Cricklewood

Cricklewood was a small rural settlement around the Edgware Road (originally the Roman Road, Watling Street), until the arrival of the railway, and underground railway (tube) in nearby Willesden Green, in the 1870s. The bustling shops on the Cricklewood Broadway (as the Edgware Road is known here) contrasts with quieter surrounding streets of largely late Victorian, Edwardian and 1930s housing. The area has strong links with Ireland and a sizeable Irish population. The Crown Pub (now The Crown Moran Hotel) is a local landmark. The 35 hectares (86 acres) Gladstone Park lies on its north-west border. Cricklewood has two conservation areas, the Mapesbury Estate and the Cricklewood Railway Terraces, and in 2012 was awarded £1.65 million from the Mayor of London's office to improve the area.