Remains of hyena, hippo, ox, red and giant deer, bison and straight tusked elephants from the Palaeolithic or Old Stone Age have been recovered in Brentford together with flint tools.
Flint flakes from the tips of arrows and flint implements and tools made from bone and horn from the Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age show that hunter gatherers were in the area.
Remains from the Neolithic or New Stone Age show there was a settled agricultural community who used flints, pottery, axes and hammers.
Implements recovered from the foreshore of the Thames in Brentford dating from the Bronze Age suggest some manufacturing centre where metalwork was exchanged. It is thought that the settlement may have been on an island near the junction of the Brent and the Thames.
There is a sword found in the area dating from the Iron Age in Gunnersbury Park Museum. A tankard from 150BC is part of the Layton Collection as well as brooches and a yoke terminal from a chariot.
All act as proof that people have been living in Brentford since prehistoric times.
54BCE Julius Caesar invaded southern England and reported the existence of defensive stakes in the riverbank where his army forded the Thames. Sir Montague Sharpe found stakes in the river at Brentford and put forward the theory that this was the site of Caesar’s crossing but no archaeological evidence has been found to substantiate this theory
50CE The first London Bridge was built and London was established as the Roman capital. Their main route to the west ran through Brentford and this was the main route to the west country
for 2000 years.
122 Hadrian’s Wall was built
c450 The Romans left Britain
Late Sixth Century Christianity was revived in Britain.
663 The Synod of Whitby was held which established the Pope as the leader of the Church.
780 Offa, King of Mercia held a Council Meeting in Brentford.
781 A Church Synod meeting was held to settle a dispute between King Offa and the Bishop of Worcester which suggests that there was a religious site in the area.
Late Eighth century Offa of Mercia styled himself King of England and built earthworks to keep the Welsh at bay.
793 First attacks on the country by the Vikings are recorded
The History of Brentford 