KINGSBURY (Jubilee Line - Stanmore)

Two completely different kinds of visit:

1 Wacky buildings fest - Flats imitating castles, picturesque thatched wooden houses with weird windows – is this the most eccentric architecture outside Barcelona?. Even those who aren’t normally interested will find it worth the climb (steep hill involved, I’m afraid)

2 Fryent Country Park - visiting this is a strange experience, as you are walking through a kind of ghost landscape. There are ancient hedges, hay meadows, ponds, etc. - but no farming activity. It has been preserved as an example of the Middlesex countryside before suburbia swallowed up most of it. The ‘park’ is an unusual and intriguing place to wander around, and an excellent resource for various kinds of nature study.

First, the architecture. I think I can guarantee that your jaw will drop at the first Trobridge house you discover and remain that way the whole time you wander round this extraordinary area. Just as you think you are in a rather boring, standard 1920’s/30’s road, up pops yet another loopy building. The architect responsible for all this was Belfast-born Ernest George Trobridge (1884-1942). During the First World War he had developed methods of constructing houses that echoed those of ancient times, using timber framing, wood cladding and even thatching. He took out a patent on his ‘Compressed Green Wood Construction’ but the hoped-for Government building grants fell through and he was left bankrupt. Eventually a co-partnership scheme was established and he was able to go ahead with his highly unusual designs that were both economical to carry out and comparatively maintenance free. By the 1930’s wood was no longer a cheap option and Trobridge began to build a series of flats in more conventional materials, but they were far from conventional in appearance. The most spectacular of these is at the crossroads near the top of Wakeman’s Hill.as each of the buildings makes reference to a castle.





To get to these exciting dwellings, turn right on leaving the Tube station and walk (past lively exotic fruit and vegetable stalls) until you are opposite Roe Green Park. Look for Kenton Old Lane on your side of the road and go along this. At the end (about ten minutes from Tube) is Slough Lane. Straight ahead is your first 1920’s thatched house. Turn right and walk up as far as No. 134 for two more splendid examples, then go back to the top of the street for the spectacular range of No.'s 152, 154 and 156. Cross over Kingsbury Road at lights and walk up Roe Green. From the view you will realise how high up you are – about to get even higher as you turn left up Highfield Avenue.

Just as you are running out of puff you will forget the climb as you see the ‘castles’. Please do not get so carried away that you risk stepping into the middle of the road to get a better camera angle, as there is more traffic than you might expect.








Go left into Buck Lane. Buck Cottage is another large dwelling with steeply pitched roof. Opposite is a modern terrace with an identity crisis as it has half a brick tower and a twisty Tudor chimney!






Continue up Buck Road where more thatched houses await you. Turn round at No.5 and walk back over the crossroads, still in Buck Lane, towards Kingsbury Road (downhill here!). Pop into Ash Tree Dell to see some more oddities in the shape of strangely detailed doorways. Many other houses in the area have chimneys and details in the Arts and Crafts style reflecting Trobridge’s interest in traditional craftsmanship and his belief in the concept of the hearth as a focal point of the home.









I have picked out only a few of the most obviously wacky buildings – there are a fair number of others for you to discover. When you reach Kingsbury Road again you may well think that catching a bus is a good idea. There’s a bus stop just over the road to the right - several routes go to Kingsbury Tube Station.

A note of warning. Although some of these properties are listed, sadly many have suffered inappropriate alterations and additions, in particular ugly double glazing.

The estate is now a Conservation Area but although the Council says it is doing its best to keep a watch on what is going on, there is an issue with the funding for such an initiative. Sadly, I have to report that things do not seem to be improving, (2008) with many of these unique properties looking distinctly in need of t.l.c. However, the listed thatched buildings are well maintained and the whole area well worth a visit, especially if off-beat architecture is your thing.

MAP






Now for Fryent Country Park. There are several places in Kingsbury from which the park can be accessed, but to keep things simple, I suggest that you follow the architectural trail instructions as far as Slough Road and enter the fields from there. This has the advantage of bringing you to the area where there are some stables so that you can admire the horses which bring this lovely landscape to life. So, when you get to Slough Lane from Old Kenton Lane, turn right and walk as far as No. 134. Opposite this you will find a footpath signed Capital Ring. Follow this pleasant tree-lined path between two primary schools.







When you reach open land turn left and you will soon find the stables. After that you can just potter about enjoying the peace and quiet (though as you go northwards you will start to hear the traffic on Fryent Way – a busy A road). For some reason there is no safe place nearby to cross this main road to get to the Barn Hill Open Space opposite – all the more odd, as there is a car park and picnic area over there - so please be patient and wait for a suitable break in the fast traffic. Once over the road there is a pleasant walk (uphill) through the woods to the top of Barn Hill (86metres) from which there is a spectacular view of Wembley Stadium. Not an easy path in wet weather, however. From here you could walk (downhill) to Preston Road Tube Station*, but frankly it is not a very interesting trek of about a mile. I include the route because if you have got this far away from Kingsbury Tube and are wondering which way to go, it might prove a useful route home.



Fryent Country Park is not really a suitable destination for buggies or wheelchairs owing to the uneven ground. You might like to visit Brent Council website which has an aerial photograph showing layout of the fields.

*Route to Preston Road Tube station: once out of the woods, turn right into Barn Hill, which becomes West Hill. Follow this down to The Avenue and turn right. Cross over to go down Uxendon Crescent and then left into Preston Road to find the Tube.

Kingsbury is just one walk from the many to be found at London Tube Rambles. There are architectural gems, beautiful country views, historic places and whacky buildings to be found, even in the most unpromising areas covered by the Greater London Underground stations. Usually the places listed are within a mile of the Tube - often only five minutes walk away. If you reached this as an individual page via a search engine, you might like to go to www.londontuberambles.co.uk to see the other destinations explored . You'll be amazed at what's out there!

© DR2008