Heathrow, London
Encyclopedia
Heathrow was a small hamlet of Middlesex
on the outskirts of London
, that was demolished in 1944 for the construction of London Heathrow Airport
. The hamlet was situated a mile and a half east of Longford
, in an area that is now part of the London Borough of Hillingdon
.
settlement is believed to have been in the Heathrow area, as many artefact
s have been found in the gravel around what is now the airport, and the Colne Valley
. Waste pits filled with struck flint
, arrowheads and fragments of pottery were also found in the area, indicating a settlement, though none other remains of such a settlement.
Heathrow was one of the last settlements formed in the parish of Harmondsworth
. Its name was previously La Hetherewe (about year 1410), Hithero, Hetherow, Hetherowfeyld, Hitherowe, and Heath Row, and came from Anglo-Saxon
Hǣþrǣw = "row of houses on a heath
". The earliest written appearance of the name, spelt "Heathrow", was in 1453.
Ordnance Survey
maps dating back to before the Second World War show an earthwork, a quarter of a mile to the south of the Bath Road, that had been excavated in 1723 by William Stukley. He believed it to have been a Roman settlement, and named it "Caesar's Camp".
sought an area of land suitable for what was to become the Principal Triangulation of Great Britain
trigonometrical survey. He chose the site for its flatness, and proximity to Royal Observatory
in Greenwich
, and soldiers cleared it in 1784 in readiness for the survey. The baseline for his measurements ran from King's Arbour in Heathrow to the Poor House in Hampton, and was marked at both ends by wooden stakes.
In 1791, those were replaced by cannon
s, after the stakes were found to be rotting. In 1926, plaques were added to commemorate the 200th anniversary of General Roy's birth.
In 1944, the cannon in Heathrow was removed as part of the construction work for the modern airport, as it would have stood close to one of the main runways, though it was later returned to the original spot with the plaque placed separately.
Agriculture
became the main source of income for residents in the hamlet, as the brickearth
soil in the area made farming ideal, so Heathrow became part of the west Middlesex market gardening
industry. Many residents grew fruit, vegetables, and flowers, which they would travel into London to sell, on the return journey collecting manure for farming.
The Middlesex Agricultural and Growers' Association held annual ploughing matches in Heathrow, until the last, the 99th, was held on 28 September 1937.
The Royal Commission on Historic Monuments listed 28 historically significant buildings in the parish of Harmondsworth, a third of which were in Heathrow. Notable buildings included Heathrow Hall, an 18th-century farmhouse, which was on the Heathrow Road.
In 1929, Fairey Aviation
bought 150 acres (60.7 ha) of land just southeast of Heathrow hamlet, to establish an airfield for flight testing. It came to be called the Great West Aerodrome, which over the years became London Heathrow Airport
.
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
on the outskirts of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, that was demolished in 1944 for the construction of London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
. The hamlet was situated a mile and a half east of Longford
Longford, London
Longford is a village immediately west of London Heathrow Airport in the London Borough of Hillingdon. Longford is located 15.8 miles west of Charing Cross.-Etymology:...
, in an area that is now part of the London Borough of Hillingdon
London Borough of Hillingdon
The London Borough of Hillingdon is the westernmost borough in Greater London, England. The borough's population was recorded as 243,006 in the 2001 Census. The borough incorporates the former districts of Ruislip-Northwood, Uxbridge, Hayes and Harlington and Yiewsley and West Drayton in the...
.
Toponymy
A sizeable NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
settlement is believed to have been in the Heathrow area, as many artefact
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
s have been found in the gravel around what is now the airport, and the Colne Valley
Colne Valley
The Colne Valley is a steep sided valley on the east flank of the Pennine Hills in the English county of West Yorkshire. It takes its name from the River Colne which rises above the town of Marsden and flows eastward along the floor of the valley....
. Waste pits filled with struck flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
, arrowheads and fragments of pottery were also found in the area, indicating a settlement, though none other remains of such a settlement.
Heathrow was one of the last settlements formed in the parish of Harmondsworth
Harmondsworth
Harmondsworth is a village in the London Borough of Hillingdon, close to London Heathrow Airport. The village is situated south of West Drayton.The nearest places are: Hayes, Harlington, Heathrow Airport, Longford, London, Sipson, West Drayton and Yiewsley....
. Its name was previously La Hetherewe (about year 1410), Hithero, Hetherow, Hetherowfeyld, Hitherowe, and Heath Row, and came from Anglo-Saxon
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
Hǣþrǣw = "row of houses on a heath
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
". The earliest written appearance of the name, spelt "Heathrow", was in 1453.
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
maps dating back to before the Second World War show an earthwork, a quarter of a mile to the south of the Bath Road, that had been excavated in 1723 by William Stukley. He believed it to have been a Roman settlement, and named it "Caesar's Camp".
Development
In the 18th century, General William RoyWilliam Roy
Major-General William Roy FRS was a Scottish military engineer, surveyor, and antiquarian. He was an innovator who applied new scientific discoveries and newly emerging technologies to the accurate geodetic mapping of Great Britain....
sought an area of land suitable for what was to become the Principal Triangulation of Great Britain
Principal Triangulation of Great Britain
The Principal Triangulation of Britain was a triangulation project carried out between 1783 and about 1853 at the instigation of the Director of the Ordnance Survey General William Roy ....
trigonometrical survey. He chose the site for its flatness, and proximity to Royal Observatory
Royal Observatory, Greenwich
The Royal Observatory, Greenwich , in London, England played a major role in the history of astronomy and navigation, and is best known as the location of the prime meridian...
in Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
, and soldiers cleared it in 1784 in readiness for the survey. The baseline for his measurements ran from King's Arbour in Heathrow to the Poor House in Hampton, and was marked at both ends by wooden stakes.
In 1791, those were replaced by cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
s, after the stakes were found to be rotting. In 1926, plaques were added to commemorate the 200th anniversary of General Roy's birth.
In 1944, the cannon in Heathrow was removed as part of the construction work for the modern airport, as it would have stood close to one of the main runways, though it was later returned to the original spot with the plaque placed separately.
Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
became the main source of income for residents in the hamlet, as the brickearth
Brickearth
Brickearth is a term used in southeast England for loess, a wind-blown dust deposited under extremely cold, dry, peri- or postglacial conditions. The name arises from its use in making house bricks. The Brickearth is normally represented on 1:50,000 solid and drift edition geological maps...
soil in the area made farming ideal, so Heathrow became part of the west Middlesex market gardening
Market gardening
A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. It is distinguishable from other types of farming by the diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically, from under one acre ...
industry. Many residents grew fruit, vegetables, and flowers, which they would travel into London to sell, on the return journey collecting manure for farming.
The Middlesex Agricultural and Growers' Association held annual ploughing matches in Heathrow, until the last, the 99th, was held on 28 September 1937.
The Royal Commission on Historic Monuments listed 28 historically significant buildings in the parish of Harmondsworth, a third of which were in Heathrow. Notable buildings included Heathrow Hall, an 18th-century farmhouse, which was on the Heathrow Road.
Great West Aerodrome
Fairey Aviation
The Fairey Aviation Company Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer of the first half of the 20th century based in Hayes in Greater London and Heaton Chapel and RAF Ringway in Greater Manchester...
bought 150 acres (60.7 ha) of land just southeast of Heathrow hamlet, to establish an airfield for flight testing. It came to be called the Great West Aerodrome, which over the years became London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
.