West Kensington, London
Coordinates: 51°29′27″N 0°12′23″W / 51.4907°N 0.2065°W / 51.4907; -0.2065
| West Kensington | |
  West Kensington shown within Greater London |
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| OS grid reference | TQ246783 |
|---|---|
| London borough | Hammersmith & Fulham |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | London |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LONDON |
| Postcode district | W14 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| European Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament | Hammersmith and Fulham |
| London Assembly | West Central |
| List of places: UK • England • London | |
West Kensington is an area of west London primarily located within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, encompassing some western areas of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, located 3.4 miles (5.5 km) west of Charing Cross. West Kensington, the London postal area of W14 is roughly defined as the area between Brook Green & Hammersmith Road to the west, Fulham to the south, Shepherd's Bush to the north and Kensington to the east.
It is best known as home to the Olympia Exhibition Centre and the Queen's Club at Barons Court.
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Residential
West Kensington is primarily a residential area consisting mainly of Victorian terraced houses, many of which are subdivided into flats. There are excellent examples of Victorian architecture, with several houses and some entire streets listed - including the imposing mansion blocks of Fitzgeorge Avenue (off North End Road) and the mansion blocks around Avonmore Road including, Glyn Mansions (Built 1897), Avonmore Mansions and Avonmore Gardens (Built 1893) which is located next to the new Kensington Village development. There are also a number of ex-local and local authority buildings around the North End Road, including the recently renovated Lytton Estate. Many of these buildings have been sold off to first-time buyers and young professionals. A more recent private development, St Paul's Court, was built in 1980 on the former site of St Paul's School.
Demographics
West Kensington is a cosmopolitan enclave, with significant local population diversity. There is a significiant population of Arabs, Americans, Australians and New Zealanders together with Irish other mainland Europeans - Italian, Spanish. The area also has a large student population, given its close proximity to Imperial College London, Charing Cross Hospital, South Kensington, Hammersmith and other Central London Universities.
Locale
West Kensington has a major advantage in its location. An influx of spill-over wealth from Kensington (W8) means that the area has experienced significant developments including the opening of more speciality shops, eateries and gastropubs. West Kensington straddles the border between the boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea. Although it is true that the area has not experienced the same level of investment and rejuvenation as its neighbours Earl’s Court and Fulham, new building and renovation work is ongoing.
Location in Context
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Commercial/Education
Local business consists of small shops, offices and restaurants, with the Olympia Exhibition Centre nearby. Indeed, it is the mix of local shops that give the area its character.
High Street Kensington is the principal shopping area however West Kensington is within easy reach of Earl's Court, The Broadways of Fulham and Hammersmith and Notting Hill.
There are several pubs and hotels, including The Albion public house which is reputedly haunted. The Baron's Court Theatre is also located in basement of "The Curtains Up" bar and restaurant.
The Carnival Store is a famous fancy dress and costume shop located in the same premises on Hammersmith Road and family owned for the past 40 years.
Avonmore Road has become home to Kensington Village, a new development of high-specification office buildings. West Kensington is also home to the Cardinal Vaughan School, the St James Independent School for Junior Boys and Girls and St James Independent School for Senior Girls.
Famous residents
- Sir Edward Burne-Jones, acclaimed Victorian architect, resided at the Grange, North End Crescent in West Kensington [1].
- William Crathern, the composer, was organist of St Mary's, West Kensington (at that time known as "North End").
- Edward Elgar lived for some years in 51 Avonmore Road [2].
- Peg Entwistle; noted Broadway actress whose 1932 suicide from atop the Hollywood Sign forever tagged her as "The Hollywood Sign Girl" had her earliest childhood at 53 Comeragh Road in West Kensington. [3]
- Estelle the West London rapper was born and raised in West Kensington; her song "1980" was written about her experiences growing up in the area.
- Tom Felton was born here
- Marcus Garvey, Pan Africanist, founder of the Black Star Line shipping company and the UNIA, lived and died in West Kensington.
- Mahatma Gandhi lived in West Kensington for a year while a student.
- Henry Rider Haggard lived for several years in Gunterstone Road, West Kensington, and wrote "King Solomon's Mines" and "She" while living there.
- James Hunt Formula 1 Champion lived in Normand Mews between 1980 and 1982 [4].
- Konnie Huq owns property in the area [5].
- James MacLaren designed 22 and 22A Avonmore Road for sculptor HR Pinkes [6].
- Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman 's Long Way Down office was based on Avonmore Road, West Kensington [7].
- Freddie Mercury and Mary Austin lived at 100 Holland Road, W14 [8]
- Sir Stirling Moss, Formula 1 Champion was born in West Kensington - Sep 17th 1929.
- Billionaire David Reuben has lived at the same West Kensington house for the past 20 years. [9].
- Queen (band) shared a flat at 36, Sinclair Road, W14 [10]
- William Butler Yeats lived in Edith Villas with his family in 1867 [11].
- Stephen Hester Chairman of Royal Bank of Scotland [12].
Transport
West Kensington is remarkably well served by public transport, owing to its central location between the Fulham, Hammersmith and Kensington hubs.
- Tube: Four separate Tube lines are within a 5 to 15 minute walk of West Kensington - District Line from West Kensington Station, Piccadilly Line from Barons Court/Earl's Court, Circle and District Line from High Street Kensington and Hammersmith and City Line from Hammersmith tube station.
- Overground: The London Overground is available from Kensington (Olympia) station.
- Bus: Several Bus routes are available in the area including the 9, 10, 27, 28, 49, 360 and C1. Along Hammersmith Road, there are numerous buses linking the area to Paddington, Hammersmith, Chiswick, Notting Hill, Oxford Street, Aldwych, King's Cross and Trafalgar Square. The N9 bus also runs from Olympia to Heathrow via Isleworth and West Middlesex Hospital.
- Road: West Kensington is also conveniently located close to the A4 (West Cromwell Road) with links to the West and Heathrow and High Street Kensington with links to the Central London/West End.
Nearest Tube Stations
- West Kensington
- Barons Court
- Kensington (Olympia)
- Earl's Court (Exhibition Entrance)
- High Street Kensington
- West Brompton
- Hammersmith
Nearest Locations & Places of Interest
- Queen's Club - home to The Queen's Club Championships
- Olympia Exhibition Centre
- Sotheby's central London sales room is located at the Olympia
- Blythe House Archive & Library Reading Room (Victoria & Albert Museum)
- North End Road Market
- Earls Court Exhibition Centre
- Kensington High Street
- Holland Park
- Hyde Park
- Fulham Broadway
- Hammersmith Broadway
- Hammersmith Apollo
- Westfield London
Trivia
Heather Graham and Mia Kirshner play upper-middle-class dilettantes from West Kensington in the 2008 movie Buy Borrow Steal [13].
The "Famous Three Kings" pub was the venue of Joy Division’s last London gig [14].
In the movie Trainspotting, the flat that Renton shows the young couple around when he gets the job as an estate agent and ultimately stashes Begbie and Sickboy in is 78A North End Road, opposite West Kensington tube station.
W14 had become the first London postcode to not have a post office - however an agreement was reached with North End News in February 2009 to provide a post office counter [15].
References
- ^ Melbury Road, Leighton House, and the Holland Park Artists' Houses
- ^ The Elgar Trail
- ^ [1] The Hollywood Sign Girl
- ^ Telegraph Article "Colourful Past" Nos 7&8 Normand Mews
- ^ Konnie Huq Article - Daily Mail
- ^ Olympia and Avonmore Character profile, London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham
- ^ The Long Way Down Office
- ^ http://www.queenconcerts.com/london.html
- ^ Britain's Billionaires
- ^ http://www.queenconcerts.com/london.html
- ^ New York Times WB Yeats "A Life"
- ^ New Royal Bank of Scotland Boss Hired
- ^ Daily Brendan Gunn - Dialogue Coach Article
- ^ Landmarks of Rock
- ^ Campaigners put post office back on the map in Olympia
External links
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