West Hampstead

West Hampstead is an area in northwest London, England, situated between Childs Hill to the north, Frognal and Hampstead to the north-east, Swiss Cottage to the east, and Kilburn to the south. Until the late 19th century, the area was a small village call

West Hampstead is an area in northwest London, England, situated between Childs Hill to the north, Frognal and Hampstead to the north-east, Swiss Cottage to the east, and Kilburn to the south. Until the late 19th century, the area was a small village called West End. Modern West Hampstead emerged with the arrival of the railways, and the transformation of the area from farm land to housing estates. In 1879, the Metropolitan Railway adopted the name West Hampstead for their station on West End Lane, the main road through the area. Their motivation seemed to be to avoid confusion with the main retail area in central London, also known as the West End.

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A few hundred yards south, toward central London, West End Lane joins Abbey Road, of Beatles fame. The road leads to St John's Wood.

West Hampstead's proximity to the Metropolitan line at Finchley Road and its own Jubilee line stop (West Hampstead), together with a high concentration of fashionable bars and restaurants, means that the area is a popular destination for a night out for people who live in the northwestern suburbs of London. West End Lane itself is home to a number of cafes, bakeries and small shops, a regular haunt for the local population, which adds to the area a distinct village atmosphere during the day. Both the West Hampstead Thameslink and West Hampstead Overground have stations on West End Lane making the area one of the best served by public transport in London.

History

The first public library in West Hampstead was opened in 1901, but was destroyed by a fire bomb in 1940.

The West Hampstead Fire Station was opened in 1901 also. It is still operational, responding to over two thousand emergency calls a year. It covers 12 square miles, including Hampstead, West Hampstead, Kilburn, Cricklewood and parts of Golders Green.

Transport links

There are three railway stations named West Hampstead all within close proximity, as well as a number of other tube stations in the area. Numerous local bus routes also pass through the district.

Tube: West Hampstead tube station, on the Jubilee line. Nearby is Finchley Road tube station, on the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines.

Trains: West Hampstead Thameslink station on Thameslink, and West Hampstead Overground station on the North London Line.

Buses: 139 (West Hampstead to Waterloo via Oxford Street, 24 hours), 328 (Golders Green to Chelsea via Notting Hill), and C11 (Brent Cross Shopping Centre to Archway via Hampstead Heath).

Plans were put forward in 2004 for a West Hampstead Interchange, to connect the three West Hampstead stations in one complex, but this proposal has not been approved.

Famous residents

Emma Thompson - actress, comedian, and screenwriter. Two-time Academy Award-winner. Starred in Remains of the Day, Love Actually and Nanny McPhee among other films.
Matt Lucas - comedian and actor. Stared in Little Britain
Jim Carter - actor from films such as Shakespeare in Love and The Golden Compass. Married to Imelda Staunton.
Imelda Staunton - actress from theatre and films such as Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Stephen Fry - actor, writer and filmmaker
Doris Lessing
Sophie Thompson
Angela Griffin

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Interesting facts

The contestants in The X Factor (UK series 3) 2006 and The X Factor (UK series 4) 2007 were housed in West Hampstead and would often be seen around the area.

Simon Scott, from band Televise and former drummer from Slowdive lives in the area. Their first music video, for the single "I don't know why", was entirely shot in the neighbourhood.

Decca Records had their recording studio on Broadhurst Gardens in West Hampstead. The studios gained some infamy as the site of The Beatles failed audition for Decca. The studios also saw David Bowie and The Rolling Stones record early albums.

Had 1960s road planners had their way, the M1 would have been extended south to a new terminus at West Hampstead, where it would have interchanged with the never-built "North Cross Route" motorway. This plan would have resulted in widespread demolition of large areas of West Hampstead and Kilburn.