Shepherds Bush

Shepherd's Bush (also Shepherds 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 She

Shepherd's Bush (also Shepherds Bush) is a district of west London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, situated 4.9 miles (7.9km) west of Charing Cross. Although it is primarily residential in character, its focus is the shopping area of Shepherds 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/south-west, West Kensington to the South, Holland Park (and then Notting Hill) to the east, Willesden and Harlesden to the north and by Acton and Chiswick to the west.

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Geography

The area's focal point is Shepherds Bush Green (or Shepherds 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, Shepherds 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 Shepherds Bush.

Most of the areas to the east of the barrier differ significantly in character, being associated with the more affluent 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 Shepherds Bush.

Commerce

Commercial activity in Shepherds Bush is focused on the West 12 shopping centre opposite Shepherds 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-� -brac. It caters considerably to the local Afro/Caribbean and Somali communities.

The Westfield Group (with Hausinvest Europa) is 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 Shepherds Bush rather than its namesake, White City.

In October 2008, The Westfield shopping centre, Europe's biggest shopping centre will open in Shepherd Bush, and will be located north of Shepherds Bush Green and east of Wood Lane (opposite the BBC).

Residential

The residential areas of Shepherds 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-storey terraces dating from the late 19th century, and subsequently divided up into small flats.

Shepherds Bush is also home to the White City Estate, a huge housing estate. It was originally constructed for the 1908 Olympic Games, and was used to house the athletes and their teams, and has given its name to the northern part of Shepherds Bush which is now better known as White City.

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History

The name Shepherds 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. 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".

Demographics

Significant communities of travellers from Australia and New Zealand exist in Shepherds Bush. Street names in the area suggest links to South Africa but these were inspired by places and personalities from the Boer War or by their proximity to the former position of the South Africa Pavilion in the White City exhibition area. There is a Polish community, with a community centre in nearby Hammersmith. East African, West Indian, Syrian, Lebanese, Iranian and Irish communities have a strong association with the area.

Transport

Underground stations in Shepherds Bush area showing the location of Wood Lane/White City stationThe common itself is served by three London Underground stations - two of which are named Shepherds 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 600 m 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 Shepherds Bush, are also served by White City and (somewhat further afield) East Acton stations on the Central Line.

As a result of the construction of a shopping centre at the White City development, 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 Shepherds Bush (H&C) station will be renamed Shepherds Bush Market.

There will also be a "southern interchange", comprising another new bus station, a redeveloped Central line station, and a new (or rather, reinstated) station on the West London Line, Shepherd's Bush railway station, which will form part of the new London Overground system. The opening of the new Overground station has been delayed due to the fact that the platforms have been built 18 inches too narrow, and must be rebuilt.

Shepherd's Bush was also the terminus of the proposed West London Tram, which was a proposed on-street light rail line running from here via Acton, Ealing and Southall to Uxbridge in the west. This project was cancelled in 2007[5] in favour of an enhanced bus service and the development of Crossrail.

Tube stations

Goldhawk Road tube station
Shepherd's Bush tube station (Central Line)
Shepherd's Bush tube station (Hammersmith and City Line) (to be renamed Shepherd's Bush Market in 2008)
Wood Lane (Hammersmith & City Line) tube station (under construction)
White City tube station

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Railway stations

Shepherd's Bush railway station (under construction)

Culture

Entertainment

The junkyard in the sitcom Steptoe & Son was situated at the fictional 24 Oil Drum Lane, Shepherds Bush.

The BBC used to have many offices in Shepherds Bush, but many 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's presence in the Bush is now concentrated in two huge sites on Wood Lane, Television Centre and the White City building. The Media Village was built next to the White City building recently, and is used by the BBC and other media companies including Red Bee Media (formerly BBC Broadcast, now a private company). Television Centre is the national home of BBC Television, and it is from there that BBC TV and radio news, the BBC website and a host of TV drama and light entertainment are broadcast.

The Bush Theatre is one of the most celebrated new writing theatres in the world. Situated on the green it has international reputation for discovering, nurturing and producing the best new theatre writers from the widest range of backgrounds, and for presenting their work to the highest possible standards. The Bush is widely acclaimed as the seedbed for the best new playwrights, many of whom have gone on to become established names in the entertainment industry, yet regularly return to our West London home.

The Shepherds Bush Theatre, built in 1901, was used by the BBC as a TV studio for many years for such shows as Wogan, That's Life!, Crackerjack, This is Your Life and others until 1991; it is now the Shepherds Bush Empire. BBC Television is still based at Television Centre in Wood Lane, while their other major site/building BBC — White City stands on the site of the 1908 London Olympic Games, also called White City.

Shepherds 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.

Bush Hall is another, rather smaller, venue at 310 Uxbridge Road, built in 1905 as a dance hall. It predominantly showcases smaller acoustic performers 'on their way up' (including M Ward, Emiliana Torrini and Songdog), 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.

Ginglik is an even smaller venue located underneath Shepherds Bush Green in a former Victorian toilet. It has featured events with bands, DJs and comedians including Jimmy Carr, Al Murray and Jerry Sadowitz. It announced in August 2008 that it was shortly to close.

Shepherds Bush Walkabout is a popular music and live sports venue located on the western end of the green. It is part of a chain of Antipodean themed bars located throughout the United Kingdom, that specialises in music and sports from Australia and New Zealand, and caters to expatriates from those nations by providing food and beverages sourced from both countries. On Australian and New Zealand national holidays, big sporting events such as the Australian Football League grand final, and memorial days such as Anzac Day the Shepherds Bush Walkabout becomes very busy. The live music is usually a mixture of up and coming local acts, and cover bands who play Australian and New Zealand classic songs and contempary popular music.

The members of several important rock and roll groups, including Bush, The Clash, Symposium (band), The Who and the Sex Pistols, grew up in Shepherds Bush, as did (more recently) rock singer Pete Doherty. The post-grunge band Bush take their name from Shepherds 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 Shepherds Bush.

Actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost used to live 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.

Nelson Kumah, producer of The Geoff Show on Virgin Radio has famously said many times on the show that he lives in Shepherds Bush.

In the Westfield shopping centre area at White City, the grade II listed Dimco buildings (1898), now being redeveloped as a bus station, were used as the location for the 'Acme Factory' in the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit?.

In Neil Gaiman's novel Neverwhere, the lead role, Richard, says "There are no shepherds in Shepherd's Bush. I've been there. It's just houses and stores and roads and the BBC. That's all." Hunter then replies "There are... pray you never meet them."

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Sports

Shepherds 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 Shepherds Bush. Shepherds Bush F.C. were the local side till 1915.

Former England national rugby union team captain Lawrence Dallaglio was born in Shepherds Bush