How well do you know the Kilburn High Road?

On Saturday 28th March it's the Kilburn High Road Spring Clean
This is a chance to give Kilburn the reisdent and trader led spruce up once a year at least - it's great fun and a chance to pitch in. Stalls and groups will be operating off of Kilburn Square opposite Kilburn High Road Station (Euston-Watford Line) please do come along.

But also we have the Kilburn High Road history tours.
Roman Emperor Claudius, Alfred the Great, Henry I and of course Henry VIII, George Orwell, Ian Dury, and of course the Danes, Irish, Poles - all on one road!
On foot at 10am and 2pm from Kilburn Park Tube (Bakerloo) and by bike at 12noon Kilburn (Jubilee).
All welcome - donation appreciated.
Organised as part of the Spring Clean Kilburn by the Kilburn Business Partnership. More information from Ed Fordham 07974 950 512. Edfordham@cix.co.uk

Kilburn, Guthrum the Dane and 878

It might seem like the unlikeliest post of the blog to-date but I'm pushing the theory that the Kilburn of today has a claim on the ancient english heritage of the 9th century AD.

In 878 AD (the date is argued over by more eminent historians) the army led by King Alfred of Wessex defeated the Danes led by Guthrum. it was the subsequent treaty between them that led to the Kilburn High Road (Watling Street) being part of the boundary.

In short the area to the west (where Brent now is and beyond) was Wessex and the area to the east (where Camden now is and beyond) was Danelaw. That those living in 'Camden' paid taxes to the Danes (Danegeld) and those in 'Brent' didn't.

This is cited as the reason why the Kilburn market has always been on the Brent (Wessex) side of the road - to be on the Camden (Danelaw) side would have meant paying taxes to the Danes!

I've depicted here one of the most iconic coins of King Alfred which dates from when he subsequently used and crossed the Kilburn High Road and took back London... You can see on the reverse of the coin the letters LONDIN (London)

So, I guess my contention is pretty straight-forward:

• Kilburn has an amazing historic heritage
• That the signifcance of the High Road (Watling Street) has been massively underplayed locally and in the wider history books
• That the divide that today recreates itself as a pain with, for example, street cleaning contracts, dates back to the 9th century
• That this is all something we should be proud of...

Part of me is thinking that if Kilburn were a small market town and were located in the leafy areas of one of the shire counties we would have a proud and illuminated heritage - shown off by statues, plaques, and allusions to this long historic tradition. Yet we don't - why?

Linking people from history

I'm currently engaged on a project that seeks to Link the Roman Emperor Claudius, with King Alfred the Great and Guthrum the Dane and King Henry I of England...

Unlikely but true and I'm hopeful of establishing the link...

Any suggestions out there?