Morland Gardens was previously an area of large villas - built when Stonebridge Park was aimed at the upper middle classes. The villas in Stonebridge Park had names rather than numbers - ’Altamira’ (now 1 Morland Gardens) was the home of George Hillier, the Secretary to the São Paulo Railway Company of Brazil. Living there along with the family were a cook, a housemaid and a coachman - the latter lived with his family above the stables at the back.

Next door, at ’Hurworth’ (now Sankofa House), lived F.A. Wood, who was Chairman of Willesden Local Board during the 1880s.