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GREENFORD GREENFORD and its surrounding areas have become an upcoming buoyant area in which to live. It is only minutes away from Ealing and Harrow, offers links to central London with the A40 and the M4, and also has easy access to Heathrow Airport. Greenford is an established area consisting mainly of 1930s and 50s properties, with a wide range of houses and maisonettes. There are local schools for all denominations and extensive shopping facilities where both modern and traditional tastes are catered for. There is a strong community feel in Greenford as it meets the needs of a diverse population and still manages to keep the village edge. The name Greenford is first mentioned in a Saxon charter of 845AD. It was known as Grenan Forda. In the Domesday survey, about 200 years later, the population contained 27 people and one Frenchman. The Abbey of Westminster held land in Greenford before the Norman Conquest and the manor remained in the hands of the Abbey until the Dissolution during Henry VIII's reign. Until the mid-19th century Greenford was almost exclusively agricultural and the population grew very slowly ? in 1801 a community of 359 people lived here and by 1871 it was still less than 600. The Paddington branch of the Grand Junction Canal opened in 1801 but becuase the area was so secluded by 1811 Greenford was a popular stop for day trips. There was no main road through the parish and the area remained isolated until the coming of the Great Western Railway. The age of the train changed the appearance and nature of Greenford completely with factories being established and residential development accelerating after the First World War Today the area is a vibrant community with new businesses and diverse communities.
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