Brentford

Brentford is a place in the London Borough of Hounslow on the River Thames in South West London.

Brief history

Brentford, as the name suggests, was built on a fording point on the River Brent.

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The town is named as Bregentforda at the time of the Council of Brentford 781 and as 'Bregentforda' and 'Brentforda' in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle of 1016. The root 'Bregent-', naming the river is thought to originate from the name of the Celtic goddess 'Brigantia', tutelary goddess of the Brigantes tribe (who didn't live in Brentford).

Related Topics:
781 - 1016 - Brigantia - Brigantes

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The settlement pre-dates the Roman occupation of Britain, and thus pre-dates the founding of London itself. Many pre-Roman artefacts have been excavated in and around the area in Brentford known as 'Old England'. Bronze Age pottery and burnt flints have been found in separate sites in Brentford. The quality and quantity of the artefacts suggests that Brentford was a meeting point for pre-Romanic tribes where part of tribal rituals included the ceremonial casting of weapons into the river.

Related Topics:
Britain - London - Bronze Age

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It has been suggested that Brentford was also a main fording point on the River Thames, and was the point where Julius Caesar crossed the Thames during his invasion of Britain. It has been asserted, without strong evidence, that a documented battle fought at this time between Caesar's forces and Cassivellaunus took place at Brentford. There are, however, two other historically accredited battles of Brentford in 1016 and 1642

Related Topics:
River Thames - Julius Caesar - Cassivellaunus - 1016 - 1642

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Timeline

• 54 BC Brentford is a likely site of a battle recorded by Julius Caesar between Julius Caesar and local king, Cassivellaunus.
• 781 Council of Brentford recording settlement of a dispute between Offa, king of Mercia, and the Bishop of Worcester
• 1016 'Battle of Brentford' between the invading Canute and Edmund Ironside
• 1431 Relocation of Syon Abbey to Brentford from Twickenham
• 1539 Destruction of Syon Abbey by King Henry VIII
• 1616 - 1617 Pocahontas, the Native American 'Princess', lived in Brentford
• 1642 'Battle of Brentford' during the English Civil War
• 1717 Brentford Turnpike Trust founded to maintain the road between Kensington and Hounslow
• 1805 Start of operations of the Grand Junction Canal (later the Grand Union Canal)
• 1815 - 1817 John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the USA, lived in Brentford
• 1849 Start of operations of the Hounslow Loop line, providing service to Kew Bridge, Brentford Central and Syon Lane stations in the Brentford area.
• 1859 Start of operations of the Great Western & Brentford Railway company linking Brentford Dock to the Great Western Railway main line at Southall. Additional passenger station named 'Brentford Town' later constructed just north of Brentford High Street.
• 1884 Start of operations of Boston Manor Underground station (then known as Boston Road).
• 1889 Brentford Football Club founded by a rowing club seeking a winter sport.
• 1925 30th May - Great West Road officially opened by King George V. Later the Brentford section became known as the Golden Mile due to the large number of factories that relocated there to take advantage of the good communications. The factories provided high employment and stimulation to the local economy.
• 1929 1st January - Grand Junction Canal bought by the Regent's Canal and amalgamated with other canals to form the Grand Union Canal.
• 1965 Opening of elevated section of M4 motorway

The main road to the South West of Britain passed through Brentford for many centuries, and even now, the M4 motorway passes approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the original main road through Brentford.

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