Brondesbury (), which includes Brondesbury Park, is an area in the London Boroughs of Brent and Camden, in north London, England. The area is traditionally part of the ancient parish and subsequent municipal borough of Willesden, one of the areas that merged to form the modern borough of Brent.
Brondesbury railway station lies 4.1 miles north-west of Charing Cross, and its proximity to the originally Roman A5 road (the borough's eastern boundary) sometimes leads to addresses on the eastern, Camden, side of the road to also be informally described as part of Brondesbury.
It was a rural area until several decades after the coming of the railway in the Victorian era. Housing began to be built in earnest across Brondesbury in the late 1860s to 1890s and it became desirable enough to retain a suburban layout and most of the associated original wave of house building.
Transport
Rail/Underground
Brondesbury has two railway stations served by London Overground's North London Line between Richmond, and .
- Brondesbury Station
- Brondesbury Park Station
Kilburn tube station on the Jubilee line is about 200 m north from Brondesbury station on Kilburn High Road.
Demography
Economic activity groups
Half of the area is Brondesbury Park ward, details of which are below:
{|
!align="left"| Status||Ward %||Borough %|||National %
|-
|Economically Active||78.0||74.3||76.8
|-
|Retired ||2.5 ||2.6 ||4.9
|-
|Student ||7.9 ||9.2 ||6.6
|-
|Looking After Home Or Family ||4.8 ||5.9 ||4.9
|-
|Long-Term Sick Or Disabled ||4.0 ||4.0 ||4.6
|-
|Other inactive ||2.9 ||4.0 ||2.3
|}
Narrowly, most of the other half forms the north of Kilburn electoral ward, equivalent details of which are below:
{|
!align="left"| Status||Ward %||Borough %|||National %
|-
|Economically Active||77.5||74.3||76.8
|-
|Retired ||2.1 ||2.6 ||4.9
|-
|Student ||7.4 ||9.2 ||6.6
|-
|Looking After Home Or Family ||4.7 ||5.9 ||4.9
|-
|Long-Term Sick Or Disabled ||4.9 ||4.0 ||4.6
|-
|Other inactive ||3.6 ||4.0 ||2.3
|}
Currently as the electoral wards are drawn about 20% of the area is in Queens Park ward. Its relevant statistics are as follows:
{|
!align="left"| Status||Ward %||Borough %|||National %
|-
|Economically Active||81.4||74.3||76.8
|-
|Retired ||2.0 ||2.6 ||4.9
|-
|Student ||6.3 ||9.2 ||6.6
|-
|Looking After Home Or Family ||4.0 ||5.9 ||4.9
|-
|Long-Term Sick Or Disabled ||3.4 ||4.0 ||4.6
|-
|Other inactive ||3.0 ||4.0 ||2.3
|}
History
Manor and manor house
Willesden parish, which included Durand's estate at Twyford and Harlesden manor, was divided between eight variable, ecclesiastical prebends: East Twyford in the south-west, Neasden in the north-west, Oxgate in the northeast, Harlesden in the centre and south, and Chambers, Brondesbury, Bounds, and Mapesbury in the east. In 1891 the school added a classroom and dormitory block on the east and later a chapel beyond that. The house continued as a school until 1934 when, described as 'shabby-looking', it was bought by C. W. B. Simmonds, a builder, and was pulled down to make way for Manor Drive.
The Imperial Gazetteer of 1870-72 reads:
<blockquote>Brondesbury, a chapelry in Willesden parish, Middlesex; formed in 1866. , 400. Living, a rectory.</blockquote>
First place of worship
<blockquote>Christ Church, Willesden Lane, Brondesbury. Dist[rict] formed 1867 from St. Mary's under Dr. Charles W. Williams (d. 1889) and financed by his sisters. Declared a rectory...1868. Williams, patron and first rector, succeeded by son, Charles D. Williams 1889-1913. Patronage sold to parish c. 1930 and transferred to Lord Chancellor c. 1957. United with St. Lawrence's 1971. One asst. curate by 1896, two by 1926. High Church. Attendance 1903: 300 a.m.; 447 p.m [Sundays]. Limestone...in 13th century style by C. R. B. King: chancel, north tower and spire, nave, N. aisle, N. transept, and NW. porch 1866, S. aisle and S. transept 1899, choir vestry 1909. Damaged by land mine 1940, restored 1948. Missions: St. Lawrence (); Poplars Ave. c. 1918; Avenue Close 1903-39.</blockquote>
Later places of worship
thumb|upright=1.4|Church of the Transfiguration, Brondesbury Park, itself in a state of transfiguration
The Catholic church has the Church of the Transfiguration where the district traditionally is considered Kensal Rise.
A late 20th century addition is the Christ Apostolic Church (Mount Joy) which is an Aladura church, the major family of churches in western Nigeria.
In art, literature, film and the media
Giles, Giles & Fripp, the forerunner to the band King Crimson, at its most successful in 1969–1974, named an album The Brondesbury Tapes.