The area of Neasden was recorded as early as 939 AD as Neasdun which is derived from Old English ‘neos meaning nose’ and ‘dun meaning hill’ which referred to a well-defined landmark of the area ‘the nose-shaped hill’. It changed in 1750 and was then known as ‘Needsden’ and the present day spelling appeared at a later date.
In the medieval times the village consisted of a number of small buildings around the green very close to the position of the present day roundabout. A countryside hamlet on the western end of the Dollis Hill ridge, Neasden’s land was owned by St.Paul’s Cathedral.
The major landowners in the area during the 15th to 17th century was the Roberts family and Thomas Roberts built Neasden House on the site of the modern Clifford Court, this happened during the reign of Henry VIII. Sir William Roberts bought confiscated church lands but after the Restoration all the estates went back to the Church although the Roberts family stayed on the lands and leased them from the Church. With major improvements made by Sir William Roberts in 1664 Neasden House was one of the largest houses in the Willesden parish.
The Nicoll family took over Neasden House and its lands and in the 19th century these farmers and monyers at the Royal Mint wholly owned Neasden House and the majority of the land in the area replacing the Roberts as the dominant family in Neasden.
In 1823 Neasden was no more than a collection of six cottages, four larger houses or farms, a public house and a smithy which were all grouped around the green. Sadly in 1841 The Welsh Harp reservoir had a dramatic effect on the landscape and due to the damming of the River Brent many fields and meadows were put under water.
In the early 1850s the horse was the main form of transport and as London grew the demand for horses in the capital increased greatly so the Neasden farm owners concentrated on rearing and providing horses for the city of London. The town work was exhausting and unhealthy for the horses and many were kept in very poor conditions. The RSPCA formed a committee in 1886 to set up the Home of Rest for Horses with grounds in Sudbury and Neasden.
The North Circular Road was a main arterial route around London in the 1920s and this brought a wave of development together with the introduction of new bus services it paved the way for the new residential suburb of Neasden. All of Neasden’s older houses were demolished except for The Grange and the Spotted Dog which was rebuilt in mock Tudor style. By 1949 many industries had appeared in the south of the area and the population then was over 13,000.
Today the development of Neasden has continued with McDonald’s opening their very first drive-through restaurant in the UK in 1988 and the Swedish furniture retailer, IKEA opened its second UK outlet in Neasden in 1988. The largest Hindu temple outside India was built in 1995. The shopping Centre has been partially redeveloped by the council in an effort to uplift the area.
Neasden is a busy area with numerous pubs, restaurants and clubs to visit so why not arrange to meet one of our enthralling
London escorts who will entertain you in Neasden. Whether visiting you in the seclusion of your home or hotel you will be sure to enjoy every second of her company.
