Middlesex County
(Historic)

Map Reference: (51.552478, -0.304486)

Middlesex is an inland historic county of southeastern England. The River Thames was the key to the history of Middlesex. From about 8000 BCE traders and settlers used the Thames as their waterway. During the Iron Age (c. 500 BCE) settlements existed at Brentford and Heathrow. By the 1st century BCE Belgic tribes had established themselves in southeastern England, and Middlesex formed part of the Catuvellauni territory. The Romans set up outposts at what became Staines and Brentford. In the early 5th century CE the Saxons began to colonize the area. Positioned as it was between the East and West Saxons, the region soon obtained its modern name (meaning “middle Saxons”); the earliest written record of it is in the form Middelseaxan, in a charter of 704.
From early times Middlesex was dominated by the City of London, which in the 12th century obtained the right of appointing the sheriff of the county. It was for centuries the county retreat of royalty and wealthy London merchants. The most outstanding building is the royal palace of Hampton Court; other mansions include Osterley, Syon, and Swakeleys. During early modern times, the urban area of London expanded beyond the boundaries of the City of London into parts of Middlesex such as the present-day London boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Camden, Islington, Hackney, Hammersmith, Fulham and outer boroughs include Hounslow, Hillingdon, Ealing, Brent, Harrow, Haringey, Enfield, Richmond-upon-Thames and Barent.