EPW016651 ENGLAND (1926). The Northwick Circle and environs, Kenton, from the south-east, 1926

The tentative beginnings of Ashridge Close.

This looks like a plot hoarding for F&C Costin, the local building firm, who developed much of the area.

This house in Woodcock Hill, no longer exists. It has been replaced by a more modern detached house. The original, I think, had some connection with the adjacent Woodcock Hill Farm, as it resides within the curtilage and it predates the general residential development of the area.

The Railway Hotel, Harrow & Wealdstone

Woodcock Hill Farm. The surrounding farm land was sold off and developed, but the farmhouse remained until about 1958 when the last occupant died. The developer bought the site and it was redeveloped. It's a shame that it could not have been retained. Many such local farmhouses (some being of considerable antiquity) were ripped down in the name of progress.

Kenton goods yard (now occupied by Sainsbury's). At this stage of its existence, much of the goods traffic would have been the supplies and materials required for the flurry of development. Later on, it would mainly be involved in the coal traffic generated by the needs of local housing. Wallace Spiers (coal merchants) had an office next to the site on Kenton bridge.

These two adjoining semi-detached properties (226 & 228 Kenton Road) were the first to be built on this part of Kenton Road. They were built and subsequently used as the main estate office of F & C Costin Ltd., the builders who were responsible for much of the development that was taking place in Kenton. A firm of solicitors now occupies the building.

The Kodak works in Wealdstone. Only recently finally closed. The Eastman Kodak Company were very much left standing during the advances made by digital technology. Their lack of foresight brought them to the brink of bankruptcy.

Early groundworks for Mayfield Avenue and Becmead Avenue.

Railway Terrace. A row of railway cottages intended for employees of the LNWR. They would have been built at about the same time as the nearby Kenton Station (1912), when the Euston - Watford suburban line was built alongside the main line. Apart from the old Travellers' Rest and one or two farms, there was little development in this part of Kenton until the 1920s. Railway Terrace survived by the road entrance to Kenton Goods Yard until redevelopment took place for the Sainsbury's superstore.

These are very possibly buildings belonging to Black Farm (latterly known as Kenton Road Farm). This farm was swept away during the development of this part of Kenton Road, Willowcourt Avenue and adjoining roads.

The original Travellers' Rest public house. This appeared in about 1900 on the site of a beershop (the Three Horseshoes.) Rebuilt and very much enlarged (probably to cater for the massive development taking place in the area) in 1933 as the Rest Hotel and later renamed The Travellers Rest (it is now a very dreary Beefeater restaurant with a Premier Inn built at the rear on what used to be the Rest Hotel car park and garage.)

Masonic Centre - still in use.

My grandmother bought 28 The Ridgeway probably as a new house, or nearly new shortly after this was taken. The Ridgeway is the road in the bottom running loosely East West. The builders were, I think, Costains. My mother always said that the plots got narrower and narrower as they tried to squeeze more houses in, so our side way and garage were a tight fit. The farm was still there in the 50s but surrounded by housing