Shepherd's Bush
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Shepherd's Bush is a district of West London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, situated 4.9 miles (7.9 km) west of Charing Cross. Although it is primarily residential in character, its focus is the shopping area of Shepherd's Bush Green, which has a small shopping centre with a supermarket, cinema and gym, and a large number of small and mostly independent shops.
It is bordered by Hammersmith to the south, by Holland Park (and then Notting Hill) to the east, by Willesden and Harlesden to the north and by Acton and Chiswick to the west.
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[edit] Geography
The area's focal point is Shepherd's Bush Green (or Shepherd's Bush Common), an 8-acre (approx) triangular area of open grass surrounded by trees and roads with shops, and containing two tennis courts at its northwestern apex.
The Green is a hub on the local road network, with four main roads radiating from the western side of the green and three roads approaching its eastern apex, meeting at the large Holland Park Roundabout. This position makes it an important node of the bus network, with thirteen bus routes arriving there. It is also served by three London Underground stations (see Transport below).
To the east, Shepherd's Bush is bounded by the physical barrier to movement of the West London railway line and the grade-separated West Cross Route (part of the aborted 1960s London Motorway Box scheme); the Holland Park Roundabout and the small Addison Bridge to the south are the only ways to cross this barrier from Shepherd's Bush.
Most of the areas to the east of the barrier differ significantly in character, being more associated with Holland Park and Notting Hill - although the Edward Woods Estate just to the northeast of the roundabout is part of and managed by the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and is therefore more closely associated with Shepherd's Bush.
[edit] Commerce
Commercial activity in Shepherd's Bush is focused on the West 12 shopping centre opposite Shepherd's Bush Central line station and on the many small shops which run along the northern side of the Green.
Originally built in the 1970s with a rooftop car park and connecting bridge to the station, the shopping centre was significantly redeveloped in the 1990s. The bridge was removed, and the centre now houses several chain stores, a 12-screen cinema, gym, pub, restaurants and a supermarket.
The small shops continue along Uxbridge Road to the west for some distance, and another set of shops and restaurants line Goldhawk Road from the Green to the southwest. Many of these establishments cater for the local ethnic minority communities (see Demographics).
Running parallel to, and partly under, the Hammersmith and City Line tracks there is a large permanent market, selling groceries, cooked food, clothing and bric-à-brac. It caters considerably to the local Afro/Caribbean and Somali communities.
The Westfield Group (with Hausinvest Europa) are building a new shopping centre, bounded by the West Cross Route (A3220, was the M41), the Westway (A40, previously A40(M)), and Wood Lane, A219 (also the old A40). This centre will be branded "Westfield London" and is mainly being constructed on the site of the Franco-British Exhibition (1908) and the 1908 Summer Olympics on land owned by London Underground. However, this area is considered by locals to be part of Shepherd's Bush rather than its namesake, White City.
[edit] Residential
The residential areas of Shepherd's Bush are primarily located to the west of the Green, either side of Uxbridge Road and Goldhawk Road to the southwest, and about as far as Askew Road in the west. Much of the housing in this area consists of three- or four-story terraces dating from the late 19th century, and subsequently divided up into small flats.
[edit] History
The name Shepherd's Bush is thought to have originated from the use of the common land here as a resting point for shepherds on their way to Smithfield Market in the City of London.[1] An alternative theory is that it could have been named after someone in the area, because in 1635 the area was recorded as "Sheppards Bush Green".[2]
[edit] Demographics
Significant communities of travellers from Australia and New Zealand exist in Shepherd's Bush. Road names in the area also suggest links to South Africa. There is a Polish community, with a community centre in nearby Hammersmith. Somali, East African, West Indian, Syrian, Iranian and Irish communities have a strong association with the area.
[edit] Transport
The common itself is served by three London Underground stations - two of which are named Shepherd's Bush, confusingly. Shepherd's Bush (Central line) at the eastern apex of the common is the busiest station (both in terms of passengers and trains), whilst Shepherd's Bush (Hammersmith and City line) is about 600m to the west (near the north-western corner of the green). The remaining south-western corner of the green is served by Goldhawk Road, also on the Hammersmith & City line. (Formerly part of the Metropolitan Line).
The primarily residential areas to the west of the common, also recognised as part of Shepherd's Bush, are also served by White City and (somewhat further afield) East Acton stations on the Central Line.
As a result of the current development work at White City, two new transport hubs will be created in the area. The "northern interchange" will consist of the existing White City station on the Central line along with a new bus station and an adjacent new station (to be named Wood Lane) on the Hammersmith and City line at the Wood Lane overbridge. The station will be positioned east of Wood Lane with its entrance north of the line, to reduce the walking distance for those connecting with the Central line at the existing White City station. The existing Shepherd's Bush (H&C) station will be renamed Shepherd's Bush Market.
There will also be a "southern interchange", comprising of another new bus station, a redeveloped Central line station, a new (or rather reinstated) station on the West London Line and potentially a tram terminus for the West London Tram, which is a proposed on-street light rail line running from here via Acton, Ealing and Southall to Uxbridge in the west.
The development is due to open in 2009.
[edit] Culture
[edit] Entertainment
Shepherd's Bush was the setting for the sitcom Steptoe & Son, at 24 Oil Drum Lane. The BBC used to have many offices in Shepherd's Bush, but all have now been closed or re-located. They included the Lime Grove Studios on the site of previous film studios Gaumont and Gainsborough Pictures. Sulgrave House, Threshold and Union Houses and Kensington House—now a hotel.
The BBC also used the Shepherd's Bush Theatre built in 1901 as a TV studio for many years for such shows as Wogan, That's Life!, Crackerjack, This is Your Life and others until 1991 and is now Shepherd's Bush Empire. But BBC Television is still based at Television Centre in Wood Lane, their other major site/building BBC — White City stands on the site of the 1908 London Olympic Games, also called White City.
Shepherd's Bush Empire is a music venue, and has played host to some very popular acts, including David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Neil Finn, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Bob Dylan. Muse have also recently played a free show there in June. There is another, rather smaller, venue at 310 Uxbridge Road called Bush Hall, built in 1905 as a dance hall. It predominantly showcases smaller acoustic performers 'on their way up' (including M Ward and Emiliana Torrini), but has also been used by much better-known acts like R.E.M., Scissor Sisters and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds for fan club shows.
The members of several important rock and roll groups, including Bush, The Clash, The Who and the Sex Pistols, grew up in Shepherd's Bush, as did (more recently) rock singer Pete Doherty. The post-grunge band Bush take their name from Shepherd's Bush. In the Spring of 2004 two actors, Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman rented a small property in Bulwer Street, off Wood Lane, where they prepared for their epic motorcycle journey Long Way Round.
Classical musicians Evelyn Glennie and Robert Steadman have both lived in Shepherd's Bush.
Many sketches from the BBC comedy series Monty Python's Flying Circus were filmed in various locations in Shepherds Bush, due primarily to its proximity to BBC Television Centre.
[edit] Sports
Shepherd's Bush is home to Queens Park Rangers football club, who play their home games in Loftus Road. Olympic gold medal winner Linford Christie also grew up in Shepherds Bush and a sports stadium on nearby Wormwood Scrubs is named in his honour "The Linford Christie Stadium". Some of the football games in the 1908 Olympics were hosted in Shepherd's Bush. You can also play football in the park and smoke joints. Its legal nowaday.
[edit] Gallery
 Shepherd's Bush's West 12 Shopping Centre, north entrance. (September 2006) |
 Shepherd's Bush Market, early morning, from the Uxbridge Road end. (September 2006) |
 Proposed White City development, due to open in 2008. (As displayed on hoardings). |
 Proposed new Shepherd's Bush station, due to open in 2007. (As displayed on hoardings). |
[edit] External links
- Local Labour Party
- Andy Slaughter MP - website of the Member of Parliament for Ealing, Acton and Shepherds Bush and Labour's candidate for the new Hammersmith seat.
[edit] References
- ^ "A local history of Hammersmith & Fulham", My Hammersmith. Accessed 23 June 2006.
- ^ "What's in a name?", BBC London. Published October 2004, accessed 18 June 2006.
