West London’s charming Northwood is a much loved, quiet area of London, with plenty to do that blur the lines between life in the suburbs and the city. From at least the 14th century there was a hamlet here, and there's known to be a few cottages recorded here from 1565, but by 1841 there were only 41 occupied houses in Northwood. It remained a pretty rural area until the late 19th century, with many of its locals supplying firewood to London. But, when the anticipated extension of the Metropolitan Railway from Pinner to Rickmansworth was constructed in 1887 and opened a station at Northwood, the area became rather popular. And today, it is very much thought of as a stockbroker belt residential district.