Kilburn History
Kilburn is an old village which straddled the Roman road called Watling Street (now the road towards Edgware). The name Kilburn is usually thought to be derived from the stream that rose in Hampstead and flowed down the hill through West End to Kilburn. Kilburn is spelt in various ways in ancient documents, such as Kylebourne and Kelebourne. Its meaning was probably derived from the Anglo-Saxon Kyle (cold) and Bourne (water).The Kilburn Priory
‘At the beginning of the 12th Century a hermit built himself a hermitage at ‘Cuneburn’ next to the stream. For 400 years nuns provided food for travellers and pilgrims to St Albans. It had several buildings including a church, a house, a brewery and a bakehouse. After the Dissolution of the monasteries in 1536, the priory became a private house and a farm, until the remains were pulled down in 1790.
Some of the buildings still standing along Kilburn High Road have history including “The Red Lion” pub, which has a plaster lion and a plaque recording its establishment in 1444. Some of the early shops on Kilburn High Road include a branch of J Sainsburys (Nos 292-294), this was their Brondesbury ‘high class’ shop opened in 1888. BB Evans (Nos 142-162, 1900s, a premier department store), The Golden Carp (1850s, selling fishing rods as well as making and repairing umbrellas), Fosters, the wine merchants (on the corner of Willesden Lane) and Waugh & Co, a boot and shoe shop (No 239 in the 1890s).
Places of Interest
Quex Road ChurchIn 1866 the Oblates of St Mary Immaculate purchased land for a church in Quex Road. Edward Welby Pugin was the architect and the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church opened in 1879. A 150ft spire was planned but never built. During the 1960’s more than 10,000 worshippers attended the eighteen masses celebrated every Sunday, figures which exceeded attendance at most cathedrals” (Kilburn & Cricklewood).
Tricycle Theatre and Cinema
The Tricycle theatre building was converted from a Forester’s Hall in 1980. The Tricycle has become one of London’s most respected and loved theatres. It produces a challenging and innovative programme of theatre, cinema and visual arts attracting the local community and audiences from far beyond its home on the Kilburn High Road.
In 1987 the theatre was almost totally destroyed by a fire which started in a neighbouring timber yard. Two years later it was re-built and the front of house facilities were enhanced and expanded. In Autumn 1998 a new cinema building was completed alongside the theatre. The Tricycle now comprises a 230 seat theatre, a 300 seat cinema, a large rehearsal studio, a visual arts studio for educational use, and a smaller theatre / workshop space – The James Baldwin Studio, as well as a Café/Bar and Art Gallery and the Creative Space, built in 2001 for educational and social inclusion workshops
Going Out
The Good Ship289 Kilburn High Road
The Good Ship is quite new on the Kilburn drinking venue scene. It boasts to be a bar, pub, club and music venue all rolled into one. A 100-cd dukebox, live bands, real ales, un pretentious crowd…if this sounds like your idea of a good night out – why not see for yourself?
Brondes Age
328 Kilburn High Road
This little gem in Kilburn is a spacious, friendly, cool and trendy pub with warm décor and usually buzzing with local clientele. It has a chill out area with comfy sofas to wile away the evening. The outside seating area is brilliant for warmer weather and has heaters if it gets a bit on the chilly side.
Small and Beautiful
352 Kilburn High Road
The Small and Beautiful restaurant is a little cosy Southern Italian restaurant located on Kilburn High Road, just down from Brondesbury Station. The dishes are excellent quality and on the cheap side (2 courses for £5 – an offer no-one can refuse!) which adds to the charm of this restaurant. They also have imported wine and beer from Italy.
The Kilburn
307-311 Kilburn High Road
With its relaxed atmosphere, stylish surroundings and great music, The Kilburn modernises the idea of a traditional pub by maintaining classic features such as pub quizzes, classic food and screens with sports games while also playing a sophisticated mix of music by an eclectic selection of DJs.
The Little Bay
228 Belsize Road
Tel: 020 7372 4699
The Little Bay is tucked away on Belsize Road, just off Kilburn High Road and is always busy due to word of mouth. It has an excellent reputation for not only the superb food quality, but also the cheap affordable prices. Before 7pm starters and deserts are priced at £1.95 and mains £4.75 and after 7pm, the prices are raised by an extra £1. The staff are always friendly, attentive and polite. The service is excellent and food is served quickly, even with big groups. The Moules Marinerre as a starter is delicious, it is served with shallots and parsley in a white wine and cream sauce. The mouth-watering braised knuckle of lamb in a red wine sauce is definitely a tasty choice. Or the baked haddock option with crushed new potatoes, served with a bacon and shallots hollandaise is a good one. They offer the most delectable chocolate cheesecake with a passion fruit coulis for the sweet tooth. This little gem is certainly worth a visit.
Parks and Open Spaces
Parks and Open SpacesWithin easy reach of Hampstead Primrose Hill, Regents Park, London Zoo and Hampstead Heath. Regents Park has a fantastic landscape designed by John Nash and comprises of the largest outdoor sports area in London. It has a boating lake and an open-air theatre which is lovely entertainment for a summers evening. Another part of Regents Park is Primrose Hill, with a wide expanse of park land perfect for watching the world go by… you may even spot a celebrity! London Zoo is a brilliant day out for people of any age, containing one of the world’s best collections of animals. Hampstead Heath is one of London’s major open spaces, consisting of almost 800 acres of mixed grassland and woodland. It is rather more parkland than heath, but does have plenty of semi-wild areas, sections of extensive tree cover and a number of small lakes reserved for boating and swimming.
Some of information contained in our area guide has been extracted from the following publications: The Streets of West Hampstead – A survey of Streets, Houses, and in Residents in the Western Sector of the Old Borough of Hampstead. Compiled by Camden History Society’s Street History Group and edited by Christopher Wade. Camden History Society, 1992. Kilburn and West Hampstead by Dick Weindling and Marianne Colloms. Historical Publications, 1999.
Transport Links
The UndergroundKilburn Underground station is located on the Jubilee (grey) line which has good links to the City and Waterloo. There is also a station for Kilburn Park which is on the Bakerloo (brown) line to use as an alternative.
Rail
Kilburn High Road has an overground station located at the bottom end of Kilburn High Road. It is part of the Silverlink Metro Line which runs from Euston to Watford Junction.
Bus Routes
There are a good number of buses that run along Kilburn High Road which give easy access to the West End and The City.
The number 32 starts its route in Edgware and proceeds to:
- Burnt Oak
- Colindale
- Hendon
- Staples Corner
- Cricklewood
- Shoot Up Hill
- Kilburn High Road
- Kilburn
The number 189 runs from Brent Cross and proceeds to:
- Cricklewood
- Kilburn High Road
- Abbey Road
- Grove End Road
- Lisson Grove
- Baker Street
- Oxford Street
- Oxford Circus
The number 31 starts at Golders Green and proceesd to:
- Finchley Road
- West Hampstead
- Kilburn High Road
- Elgin Avenue
- Harrow Road
- Westbourne Park
- Notting Hill Gate
- High Street Kensington
- Earls Court
- Chelsea
The number 316 starts it route at Neasdenand proceeds to:
- Dollis Hill
- Cricklewood
- Shoot Up Hill
- Kilburn
- Carlton Vale
- Ladbroke Grove
- North Kensington
The number 98 starts in Holborn and proceeds to:
- Tottenham Court Road,
- Oxford Circus
- Marble Arch
- Edgeware Road
- Maida Vale
- Kilburn High Road
- Willesden Lane
- Willesden Bus Garage
The 16 begins at Victoria and proceeds to:
- Hyde Park Corner
- Park Lane
- Edgware Road
- Maida Vale
- Kilburn High Road
- Brondesbury
- Shoot Up Hill
- Cricklewood Broadway
- Cricklewood Bus Garage
Airport Links
All four International airports can be reached reasonably easily from Kilburn. Stansted Airport can be reached by the 24-hour A6 coach route from Finchley Road (there is a bus stop located outside the O2 Centre) or take the Jubilee Line to Finchley Road, change onto the Metropolitan Line to Liverpool Street and get the Stansted Express to the airport. City Airport can be accessed by taking the Jubilee Line to Waterloo, changing onto the Jubilee Line to Canary Wharf and a shuttle bus. Heathrow Airport can be reached by travelling to Green Park on the Jubilee Line and changing onto the Piccadilly Line and travel onto Heathrow. To travel to Luton or Gatwick airports, go on the Jubilee Line to West Hampstead and then change to the Thameslink overground line and travel to Luton or Gatwick airport.