEY PARK|last=team|first=Code8|language=en-GB|access-date=2016-07-03}}</ref> Disabled parking is available at a reduced rate but on a first-come first-served basis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wembleypark.com/visit/getting-here/accessibility/|title=Accessibility – WEMBLEY PARK|last=team|first=Code8|language=en-GB|access-date=2016-07-03}}</ref>

==Education==
{{Main|List of schools in Brent}}

==Notable people==
* British Actor [[Ricardo P. Lloyd]], grew up in Wembley
* Politician [[Luciana Berger]] (born 1981), The Independent Group MP, grew up in Wembley.
* Drummer [[Charlie Watts]], founding member of [[The Rolling Stones]], was born in Wembley.
* Engineer and Formula One aerodynamicist, [[John Barnard]], who is credited with introducing the first semi-automatic gearbox, the first carbon fibre composite chassis and the "coke bottle" shape of the rear bodywork, was born in Wembley in 1946. 
* Actor [[Riz Ahmed]], star of satirist [[Chris Morris (satirist)|Chris Morris]]'s black comedy ''[[Four Lions]]'' (2010), was born in Wembley.
* Scientist [[John D Barrow]], Professor of Mathematical Sciences at Cambridge University, cosmologist, Templeton prize winner and author of many popular science books and the award-winning play Infinities was born in Wembley in 1952 and attended Barham Primary School.
* Composer [[Peter Fribbins]] was born, and grew up, in Wembley.
* British [[ambassador]] to [[Israel]] [[Matthew Gould]] grew up in Wembley.
* Astrologer [[Russell Grant]] lived in Wembley.
* Scholar [[Vivian H. H. Green]] (1915–2005), the model for author [[John le Carré]]'s spymaster character [[George Smiley]], was born in Wembley.
* Matthew Harrison was born in Wembley in 1979.
* Actor and comedian [[Lenny Henry]] lived in Wembley.
* Actor and musician [[Gary Holton]] (1952–1985), Wayne in ''[[Auf Wiedersehen, Pet]]'' and frontman of [[Heavy Metal Kids]], lived in Wembley at the time of his death.
* Footballers [[Raheem Sterling]], [[Jerel Ifil]], and [[Jerome Thomas]] lived in Wembley.
* Musician John Lingwood, drummer in [[Manfred Mann's Earth Band]], was born in Wembley.
* The actor [[Arthur Lucan]] (Arthur Towle), famous for his performances as 'Old Mother Riley', lived at 11 Forty Lane, Wembley, as did his wife and co-star, [[Kitty McShane|Catherine 'Kitty' McShane]].
* [[Rock music|Rock]] drummer [[Keith Moon]] of [[The Who]], was born in Wembley.
* Singer [[Maxine Nightingale]], best known for her soul hit records in the 1970s, was born in Wembley.
* Figure-skater [[Valda Osborn]] was born in Wembley.
* Nurse, journalist, broadcaster and novelist [[Claire Rayner]] lived in Wembley.
* Dancer, author, musician and bandleader [[Victor Silvester]] was the second son of J. W. P. Silvester, vicar of St. John the Evangelist [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] church, Wembley.
* Composer [[John Tavener]] was born in Wembley.
* Musician [[Harvey Shield]] grew up in Wembley.
* [[Mick Whelan]], head of the [[ASLEF]] trade union, lives in Wembley.
* Sir [[Henry Cooper]], British Heavyweight Champion, after the key bout with Cassius Clay, 1963, retired to the town of the venue; he opened a greengrocer's shop at the top of Ealing Road, Wembley.

== See also ==

* [[Wembley Point Woman]], unidentified decedent found at the base of the Wembley Point tower in 2004

==Gallery==
<gallery>
High Road, Wembley (1) - geograph.org.uk - 216336.jpg|High Road, looking west towards the junction with Park Lane
Parade of shops, High Road, Wembley - geograph.org.uk - 5121815.jpg|Building built as Marks and Spencer outlet, mainly divided in four vertically
High Road, Wembley - geograph.org.uk - 278409.jpg|Western section of High Road, looking east
Shops at the south end of Wembley Hill Road - geograph.org.uk - 5121088.jpg|Shops near the High Road/Wembley Hill Road junction
Mannions Free House - geograph.org.uk - 307824.jpg|Mannions Free House, Irish pub, on High Road
Stonebridge Park, Wembley Point - geograph.org.uk - 624741.jpg|Wembley Point skyscraper, next to the North Circular Road
Old and new buildings in Wembley Park - geograph.org.uk - 5332664.jpg|York House and London Designer Outlet
Blands, High Road, Wembley (geograph 5121821).jpg|Bland's, a small department store on High Road that traded from 1911 to 2017
Wembley Way.jpg|Wembley Way connects, for pedestrians, Wembley Park Station and Wembley Stadium
Grand Union Canal - geograph.org.uk - 801144.jpg|Grand Union Canal Towpath, by Sudbury Golf Course
Alperton, Shree Sanatan Hindu Mandir - geograph.org.uk - 795127.jpg|Shree Sanatan Hindu Mandir
Central Mosque, Wembley - geograph.org.uk - 273451.jpg|Central Mosque, Wembley
Wembley, King Edward VII Park - geograph.org.uk - 2408376.jpg|King Edward VII Park
Barn Hill Triangulation Pillar - geograph.org.uk - 476193.jpg|Barn Hill public open space
</gallery>

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{LB Brent}}
{{London Districts}}
{{Portal|London}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Wembley| ]]
[[Category:Areas of London]]
[[Category:Districts of the London Borough of Brent]]
[[Category:Major centres of London]]
[[Category:Places formerly in Middlesex]]