The local journey · NW2 area guide

Cricklewood

Cricklewood is a neighbourhood of contrasts: a busy, practical Broadway, a Thameslink station close by and residential streets that change noticeably from one pocket to the next. Its homes range from historic railway terraces and established period houses to larger 1930s family homes, conversions and apartments.

NW2

Living locally

A busy Broadway, Thameslink station and changing mix of period, railway and 1930s housing shape Cricklewood’s local character.

A practical centre with residential streets close behind.

Cricklewood works well for people who want everyday amenities close at hand without giving up the feel of a residential street. The Broadway is the main shopping and transport focus, but move a short distance away and the pace changes quickly.

Ivy Road and Mora Road have an established period character, while roads such as Blackstone Road and Wren Avenue are associated with larger 1930s family houses. The Railway Terraces form another distinct pocket, with a smaller scale and a history closely tied to the arrival of the railway.

Busy, useful and continuing to change.

Cricklewood Broadway is the practical and commercial heart of the area. Its mix of independent international food shops, restaurants, cafés and everyday services gives residents plenty of useful local choice, with Cricklewood station nearby on Cricklewood Lane.

The Broadway combines historic buildings with newer investment, but it is not the whole Cricklewood story. Established residential roads begin almost immediately behind it.

A genuine mixture, road by road.

Ivy Road and Mora Road contain established period homes and conversions, while Blackstone Road and Wren Avenue are known for larger 1930s family housing. Elsewhere there are purpose-built flats, period conversions and newer apartments, particularly around the busier commercial and railway landscape.

Two properties with a Cricklewood address can offer quite different architecture, proportions and surroundings, so it is important to understand the particular pocket rather than relying on the postcode alone.

A distinct historic pocket.

The Crown has served the area in different forms since the days of coach travel and its present building dates from the late nineteenth century. The opening of Cricklewood station in 1868 helped drive the neighbourhood’s growth, with the Railway Terraces developing as part of that railway story.

Their smaller-scale houses provide a clear contrast with the larger family homes found on roads such as Blackstone Road and Wren Avenue.

Approved change beside the Broadway.

The area around 249–289 Cricklewood Broadway and 32–74 Hassop Road has planning permission for a mixed-use redevelopment. The approved scheme is intended to refurbish and replace parts of the former garage, workshop and commercial environment with updated retail and employment space, co-living accommodation, affordable flats, improved public space and a new arcade linking Hassop Road with the Broadway.

This scheme is approved rather than completed. If delivered as planned, it should give this part of Cricklewood a markedly different feel, but the finished shops, homes and public realm should not yet be treated as existing amenities.

Waitrose on the Broadway.

Waitrose opened its 18,000 sq ft full-line supermarket at 194–196 Cricklewood Broadway, London NW2 3BN, on 22 October 2026—its first new supermarket opening in eight years. Close to Cricklewood station, it adds another everyday food-shopping choice to the Broadway’s established mix.

A major programme to the north.

Brent Cross West station opened in December 2023 and is already operating. The wider Brent Cross Town project is a projected £8bn programme planned to deliver thousands of homes, new parks and playing fields, shops, cafés, restaurants and substantial workspace over the coming years.

Some elements are open and others remain under construction or planned. The programme is useful wider context for Cricklewood, but it is not a replacement for Cricklewood station or the Broadway.

Everyday choice along the Broadway.

The Broadway supplies most of the area’s day-to-day shopping, with independent international food stores, restaurants, cafés, practical retail and services. Bifulco Butchers on Cricklewood Lane is a particularly well-established local independent, while Costa Coffee at 173 Cricklewood Broadway is another current reference point.

Waitrose at 194–196 Cricklewood Broadway now sits alongside that independent mix, broadening the area’s everyday food-shopping choice.

Local identity matters more than a ward line.

Cricklewood is centred on the Broadway, Cricklewood Lane and the station. Childs Hill sits farther east towards Finchley Road, while Brent Cross is the larger commercial and regeneration area to the north. Local usage overlaps around the edges, so the individual road remains important.

Mapesbury Estate, Dollis Hill and Willesden Green have their own local identities. The Railway Terraces remain locally part of Cricklewood even though they fall within Barnet’s Childs Hill ward.

Cricklewood is more varied than the Broadway first suggests.

The high street is busy and practical, but the housing changes within a short distance—from older period homes around Ivy Road and Mora Road to larger 1930s houses on roads such as Blackstone Road and Wren Avenue. The Railway Terraces add another, smaller-scale layer of local history.

There is genuine change around the area too. Waitrose is now open on the Broadway, the approved Hassop Road scheme proposes new commercial space, homes and a pedestrian link, and the wider Brent Cross programme is already visible through Brent Cross West station. The useful question is not simply whether a property is in Cricklewood, but which side of the area it occupies and what that particular road offers.

Local detail

The character of Cricklewood, street by street.

Transport

Cricklewood station on Cricklewood Lane is served by National Rail Thameslink services. The Broadway and surrounding roads also have a broad bus network.

The station is not fully step-free: there are no lifts and access differs by platform. Check the latest National Rail information if an accessible route is required.

Schools

Anson Primary School on Anson Road and Claremont Primary School on Claremont Road are two current local primary examples.

School admissions and catchment arrangements can change, so always check the latest information for the individual address.

Green space

Clitterhouse Playing Fields are useful from the northern side, where an improvement programme has begun. Gladstone Park is another substantial option close by towards Dollis Hill rather than a central Cricklewood landmark.

Area questions

Useful answers about Cricklewood.

What types of property are found in Cricklewood?

The mix includes established period houses, larger 1930s family homes, smaller historic Railway Terraces, period conversions, purpose-built flats and newer apartments.

Which railway serves Cricklewood?

Cricklewood station on Cricklewood Lane is served by National Rail Thameslink services. It is not fully step-free, so check the latest platform information if accessible travel is required.

What is changing around Cricklewood Broadway?

A full-line Waitrose opened on the Broadway in October 2026, and the approved Hassop Road scheme proposes new commercial space, homes, public-realm improvements and a link to the Broadway.

Is Cricklewood the same as Childs Hill or Brent Cross?

No. Cricklewood is centred on the Broadway, Cricklewood Lane and its station. Childs Hill lies farther east, while Brent Cross is the larger commercial and regeneration area to the north.

What green spaces are nearby?

Clitterhouse Playing Fields are convenient from the northern side, while Gladstone Park is close by towards Dollis Hill. The practical choice depends on the exact address.

“Local knowledge is not a list of landmarks. It is understanding how one street, one building and one daily rhythm differs from the next.”

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