Misplaced Pages

#121878

48-529: Brook Green is an affluent sub-neighbourhood of Hammersmith in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham . Located approximately 3.6 miles (5.8 km) west of Charing Cross , it is bordered by Kensington , Holland Park , Shepherd's Bush , Hammersmith and Brackenbury Village . The Brook Green neighbourhood takes its name after the recreational park space also named Brook Green, which runs from Shepherd's Bush Road to Hammersmith Road. The area

96-652: A Hammersmith Society Conservation award plaque (2009) and has been included in tours in Architecture Week. Several of Hammersmith's pubs are listed buildings , including the Black Lion , The Dove , The George , The Hop Poles , the Hope and Anchor , the Salutation Inn and The Swan , as are Hammersmith's two parish churches , St Paul's (the town's original church, rebuilt in

144-765: A basketball court, a bowling lawn, a paddling pool, and playgrounds. Hammersmith is the historical home of the West London Penguin Swimming and Water Polo Club , formerly known as the Hammersmith Penguin Swimming Club . Hammersmith Chess Club has been active in the borough since it was formed in 1962. It was initially based in Westcott Lodge , later moving to St Paul's Church, then to Blythe House and now Lytton Hall, near West Kensington tube station . The area

192-496: A fully independent parish in 1631. In the early 1660s, Hammersmith's first parish church, which later became St Paul's , was built by Sir Nicholas Crispe who ran the brickworks in Hammersmith. It contained a monument to Crispe as well as a bronze bust of King Charles I by Hubert Le Sueur . In 1696 Sir Samuel Morland was buried there. The church was completely rebuilt in 1883, but the monument and bust were transferred to

240-511: A geographical description in the 19th century. Like other areas of the capital, West London grew rapidly in the Victorian era as a result of railway-based commuting; with the building of the termini at Paddington and Marylebone , and the lines radiating from them, having a particularly profound effect. This trend continued in the twentieth century and was subsequently reinforced by motorcar-based commuting. The size of London stabilised after

288-482: A major centre of London's Polish community . It is a major transport hub for west London , with two London Underground stations and a bus and coach station at Hammersmith Broadway . Hammersmith may mean "(Place with) a hammer smithy or forge", although, in 1839, Thomas Faulkner proposed that the name derived from two 'Saxon' words: the initial Ham from ham and the remainder from hythe , alluding to Hammersmith's riverside location. In 1922, Gover proposed that

336-547: A shopping centre, bus station, an Underground station and an office complex. Stretching about 750 m (820 yd) westwards from this centre is King Street , Hammersmith's main shopping street. Named after John King, Bishop of London , it contains a second shopping centre ( Livat Hammersmith ), many small shops, the town hall , the Lyric Theatre , a cinema, the Polish community centre and two hotels. King Street

384-651: Is on the main A4 trunk road heading west from central London towards the M4 motorway and Heathrow Airport . The A4, a busy commuter route, passes over the area's main road junction, Hammersmith Gyratory System, on a long viaduct, the Hammersmith Flyover . Hammersmith Bridge closed in August 2020 to pedestrians, cyclists and road traffic, severing the link with Barnes in the southwest. Its cast iron pedestals that hold

432-726: Is principally composed of tree-lined streets with Victorian townhouses and boasts a significant French and Italian, as well as growing Chinese, expatriate community. Brook Green itself and adjacent streets are among the most prestigious and expensive residential addresses in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham due to their proximity to leading schools such as St Paul's Girls' School , Bute House Preparatory School for Girls , St James Independent Schools , Ecole Francaise Jacques Prevert, and Kensington Wade. Brook Green has two main shopping areas, Shepherd's Bush Road and Blythe Road,

480-542: Is supplemented by other shops along Shepherds Bush Road to the north, Fulham Palace Road to the south and Hammersmith Road to the east. Hammersmith's office activity takes place mainly to the eastern side of its centre, along Hammersmith Road and in the Ark , an office complex to the south of the flyover which traverses the area. Charing Cross Hospital on Fulham Palace Road is a large multi-disciplinary NHS hospital with accident & emergency and teaching departments run by

528-474: Is thought to have carried Watling Street over the Thames in the vicinity. Tradition dates the foundation to the 7th Century AD with written records dating back to the 960s or early 970s. The Island and surrounding area became known as Westminster in reference to the church. The legendary origin is that in the early 7th century, a local fisherman named Edric ferried a stranger in tattered foreign clothing over

SECTION 10

#1732772801122

576-624: Is used to differentiate the area from other informal radial divisions of London, the Metropolitan Compass ; North London , East London and South London . The term "West London" has been used for a variety of formal purposes with the boundaries defined according to the purposes of the designation. The 2011 iteration of the London Plan included an altered "West" sub-region, to be used for planning, engagement, resource allocation and progress reporting purposes. It consists of

624-471: Is used to differentiate the area from the other parts of London: Central London , North London , East London and South London . West London was part of the historic county of Middlesex . Early West London had two main focuses of growth, the area around Thorney Island , site of Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster , and ribbon development heading west - towards Westminster - from gates in

672-465: The Guinness Book of Records listed as the smallest bar room in the world, in 2016 surviving as a small space on the right of the bar. The pub was frequented by Ernest Hemingway and Graham Greene ; James Thomson lodged and likely wrote Rule Britannia here. The narrow alley in which it stands is the only remnant of the riverside village of Hammersmith, the bulk of which was demolished in

720-709: The Hammersmith Ghost murder case , it set a unique standard in English legal history. In 1868, Hammersmith was the name of a parish, and of a suburban district, within the hundred of Ossulstone , in the county of Middlesex . Major industrial sites included the Osram lamp factory at Brook Green , the J. Lyons factory (which at one time employed 30,000 people). During both World Wars , Waring & Gillow 's furniture factory, in Cambridge Grove , became

768-515: The Imperial College School of Medicine . "The Ark" office building , designed by British architect Ralph Erskine and completed in 1992, has some resemblance to the hull of a sailing ship. Hammersmith Bridge Road Surgery was designed by Guy Greenfield. 22 St Peter's Square , the former Royal Chiswick Laundry and Island Records HQ, has been converted to architects' studios and offices by Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands . It has

816-531: The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham , and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London . It is bordered by Shepherd's Bush to the north, Kensington to the east, Chiswick to the west, and Fulham to the south, all on the north bank of the River Thames . The area is one of west London's main commercial and employment centres, and has for some decades been

864-531: The London Boroughs of Brent , Harrow , Ealing , Hammersmith and Fulham , Hillingdon , Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames . As well as including outer areas of West London, the sub-region also includes areas south of the river, not usually counted as part of West London; areas of the cross-river London Borough of Richmond upon Thames . The 2004-2008 and 2008-2011 versions of the sub-region varied in their composition. The W (Western) postcode area

912-666: The Mayor of London in 2011 referred to the London boroughs of Brent , Harrow , Ealing , Hammersmith and Fulham , Hounslow , Richmond , and Hillingdon as West London. Some parts of West London, such as Westminster and the West End are also a part of Central London , an area which also lacks precise definition. The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames spans the River Thames so its status can be ambiguous. The term West London

960-588: The Osram Lamp Factory, now converted into social housing, J. Lyons and Co. and its complex at Cadby Hall , and Post Office Savings Bank Headquarters in Blythe Road. Brook Green was also home to St Mary's College from 1850 to 1925, when the college moved to Strawberry Hill . St Paul's Girls' School , one of the leading independent schools in the country, has been situated on Brook Green since its foundation in 1904. The composer Gustav Holst

1008-560: The walls of the City of London . In the 17th century these areas of growth would be linked by high status new developments, which formed a focal point in their own right, later becoming known as the West End of London . The development of the area began with the establishment of the Abbey on a site then called Thorney Island , the choice of site may in part relate to the natural ford which

SECTION 20

#1732772801122

1056-483: The 12th century, has been described as London's First West End . From the 15th to 17th centuries, growth along the roads from Ludgate ( Fleet Street and The Strand ) and Newgate ( Holborn and High Holborn ) accelerated, and came to extend far beyond Farringdon Without, into Holborn , Bloomsbury and Westminster . Urban growth extending from the Westminster urban area, linked up with that extending from

1104-610: The 1890s) and St Peter's , built in the 1820s. Riverside Studios is a cinema, performance space, bar and cafe. Originally film studios, Riverside Studios were used by the BBC from 1954 to 1975 for television productions. The Lyric Hammersmith Theatre is just off King Street. Hammersmith Apollo concert hall and theatre (formerly the Carling Hammersmith Apollo, the Hammersmith Odeon, and before that

1152-468: The 1930s. Furnivall Gardens , which lies to the east, covers the site of Hammersmith Creek and the High Bridge. Leisure activity also takes place along Hammersmith's pedestrianised riverside, home to the pubs of Lower Mall, rowing clubs and the riverside park of Furnival Gardens . Hammersmith has a municipal park, Ravenscourt Park , to the west of the centre. Its facilities include tennis courts,

1200-618: The 20 megawatt (MW) coal-fired power station redundant. It closed in 1965; in its final year of operation it delivered 5,462 MWh of electricity to the borough. Hammersmith is located at the confluence of one of the arterial routes out of central London (the A4 ) with several local feeder roads and a bridge over the Thames. The focal point of the district is the commercial centre (the Broadway Centre) located at this confluence, which houses

1248-551: The Brook Green Hotel is a pub on ground level, along with a cocktail bar in the basement below and a hotel upstairs. The Queen's Head overlooks the green itself at the front and has a garden at the back. Brook Green boasts four English Heritage blue plaques : they commemorate the artist Sir Frank Short , the composer Gustav Holst , the Silver Studio of design, and the writer Elizabeth Anne Finn (founder of

1296-647: The City in the time of Henry VIII . It was at around that time that Westminster first acquired City status. In the mid 17th century Henry Jermyn , was instrumental in developing the St James's and Mayfair districts of Westminster. These districts provided a fashionable new focus for western London, that came to be known as the West End . Jermyn would become known as the Father of the West End . In 1720, John Strype 's "Survey of London" described Westminster as one of

1344-476: The City, ensured that western London was the fastest growing part of early London. The growth of the City of London beyond its city walls was much faster outside the western gates of Ludgate and Newgate than it was outside the gates to the north or to the east; this rapid growth was due to the roads from these western gates leading to the political centre of Westminster. The large and prosperous extra-mural ward of Farringdon Without , extensively urbanised during

1392-487: The Gaumont Cinema) is just south of the gyratory. The former Hammersmith Palais nightclub has been demolished and the site reused as student accommodation. The Polish Social and Cultural Association is on King Street. It contains a theatre, an art gallery and several restaurants. Its library has one of the largest collections of Polish-language books outside Poland. The Dove is a riverside pub with what

1440-456: The Thames to Thorney Island . It was a miraculous appearance of St Peter , a fisherman himself, coming to the island to consecrate the newly built church, which would subsequently develop into Westminster Abbey. He rewarded Edric with a bountiful catch when he next dropped his nets. Edric was instructed to present the King and St. Mellitus, Bishop of London with a salmon and various proofs that

1488-422: The area include the boroughs of Brent and Harrow , taking ancient Watling Street as the boundary in those outer areas. The Grand Union Canal is West London's major internal waterway. West London is bordered by the administrative counties of Surrey to the south west and south; Berkshire to the west and north west; Buckinghamshire to the north west; and Hertfordshire to the north. A publication by

Brook Green - Misplaced Pages Continue

1536-542: The charity now known as Elizabeth Finn Care). There is also Brook Green Market and Kitchen, a FARMA certified farmers market in Addison Primary School. Formerly: Places adjoining Brook Green: Stations: London Underground Lines: Brook Green, Hammersmith, appears as "Brugglesmith" in the Rudyard Kipling story of the same name which was first published in 1891. The story is a farce in which

1584-519: The consecration had already occurred . Every year on 29 June, St Peters day, the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers presents the Abbey with a salmon in memory of this event. The Palace of Westminster subsequently developed, with Parliament being based there from its establishment in 1265. The presence of the centre of government as a distinct focus for growth, accompanied by the proximity of

1632-626: The establishment of the Metropolitan Green Belt shortly after the Second World War . West London is an informally and inexactly defined area lying north of the River Thames and extends west from the edge of the City of London , to West London's historic and commercial core of Westminster and the West End , on to the Greater London boundary, much of which is formed by the River Colne . Some interpretations of

1680-529: The home of the Pocket family. Pip resides with the Pockets in their house by the river and goes boating on the river. William Morris 's utopian novel News from Nowhere (1890) describes a journey up the river from Hammersmith towards Oxford . In 1930, Gustav Holst composed Hammersmith , a work for military band (later rewritten for orchestra), reflecting his impressions of the area, having lived across

1728-538: The junction of Queen Caroline Street and King Street in the west to the junction of Hammersmith Road and Butterwick in the east. It forms the north side of the gyratory system also known as Hammersmith Roundabout. The Broadway Shopping Centre includes a major bus station. The length of King Street places the westernmost shops and offices closest to Ravenscourt Park Underground station on the District line , one stop west of Hammersmith itself. The first Hammersmith Bridge

1776-484: The latter of which is home to a number of small, independent shops. Also tucked in behind the green is a large Tesco supermarket. Brook Green is also close to Kensington High Street, King Street and Westfield London . The name Brook Green is first recorded in 1493, and the hamlet was established by the 16th century. The area was developed as industrialisation spread out of London. Businesses in Brook Green included

1824-416: The narrator, who it is implied is William Thackeray , has to escort a drunken sailor back to his wife. Brook Green is also mentioned in chapter four of Patrick Hamilton's 1928 novel Twopence Coloured as a place where accommodation can be found. Hammersmith Hammersmith is a district of West London , England, 4.3 miles (6.9 km) southwest of Charing Cross . It is the administrative centre of

1872-527: The new church. In 1745, two Scots, James Lee and Lewis Kennedy , established the Vineyard Nursery , over six acres devoted to landscaping plants. During the next hundred and fifty years the nursery introduced many new plants to England, including fuchsia and the standard rose tree . 1804 saw the trial of Francis Smith for the murder of Thomas Millwood in Beaver Lane, Hammersmith. Called

1920-417: The prefix was a personal name, Heahmaer or Hæmar, and stating that the suffix must be Anglo-Saxon from -myðe, meaning the junction of two rivers, as Hammersmith Creek merged with the Thames here. The earliest spelling is Hamersmyth in 1294, with alternative spellings of Hameresmithe in 1312, Hamyrsmyth in 1535, and Hammersmith 1675. The district was a chapelry of the ancient parish of Fulham , but became

1968-544: The river in Barnes for nearly forty years. It begins with a haunting musical depiction of the River Thames flowing underneath Hammersmith Bridge. Holst taught music at St Paul's Girls' School and composed many of his most famous works there, including his The Planets suite. A music room in the school is named after him. Holst dedicated Hammersmith : "To the Author of " The Water Gypsies ". West London The term

Brook Green - Misplaced Pages Continue

2016-576: The site of aircraft manufacture. Hammersmith Borough Council had provided the borough with electricity since the early twentieth century from Hammersmith power station . Upon nationalisation of the electricity industry in 1948 ownership passed to the British Electricity Authority and later to the Central Electricity Generating Board . Electricity connections to the national grid rendered

2064-467: The smoke drifting from the crowded City. A further factor facilitating rapid growth in West London was the very large number of bridges linking the area to South London and the area beyond; by contrast, even today, there are no bridges east of Tower Bridge , partly as the river becomes wider as it heads east. The term "West End of London" gained widespread currency as a proper noun, rather than just

2112-555: The suspension system in place had become unsafe. The centre of Hammersmith is served by two London Underground stations named Hammersmith: one is served by the Hammersmith & City and Circle lines and the other is served by the Piccadilly and District lines. The latter station is part of a larger office, retail and transport development, locally known as "The Broadway Centre". Hammersmith Broadway stretches from

2160-470: The then four distinct areas of London; in it he describes the City of London , Westminster (West London) , Southwark (South London) , and 'That Part beyond the Tower' (East London) . The area now usually referred to as North London developed later. As well as the proximity of the centre of government, the West End was long favoured by the rich elite as a place of residence because it was usually upwind of

2208-496: Was Director of Music at the school from 1905 to 1934, and in 1933 wrote Brook Green Suite for the school's junior orchestra. The Brook Green Hotel has stood at the western end of Brook Green since 1886. The original brook, which was covered over in the 19th century, still flows under the hotel. The area's inns – the Brook Green Hotel and the Queen's Head – were originally coach houses, and became popular entertainment venues. Today,

2256-548: Was designed by William Tierney Clark and opened in 1827 and was the first suspension bridge crossing the River Thames . It was redesigned by Joseph Bazalgette , and reopened in 1887. In August 2020, it closed to pedestrians, cyclists and road traffic as the cast iron pedestals that hold the suspension system in place became unsafe. Work began to improve the structural integrity of the bridge in 2022. Hammersmith features in Charles Dickens ' Great Expectations as

2304-470: Was introduced in 1857 to facilitate the distribution of mail. The postcode area is a sub-set of West London. The London Plan defines two areas of London as International Centres, the West End and Knightsbridge , both in west London. Five of the thirteen Metropolitan Centres in the plan are also in West London: Ealing , Hounslow , Harrow , Uxbridge and Shepherd's Bush . Eleven of

#121878