Human settlement in England
Alperton () is an area of north west London, England, within the London Borough of Brent. It forms the southern part of the town of Wembley and is 7.5 miles (12 km) west north-west of Charing Cross. It includes a handful of high-rise and many mid-rise buildings as well as streets of low-rise houses with gardens. It adjoins the Grand Union Canal's Paddington Arm, which is fed by the Brent Reservoir.
Toponymy
The name Alperton means "farmstead or estate associated with a man named Ealhbeorht", deriving from an Anglo-Saxon personal name and tūn, meaning farmstead or village in Old English.[2]
Demography
Shree Sanatan Hindu Mandir on Ealing Road
Alperton has one of the capital's highest populations from black or minority ethnic groups (BME). In the 1991 census, 43.2% of Alperton ward's population was Asian, only one point less than White. British Indians formed 31.5% in 1991 and 32.4% in 2001, with white having decreased to 27.8%.[3] According to the 2011 census, the largest ethnic group was Indian, 42% of the population, well above Brent's average of 18%. Other Asian was second largest at 17%. The most spoken foreign language was Gujarati, by 3,213 residents, followed by Tamil, spoken by 1,001 residents.[4] In the 2011 census 47.7% of residents are of the Hindu faith, Christians: 27.2% and Muslims: 11.9%.[5]
Transport
Road
Ealing Road, the main commercial road of Alperton
Shops on Ealing Road, Alperton
Ealing Road (A4089) and Bridgewater Road (A4005) are major roads that run through Alperton. Alperton Lane (B456) is another useful thoroughfare. The A406 North Circular Road passes by the east of Alperton.
The Grand Union Canal runs through Alperton and the Grand Union Walk is its old towpath, which was originally used by horses drawing the canal barges, and is now a recreational facility that serves Alperton.
Trains
Alperton station is on the Piccadilly line and located in the district. Other close stations include Hanger Lane (Central line) to the south; Stonebridge Park (Bakerloo line & Watford DC Line) to the east; and Wembley Central (Bakerloo line, London Overground's Watford DC Line, Southern & West Midlands Trains) to the north.
In popular culture
The Pleasure Boat public house, taking its name from the canal that runs by it
The towpath of the Grand Union Canal in Alperton has been used for various scenes in the BBC TV soap EastEnders. It was first used in an episode which aired on 3 October 1985, when the character Den Watts (played by Leslie Grantham) meets Michelle Fowler (played by Susan Tully) and it is revealed Den is the father of Michelle's baby. It was used again on numerous occasions, most famously on 23 February 1989, when Den Watts was shot before falling into the canal and supposedly dying. Den returned to the canal with daughter Sharon Watts on 3 October 2003, when he returned to Albert Square alive.
Alperton
