Brockley Hill
Encyclopedia
Brockley Hill, Stanmore
, on the outskirts of North London
, England, rises to 136 metres (446 ft) above sea level. The road leading over it is also named Brockley Hill. The area is associated with the archaeological site called Sulloniacis
. Its most prominent building is the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital
.
about 70 metres thick. This arrangement is typical of hills bounding the Thames Valley.
The M1 motorway
and the A41 Watford Way
trunk road both pass through the valley between Brockley Hill and Elstree Hill to the North.
, in the County of Middlesex
until the abolition of Middlesex in 1965. Since then the road named Brockley Hill, including the properties on both sides of it, and all the fields and properties to the west, are in Stanmore, in the London Borough of Harrow
; the fields to the east of the road are in Edgware, London Borough of Barnet
.
was constructed during the early part of the Roman occupation. The section running roughly North from Marble Arch runs in a straight line as far as the summit of Brockley Hill, following which there is a double curve to meet the alignment of the next section. The Roman engineers' practice was to use a high point as a sighting-point and clearly Brockley Hill was used in this way. The sandy clay found at the top of the hill was used for the manufacture of pottery during the Roman period.
The antiquarian Daniel Lysons noted the long history of Roman finds in the area in his 1795 book The Environs of London: volume 3: County of Middlesex and quoted a country proverb: "No heart can think, nor tongue can tell, what lies between Brockley-hill and Pennywell", which he interprets in terms of finding Roman treasure. Pennywell is in Elstree, some 1,500 metres north of Brockley Hill. What now lies between Brockley Hill and Pennywell includes eight lanes of fast moving traffic, as both the M1 motorway and the A41 Watford Bypass pass through this area.
The Eastern end of the Dark Ages linear earthwork known as Grim's Ditch or Grimsdyke
is close to Brockley Hill.
Bricks were made on the Hill in the 18th century.
The first hospital on the site of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital
was founded in 1882; the RNOH bought the site and premises in 1920.
In the 1930s an extension of the Northern line
of the London Underground
was planned to run from Edgware to Bushey Heath with a station called Brockley Hill in a field at the foot of the hill. Brick arches were constructed (their remains are still visible in 'Arches Field') but work was abandoned for the duration of World War II. After the war further major housing development was banned in the area and the station was never finished.
Stanmore
Stanmore is a suburban area of the London Borough of Harrow, in northwest London. It is situated northwest of Charing Cross. The area is home to Stanmore Hill, one of the highest points of London, high.-Toponymy:...
, on the outskirts of North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
, England, rises to 136 metres (446 ft) above sea level. The road leading over it is also named Brockley Hill. The area is associated with the archaeological site called Sulloniacis
Sulloniacis
Sulloniacis is an Ancient Roman place-name which is known only from an entry in Iter II of the Antonine Itinerary. The itinerary places Sulloniacis nine Roman miles from St Albans and 12 miles from London...
. Its most prominent building is the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital
The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital is a specialist orthopaedic hospital located in London, United Kingdom and a part of Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust...
.
Etymology
In its present form the name dates from the 16th century; the earlier form was Brokhole(s): 'badger-holes', from the old English and Celtic word Brock. The sandy soil of the hill-top is more attractive to burrowing animals like badgers, than the heavy London clay of the surrounding areas.Geology
Brockley Hill is the eastern arm of a long hill centred on Stanmore. The top of the hill is capped with "Stanmore Gravel", which is the remnant of a layer of gravel laid down by a river system pre-dating the Thames. Under the gravel are layers of sand, silt and clay about 15 metres thick known as the Claygate Beds. Below this is London ClayLondon Clay
The London Clay Formation is a marine geological formation of Ypresian age which crops out in the southeast of England. The London Clay is well known for the fossils it contains. The fossils from the Lower Eocene indicate a moderately warm climate, the flora being tropical or subtropical...
about 70 metres thick. This arrangement is typical of hills bounding the Thames Valley.
Roads
The highway originally built by the Romans, which we know as Watling Street or more recently the A5 trunk road, rises steeply from the junction with Spur Road, Edgware, to the summit of Brockley Hill, climbing some 70m in a distance of about 1,400 metres. The descent from the summit to Elstree Hill Roundabout about 600m to the North drops about 30m.The M1 motorway
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
and the A41 Watford Way
A41 road
The A41 is a formerly-major trunk road in England that links London and Birkenhead, although it has now largely been superseded by motorways. It passes through or near various towns and cities including Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Aylesbury, Solihull, Birmingham, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton,...
trunk road both pass through the valley between Brockley Hill and Elstree Hill to the North.
Administrative area
Brockley Hill was in Stanmore, Gore HundredGore (hundred)
Gore was a hundred of the ancient county of Middlesex, England. It covered an area in the north of the county. According to it contained the following parishes and settlements*Edgware*Great Stanmore*Harrow on the Hill*Hendon*Kingsbury*Little Stanmore...
, in the County of Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
until the abolition of Middlesex in 1965. Since then the road named Brockley Hill, including the properties on both sides of it, and all the fields and properties to the west, are in Stanmore, in the London Borough of Harrow
London Borough of Harrow
The London Borough of Harrow is a London borough of north-west London. It borders Hertfordshire to the north and other London boroughs: Hillingdon to the west, Ealing to the south, Brent to the south-east and Barnet to the east.-History:...
; the fields to the east of the road are in Edgware, London Borough of Barnet
London Borough of Barnet
The London Borough of Barnet is a London borough in North London and forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 331,500 and covers . It borders Hertfordshire to the north and five other London boroughs: Harrow and Brent to the west, Camden and Haringey to the south-east and Enfield to the...
.
Nearby places
- StanmoreStanmoreStanmore is a suburban area of the London Borough of Harrow, in northwest London. It is situated northwest of Charing Cross. The area is home to Stanmore Hill, one of the highest points of London, high.-Toponymy:...
- EdgwareEdgwareEdgware is an area in London, situated north-northwest of Charing Cross. It forms part of both the London Borough of Barnet and the London Borough of Harrow. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
- Bushey Heath
- ElstreeElstreeElstree is a village in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire on the A5 road, about 10 miles north of London. In 2001, its population was 4,765, and forms part of the civil parish of Elstree and Borehamwood, originally known simply as Elstree....
- BorehamwoodBorehamwood-Film industry:Since the 1920s, the town has been home to several film studios and many shots of its streets are included in final cuts of 20th century British films. This earned it the nickname of the "British Hollywood"...
- Mill HillMill HillMill Hill is a place in the London Borough of Barnet. It is a suburb situated 9 miles north west of Charing Cross. Mill Hill was in the historic county of Middlesex until it was absorbed by London...
History
Watling StreetWatling Street
Watling Street is the name given to an ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Britons mainly between the modern cities of Canterbury and St Albans. The Romans later paved the route, part of which is identified on the Antonine Itinerary as Iter III: "Item a Londinio ad...
was constructed during the early part of the Roman occupation. The section running roughly North from Marble Arch runs in a straight line as far as the summit of Brockley Hill, following which there is a double curve to meet the alignment of the next section. The Roman engineers' practice was to use a high point as a sighting-point and clearly Brockley Hill was used in this way. The sandy clay found at the top of the hill was used for the manufacture of pottery during the Roman period.
The antiquarian Daniel Lysons noted the long history of Roman finds in the area in his 1795 book The Environs of London: volume 3: County of Middlesex and quoted a country proverb: "No heart can think, nor tongue can tell, what lies between Brockley-hill and Pennywell", which he interprets in terms of finding Roman treasure. Pennywell is in Elstree, some 1,500 metres north of Brockley Hill. What now lies between Brockley Hill and Pennywell includes eight lanes of fast moving traffic, as both the M1 motorway and the A41 Watford Bypass pass through this area.
The Eastern end of the Dark Ages linear earthwork known as Grim's Ditch or Grimsdyke
Grim's Ditch (Harrow)
Grim's Ditch or Grim's Dyke or Grimes Dike is an area of countryside in the London Borough of Harrow, close to the Hertfordshire borderline. It extends about two miles from Bushey Heath to Harrow and is most easily reached via Stanmore...
is close to Brockley Hill.
Bricks were made on the Hill in the 18th century.
The first hospital on the site of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital
The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital is a specialist orthopaedic hospital located in London, United Kingdom and a part of Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust...
was founded in 1882; the RNOH bought the site and premises in 1920.
In the 1930s an extension of the Northern line
Northern Line
The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
of the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
was planned to run from Edgware to Bushey Heath with a station called Brockley Hill in a field at the foot of the hill. Brick arches were constructed (their remains are still visible in 'Arches Field') but work was abandoned for the duration of World War II. After the war further major housing development was banned in the area and the station was never finished.