Longford, London
Encyclopedia
Longford is a village
immediately west of London Heathrow Airport
in the London Borough of Hillingdon
. Longford is located 15.8 miles (25.4 km) west of Charing Cross
.
which extends from the first bridge at Harmondsworth
almost to Colnbrook
.
on the River Colne
, which was an important crossing point for travellers on the old Bath Road. Longford may be founded on a small Saxon
settlement dating from the 5th to 7th century AD. Historic buildings survive from the medieval
and post-medieval
period. Limited evidence survives of Roman
occupation, though archaeological
excavations have revealed two brooches of Roman date.
, and just north of the Heathrow Western Perimeter Road. The area is characterized by an historic village core. Despite its close proximity to the A4, the Stanwell Moor Road and Heathrow Airport, Longford retains its village character.
; Littlebrook Nursery; Thistle Hotel, Heathrow; and Abbey Business Centres
.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
immediately west 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...
in 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...
. Longford is located 15.8 miles (25.4 km) west of Charing Cross
Charing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
.
Etymology
The name Longford derives from the two words "long" and "ford", after the fordFord (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
which extends from the first bridge at 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....
almost to Colnbrook
Colnbrook
Colnbrook is a large village in the unitary authority of Slough, in Berkshire, England. It is situated southeast of central Slough, east of Windsor and west of central London....
.
History
The village developed on the site of the (long) fordFord (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
on the River Colne
River Colne, Hertfordshire
The Colne is a river in England which is a tributary of the River Thames. It flows mainly through Hertfordshire and forms the boundary between the South Bucks district of Buckinghamshire and the London Borough of Hillingdon...
, which was an important crossing point for travellers on the old Bath Road. Longford may be founded on a small Saxon
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
settlement dating from the 5th to 7th century AD. Historic buildings survive from the medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and post-medieval
Post Medieval
Post Medieval is an archaeological term, meaning anything of a period after the end of the medieval period. In England, this effectively means anything from the Tudor period or after. Some archaeologists consider the Post Medieval period to end around 1750 with a Modern period after this, but...
period. Limited evidence survives of Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
occupation, though archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
excavations have revealed two brooches of Roman date.
Geography
Longford village is located on the Bath Road, to the south of the M4M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
, and just north of the Heathrow Western Perimeter Road. The area is characterized by an historic village core. Despite its close proximity to the A4, the Stanwell Moor Road and Heathrow Airport, Longford retains its village character.
Economy
The village is home to a number of businesses, including: McDonald'sMcDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
; Littlebrook Nursery; Thistle Hotel, Heathrow; and Abbey Business Centres
Abbey business centres
Abbey Business Centres is a UK based corporation that provides serviced office space, meeting room facilities and virtual office packages in 13 business centres across Great Britain....
.