Kilburn History Festival 2011

The Kilburn History Festival will take place from Wednesday 6th – Sunday 10th July 2011 – a series of talks, walks and guided tours round interesting and significant local buildings.

More and more Kilburn residents have been making enquiries about the local history of the area – often triggered by the knowledge that the Kilburn High Road is the route of the ancient Roman Road, Watling Street.

The history festival comprises a series of 3 history talks, a guided history tour of the Kilburn High Road (repeated 3 times) and a series of local interesting old buildings that will be open for guided tours.

Programme of events July 2011

The talks on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday are all being held in St Mary’s Church, Abbey Road, NW6

• Wednesday 6th July
  Ancient and Medieval Kilburn by Ed Fordham



• Thursday 7th July
  The Development of Kilburn by Michael Alpert and Dick Weindling



• Saturday 9th July
  Lived here and Loved it. (famous people of Kilburn) by Dick Weindling

(we would like to ask for a donation towards raising money for the Historic Kilburn Plaque Scheme)

Sunday 10th July
History tours of Britain’s oldest road – Kilburn High Road

• 11am meet Kilburn Park Tube Station (Bakerloo Line) to Kilburn (Jubilee)



• 1.30pm meet Kilburn (Jubilee) to Kilburn Park Station (Bakerloo Line)



• 3.30pm meet Kilburn Park Tube Station (Bakerloo Line) to Kilburn (Jubilee)
  

(The tours are free of charge, but if you enjoy it any donation will be given towards the Plaque Scheme)

As most people know Kilburn is divided between Camden and Brent local authorities and in part in Westminster Council as well. This has had the effect of splitting the historical records – whilst Willesden and Hampstead, for example, have been well documented and researched Kilburn has been neglected.

This festival, working in conjunction with the Historic Kilburn Plaque Scheme, seeks to raise the profile of the ancient, diverse, and rich historical tapestry that exists in the local area.

Working with Camden Local Studies & Archives Centre and Brent Archives and Museum

Back to the ancients and early medieval

I reckon Kilburn is one of the first communities of England...

Watling Street was built in AD 44 as the route motorway into Britain and eventually into wales.

It was the principle route north and weas the thorough fare for all travel north.

Any Roman Emperor in Britain came through Kilburn along Watling Street...

Here are some - are there others?

I've ended the cycle of ancients with Alfred the Great and his coin of the conquest of London after the Watling Street treaty of AD 878.

Hence Danelaw = Camden and Wessex = Brent

The housing boom of the 1880's

It's not the most obvious feature and I have found I've walked past on more occasions than not without reacting, but here on England's Lane is Chalcot Gardens.

It's set back and 'protected' by a brick wall with a sort of sealed gateway effect on which is mounted an old plaque. (if you double click on the pictyure on the left it should open up and the words are much more legible larger!)

Chalcot Gardens came about in 1880, as part of the great development of the Eton College Estate that is now Belsize, Belsize Park and the Chalcots Estate itself.

The 'first six' were built in 1881 in 'Queen Anne' style. Another eight houses were built nearby in 1882-3 in Chalcot Gardens, where additions were later made to no. 16 by C. F. A. Voysey.

Eton Road has a long tradition of being occupied by artists.

Other artists included Robert Bevan (d. 1925) at no. 14 Adamson Road from 1901, Arthur Rackham at no. 16 Chalcot Gardens 1903-20, Duncan Grant at no. 143 Fellows Road c. 1910, and Stanley Spencer for a short time in Adelaide Road.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Rackham

This unusual name of Chalcots is described as being related to habit, and whilst of Olde English origins, is associated with the Romans. The derivation is from "ceald-cote", which means "the cold house", an unusual distinction at a time when all houses lacked any warmth!

It seems more likely that the name refers to the location, particularly as it has been suggested that wherever a Roman road existed - ye olde Kilburn High Road (Watling Street and now the A5), so did a place called "Calde-cote", the Romans preferring to construct their roads along the windy uplands, making them more difficult to attack and less prone to flooding.

All roads lead to... Kilburn?

I was down in the City of London for the meeting of the management committees of Hampstead Heath , Keats House and Queen's Park when I spied this little gem.

Ye Olde Watling public house
There's a great summary review here http://ultimatepubguide.com/pubs/info.phtml?pub_id=353
including the much repeated claim that this pub was built on the instruction of Christopher Wren for workers on the St Paul's project...

The picture isn't great quality - I was in a rush and the light was falling and failing, but of course it's also on Watling Street.

The road later (physically and historically), as it heads north, becomes Edgware Road, then Maida Vale, the Kilburn High Road and Shoot Up Hill, Cricklewood Broadway and off into England's shires...

But of course it starts somewhere and as I dashed for my tube to Mansion House I had forgotten that it was in fact here.

Don't worry good readers I didn't delay, but a return visit to the watering hole before emabarking north to Kilburn seems appropriate at some point...

Anyone else want to join me here for a sneaky half one day soon?

I CLAUDIUS, I KILBURN

So what's the claim to fame here in sunny Kilburn - lots of people seem to think that the fading Irish tradition of kilburn, currently being replaced by an amazing multi-cultural character is the history of Kilburn.

In fact it is one of the oldest communities in London - dating from when the Roman Emperor Claudius invaded and conquered Britain in AD 43 and build Watling Street in AD 44.

This bust here is from the statue of Claudius that was destroyed in the sacking by Boudicca during her rebellion against the empire.

So is there any real reason why we don't celebrate the history of our area?

Lots of smaller market towns have plaques saying "Queen Victoria stayed here" and the like - why don't we have plaques and statues to the Emperors of Rome who we know marched up and down the High Road (the Watling Street)?

More Roman Imperial visitors to come... watch this space

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?

The Old Bell Public House in Kilburn

The Old Bell Pub is one of the oldest pubs in Kilburn and probably even dates from the time of Kilburn Priory. At the bottom of the Kilburn High Road it's at the strategic junction of the old Roman Road Watling Street, the old Kilburn River and the now railway line and associated bridge.

In more recent times it was the principle pub in the 30's at which many Irish workers could find accommodation - there used to be blackboards with chalk listings of landlords and bedsits.

It's credited with being on the spot behind which was the preaching field from medieval times through to the 1800's (this is part confirmed by Goldsmith's Place being renamed Springfield Lane...) and became the main drinking hole for those using the railway line after its' arrival.

The Ox red brick tiling certainly gives it that sense of railway tavern and the architecture is of that type too.

The pub is commemorated in the mural up by Kilburn Tube Station (pic right).

Are you coming to the Kilburn Festival: http://www.kilburnfestival.co.uk/

Other key postings on this bit of Kilburn:
http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/04/outdoor-preaching-in-kilburn.html
http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/03/yes-you-can-visit-kilburn-priory-today.html
http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/03/changing-of-street-names.html

Outdoor preaching in Kilburn...

It's been a while since I blogged on ye olde history of Kilburn and have been meaning for follow up this particular thread - the outdoor preaching of Kilburn Vale and links to religious fervour down the years.

This site has talked about the development of the priory and it's subsequent demolition during the disolution of the monasteries.

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/03/yes-you-can-visit-kilburn-priory-today.html

Well I wondered about how these 'locations' remained religious over the years? The same principle/approach applies for post pagan England - there is considerable evidence that generally celtic religious sites became Roman ones and they in turn became Christian and so it continued in use.

So what happened in Kilburn after the fall of the priory and in the development of what we now see as the thriving Kilburn High Road?

Well, the strategic significance of the crossing of the Westbourne river remained - we have hermit place, the pubs (at least The Cock and the Red Lion and probably others) and the arterary road (old Watling Street) increasingly known as Edgware Road.

All the evidence points to Kilburn and in particular this point of the Kilburn High Road was a crucial staging post for travellers heading north.

Well I think an insight into what was happening in Kilburn is revealed by this old church hall (picture above) in Kilburn Vale - just opposite Hermit Place and near The Priory Tavern.


You can see the plaque on the left of the building on which is written

"Ebenezer Chapel was erected by Margaret Creswick in memory of her brother Thomas Creswick who departed this life August 31st 1868. He laboured daily among the sick and in the open air at Kilburn, St John's Wood and Primrose Hill. His first sermon was preached from a platform in the Abbey Fields 1859. His last sermon was delivered at the bridge near this spot one week before he fell asleep in Jesus. 'the memory of the just is blessed' This stone was laid July 18th 1870 John Fordham, builder"

The Abbey fields appear to have been behind the Red Lion pub - in Springfield Lane? http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/03/changing-of-street-names.html - and have been a gathering point for people, open air discourse, I suspect like a speakers corner but in Kilburn.

It would have been busy, lively, possibly some street traders, a real sense of hustle and bustle and have been a gathering point for travellers fefore heading north - a focus for local people in regency and then victorian Kilburn... and here in Kilburn Vale on the side of an old chapel (that feels dis-used?) is a plaque giving some hint of that open air tradition.