Did you know that...
In the 13th century, the area was St Johns Wood Farm and it belonged to the St John’s Priory. It was part of the Great Middlesex Forest. It is estimated that there are more than 50,000 graves in St John’s Wood Church Grounds. The graveyard was closed in 1855 and turned into a public park.
Lord’s Cricket Ground is a cricket venue named after founder Thomas Lord which hosts a total of 500 matches annually from county sides to international tests. It was originally established in 1814. It included the MCC Museum that is the oldest sports museum in the world. The Ashes urn is one of the most famous displays.
Ranked by Forbes magazines as one of London’s most expensive districts, St Johns Wood NW8 has had its share of famous residents. Daphne Guinness, the heir of Arthur Guinness the famous brewer whose beer is known worldwide, used to live in this area. Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin Group, is another famous resident. Musicians Andy Fletcher, one of the founding members of Depeche Mode, and Paul McCartney, The Beatles member, used to live here at one point in their lives. Dutch painter Lawrence Alma-Tadema lived on Grove End Road. Biologist Thomas Huxley also lived in the area. Poet Thomas Wood, psychoanalyst Melanie Klein, sculptor George Frampton, and pilot Guy Gibson are other notable former residents.
Did you know that this area has a number of pieces of evidence of its multicultural spirit? A range of places of worship includes 4 Christian churches, 4 Jewish synagogues, and Regent’s Park Mosque.
Have you noticed how beautiful the St John’s Wood Church with its columned façade is? Being built in 1814 by Thomas Hardwick, an architect, the Chapel became a parish church in 1952. By the way, its disused graveyard is the only Local Nature Reserve that can be found in the City of Westminster.
Do you know that you can stroll around the vicinity and see the world’s oldest scientific zoo? Established in 1828, this London Zoo, also sometimes called Regent’s Zoo, is now a home for over 12 thousand animals.
A quick tip – avoid visiting the intersection of Abbey Road and Grove End Road if you’re in a rush. Beatles fans recreate the cover image of the 11th Fab Four’s album, released in 1969, and daily held up the traffic at the zebra crossing.