Shirland Road, W9

Road in/near Maida Hill, existing between 1869 and now

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(51.52687 -0.19461, 51.526 -0.194) 
MAP YEAR:18001810182018301860190019502024 
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Road · * · W9 ·
September
18
2021
Shirland Road is one of the main thorughfares of Maida Vale.

Before the turn of the nineteenth century, the area was largely covered in pasture meadows. Through these fields ran the River Westbourne (sometimes called Bays Water).

East of the Westbourne, the land belonged to the Bishop of London. Most of the parish west of the Westbourne was Westminster Abbey’s Westbourne manor. Part of the future Queen’s Park belonged to All Souls’ College, Oxford.

The opening of the Paddington Branch of the Grand Union (Grand Junction) Canal in 1801 led to the first villas being built on Hill House Fields, the highest part of Paddington. But even in the 1820s, apart from a row of houses at Orme’s Green on the Harrow Road, the area remained open countryside.

In the late 1850s the River Westbourne was culverted which allowed building to spread northward from Westbourne Green during the 1860s.

By 1865 the name St Peter’s Park, commemorating landowner Westminster Abbey, was given to a proposed suburb north of Harrow Road. Avenues leading from Harrow Road were planned: Malvern Road (soon renamed Chippenham Road), St Peter’s Road (renamed Walterton Road) and the southernmost stretch of the future Fernhead Road.

By 1869 there were houses along much of Chippenham Road and at the west end of Elgin Road, where St Peter’s church had been allotted a site, and the west ends of Marylands Road and Sutherland Gardens.

All three roads led towards Shirland Road, which approximately followed the line of the Bayswater or Westbourne stream. There were houses on the west side of Shirland Road, at the south end, by 1870.

The building of St Peter’s Park was a risky enterprise neccesitating the construction of sewers as well as a bridge over the canal (Carlton Bridge). A quarter of the builders of the estate failed between 1870 and 1872. Building activity revived in the mid 1870s and the Walterton estate was completed in 1885.

34 more houses were planned in 1881 in Shirland Road, between Elgin Road and Kilburn Park Road, where the eight most northerly ones could be built as shops.

The area enclosed by Shirland Road, Kilburn Park Road, Portsdown Road and Sutherland Avenue was still empty in 1886, allowing a 26 acre site to be saved for public use as Paddington Recreation Ground.

Subletting of houses led to deterioration throughout the area by the 1890s, although there was little real hardship. In 1901 the area was assigned to the new Metropolitan Borough of Paddington. Between 1918 and 1939 the name St Peter’s Park fell into disuse.

After the Second World War, parts of the area were cleared for municipal housing. In 1953 the London County Council bought the Walterton estate from the Church Commissioners. The LCC inherited an overcrowded estate where many homes lacked basic amenities.

During the 1960s the Greater London Council built tower blocks and low rise blocks on the Elgin Estate. In the early 1970s the sheer volume of derelict homes gave rise to the high profile Elgin Avenue squatting campaign, involving such figures as housing campaigner Piers Corbyn and Joe Strummer of the Clash.

In 1980 ownership of the area transferred from the GLC to Westminster City Council. In 1985 WCC decided to sell off the estates to private developers.

Residents responded by forming the Walterton and Elgin Action Group (WECH), organising protests, petitions and their own plan to save the homes of local people in need of rented housing. By the middle of 1988 one third of Walterton Estate homes were empty - Hermes Point and Chantry Point were heavily squatted.

In 1992 residents took over ownership and control of 921 homes. After negotiating funding from WCC, WECH rebuilt and refurbished properties that had suffered years of neglect. Two tower blocks were demolished and replaced with low rise homes.




Main source: Maida Hill Forum
Further citations and sources



NEARBY LOCATIONS OF NOTE
Kilburn Park Road/Shirland Road Kilburn Park Road and Shirland Road meet at a junction in the north of Maida Vale.
Orme’s Green Ormes Green was the former name for this part of Westbourne Park.
The Prince of Wales Cinema The Prince of Wales Cinema was located at 331 Harrow Road.
Westbourne Manor The Manor of Westbourne
Weston’s Cider House In 1930 Weston’s opened their first and only cider mill on the Harrow Road.
Windsor Castle The Windsor Castle dates from the 1820s but its main incarnation was as a classic Victorian public house, seminal in 1970s musical history.

NEARBY STREETS
Abinger Mews, W9 Abinger Mews is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Hill)
Abourne Street, W9 Before the Second World War, Abourne Street had been called Netley Street (Maida Hill)
Aldsworth Close, W9 Aldsworth Close is a pale buff brick terrace (Westbourne Green)
Amberley Mews, W9 Amberley Mews starred as Tom Riley’s home in the 1950 movie "The Blue Lamp" (Little Venice)
Amberley Road, W9 Amberley Road was formerly lined by canalside wharves (Maida Hill)
Argo House, NW6 Argo House can be found on Kilburn Park Road (Maida Vale)
Ascot House, W9 Ascot House was built as part of the GLC’s small Windsor estate (Maida Hill)
Ashmore Road, W9 Ashmore Road is a street in Maida Vale (West Kilburn)
Austen House, NW6 Austen House is a block on Cambridge Road (Kilburn Park)
Barnsdale Road, W9 Barnsdale Road runs between Fernhead Road and Walterton Road (West Kilburn)
Barnwood Close, W9 Barnwood Close replaced a set of canal-side industrial buildings (Little Venice)
Beaumonth House, W9 Beaumonth House is a block on Fernhead Road (West Kilburn)
Biddulph Mansions, W9 Biddulph Mansions is a corner block on Elgin Avenue (Maida Vale)
Biddulph Road, W9 Biddulph Road is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Vale)
Blake Court, NW6 Blake Court is sited on Malvern Road (Kilburn Park)
Bristol Gardens, W9 Bristol Gardens is an extension southeastwards of Shirland Road (Little Venice)
Burlington Close, W9 Burlington Close is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Hill)
Byron House, W9 Byron House is a block on Shirland Road (Maida Hill)
Castellain Mansions, W9 Castellain Mansions is a block on Castellain Road (Maida Vale)
Castellain Road, W9 Castellain Road is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Vale)
Charfield Court, W9 Charfield Court is part of the 1972 Amberley Estate (Little Venice)
Chippenham Gardens, NW6 Street/road in London NW6 (Kilburn Park)
Chippenham Mews, W9 Chippenham Mews lies behind Harrow Road running from Chippenham Road to Marylands Road (Maida Hill)
Chippenham Road, W9 Chippenham Road is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Hill)
Clearwell Drive, W9 Clearwell Drive is a newer street, roughly built over the line of the former Amberley Mews (Little Venice)
Croxley Road, W9 Croxley Road is a street in Maida Vale (West Kilburn)
Delaware Road, W9 Delaware Road is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Vale)
Denholme Road, W9 Denholme Road connects Fernhead Road with Saltram Crescent (West Kilburn)
Dickens House, NW6 Dickens House is located on Malvern Road (Kilburn Park)
Downfield Close, W9 Downfield Close is a street in Maida Vale (Westbourne Green)
Drakeland House, W9 Drakeland House is a block on Fernhead Road (West Kilburn)
Drayford Close, W9 Drayford Close is a street in Maida Vale (West Kilburn)
Edbrooke Road, W9 Edbrooke Road is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Hill)
Elgin Avenue, W9 Elgin Avenue was proposed in an 1827 plan for the area by John Gutch (Maida Vale)
Elgin Mansions, W9 Elgin Mansions is a block on Elgin Avenue (Maida Vale)
Ellwood Court, W9 Ellwood Court is a two-storey block (Little Venice)
Elnathan Mews, W9 Elnathan Mews is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Vale)
Ernest Harniss House, W9 Ernest Harniss House is a block on Elgin Avenue (Maida Hill)
Essendine Mansions, W9 Essendine Mansions is a block on Essendine Road (Maida Vale)
Essendine Road, W9 Essendine Road is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Vale)
Fermoy House, W9 Fermoy House can be found on Fermoy Road (West Kilburn)
Fern House, W9 Fern House is a block on Fernhead Road (West Kilburn)
Fernhead Road, W9 Fernhead Road is a street in Maida Vale (West Kilburn)
Fordingley Road, W9 Fordingley Road is a street in Maida Vale (West Kilburn)
Foscote Mews, W9 This is a street in the W9 postcode area (Westbourne Green)
Godson Yard, NW6 Godson Yard is a new development dating from 2005 (Maida Hill)
Goldney Road, W9 Goldney Road was built around 1860 on land which was once the property of Westminster Abbey (Maida Hill)
Grantully Road, W9 Grantully Road is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Vale)
Great Western Road, W9 Great Western Road’s northernmost section was created after a bridge was constructed over the canal (Maida Hill)
Grittleton Road, W9 Grittleton Road is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Hill)
Harrow Road, W9 Harrow Road is a main road running through Paddington, Willesden and beyond (Maida Hill)
Hermes Close, W9 Hermes Close is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Hill)
John Ratcliffe House, NW6 John Ratcliffe House is located on Chippenham Gardens (Maida Hill)
Kilburn Park Road, NW6 Kilburn Park Road was built along the course of the Bayswater Rivulet (the River Westbourne), starting in 1855 (Maida Vale)
Lanhill Road, W9 Lanhill Road is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Hill)
Lauderdale Parade, W9 Lauderdale Parade stands on Lauderdale Road (Maida Vale)
Lauderdale Road, W9 Lauderdale Road is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Vale)
Leith Mansions, W9 Leith Mansions is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Vale)
Lydford Road, W9 Lydford Road is a street in Maida Vale (West Kilburn)
Macroom House, W9 Macroom House can be found on Macroom Road (West Kilburn)
Macroom Road, W9 Macroom Road is a street in Maida Vale (West Kilburn)
Malvern Mews, NW6 Street/road in London NW6 (Kilburn Park)
Malvern Mews, NW6 Malvern Mews is a road in the W9 postcode area (Kilburn Park)
Malvern Road, NW6 Street/road in London NW6 (Kilburn Park)
Mary Seacole House, W9 Mary Seacole House is a block on Warlock Road (Maida Hill)
Marylands Road, W9 Marylands Road was built by the Neeld family during the 1860s (Maida Hill)
McDonald House, NW6 McDonald House is a block on Malvern Road (Kilburn Park)
Mildrose House, NW6 Mildrose House is a block on Malvern Mews (Kilburn Park)
Morshead Road, W9 Morshead Road is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Vale)
Oak Tree House, W9 Oak Tree House is a block on Shirland Road (Maida Vale)
Oakington Road, W9 Oakington Road is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Hill)
Pennymore Walk, W9 Pennymore Walk is a close which lies off of Ashmore Road (West Kilburn)
Pindock Mews, W9 Pindock Mews is a street in Maida Vale (Warwick Avenue)
Riverton Close, W9 Riverton Close is a street in Maida Vale (West Kilburn)
Saltram House, W9 Saltram House is a block on Saltram Crescent (West Kilburn)
Sevington Street, W9 Sevington Street is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Hill)
Shelly Court, W9 Shelly Court is a building on Lanhill Road (Maida Hill)
Shirland Mews, W9 Shirland Mews is a street in Maida Vale (West Kilburn)
Shirland Road, W9 Shirland Road is one of the main thorughfares of Maida Vale (Maida Hill)
Stafford Close, NW6 Street/road in London NW6 (Kilburn Park)
Stuart Road, NW6 Street/road in London NW6 (Maida Vale)
Surrendale Place, W9 Surrendale Place is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Hill)
Sutherland Avenue, W9 Sutherland Avenue is one of the main streets of Maida Vale (Maida Vale)
Sutherland Court, W9 Sutherland Court is located on Marylands Road (Maida Hill)
The Greene House, W9 The Greene House is a block on Goldney Road (Maida Hill)
Thorngate Road, W9 This is a street in the W9 postcode area (Maida Hill)
Trinity Court, W9 Trinity Court is a block on Croxley Road (West Kilburn)
Walterton Road, W9 Walterton Road was the central road of a suburb which was originally proposed to called St. Peter’s Park (Maida Hill)
Warlock Road, W9 Warlock Road is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Hill)
Welford House, W9 Welford House is located on Shirland Road (Maida Hill)
Western Mews, W9 Western Mews is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Hill)
Wheatfield House, NW6 Wheatfield House is a building on Kilburn Park Road (Maida Vale)
Widley Road, W9 Widley Road is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Vale)
Windsor Gardens, W9 Windsor Gardens is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Hill)
Woodfield Crescent, W9 Woodfield Crescent was a former street in London W9 (Maida Hill)
Woodfield Place, W9 Woodfield Place is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Hill)
Woodfield Road, W9 The first section of Woodfield Road seems to date from the 1830s (Maida Hill)
Wymering Mansions, W9 Wymering Mansions is a residential block in Wymering Road (Maida Vale)
Wymering Road, W9 Wymering Road runs west from Elgin Avenue (Maida Vale)


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