Colindale

About Colindale

Colindale History

Formerly in the borough and ancient parish of Hendon, the area was essentially the dale between Mill Hill and The Burroughs. By the middle of the 20th century, it had come to include that part of the Edgware Road between The Hyde and Burnt Oak.

The area is named after a 16th century family of the same name. Until the 20th century, Collindale was without any buildings save for a large house called Collindale Lodge, Collindale Farm and a few cottages (a spelling with two Ls has been used, as on this ordnance survey map printed in 1873). All of these properties were on Collindeep Lane which had in the medieval period been an alternative route out of London (via Hampstead, Golders Green and Hendon) to the Edgware Road. By the end of the 16th century it was not often used as a main road and by the middle part of the 19th century was called Ancient Street.

Colindale suburbanisation came about with the creation of the Schweppes mineral water factory in West Hendon in1895. Factories were developed with the advent Hendon Station by the Midland Railway. Terraces were built in Colindale and Annesley avenues between 1897 and 1914 to serve the near by Hospital. and tramway depot. But Colindale was firmly placed on the map when a Claude Grahame White developed a field near Colindale in 1910 which became part of the Hendon Aerodome. Hendon Aerodrome saw the inaugural flight of Louis Paulhan from London to Manchester.

In 1914 the government opened several factories for munitions and aircraft components at Colindale and the Hyde Aircraft production saw considerable growth of Colindale during World War I. Rows of small terraced and semi-detatched house continued to be built between the airport and Edgware Road.

In 1932 The British Museums newspaper repository was opened in Colindale Avenue. In 1934 the mission district of ST. MATTHIAS, Colindale, was formed out of the parishes of St. John, West Hendon, and St. Alphage. Services were held in a dual-purpose church and hall in Rushgrove Avenue which had been given in that year by Christ Church, Lancaster Gate (Paddington). more....