The neighbourhood of West Hendon is situated in northwest London, straddling the line between the boroughs of Barnet and Brent, in the middle of Brent Cross, the M1, and Kingsbury Green. The locality is mainly residential, though much of it is taken up by green spaces and the vast Brent Reservoir. Residents are not at a loss for outdoor entertainment with Woodfield Park, Welsh Harp Open Space, York Park, and Fryent Country Park all in its vicinity. Locals have only a few restaurants and bars in the immediate area, but there are plenty lining nearby Edgware Road. The local stations of Hendon, Hendon Central, and Colindale mean that there is no shortage of convenient transport links into central London. This neighbourhood is a great choice for professionals looking to buy new property in an up-and-coming part of town, or for families who want an abundance of green space for the children to run around away from the busy inner city.

The neighbourhood area of West Hendon was a settlement that took up part of the ancient parish of Hendon, also known as the Hyde. Before the 1800s, there were just three farms, Upper and Lower Guttershedge and Cockman’s in the Wood, as well as an inn, The Welsh Harp. Between 1835 and 1838, the Brent Reservoir was constructed by damming the Brent and the Silk brooks and flooding much of Cockman’s Farm, drastically changing the make-up and future of the area. The reservoir drew people to the locality and became a centre for all sorts of sporting events such as ice skating, swimming and angling. In the mid-1880s, at the height of the area’s popularity, crowds in excess of 25,000 people could be expected on a Bank Holiday weekend.

It is estimated there are over 10,000 lbs. (4,500 kg) of fish in the Brent Reservoir. The reservoir was completely drained for engineering work in 2001 and the fish were caught, counted, and temporarily stored elsewhere.

During one very hot summer in the 1960s the water levels shrank dramatically and remains of some of the houses destroyed in the Second World War could be seen!

One of the downsides of this neighbourhood is that there is not a wealth of entertainment options. There are a few good restaurants in the neighbourhood, but one must travel a bit to find more options such as theatres. Also, some of the housing is a bit older and a little rundown. However, with the regeneration projects that have occurred recently, it is likely that this will be remedied in the coming years.

The local councils of Brent and Barnet have identified the potential of this neighbourhood area and both have designated it as a growth area and one that will be benefit from regenerative development. Barnet Council has plans to introduce around 10,000 new homes within Colindale by 2036, and the Brent local plan sets out a goal of at least 1,100 new homes by 2026.

Brent Council partnered with United Living South to deliver 61 one-bedroom self-contained residential flats on Honeypot Lane, as part of Brent’s New Accommodation for Independent Living (NAIL) project. Near to the site, the council has also pledged to carry out improvements to the communal gardens of the neighbouring NHS Kingswood Centre. Kingsbury Place, a new development in the area by Latimer Homes, intends to deliver 43 one and two-bedroom Shared Ownership apartments around an enclosed communal garden.