Why Northolt, UB5, West London is Great
Ranked #1,342 in Travel & Places, #52,620 overall
Reasons to get to know the little town of Northolt, West London
It is a quiet place to live, a pleasing place to visit and with the intersection of some of London's important arteries it has a good footfall for shops. As such, it has some interesting local businesses and a few little attractions - like the model live steam train rides! You may have been past Northolt, probably now most recognisable by the man-made hills visible from the A40, which are part of the Northolt and Greenford Country Park, and overlook fishing lakes, a cafe and wetlands conservation areas.
The beautiful clock Tower on the village green, during the summer is a lovely sight, and serves as a gateway to the the old Saxon Church, the start of the large parks and the model railway experience. Local business arrange for these fantastic floral decorations which during the height of the summer are quite dazzling.
Where is Northolt?
Northolts Green Spaces and features
One great thing about Northolt is that while being only 20-30 minutes from Central London on the tube, it has plenty of green space and sights.You can read below about The Grand Union Canal, Northolt and Greenford Country Park, The Golf Clubs (Northolt Golf Club, C & L Golf and Country Club). But in addition to these spaces, there are also a number of greens including the main village green with the Clock Tower, Islip Manor Park, Belvue Park (Leading to the beautiful and historic Saxon Church) and Lime Tree Park.
The sights of Northolt include the man made hills of the Country Park, the clock tower and floral areas, the Polish War Memorial, the White Hart (an old coaching house) and Smiths Farm with its historic record (now part of the country park).
Why live In Northolt?
Northolt has a great selection of schools, making it great for a family with children at or approaching school age. It is also relatively quiet, much quieter than other suburbs closer to London. If you are lucky enough to live in a place south of the A40, you will benefit from the man-made mounds in the park which act as a great sound barrier.
Northolt also has a community feel to it, where living here for a while, you can get to know the locals, who are quite friendly. However, as Northolt is a big hit with commuters, this may be on the wane. The community really depends on what newcomers make of it.
The area is very car friendly, with most shops placed for car access, a number of car repair and spares shops and with the A40 and A312 intersecting, it can give you a quick zipline into London, out to the West and to Heathrow. Northolt is lucky for this part of London, in that it is not under any Heathrow flight paths due to the proximity of RAF Northolt airbase, and the times when you do hear air traffic, it is worth taking a look because it may well be the Red Arrows - read more on them below.
As mentioned above, it is very well priced - you will get much more space for your money than many other London areas, with apartments and homes having a little bit more room to breath. So, living in Northolt really allows you to experience living in London at a slower more gentle pace, it is cosmopolitan and multicultural, well connected, leafy and encompasses both very modern areas south of the A40 and the picturesque middle English Northolt Village.
Farewell To The Plough
The Plough was an old style pub in a house with a traditionally thatched roof and Tudor style timbers. It was a beautiful building. As well as serving drinks it later had the Zenzi-bar which served Indian food and buffets, and catered for events. Arguably was one of the best looking buildings in the area. The pub was a landmark of Mandeville Road, complementing the small village green and clock tower.In late August of 2009, the building was lost to an accidental fire, thought to have been started by an electrical spark in tinder dry thatching on the roof. The roof was completely destroyed along with most of the upper floor and causing such damage that the building had to be removed. The fire was initially slow, smoke from the roof growing to a fire that took 6 hours for fire crews to control according to local news sources.
I am not sure of the age of it, or if it was listed, but it seems very unlikely that a similar building would replace it. Luckily nobody was hurt or injured in the fire. The building will be sadly missed though.
What are your memories of The Plough?
Now the pub has gone, perhaps a little of it can live on from the memories of those who spent time in it or simply enjoyed seeing it. Of course views may be mixed, and there is no point whitewashing over things. Please add your memories of the place here.
This is moderated - family friendly language only please.
Any general comments on Northolt or this lens should be added below to the main guestbook. This is only for comments on The Plough.
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Deb Alldis
Apr 18, 2011 @ 6:13 am | delete
- Hi Danny,
I love your website. I too love Northolt and have lived and worked here for most of my life, I work at Northolt High School as their catering manager.
I am involved in many committees and will link your site to the other websites I run if you don't mind.
Feel free to visit, warmest regards Deb.
http://marnhamwoodland.tripod.com/
http://ngcps.tripod.com/
http://sthughs.tripod.com/churchofsthughnortholt/
http://northoltra.tripod.com/
http://westernavecmc.tripod.com/
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Jon Parry
Jul 23, 2010 @ 3:30 pm | delete
- I have the honour of being the Chairman of The Plough Pledge Campain - the campaign was formed following the destruction of The Plough a year ago and exists to see The Plough rebuilt, restored to it's former glory, so far we have collected over 1300 signatures and have along with members of the committee, local councillors and our serving MP presented the petition to Fullers October last year, since then we have had a meeting with Fullers to press home our points and present a vision for the future in favour of the brewery rebuilding/restoring our much loved Village Icon. We continue to have regular dialog with Fullers - weekly and remain determined in our quest to see The Plough rebuilt. We have a day of action planned for MONDAY 16 AUGUST from 6pm on The Clock Green to mark the anniversary of The Plough - all welcome. The Press - Ealing Gazette have been momentus in giving our campaign massive coverage weekly since the event and will also be present on the day. The more support, the bigger the voice, the better the campaign, the more pressure we can put on Fuller's to rebuyild/replace our much loved Village Icon, please support the campaign and join us on the day for a drink or two you'll be surprised what we have organised and your presence will be welcome as it is appreciated. MONDAY 16 AUGUST (anniversary date one year ago) Clock Green from 6pm. Thank you for your support. For more information contact: theploughpledge@googlemail.com
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Anna
Jul 23, 2010 @ 3:14 pm | delete
- The Plough was indeed locally listed, even though it wasn't that ancient, built in the 1930's and was badly damaged during the Second World War, then rebuilt ! ... Many local residents still haven't given up hope of its being rebuilt yet again !
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taylor
Feb 22, 2010 @ 12:04 pm | delete
- many years ago, my daughter was attending "the northolt village carnival". she was a member of "the sharon knights danceing school" and my daughter was on the front page of the Gazzette.
do you still have the village i wonder?
i also had some very enjoyable evenings at the plough. in fact, 5 years ago, i was reunited with my fav cousin who i hadn't seen for 30 years!!
happy day's!! and we are still in contact with each other.
gawd bless the plough!!
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dannystaple
Feb 22, 2010 @ 4:31 pm | delete
- Northolt Village still exists. However, the Plough is sadly missing due to a fire last year. Nothing bar some fencing remains of it now. I had a calming drink in The Crown on Saturday, sat out looking over the green and the brook towards the old cottages.
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The Beautiful Northolt And Greenford Country Park
At the heart of the area Northolt and Greenford Country Park now has four conical man made hills, built using recycled rubble and building materials. They mean the rest of the park is shielded from the nearby A40 sounds. These hills give an excellent vantage point, from where among other sights Canary Wharf and Wembley National Stadium can be seen on a clear day.The country park has a number of lakes, which are frequented by Wildlife including swans, ducks, moorhens and geese. It has wetland areas to encourage other wildlife as well. Another shallower lake is designated as a model boating lake - with easy wading depth. The hills offer a natural shield to RF interference making this a great spot for model boating or flying model planes - more on this below.
There are a number of playing fields for football, three playgrounds for younger children, a skatepark and play areas for older children.
Also there are some natural woodland areas left from when Northolt was urbanised - so at the right time of the year, you will see plenty of woodland flowers - including the Bluebell show. It is not hard to spot squirrels and if you are lucky the odd fox.
A natural meandering stream runs through the park, augmented by a new channel built to deal with the run off from the lakes. Invertebrate refuges have been set up in some parts encouraging bees and other beneficial animals to stay in the park.
Crossing over from the main park takes you into the Smiths Farm part where new (10 year old) forests have been planted, giving some deep dark woods, as well as natural grasslands and access to the Grand Union canal. These are dotted with plaques showing the history of the area - how it was once used for brick making, and later for builders waste with the canal a major thoroughfare for business. See below for more information on the Canal.
Also in the park is a golf club ensuring there is no lack of things to see and do here.
The Cafe in the park
The cafe also adds a much needed feature to the park, some reasonably maintained public loos!
There is another half to the building that is not yet open - so we are yet to see what we will end up with there. When the weather is good, we can make our way there, and in the summer I look forward to sipping soft drinks with Ice in the park.
Northolt is an RC model Hotspot
The first feature are the large conical hills. These offer a natural RF shield limiting the interference in the area. Also, they are good launching points for Gliders and lighter RC aircraft. Not too high, but high enough, with large flat plains below - ample landing room as long as you miss the lakes.
One of the lakes in the park is designated as a model boating lake, with a depth shallow enough to wade in should a boat be in trouble. Other lakes have fishing stands which are useful for launching the boats, but try not to upset the local wildlife or other lake users with them.
For aircraft enthusiasts, the presence of the nearby RAF means that while flying their own light RC craft they have the added excitement if the Red Arrows are doing something in London and fly overhead.
Because the hills and the lakes are so close, model RC seaplanes would be great in this space too.
There are plenty of walkways both smooth and rugged for RC cars or tanks, and it could even be used to test drive robots.
I personally have a boat I take out on the lakes and a car I take out at other times.
Need an RC Model?
Northolt Model Railway Club
Live Steam Rides: 3rd Sunday of every Summer month, 2pm to 5pm.
Cost per ride: 30 pence!
Northolt is home to a model railway club working with many different gauges, including larger rideable model trains on a purpose built track.
Train rides on live model steamers are on the 3rd Sunday every month - kids will absolutely rave for this! Many of the steamers that run on the large tracks are scratch built by club members. This is set in a very bright and well tended garden in Northolt village, a pleasant spot in itself.
There is a traditional looking "North Halt" station for members of the public to board and leave the trains, with a ticket office, and a chap who stamps the tickets while ensuring passengers know the rules - like keeping feet and hands in and not leaning.
The train runs on a track which is at some points a few feet from the ground, with bridges, curves and inclines. The club members are friendly and more than happy to chat away about their engines and other things.
Please remember not to leave it until 5pm to turn up, the members don't enjoy having to turn people away.
The club also has large layouts for smaller gauge modelling. They have an open evening every Friday.
When visiting there are also teas/coffees refreshments at really good prices. I paid only 40p for a cup of tea!
Model Railways
More Train set stuff
Walking In London
Close to Heathrow
The A312 shares a junction, the Target Roundabout, with the A40, so much of the traffic coming from closer to London out to Heathrow will be passing through this roundabout. This makes this a great spot for businesses to gain passing trade.
Also a local bus, the 140, offers a 24 hours service to Heathrow, which for locals is door to door. If you fly regularly - this really makes it a simple journey.
And yet, because of the proximity of the RAF base, we do not get overhead domestic flight traffic from Heathrow, giving Northolt the best of both worlds.
Walking the Grand Union Canal
As it fairly seamlessly blends with the Smiths Farm area of Northolt Country Park, it can become part of a walk starting in the country park. Living in Northolt, the park is quite literally next door to me.
It is not uncommon to see plenty of water birds, including ducks, swans, geese and moorhens on the Canal. If you keep your eyes open, you may even catch swans nesting as I have. It is also a fishing spot frequented fairly often. There are pleasing wild flowers, and walking along you will also see other golf courses and Northolts large Mosque.
The Grand Union Canal is also still in use by river boats and barges, which you will occasionally see chugging along. It is not unusual to see houseboats moored in designated mooring spots, some with facilities only easily accessible from the river. If you are looking for somewhere to moor a houseboat in London, Northolt is a beautiful spot with all the local amenities and a welcoming atmosphere.
Further south from the country park, there is a marina situated in the new Grand Union Village development in Northolt.
Unique Businesses
Jedi-Robe
Among my favourites has to be Jedi-Robe.com.
Jedi-Robe.com is a shop specializing in Star Wars memorabelia, and while carrying a large range of all kinds of kit like figures and models, its main focus is on costumes. They carry costumes for many of the different characters as well as a number of replica weapons, kit and light-sabres.
If you are considering attending a star wars/sci fi convention, a fancy dress party or have another reason to want Star Wars costume, then this shop, just South of the Target Roundabout in Northolt is an ideal place to look. They have an extensive and well put together online presence too.
Full contact details at Jedi-Robe.com.
The White Hart
Another great place in Northolt is the historic White Hart Public House. This has been a landmark in the area for many years, having been a coaching house before.
The pub, now associated with the local London Fullers brewery, is pleasant, with a small inn and a number of friendly local characters. This pub is a hub for some parts of the local community.
It has a garden suitable for Children to play in, a beer garden out front with a shelter for drinking outside that has been sculpted to look a little like a jet from above in reference to the local RAF.
A pool room houses a table and a number of seats for observing the game. There is a traditional bar area and saloon area as a number of older pubs in Britain do. Great Food is served, and events are run from time to time.
The White Hart has a number of pictures and plaques showing it historic links with the town and presence adorning its walls. If you are looking for a traditional British pub, with bar staff who will remember your face, and local regulars who are friendly and will get to know you, this is a great pub to remember.
West End, Northolt, Middlesex, UB5 5AX
Pepitas Dog Parlour
Yes - Northolt has a pet grooming Salon. Why not give your pet an occasional pampering - they will love you for it. This local business will treat your pet like a VIP.
216 Church Rd
Northolt, UB5 5AE
020 88451899
Cafe Dream
Okay - there is nothing that unique about a All-Day-Breakfast cafe, beyond that the customer service and staff are always friendly, and we have never been disappointed. This Cafe, situated near the White Hart Roundabout, has a range of food throughout the day, be it a full English Breakfast, Sunday Roasts, Pies and other things.
474 Church Rd, Northolt, UB5 5AU
Bridal Affairs
This shop on station parade provides dresses and accessories to ensure a bride will be stunning on their big day. Definitely worth a visit.
1a Station Parade
Ealing Road
Northolt
Middlesex
UB5 5HR
Telephone: 020 8841 1801
Fax: 020 8841 1801
Calypso property Services
Calypso Property Services serve Northolt and surrounding areas with excellent and well priced cleaning, maintenance, paint & decorating services. While not strictly based in Northolt, some of their staff are.
Their decorating services are able to tile bathrooms, deal with scratches, sort out badly hung doors, fill holes, repaint walls and ceilings (without making a mess) and importantly7 get rid of disgusting black mould.
Their cleaning services can clean up after builders, prepare rental properties between tenants
, clean up after parties, remove really difficult stains from carpets, curtains and upholstery and remove waste and other mess.
Because this service is comprehensive, they can be basically be trusted with a messed wreck of a flat and turn it into a shining finished product. I have personally used this service, and have been very impressed with the result.
- Website: http://www.calypso4you.co.uk/
- Phone: 0208 995 9021
- Mobile: 07706863656, 07912100992
- Email: office@calypso4you.co.uk
What are your favourite Northolt based businesses?
Please add local Northolt Business to this list. It can be your own business or your favourite business. You can also vote for those already in the list.
This list is moderated, so it may take some time to appear. I will accept businesses from surrounding areas.
STAR WARS : Jedi-Robe.com - Star Wars Costumes - Star Wars Toys - Star Wars Shop - Star Wars Action Figures - Star Wars Vehicles - London, UK
Welcome to www.Jedi-Robe.com - The Star Wars Shop, more...0 points
Fitted Sliding Door Wardrobes and Furniture in UK.
We manufacture and install made-to-measure sliding more...0 points
Other internet resources on Northolt
- Northolt and Greenford Countryside Park Society
- A local community society for the preservation and improvement of our beautiful country park.http://www.squidoo.com/lensmaster/new_workshop/why-northolt-is-great#
- Northala Fields
- Local government information on the site which has now become Northolt and Greenford Country Park.
- Northolt Leisure And Culture
- Northolt is often an overlooked suburb but it has several parks, a gym, golf practice range and community centres. There are various churches, including the marvellous Saxon church of St. Mary's, set on a green slope in Northolt Village, a Conservation Area. This is a hidden gem with a village green, and a brook running through it, a large thatched pub and restaurant.
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Snow in Northolt, New Year 2010
However, it lead to surprisingly little disruption, and some really beautiful pictures, which I will put up here as soon as I have uploaded them.
The village green and clock tower looked especially picturesque, although it is a shame that the plough is missing form those pictures. The main roads were kept clear - with Church Road, aka the A312, and the A40 well gritted. The bus services and tubes kept running. Which in one way was great, but also meant that there were no "snow days" to spend at home with my family and play in it.
The pavements were another story, there was deep snow, which was enjoyable to stomp around in if you are still a big kid at heart like me. It became a little dangerous as ice though. Our beautiful lakes froze over, and I had a little fun there with my family skimming pieces of snow over them - this makes quite an unusual noise. There were at least a few snowmen in the park, and people sledding in the weekend.
As the lakes began to thaw, the swans and geese returned, restricted to part of the lake that was not frozen. We entertained our daughter by throwing bread to them as they probably need it in these colder months.
Another thing I have noted in the beginning of this year is that the new apartments built just past the parade on Church road are now up for sale, and they look great to me.
Jan 30th, 2010 - Six Swans!
However, going out in the icy weather today (a freezing -3 brrr), we spotted six swans in the lakes. Some so young they still have their grey feathers. We spotted some getting into a bit of a flap over one of the lakes (sibling turf war perhaps?). They join the other geese and Ducks that reside there now.
The lakes were mostly free of ice, although the little brook was iced over and the wetland areas were a little icy too. there were plenty of people out having a walk with their young ones like we did. Also, I spotted my first squirrel back out this week - perhaps it is a bit early for them still with this weather, but it is good to see them in the woods there.
Your thoughts on Northolt
What do you think of Northolt?
Have you been are you thinking of going?
Are you a resident? It would be great to hear from other Northolt residents.
HTML is allowed. This comment box is moderated.
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gregoryolney
Aug 20, 2011 @ 9:30 am | delete
- I used to visit the Northolt are in the early 1970s - I had a girlfriend there at the time.
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Muxlow78 Dec 4, 2010 @ 6:12 pm | delete
- I live in northolt, enjoy blessings from a northolt based Angel
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Geeve Feb 15, 2010 @ 5:26 am | delete
- Nice lens Danny, 5* and I have lensrolled it to my "What's happening in London".
The A40 is of course a main commuter route, straight in to central London, the BBC studios and the city. Fond memories :-)
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Laddoo May 22, 2009 @ 7:54 am | delete
- Looks very beautiful and inviting. A lot of effort has gone into this lens! 5 * and a fave!
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Why Northolt Is Great Posts
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byAbout Danny Staple
Picture Sources
The Polish War Memorial, Northolt. Wikipedia Commons - Freely Distributable.
Snow and 6 Swans in Northolt
30/01/10 6:58 pm
Cafe opened in the park in Northolt
18/01/11 9:41 pm
I intend to find time during a weekend to go and sample some coffee and cakes there, so I can give an idea of what it is like. It is still a bit muddy from recent building gear, but it does have a view onto the lakes with the swans and the large rolling meadows behind them.
Added in the Northolt Model Railway Club
16/04/11 9:24 pm
This is at Northolt Town Hall.
Details at: http://www.northolt-mrc.org.uk/
Choochoo! (my little one is saying that all the time now)
Choo choo! We rode the model railway!
17/04/11 5:08 pm
As it was only 30p each for a ride, my wife and I took turns going on with the little one (60 pence for the pair) a few times. At this cost, and with the big happy smile, this was both a very cheap, and easy day out. We are within walking distance of the spot.
Today, because the club are waiting to do their annual assessment of the steam boilers (they are safety checked for pressure and certified), they had the Electric/Diesel models out. These are pretty good fun, perhaps without as much of the theatrics as the steam trains. So we will be going back next month to see those too!
Our route there takes us through the country park, which on a day like this is beautiful, and a little busy. The ducks were out on the water, one rather overoptimistic chap was fishing (those lakes were landscaped 3/4 years ago, I doubt there are any fish) and our little one made a friend or two in the play area.
by dannystaple
I have two children - a girl and a baby boy, and we live in West London, Uk. I program computers for my day job. In my spare time I build stuff, grow stuff,... more »
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