Edgware Road: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 51°30′48″N 0°09′37″W / 51.5133°N 0.1604°W / 51.5133; -0.1604
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{{Short description|Road in London, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox street
{{Infobox street
| name = Edgware Road
| name = Edgware Road
| native_name =
| native_name =
| marker_image = [[File:UK road A5.PNG|50px]]
| marker_image = [[File:UK road A5.svg|50px]]
| image = EdgwRd.JPG
| image = Edgeware Road.jpg
| caption = Edgware Road at Paddington
| caption = Edgware Road facing south from [[Church Street, Marylebone|Church Street]]
| former_names =
| former_names =
| addresses =
| addresses =
| length_m =
| length_m =
| length_ft =
| length_ft =
| length_mi = 9
| length_mi = 9
| length_km =
| length_ref =
| length_km =
| length_ref =
| width =
⚫
| location = [[London]], United Kingdom
| width =
| postal_code = {{postcode|W|2}}
⚫
| location = [[London]], United Kingdom
| postal_code = {{postcode|W|2}}
| client =
| client =
| maint =
⚫
| coordinates =
| maint =
⚫
| direction_a = North
⚫
| coordinates =
⚫
| terminus_a = [[Edgware]]
⚫
| direction_a = North
⚫
| direction_b = South
⚫
| terminus_a = [[Edgware]]
⚫
| terminus_b = [[Marble Arch]]
⚫
| direction_b = West
⚫
| junction =
⚫
| terminus_b = [[Marble Arch]]
⚫
| commissioning_date =
⚫
| junction =
⚫
| commissioning_date =
| construction_start_date = 43 A.D.
| construction_start_date = 43 A.D.
| completion_date =
| completion_date =
| inauguration_date = <!-- {{Start date|df=yes|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| inauguration_date = <!-- {{Start date|df=yes|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| demolition_date =
| demolition_date =
| north =
| north =
| south =
| south =
| east =
| west =
⚫
| known_for = Shopping, Lebanese cuisine, [[Marble Arch]], [[Gaumont State Cinema]], [[Tricycle Theatre]], [[St Augustine's, Kilburn]],
| east =
| west =
⚫
| known_for = Shopping, Lebanese cuisine, [[Marble Arch]], [[Gaumont State Cinema]], [[Tricycle Theatre]], [[St Augustine's, Kilburn]],
}}
}}
'''Edgware Road''' is a major road through north-west [[London]], starting at [[Marble Arch]] in the [[City of Westminster]] (south end) and running north to [[Edgware]] in the [[London Borough of Barnet]]. It is also a boundary between several North [[London boroughs]]. The route has its origins as a [[Roman roads in Britain|Roman road]] (part of [[Watling Street]]) and therefore runs for 10 miles in an almost perfect straight line, which is unusual in London. It is part of the modern [[A5 road (Great Britain)|A5 road]]. It undergoes several name changes along its length, including Maida Vale, [[Kilburn High Road]], Shoot Up Hill and Cricklewood Broadway; but the road is, as a whole, known as the Edgware Road, as it is the road to [[Edgware]].
'''Edgware Road''' is a major road in [[London]], England. The route originated as part of [[Roman roads in Britain|Roman]] [[Watling Street]] and, unusually in London, it runs for 10 miles in an almost perfectly straight line. Forming part of the modern [[A5 road (Great Britain)|A5 road]], Edgware Road undergoes several name changes along its length, including Maida Vale, [[Kilburn High Road]], Shoot Up Hill and Cricklewood Broadway; but the road is, as a whole, known as the Edgware Road, as it is the road to [[Edgware]].


The road runs from central to suburban London, beginning at [[Marble Arch]] in the [[City of Westminster]] and heading north to [[Edgware]] in the [[London Borough of Barnet]]. It is used as the boundary for four [[London boroughs]]: [[London Borough of Harrow|Harrow]] and [[London Borough of Brent|Brent]] to the west, and [[London Borough of Barnet|Barnet]] and [[London Borough of Camden|Camden]] to the east.
==The road==

==Route==
[[File:EdgwRd.JPG|thumb|Edgware Road at Paddington]]
The road runs north-west from [[Marble Arch]] to [[Edgware]] on the outskirts of London. It crosses the [[Harrow Road]] and [[Marylebone Road]], passing beneath the [[Westway (London)#Route|Marylebone flyover]]. The road passes through the areas of [[Maida Vale, London, England|Maida Vale]], [[Kilburn, London|Kilburn]] and [[Cricklewood]]. It then crosses the [[A406 road|North Circular Road]] before [[West Hendon]] at [[Staples Corner]]. After this, the road continues in the same direction, through the Hyde, [[Colindale]], [[Burnt Oak]], and then reaches [[Edgware]].
The road runs north-west from [[Marble Arch]] to [[Edgware]] on the outskirts of London. It crosses the [[Harrow Road]] and [[Marylebone Road]], passing beneath the [[Westway (London)#Route|Marylebone flyover]]. The road passes through the areas of [[Maida Vale, London, England|Maida Vale]], [[Kilburn, London|Kilburn]] and [[Cricklewood]]. It then crosses the [[A406 road|North Circular Road]] before [[West Hendon]] at [[Staples Corner]]. After this, the road continues in the same direction, through the Hyde, [[Colindale]], [[Burnt Oak]], and then reaches [[Edgware]].


Line 44: Line 48:
The southernmost part of the Edgware Road forms part of the [[London Inner Ring Road]] and as such is part of the boundary of the [[London congestion charge]] zone. However, when the zone was extended in February 2007, the road became part of the "free through routes" which allows vehicles to cross the zone during its hours of operation without paying the charge.
The southernmost part of the Edgware Road forms part of the [[London Inner Ring Road]] and as such is part of the boundary of the [[London congestion charge]] zone. However, when the zone was extended in February 2007, the road became part of the "free through routes" which allows vehicles to cross the zone during its hours of operation without paying the charge.


The southern part of the road between [[Marble Arch]] and [[Maida Vale, London, England|Maida Vale]], noted for its distinct [[Middle Eastern cuisine]] and many late-night bars and ''[[Hookah|shisha]]'' cafes, is known to Londoners by nicknames such as ''Little Cairo'',<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article850463.ece Times Online: London high life hit as rich Arabs decamp], retrieved 29/03/07</ref><ref name="telegraph.co.uk">[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/main.jhtml?xml=/fashion/2007/08/29/efdylan129.xml&page=2 Telegraph: Never talk about what you wear...]</ref> ''Little Beirut''<ref name="This Is London: Little Beirut">[http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-359595-details/article.do This Is London: Little Beirut]</ref>{{dead link|date=November 2014}} and, especially near [[London borough of Camden|Camden]], ''Little [[Cyprus]]''.<ref>Anthony, Andrew, "[https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2000/jun/18/features.magazine37 A Kentish Town killing]", ''[[The Observer]]'', 18 June 2000</ref><ref>Clough, Eric A. and Quarmby, Jacqueline, (1978). ''A public library service for ethnic minorities in Great Britain'', {{ISBN|978-0-85365-890-0}}, p.71</ref>
The southern part of the road between [[Marble Arch]] and [[Maida Vale, London, England|Maida Vale]], noted for its distinct [[Middle Eastern cuisine]] and many late-night bars and ''[[Hookah|shisha]]'' cafes, is known to Londoners by nicknames such as ''Little Cairo'',<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article850463.ece Times Online: London high life hit as rich Arabs decamp], retrieved 29/03/07</ref><ref name="telegraph.co.uk">[https://web.archive.org/web/20071114232655/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/main.jhtml?xml=/fashion/2007/08/29/efdylan129.xml&page=2 Telegraph: Never talk about what you wear...]</ref> ''Little Beirut''<ref name="This Is London: Little Beirut">[https://archive.today/20110605140158/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-359595-details/article.do This Is London: Little Beirut]</ref> and, especially near [[London borough of Camden|Camden]], ''Little [[Cyprus]]''.<ref>Anthony, Andrew, "[https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2000/jun/18/features.magazine37 A Kentish Town killing]", ''[[The Observer]]'', 18 June 2000</ref><ref>Clough, Eric A. and Quarmby, Jacqueline, (1978). ''A public library service for ethnic minorities in Great Britain'', {{ISBN|978-0-85365-890-0}}, p.71</ref>


As it passes through the various neighbourhoods, the road name changes several times, becoming [[Maida Vale, London, England|Maida Vale]], Kilburn High Road and Shoot-Up Hill (in Kilburn), and Cricklewood Broadway (in Cricklewood), before becoming Edgware Road once again with intermittent stretches as West Hendon Broadway, and [[the Hyde]]. Along the entire route, it retains its identity as the [[A5 road (Great Britain)|A5 road]] under the [[Great Britain road numbering scheme]]. The A5 continues beyond the end of the Edgware Road, following the old Roman road for much of its route and terminating at [[Holyhead]], [[Wales]] (a port for [[Ireland]]).
As it passes through the various neighbourhoods, the road name changes several times, becoming [[Maida Vale, London, England|Maida Vale]], Kilburn High Road and Shoot-Up Hill (in Kilburn), and Cricklewood Broadway (in Cricklewood), before becoming Edgware Road once again with intermittent stretches as West Hendon Broadway, and [[the Hyde]]. Along the entire route, it retains its identity as the [[A5 road (Great Britain)|A5 road]] under the [[Great Britain road numbering scheme]]. The A5 continues beyond the end of the Edgware Road, following the old Roman road for much of its route and terminating at [[Holyhead]], [[Wales]] (a port for [[Ireland]]).

==The area==
⚫
The name "Edgware Road" is also used to refer to an informal [[List of areas of London|area of London]], meaning the area immediately to the north of Marble Arch. The district's northern boundary is the [[Marylebone Road|Marylebone flyover]].<ref name="action">[http://www3.westminster.gov.uk/docstores/publications_store/Edgware_Road_Action_Plan.pdf Working for the future of Edgware Road], a 2006 planning document (in [[Portable Document Format|PDF format]]) from the [[City of Westminster]] website</ref>

⚫
The [[London postal district|postal codes]] of the area are [[W postcode area|W1, W2]], [[NW postcode area|NW1]] and [[NW postcode area|NW2]].

⚫
The part of the road between Marble Arch and the Marylebone Flyover also separates the areas of [[Marylebone]] and [[Bayswater]].


==History==
==History==
[[File:Watling Street route.jpg|thumb|200px|Roman Britain, with the route of Watling Street in red]]
[[File:Watling Street route.jpg|thumb|200px|Roman Britain, with the route of Watling Street in red]]
[[File:Hyde park turnpike toll gate.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Hyde Park toll gate.]]
[[File:Hyde park turnpike toll gate.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Hyde Park toll gate]]
[[Prehistoric Britain|Before the Romans]], today's Edgware Road began as an [[ancient trackway]] within the [[Forest of Middlesex|Great Middlesex Forest]].<ref name="action"/> The Romans later [[Roman roads in Britain|incorporated the track]] into [[Watling Street]].<ref name="action"/>
[[Prehistoric Britain|Before the Romans]], today's Edgware Road began as an [[ancient trackway]] within the [[Forest of Middlesex|Great Middlesex Forest]].<ref name="action"/> The Romans later [[Roman roads in Britain|incorporated the track]] into [[Watling Street]].<ref name="action"/>


Many centuries later, the road was improved by the [[turnpike trust|Edgware-Kilburn turnpike trust]] in 1711, and a number of the local inns, some of which still exist, functioned as stops for coaches, although they would have been quite close to the starting point of coach routes from London.
Many centuries later, the road was improved by the Edgware-Kilburn [[turnpike trust]] in 1711, and a number of the local inns, functioned as stops for coaches, although they would have been quite close to the starting point of coach routes from London.


During the 18th century, it was a destination for [[Huguenot#Asylum in Britain and Ireland|Huguenot migrants]].<ref name="action"/> By 1811, [[Thomas Telford]] produced a re-design for what was then known as a section of the London to Holyhead road, a redesign considered one of the most important feats of pre-[[Victorian era|Victorian]] engineering.<ref name="action"/> Telford's redesign emerged only a year after the area saw the establishment of Great Britain's first [[Indian restaurant]].<ref name="action"/>
During the 18th century, it was a destination for [[Huguenot#Asylum in Britain and Ireland|Huguenot migrants]].<ref name="action"/> By 1811, [[Thomas Telford]] produced a re-design for what was then known as a section of the London to Holyhead road, a redesign considered one of the most important feats of pre-[[Victorian era|Victorian]] engineering.<ref name="action"/> Telford's redesign emerged only a year after the area saw the establishment of Great Britain's first [[Indian restaurant]].<ref name="action"/>


The area began to attract [[Arab diaspora|Arab migrants]] in the late 19th century during a period of increased trade with the [[Ottoman Empire]]. The trend continued with the arrival of Egyptians in the 1950s, and greatly expanded beginning in the 1970s and continuing to the present when events including the [[Lebanese Civil War]], the [[Iranian Revolution|overthrow of the Shah of Iran]], and [[Algerian Civil War|unrest in Algeria]] brought more Arabs to the area.<ref name="action"/> They established the present-day mix of bars and [[Hookah|shisha]] cafes, which make the area known to [[London]]ers by nicknames such as "Little Cairo"<ref name="telegraph.co.uk"/><ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article850463.ece Times Online: London high life hit as rich Arabs decamp], retrieved 29 March 2007</ref> and "Little Beirut."<ref name="This Is London: Little Beirut"/> These shisha cafés have been hard hit by the enforcement of the England-wide [[smoking ban]] in 2007.
The area began to attract [[Arab diaspora|Arab migrants]] in the late 19th century during a period of increased trade with the [[Ottoman Empire]]. The trend continued with the arrival of Egyptians and Iraqis in the 1950s, and greatly expanded beginning in the 1970s and continuing to the present when events including the [[Lebanese Civil War]] and [[Algerian Civil War|unrest in Algeria]] brought more Arabs to the area.<ref name="action"/> They established the present-day mix of bars and [[Hookah|shisha]] cafes, which make the area known to [[London]]ers by nicknames such as "Little Cairo"<ref name="telegraph.co.uk"/><ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article850463.ece Times Online: London high life hit as rich Arabs decamp], retrieved 29 March 2007</ref> and "Little Beirut."<ref name="This Is London: Little Beirut"/> These shisha cafés have been hard hit by the enforcement of the England-wide [[smoking ban]] in 2007.


One of the two Edgware Road tube stations was one of the sites of the [[7 July 2005 London bombings|7 July bombings]]. A bomb was detonated on a train leaving the [[Edgware Road tube station (Circle, District and Hammersmith & City lines)|tube station]] serving the [[Circle line (London Underground)|Circle]], [[District line|District]] and [[Hammersmith & City line|Hammersmith & City]] lines and heading for [[Paddington tube station (Circle and Hammersmith & City lines)|Paddington tube station]]. Six people were killed in the blast: Colin Morley, 52, Jennifer Vanda Ann Nicholson, 24, Johnathan Downey, 34, Laura Webb, 29, Michael Brewster, 52, and David Foulkes, 22. The perpetrator was the ringleader of the 7 July bombings, [[Mohammed Siddique Khan]]. On the first anniversary of the bombings, a memorial plaque to the victims was unveiled at the station.
One of the two Edgware Road tube stations was one of the sites of the [[7 July 2005 London bombings|7 July bombings]]. A bomb was detonated on a train leaving the [[Edgware Road tube station (Circle, District and Hammersmith & City lines)|tube station]] serving the [[Circle line (London Underground)|Circle]], [[District line|District]] and [[Hammersmith & City line|Hammersmith & City]] lines and heading for [[Paddington tube station (Circle and Hammersmith & City lines)|Paddington tube station]]. Six people were killed in the blast: Colin Morley, 52, Jennifer Vanda Ann Nicholson, 24, Johnathan Downey, 34, Laura Webb, 29, Michael Brewster, 52, and David Foulkes, 22. The perpetrator was the ringleader of the 7 July bombings, [[Mohammed Siddique Khan]]. On the first anniversary of the bombings, a memorial plaque to the victims was unveiled at the station.


==Districts and surrounding area==
==Culture==
⚫
The name "Edgware Road" is used to refer to informally to this [[List of areas of London|area of London]], meaning the area immediately to the north of Marble Arch. The district's northern boundary is the [[Marylebone Road|Marylebone flyover]].<ref name="action">[http://www3.westminster.gov.uk/docstores/publications_store/Edgware_Road_Action_Plan.pdf Working for the future of Edgware Road], a 2006 planning document (in [[Portable Document Format|PDF format]]) from the [[City of Westminster]] website</ref>

⚫
The [[London postal district|postal codes]] of the area are [[W postcode area|W1, W2]], [[NW postcode area|NW1]] and [[NW postcode area|NW2]].

⚫
The part of the road between Marble Arch and the Marylebone Flyover also separates the areas of [[Marylebone]] and [[Bayswater]].

[[File:EdgwareRoadStationStatue.jpg|Sculpture "The Window Cleaner" by Allan Sly outside the [[London Underground|tube]] station.|thumb|right]]
[[File:EdgwareRoadStationStatue.jpg|Sculpture "The Window Cleaner" by Allan Sly outside the [[London Underground|tube]] station.|thumb|right]]
The southernmost part of the road, south of the junction with [[Marylebone Road]], is noted for its distinct [[Middle East]]ern flavour. Many [[Lebanese cuisine|Lebanese restaurant]]s, ''[[Hookah|shisha]]'' cafes and Arabic-themed nightclubs line the street. The [[Odeon Cinemas|Odeon]] cinema, once the location of the biggest screen in London, often shows films in [[Arabic]].


Edgware Road is rich in [[ethnic]] culture, and is in a very central area of London.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/05/27/arabic_london_feature.shtml BBC: Arabic London], retrieved 7 October 2007</ref> The area is known for its distinctive and diverse communities from across the Middle East and [[Africa]].
Edgware Road is well represented in terms of communities from across the Middle East and North Africa.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/05/27/arabic_london_feature.shtml BBC: Arabic London], retrieved 7 October 2007</ref>


In addition to branches of well-known chains of coffee shops and restaurants, this part of Edgware Road has several Maroush restaurants, a [[whisky]] bar and many 24-hour [[kebab]] and [[shawarma]] restaurants.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} Nearby is the Church Street Market.

==Institutions of note==
[[File:Tyburn tree.jpg|The 'Tyburn tree', once the principal site of executions in London|thumb|right]]
[[File:Tyburn tree.jpg|The 'Tyburn tree', once the principal site of executions in London|thumb|right]]
*A [[Wetherspoons]] tavern, '''The Tyburn''', is named after the '[[Tyburn, London|Tyburn]] tree', once the principal site of execution in London. Today, three golden triangles indicate the location of the tree, at the southernmost end of Edgware Road.
*A '''[[Marriott International|Marriott]] Hotel''' is situated to the east of the road on George Street, between '''[[Marble Arch]]''' and the Marylebone flyover.
*The '''Seymour Leisure Centre''' lies on Seymour Place.
*The '''[[University of London]]''' has residences on Brown Street, east of Edgware Road, and in Sussex Gardens and Talbot Square, to its west.
*The '''York Building''' is currently under construction. It will house luxury flats, office space as well as retail area on its ground level.
* The '''[[Comfort Inn]] Edgware Road''' is located in a walkable distance from Edgware Road & Marble Arch tube station.
* The '''Hilton London Metropole Hotel''' is located in a walkable distance from both Edgware Road underground stations.
* The '''Grosvenor London Victoria Casino''' is located at 150-162 Edgware Road and is a popular casino for Londoners.
* The main campus of '''[[City of Westminster College]]''' is located on [[Paddington Green conservation area|Paddington Green]], off Edgware Road.


==Transport==
==Transport==
[[File:London Bus route 16.JPG|thumb|A number 16 bus]]
[[File:London Bus route 16.JPG|thumb|A number 16 bus]]
[[File:Edgware Road (Circle) stn roundel.JPG|thumb|One of the Edgware Road tube stations]]
[[File:Edgware Road (Circle) stn roundel.JPG|thumb|One of the Edgware Road tube stations]]
⚫
Edgware Road has several London bus routes, and is intersected by several [[London Underground]] lines along its length or nearby. A number of schemes have been put forward in the past to construct an [[Edgware Road Tube schemes|Underground railway line underneath Edgware Road]], including a plan to extend the [[Bakerloo line]] north to Cricklewood and an unusual proposal to build an underground monorail system,<ref name="losttube">{{cite book|last=Badsey-Ellis|first=Antony|title=London's Lost Tube Schemes|publisher=Capital Transport|year=2005|isbn=1-85414-293-3}}</ref> but these schemes did not succeed. Today, [[London Buses]] provide the only public transport along the length of the road.
Edgware Road has several London bus routes, and is intersected by several [[London Underground]] lines along its length.

⚫
A number of schemes have been put forward in the past to construct an [[Edgware Road Tube schemes|Underground railway line underneath Edgware Road]], including a plan to extend the [[Bakerloo line]] north to Cricklewood and an unusual proposal to build an underground monorail system,<ref name="losttube">{{cite book|last=Badsey-Ellis|first=Antony|title=London's Lost Tube Schemes|publisher=Capital Transport|year=2005|isbn=1-85414-293-3}}</ref> but these schemes did not succeed. Today, [[London Buses]] provide the only public transport along the length of the road.


===National Rail===
===National Rail===
Mainline rail stations:
Mainline and Overground rail stations:
*[[Marylebone station]]
*[[Marylebone station]] ([[Chiltern Main Line]])
*[[Paddington station]]
*[[Paddington station]] ([[Great Western Main Line]])
*{{stnlnk|Cricklewood}}
*{{stnlnk|Cricklewood}} ([[Midland Main Line]])
*{{stnlnk|Hendon}}
*{{stnlnk|Hendon}} (Midland Main Line)
⚫
*{{stnlnk|Kilburn High Road}} ([[Watford DC line]])
⚫
*{{stnlnk|Brondesbury}} (Watford DC line)


===London Underground===
===London Underground===
*[[Edgware Road tube station (Bakerloo line)|Edgware Road (Bakerloo line)]]
*[[Edgware Road tube station (Bakerloo line)|Edgware Road (Bakerloo line)]]
*{{LUL stations|station=Edgware Road}} ([[Circle line (London Underground)|Circle]], [[District line|District]] and [[Hammersmith & City line]]s)
*{{stl|LUL|Edgware Road}} ([[Circle line (London Underground)|Circle]], [[District line|District]] and [[Hammersmith & City line]]s)
*{{LUL stations|station=Marble Arch}} ([[Central line (London Underground)|Central line]])
*{{stl|LUL|Marble Arch}} ([[Central line (London Underground)|Central line]])
*{{LUL stations|station=Marylebone}} (Bakerloo line)
*{{stl|LUL|Marylebone}} (Bakerloo line)
*{{LUL stations|station=Paddington}} (Bakerloo, Circle, District and Hammersmith & City lines)
*{{stl|LUL|Paddington}} (Bakerloo, Circle, District and Hammersmith & City lines)
*{{LUL stations|station=Kilburn}} ([[Jubilee line]])
*{{stl|LUL|Kilburn}} ([[Jubilee line]])
*{{stl|LUL|Kilburn Park}} (Bakerloo line)

===London Overground===

⚫
*{{stnlnk|Kilburn High Road}}
⚫
*{{stnlnk|Brondesbury}}


===Bus routes===
===Bus routes===
Line 119: Line 105:


Day bus routes operating over a significant length of Edgware Road are:
Day bus routes operating over a significant length of Edgware Road are:
{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
*[[London Buses route 6|6]]
*[[London Buses route 6|6]]
*[[London Buses route 7|7]]
*[[London Buses route 7|7]]
Line 131: Line 118:
*[[London Buses route 414|414]]
*[[London Buses route 414|414]]
*[[London Buses route 436|436]]
*[[London Buses route 436|436]]
{{Div col end}}


==References==
==References==
Line 139: Line 127:
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071114215609/http://www.thelondonpaper.com/cs/Satellite/london/food/article/1157140549763?packedargs=suffix%3DSubSectionArticle Go west for a taste of Arabia – while it lasts] from [[thelondonpaper]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071114215609/http://www.thelondonpaper.com/cs/Satellite/london/food/article/1157140549763?packedargs=suffix%3DSubSectionArticle Go west for a taste of Arabia – while it lasts] from [[thelondonpaper]]


{{coord|51.5132775724078|-0.160366780770185|type:landmark_region:GB-WSM|display=title}} <!-- approximate midpoint of the most notable stretch, within the area of the same name. -->
{{coord|51.5133|-0.1604|type:landmark_region:GB-WSM|display=title}} <!-- approximate midpoint of the most notable stretch, within the area of the same name. -->


[[Category:Streets in the City of Westminster]]
[[Category:Streets in the City of Westminster]]
Line 145: Line 133:
[[Category:Streets in the London Borough of Camden]]
[[Category:Streets in the London Borough of Camden]]
[[Category:Streets in the London Borough of Barnet]]
[[Category:Streets in the London Borough of Barnet]]
[[Category:District centres of London]]

Latest revision as of 17:46, 24 March 2024

Edgware Road
Edgware Road facing south from Church Street
Length9 mi (14 km)
LocationLondon, United Kingdom
Postal codeW2
North endEdgware
South endMarble Arch
Construction
Construction start43 A.D.
Other
Known forShopping, Lebanese cuisine, Marble Arch, Gaumont State Cinema, Tricycle Theatre, St Augustine's, Kilburn,

Edgware Road is a major road in London, England. The route originated as part of Roman Watling Street and, unusually in London, it runs for 10 miles in an almost perfectly straight line. Forming part of the modern A5 road, Edgware Road undergoes several name changes along its length, including Maida Vale, Kilburn High Road, Shoot Up Hill and Cricklewood Broadway; but the road is, as a whole, known as the Edgware Road, as it is the road to Edgware.

The road runs from central to suburban London, beginning at Marble Arch in the City of Westminster and heading north to Edgware in the London Borough of Barnet. It is used as the boundary for four London boroughs: Harrow and Brent to the west, and Barnet and Camden to the east.

Route[edit]

Edgware Road at Paddington

The road runs north-west from Marble Arch to Edgware on the outskirts of London. It crosses the Harrow Road and Marylebone Road, passing beneath the Marylebone flyover. The road passes through the areas of Maida Vale, Kilburn and Cricklewood. It then crosses the North Circular Road before West Hendon at Staples Corner. After this, the road continues in the same direction, through the Hyde, Colindale, Burnt Oak, and then reaches Edgware.

Shoot-up Hill, one of several names for Edgware Road.

The southernmost part of the Edgware Road forms part of the London Inner Ring Road and as such is part of the boundary of the London congestion charge zone. However, when the zone was extended in February 2007, the road became part of the "free through routes" which allows vehicles to cross the zone during its hours of operation without paying the charge.

The southern part of the road between Marble Arch and Maida Vale, noted for its distinct Middle Eastern cuisine and many late-night bars and shisha cafes, is known to Londoners by nicknames such as Little Cairo,[1][2] Little Beirut[3] and, especially near Camden, Little Cyprus.[4][5]

As it passes through the various neighbourhoods, the road name changes several times, becoming Maida Vale, Kilburn High Road and Shoot-Up Hill (in Kilburn), and Cricklewood Broadway (in Cricklewood), before becoming Edgware Road once again with intermittent stretches as West Hendon Broadway, and the Hyde. Along the entire route, it retains its identity as the A5 road under the Great Britain road numbering scheme. The A5 continues beyond the end of the Edgware Road, following the old Roman road for much of its route and terminating at Holyhead, Wales (a port for Ireland).

History[edit]

Roman Britain, with the route of Watling Street in red
Hyde Park toll gate

Before the Romans, today's Edgware Road began as an ancient trackway within the Great Middlesex Forest.[6] The Romans later incorporated the track into Watling Street.[6]

Many centuries later, the road was improved by the Edgware-Kilburn turnpike trust in 1711, and a number of the local inns, functioned as stops for coaches, although they would have been quite close to the starting point of coach routes from London.

During the 18th century, it was a destination for Huguenot migrants.[6] By 1811, Thomas Telford produced a re-design for what was then known as a section of the London to Holyhead road, a redesign considered one of the most important feats of pre-Victorian engineering.[6] Telford's redesign emerged only a year after the area saw the establishment of Great Britain's first Indian restaurant.[6]

The area began to attract Arab migrants in the late 19th century during a period of increased trade with the Ottoman Empire. The trend continued with the arrival of Egyptians and Iraqis in the 1950s, and greatly expanded beginning in the 1970s and continuing to the present when events including the Lebanese Civil War and unrest in Algeria brought more Arabs to the area.[6] They established the present-day mix of bars and shisha cafes, which make the area known to Londoners by nicknames such as "Little Cairo"[2][7] and "Little Beirut."[3] These shisha cafés have been hard hit by the enforcement of the England-wide smoking ban in 2007.

One of the two Edgware Road tube stations was one of the sites of the 7 July bombings. A bomb was detonated on a train leaving the tube station serving the Circle, District and Hammersmith & City lines and heading for Paddington tube station. Six people were killed in the blast: Colin Morley, 52, Jennifer Vanda Ann Nicholson, 24, Johnathan Downey, 34, Laura Webb, 29, Michael Brewster, 52, and David Foulkes, 22. The perpetrator was the ringleader of the 7 July bombings, Mohammed Siddique Khan. On the first anniversary of the bombings, a memorial plaque to the victims was unveiled at the station.

Districts and surrounding area[edit]

The name "Edgware Road" is used to refer to informally to this area of London, meaning the area immediately to the north of Marble Arch. The district's northern boundary is the Marylebone flyover.[6]

The postal codes of the area are W1, W2, NW1 and NW2.

The part of the road between Marble Arch and the Marylebone Flyover also separates the areas of Marylebone and Bayswater.

Sculpture "The Window Cleaner" by Allan Sly outside the tube station.

Edgware Road is well represented in terms of communities from across the Middle East and North Africa.[8]

The 'Tyburn tree', once the principal site of executions in London

Transport[edit]

A number 16 bus
One of the Edgware Road tube stations

Edgware Road has several London bus routes, and is intersected by several London Underground lines along its length or nearby. A number of schemes have been put forward in the past to construct an Underground railway line underneath Edgware Road, including a plan to extend the Bakerloo line north to Cricklewood and an unusual proposal to build an underground monorail system,[9] but these schemes did not succeed. Today, London Buses provide the only public transport along the length of the road.

National Rail[edit]

Mainline and Overground rail stations:

London Underground[edit]

Bus routes[edit]

Night bus N16 is the only route to run the full length of the Edgware Road, from Victoria station to Edgware.

Day bus routes operating over a significant length of Edgware Road are:

References[edit]

  1. ^ Times Online: London high life hit as rich Arabs decamp, retrieved 29/03/07
  2. ^ a b Telegraph: Never talk about what you wear...
  3. ^ a b This Is London: Little Beirut
  4. ^ Anthony, Andrew, "A Kentish Town killing", The Observer, 18 June 2000
  5. ^ Clough, Eric A. and Quarmby, Jacqueline, (1978). A public library service for ethnic minorities in Great Britain, ISBN 978-0-85365-890-0, p.71
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Working for the future of Edgware Road, a 2006 planning document (in PDF format) from the City of Westminster website
  7. ^ Times Online: London high life hit as rich Arabs decamp, retrieved 29 March 2007
  8. ^ BBC: Arabic London, retrieved 7 October 2007
  9. ^ Badsey-Ellis, Antony (2005). London's Lost Tube Schemes. Capital Transport. ISBN 1-85414-293-3.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Edgware Road.

51°30′48″N 0°09′37″W / 51.5133°N 0.1604°W / 51.5133; -0.1604

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