Ruislip-Northwood Urban District
Encyclopedia
Ruislip-Northwood was an urban district
in west Middlesex
, England, from 1904 to 1965. From its inception Ruislip-Northwood fell within the Metropolitan Police District
and from 1933 it was part of the London Passenger Transport Area
.
The urban district council for the region presided over a huge increasion in population as the Metropolitan Railway
gave rise to many new development opportunities. This created many challenges to improve public services and housing while preserving the area's heritage sites. In 1931 King's College, Cambridge
sold their final plots of land to the council, having been owners of much of the land in the manor of Ruislip since the mid-15th century.
The urban district was incorporated into the newly established London Borough of Hillingdon
in 1965, as part of Greater London
.
, which had previously been part of Uxbridge Rural District
. The parish of Ruislip included Ruislip Manor
, South Ruislip
, Eastcote
, and Northwood. The new Urban District council held its first meeting at Northwood School on October 1, the day after the district's formation.
An urban district council had been considered a year previously, in light of the expansion of areas within the parish, particularly Northwood. A report was prepared in 1903 which noted the population in Northwood—2,700 by that time, with 530 houses—compared with the largely rural character of the rest of Ruislip parish. The Metropolitan Railway
extension from Harrow to Uxbridge
was also discussed at the meeting on October 28, 1903, as a station was to be opened in Ruislip on the line. Kings College, Cambridge, owners of much of the land in the parish, were planning to sell some for development in light of the new line. As a result of these events, the council voted in favour of becoming an urban district.
The expansion of the Metropolitan Railway caused the district to experience a sharp rise in population—from 6,217 in 1911 to 72,791 in 1961—and an increase in suburban house-building, especially in the area termed Metro-land
. Consequentially, the district was one of the first in England to devise a statutory planning scheme in 1914, following the Housing and Town Planning Act 1909
. The council had been prompted to follow this new act by the Chairman of the Council, Mr. Elgood, an architect, and the Clerk to the Council, Mr. Abbot. Members of the council had already raised concerns over some of the new building work around Eastcote and South Ruislip and the new development near Northwood station, which they described as "badly arranged and closely-packed".
Three divisions were established within the new council: Finance and General Purposes; Public Health, Buildings and Sewerage; and Highways. The council sought to save money from the outset; reducing the number of workmen employed on the highways from ten to seven and cancelling the cleaning of ditches beside the roads. The lowest-paid man working on the sewers was informed he would need to move within the district and take a pay cut from £1:6s
to £1:3s or be made redundant. He accepted.
The urban district council worked with King's College to establish plots of land for development around Ruislip and Ruislip Manor
. A town planning competition was held, won by A & J Soutar, town planners from Wandsworth
, who sought to create a symmetrical design spreading across Ruislip parish. Many of the woods and historic sites including Manor Farm
were to be demolished and cleared as part of the plan, making way for a projected total of 7,642 homes, enough for 35,000 residents. Only the church in Ruislip, St. Martin's, would have been spared. An outline map was made public on November 30, 1910 with few objections. A local board inquiry followed on February 17, 1911, which required negotiations with landowners to allow for a full planning scheme to be compiled. This was presented in February 1913 with an adaptation of the original Soutars plan and received approval from the Local Government Board in September 1914.
Three roads with residential housing—Manor Way, Windmill Way, and Park Way—were completed before the outbreak of the First World War. All construction work was halted, and did not resume until 1919. The Ruislip Manor Cottage Society had been set up in 1911 to facilitate the construction of cottages and small housing in the area, though it did not manage to build as much as had been planned. As the council took on several plots in Eastcote, only four houses could be built by the society there. In Northwood, eighteen cottages were later built in 1926.
visited to choose the buildings that should be conserved. The Great Barn and Little Barn were singled out, together with the old Post Office, the Old Bell public house
, and the Priest's House of the local church. The woods were included in a sale by King's College
to the district in February 1931. Park Wood was sold for £27,300, with Manor Farm and the old Post Office included as a gift to the people of Ruislip. King's had wished to also present the wood as a gift but was required by the University and College's Act to receive payment, as it was the trustee of the land. Middlesex County Council
contributed 75 per cent of the cost, as the urban district council argued that many of those who would make use of the land would be recreational day-tripper
s from outside the district. Under a 999-year lease, the council agreed to maintain the wood and ensure no new building was constructed without the permission of the county council. An area of the wood to the south was not included in the lease agreement and three residential roads were later constructed on it.
Copse Wood was purchased by Middlesex County Council and London County Council
in 1936 for £23,250, joined by Mad Bess Wood in the same year. The urban district council purchased the 186 acres (75.3 ha) wood together with Middlesex and London County Councils for £28,000 in a compulsory purchase
from Sir Howard Stransom Button. Sir Howard became High Sheriff of Middlesex
in 1937.
The council purchased Haydon Hall
and its 14.7 acres (5.9 ha) of ground in 1936, planning to build a civic centre there. The outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 caused the plan to be suspended, and it was never continued.
During the war, the urban district saw a high number of bombing raids by the Luftwaffe
during The Blitz
, between 8 September 1940 and 9 May 1941. A total of 57 raids were recorded with 241 high explosive bombs, 2000 incendiary bombs and 4 parachuted landmines falling on the area; 27 people were killed and a further 231 were injured.
A public hall was built on part of the Manor Farm site in 1965 and named Winston Churchill
Hall. The land upon which it was built had been Barn Close and was bought by Councillor T. R. Parker in 1932 from King's College. He presented the land to the Ruislip Village Trust as the site of a future public hall and the Trust gave it to the urban district council in 1964 stipulating that that would be the sole use.
in Greater London
. By this time the population within the district had reached 75,000.
The Ruislip-Northwood name survived in the Ruislip-Northwood
parliamentary constituency until 2010, when it was incorporated into the Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner
constituency.
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
in west Middlesex
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...
, England, from 1904 to 1965. From its inception Ruislip-Northwood fell within the Metropolitan Police District
Metropolitan Police District
The Metropolitan Police District is the police area which is policed by London's Metropolitan Police Service. It currently consists of Greater London, excluding the City of London.-History:...
and from 1933 it was part of the London Passenger Transport Area
London Passenger Transport Board
The London Passenger Transport Board was the organisation responsible for public transport in London, UK, and its environs from 1933 to 1948...
.
The urban district council for the region presided over a huge increasion in population as the Metropolitan Railway
Metropolitan railway
Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...
gave rise to many new development opportunities. This created many challenges to improve public services and housing while preserving the area's heritage sites. In 1931 King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
sold their final plots of land to the council, having been owners of much of the land in the manor of Ruislip since the mid-15th century.
The urban district was incorporated into the newly established 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...
in 1965, as part of Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
.
Creation
The urban district was created on September 30, 1904, covering the parish of RuislipRuislip
Ruislip is a suburban area, centred on an old village in Greater London, and is part of the London Borough of Hillingdon.It was formerly also a parish covering the neighbouring areas of Eastcote, Northwood, Ruislip Manor and South Ruislip in the area. The parish appears in the Domesday Book, and...
, which had previously been part of Uxbridge Rural District
Uxbridge Rural District
Uxbridge was, from 1875 to 1925, a local government district in Middlesex, England.The district was formed as a rural sanitary district in 1875. It was based on the existing poor Uxbridge Poor Law Union, except for Uxbridge, to the west, which was an urban sanitary district. Part of the Hillingdon...
. The parish of Ruislip included Ruislip Manor
Ruislip Manor
Ruislip Manor is an area of Ruislip in the London Borough of Hillingdon. It is located approximately north west of Charing Cross.-History:The area was originally owned by King's College, Cambridge, as a part of the Manor of Ruislip...
, South Ruislip
South Ruislip
South Ruislip is a suburban area in the London Borough of Hillingdon.The population, according to the 2001 UK census, was 10,823. By 2008, this had reached 11,116.-Education:...
, Eastcote
Eastcote
Eastcote is a suburban area established around an old village in Greater London, and is part of the London Borough of Hillingdon.In the Middle Ages, Eastcote was one of the three areas that made up the parish of Ruislip, under the name of Ascot...
, and Northwood. The new Urban District council held its first meeting at Northwood School on October 1, the day after the district's formation.
An urban district council had been considered a year previously, in light of the expansion of areas within the parish, particularly Northwood. A report was prepared in 1903 which noted the population in Northwood—2,700 by that time, with 530 houses—compared with the largely rural character of the rest of Ruislip parish. The Metropolitan Railway
Metropolitan railway
Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...
extension from Harrow to Uxbridge
Uxbridge
Uxbridge is a large town located in north west London, England and is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. It forms part of the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is located west-northwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres...
was also discussed at the meeting on October 28, 1903, as a station was to be opened in Ruislip on the line. Kings College, Cambridge, owners of much of the land in the parish, were planning to sell some for development in light of the new line. As a result of these events, the council voted in favour of becoming an urban district.
Governance and developments
The urban district council consisted of nine councillors in 1904: the Chairman William Page Edwards; F. M. Elgood; H. J. Brewer; H. Ewer; William Gregory; S. Matheson; Rev. Harvey Roe; J. Westacott, and A. M. Hooper. A clerk was appointed, E. R. Abbot, for £100 per year. He remained in the position until 1931. By 1920 the number of councillors had reached 15.The expansion of the Metropolitan Railway caused the district to experience a sharp rise in population—from 6,217 in 1911 to 72,791 in 1961—and an increase in suburban house-building, especially in the area termed Metro-land
Metro-land
Metro-land is a name given to the suburban areas that were built to the north west of London in the counties of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Middlesex in the early part of the 20th century, and were served by the Metropolitan Railway, an independent company until absorbed by the London...
. Consequentially, the district was one of the first in England to devise a statutory planning scheme in 1914, following the Housing and Town Planning Act 1909
Housing and Town Planning Act 1909
The Housing, Town Planning, &c. Act 1909 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which prevented the building of "back-to-back" houses. The act also meant local authorities must introduce systems of town planning and meant homes had to be built to certain standards....
. The council had been prompted to follow this new act by the Chairman of the Council, Mr. Elgood, an architect, and the Clerk to the Council, Mr. Abbot. Members of the council had already raised concerns over some of the new building work around Eastcote and South Ruislip and the new development near Northwood station, which they described as "badly arranged and closely-packed".
Three divisions were established within the new council: Finance and General Purposes; Public Health, Buildings and Sewerage; and Highways. The council sought to save money from the outset; reducing the number of workmen employed on the highways from ten to seven and cancelling the cleaning of ditches beside the roads. The lowest-paid man working on the sewers was informed he would need to move within the district and take a pay cut from £1:6s
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
to £1:3s or be made redundant. He accepted.
The urban district council worked with King's College to establish plots of land for development around Ruislip and Ruislip Manor
Ruislip Manor
Ruislip Manor is an area of Ruislip in the London Borough of Hillingdon. It is located approximately north west of Charing Cross.-History:The area was originally owned by King's College, Cambridge, as a part of the Manor of Ruislip...
. A town planning competition was held, won by A & J Soutar, town planners from Wandsworth
Wandsworth
Wandsworth is a district of south London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-Toponymy:...
, who sought to create a symmetrical design spreading across Ruislip parish. Many of the woods and historic sites including Manor Farm
Manor Farm, Ruislip
Manor Farm is a historic site in Ruislip, Greater London. It incorporates an old barn dating from the 13th century and the remains of a motte-and-bailey castle believed to date from shortly after the Norman conquest of England...
were to be demolished and cleared as part of the plan, making way for a projected total of 7,642 homes, enough for 35,000 residents. Only the church in Ruislip, St. Martin's, would have been spared. An outline map was made public on November 30, 1910 with few objections. A local board inquiry followed on February 17, 1911, which required negotiations with landowners to allow for a full planning scheme to be compiled. This was presented in February 1913 with an adaptation of the original Soutars plan and received approval from the Local Government Board in September 1914.
Three roads with residential housing—Manor Way, Windmill Way, and Park Way—were completed before the outbreak of the First World War. All construction work was halted, and did not resume until 1919. The Ruislip Manor Cottage Society had been set up in 1911 to facilitate the construction of cottages and small housing in the area, though it did not manage to build as much as had been planned. As the council took on several plots in Eastcote, only four houses could be built by the society there. In Northwood, eighteen cottages were later built in 1926.
Development after the First World War
Manor Farm and the local woods were eventually saved from new developments in January 1930, after a member of the Royal Society of ArtsRoyal Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce is a British multi-disciplinary institution, based in London. The name Royal Society of Arts is frequently used for brevity...
visited to choose the buildings that should be conserved. The Great Barn and Little Barn were singled out, together with the old Post Office, the Old Bell public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, and the Priest's House of the local church. The woods were included in a sale by King's College
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
to the district in February 1931. Park Wood was sold for £27,300, with Manor Farm and the old Post Office included as a gift to the people of Ruislip. King's had wished to also present the wood as a gift but was required by the University and College's Act to receive payment, as it was the trustee of the land. Middlesex County Council
Middlesex County Council
Middlesex County Council was the principal local government body in the administrative county of Middlesex from 1889 to 1965.The county council was created by the Local Government Act 1888, which also removed the most populous part of the county to constitute the County of London...
contributed 75 per cent of the cost, as the urban district council argued that many of those who would make use of the land would be recreational day-tripper
Day-tripper
A day-tripper is a person who visits a tourist destination or visitor attraction from his/her home and returns home on the same day.- Definition :In other words, this excursion does not involve a night away from home such as experienced on a holiday...
s from outside the district. Under a 999-year lease, the council agreed to maintain the wood and ensure no new building was constructed without the permission of the county council. An area of the wood to the south was not included in the lease agreement and three residential roads were later constructed on it.
Copse Wood was purchased by Middlesex County Council and London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
in 1936 for £23,250, joined by Mad Bess Wood in the same year. The urban district council purchased the 186 acres (75.3 ha) wood together with Middlesex and London County Councils for £28,000 in a compulsory purchase
Compulsory purchase order
A compulsory purchase order is a legal function in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland that allows certain bodies which need to obtain land or property to do so without the consent of the owner. It may be enforced if a proposed development is considered one for public betterment - for...
from Sir Howard Stransom Button. Sir Howard became High Sheriff of Middlesex
High Sheriff of Middlesex
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Middlesex.-History of the office:From c.1131–1889 there was no separate sheriff for the county. By a charter of Henry I the livery of the City of London were given the right to elect two sheriffs of "London and Middlesex" on a payment of £300 per annum to...
in 1937.
The council purchased Haydon Hall
Haydon Hall
Haydon Hall was one of the three main houses of Eastcote, within what is now the London Borough of Hillingdon. The house was built in 1630 as a home for Lady Alice, Dowager Countess of Derby who had been living in Harefield. The house remained in the ownership of Lady Alice's descendants for...
and its 14.7 acres (5.9 ha) of ground in 1936, planning to build a civic centre there. The outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 caused the plan to be suspended, and it was never continued.
During the war, the urban district saw a high number of bombing raids by the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
during The Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
, between 8 September 1940 and 9 May 1941. A total of 57 raids were recorded with 241 high explosive bombs, 2000 incendiary bombs and 4 parachuted landmines falling on the area; 27 people were killed and a further 231 were injured.
A public hall was built on part of the Manor Farm site in 1965 and named Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
Hall. The land upon which it was built had been Barn Close and was bought by Councillor T. R. Parker in 1932 from King's College. He presented the land to the Ruislip Village Trust as the site of a future public hall and the Trust gave it to the urban district council in 1964 stipulating that that would be the sole use.
Abolition
The urban district was abolished in 1965 and its area formed part of the London Borough of HillingdonLondon 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...
in Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
. By this time the population within the district had reached 75,000.
The Ruislip-Northwood name survived in the Ruislip-Northwood
Ruislip-Northwood (UK Parliament constituency)
Ruislip-Northwood was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
parliamentary constituency until 2010, when it was incorporated into the Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner
Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner (UK Parliament constituency)
Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
constituency.