Five Excellent Districts in the Borough of Hillingdon

Hillingdon is London’s westernmost and second largest borough. It covers an area of 44.67 square miles and has a population of approximately 300.000 people. The area is home to a number of world famous districts, landmarks and entertainments venues.

The town of Hayes lies in the southeastern parts of the borough and has a population of about 95.000 people. The junction of Charing Cross is situated at exactly 13 miles from the district. The area is the location of numerous Grade II buildings such as:

• Barra Hall
• Pringwell House and Cottage
• War Memorial
• The Angel PH
• Enterprise House
• Church of St. Mary
• Lych Gate
• Benlow Works

Hayes, UB4, is also home to several top tier educational facilities including Hewens College which gained academy status in 2011 and currently provides secondary education to over 1.100 boys and girls from the ages of 11 to 18. The Guru Nanak Sikh Academy is another well-known local secondary school which was founded in 1993 and presently has a student body of about 1.400. The town is linked to the other parts of the city by its own railway station which was opened in 1838 and according to the latest statistics is used by almost 4 million people annually.

Cowley is a village which is located in the westernmost parts of the Borough of Hillingdon. It lies at about 16 miles from Charing Cross and has a population of over 8.500. The church of St. Laurence is perhaps the area’s most renowned landmark. It is listed as a Grade II* edifice and according to historical records dates back to the 12^th century. Another well-known religious site in Cowley, UB8, is the Adhya Shakti Mataji Temple. The district is served by a number of bus routes which pass through it on a regular basis. The nearest tube station is located in the adjacent area of Uxbridge.

The village of Harmondsworth, UB7, has a population of approximately 1.5000 and is one of the borough’s least populous districts. It lies in the southwestern parts of Hillingdon at precisely 15 miles from the intersection of Charing Cross. The Harmondsworth Great Barn is beyond any doubt the most famous structure of the area. It was constructed during the 15^th century and is currently the largest building of its kind in the United Kingdom. The barn was built by Winchester College and is regarded as a fascinating example of medieval carpentry. Other notable edifices in the village are Manor Farm, The Grange, Harmondsworth Hall and The Lodge. During the years a large number of famed people such as Richard Cox, Henry Paget, Sir John Betjeman, Lionel Robbins, Hugh Percy, William Heather and more have lived in the area.

Eastcote is an area which lies on the northeastern boundary of Hillingdon. It has a population of over 12.000 and is part of the HA4 and HA5 postal code districts. The Highgrove House is certainly the area’s most renowned landmark. The edifice was built during the mid-18^th century but had to be reconstructed during the second half of the 19^th century as it was severely damaged by fire. The currently building was designed by prominent English architect Edward Schroeder Prior and was commissioned by Sir Hugh Hume-Campbell. The house was used as a residence by the Queen of Sweden during the events of World War I. Winston Churchill is known to have spent his honeymoon at the estate. The district is served by its own tube station which was established in 1904 and is listed as Grade II structure. The transportation hub sits on the Metropolitan Line and the Piccadilly Line from the London Underground network.

The district of Ickenham, UB10, is situated in the central parts of the borough at about 14 miles from the junction of Charing Cross. The area has an estimate population of 10.000 people and is known for its numerous buildings which date back to the 14^th, 15^th and 16^th centuries. The district is also the location of the biennial Ickenham Festival which was first organised during the mid-1970s. It is held in June and centres on a charity gala day which until 2014 was held on the grounds of Swakeleys House. Since then the festival has been moved to Vyners School.