Facts about Harlesden
History of Harlesden
In the 19th century, Harlesden, then a rural village, began to develop some of its urban appearance with the arrival of the railways. Willesden Junction, Kensal Green and Harlesden stations all had an effect on the developing village. Cottages for railway and industrial workers were built, as was grander housing for the local middle class.
At 6 am, January 16 1939, the Irish Republican Army blew up the Harlesden electricity cable bridge. The bridge crossed the Grand Junction Canal and carried the power line from Battersea Power Station. No one was injured in the attack. The wedding cake for the Queen and Prince Philip, who were married in 1947, was baked at McVitie’s Factory in Harlesden.
Gemeral Info
Harlesden is an area in the London Borough of Brent, North West London. Its main focal point is the Jubilee Clock which commemorates Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. Harlesden has been praised for its vibrant Caribbean culture and unofficially named London’s reggae capital. The population includes people of the Afro-Caribbean heritage most notably, as well as Irish, Portuguese, Brazilian, Somalis and smaller Latin Americans and East Africa groups within the community.
The 2011 census results for Harlesden ward counted a population of 17,162. Harlesden is ethnically diverse. 67% of the population identified themselves as being BAME at the 2011 census in the Harlesden ward. Ethnically, 19% of the population was the Black Caribbean, followed by 19% Black African, 15% Other White, and 14% White British.
