Ruislip

Ruislip (ˈraɪslɪp ) is an area in the London Borough of Hillingdon in West London. Prior to 1965 it was in Middlesex. Ruislip lies west-north-west of Charing Cross, London. The manor of Ruislip appears in the Domesday Book, and some of the earliest settlements still exist today, designated as local heritage sites. The parish church, St Martin's, dates back to the 13th century and remains in use. The buildings at the northern end of Ruislip High Street form the core of the original village square and are now Grade II listed. It originally featured a central water pump, but this was moved out of the road in the 1970s as a result of increased traffic. The expansion of the Metropolitan Railway from Harrow in the early 20th century acted as a catalyst for development in the area. Ruislip station opened in 1904, and a new urban district was created to reflect the forthcoming population growth; the Ruislip-Northwood Urban District split from the Uxbridge Rural District and continued until 1965, when Ruislip became part of the newly established London Borough of Hillingdon. Major landmarks in the area include Ruislip Lido, a former reservoir, now an area of public parkland with its own miniature railway and Manor Farm, a settlement dating from the 9th century which is now designated as a local heritage site. Ruislip is included within the Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner and Uxbridge & South Ruislip parliamentary constituencies and is covered by three electoral wards within the local council. As of the 2019 general election, Ruislip is represented by two Conservative MPs: the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and David Simmonds. At the time of Edward the Confessor, the manors of Ruislip and Ickenham belonged to a Saxon named Wulfward White, a thane of the king who owned land in 11 counties. Ruislip parish included what are now Ruislip, Northwood, Eastcote, Ruislip Manor and South Ruislip. Wulfward lost much of his land during the Norman conquest of England; Arnulf de Hesdin took control of Ruislip – his ownership is recorded within the 1086 Domesday Book.