Mapesbury

Mapesbury
Mapesbury Location withinGreater London
Population	15,529 Mapesbury ward 2011)
OS grid reference	TQ 1931 8505
London borough	Brent
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LONDON
Postcode district	NW2
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
UK Parliament	Brent Central
London Assembly	Brent and Harrow

Mapesburyis a residential area of northwestLondon,England. It forms one of twenty-oneelectoral wardsof theLondon Borough of Brent.

Geography

The ward covers parts of theKilburnandCricklewoodareas. Mapesbury ward is bounded to the north byDollis Hillward, to the west byDudden Hillward, to the south west byWillesden Greenward, to the south byBrondesbury Parkward, and to the east by theLondon Borough of Barnetand (further south) theLondon Borough of Camden.

Early history and name

The area formed part of theMiddlesexparish and manor ofWillesden,which was held by thechapterofSt Paul's Cathedralby the time of theNorman Conquest.The manor was divided into eightprebendsto support the various members of the chapter. One of these duly gained the name "Mapesbury" afterWalter Map,prebendary from 1173–c1192.Willesden Lane was known as Mapes Lane until the 1860s.

Development

Mapesbury remained countryside until the 1860s, when residential development began. By 1875 there were a number of large suburban villas.Four years later theMetropolitan Railwayopened its line in the area, and building lots were let for "first class residences".Mapesbury Farm was leased to builders in 1893, and Mapesbury Road constructed in the following year.The main development took place between 1895 and 1905, consisting of brick-built houses with extensive tree planting. In 1982 Mapesbury was designated a conservation area.

Politics

The ward returns three councillors to sit onBrent Council.At the2006 election,the ward which had been aLabour/Conservativemarginal elected threeLiberal Democratcouncillors. They retained their seats at the2010 election,but at the2014 electionLabour took 2 of the 3 seats from the Liberal Democrats.

The ward forms part of theBrent Centralparliamentary constituency and is represented in parliament byDawn Butlerof the Labour Party.

Demographics

Mapesbury ward has strong links to Irish culture and over 10% of its population are Irish.In the2011 censusit had the second largest number of Irish residents among wards in London.

Notable residents

• Ken Livingstone,formerMayor of Londonand MP for Brent East between 1987 and 2001, lives in Mapesbury.
• Paul Celan's paternal aunt Berta Antschel – one of the few relatives of his who had survived the Holocaust – lived in a flat in Mapesbury Road, where Celan visited her in April 1968 and wrote the poem "Mapesbury Road", which was published posthumously in the collectionSchneepartin 1971.