London/Hammersmith and Fulham

BBC Television Centre, Shepherd's Bush

Hammersmith and Fullham is a borough in west London, and boasts 3 Premiership football teams within its boundaries.

Understand

This is a large district of the inner west of London.

The most well known part of the district is perhaps Shepherd's Bush which has long been a first home in London to second and first generation immigrants. While this is less true today than in the past, the area undergoing gradual gentrification, beautification and development, there is still a substantial expatriate population (including a great many travelling Antipodeans).

Culturally, Shepherd's Bush is well known as the home of the BBC with the Television Centre located on Wood Lane in the White City sub-district. The Bush was also the fictional home of Steptoe & Son at Oil Drum Lane. The members of two influential British bands, The Who and the Sex Pistols grew up in Shepherd's Bush. It is also the home of newly promoted football team Queens Park Rangers (QPR), who play in the top-level Premier League.

Elsewhere in the district, the residential riverside areas of Fulham have been hugely gentrified in the past 20 years and it is now sometimes difficult to determine where (previously much grander) Chelsea ends and Fulham begins. Fulham is also home to the EPL football teams Fulham FC, Queens Park Rangers and Chelsea FC (at Fulham Broadway).

Get in

By tube

Tube stations servicing this borough are:

• Shepherd's Bush (Central line)
• Shepherd's Bush Market (Circle, Hammersmith & City lines)
• Wood Lane (Circle, Hammersmith & City lines)
• White City (Central line)
• Hammersmith (Piccadilly, District, Circle, Hammersmith & City lines)
• Goldhawk Road (Circle, Hammersmith & City lines)
• Barons Court (District and Piccadilly lines)
• West Kensington (District line)
• Fulham Broadway (District line)
• Parson's Green (District line)
• Putney Bridge (District line)

By bus

Bus 94 runs between Piccadilly Circus, via Oxford Street, Notting Hill, Holland Park, Shepherd's Bush and Chiswick to Acton Green (also a Night Bus service).

Buses 11, 14, 22, 28, 74, 190, 211, 295, 391, 414, 430, and night buses N11, N22 and N28, all stop in Fulham.

http://lbhf.gov.uk/Directory/Transport_and_Streets/Public_Transport/

By train

Shepherds Bush Railway Station is served by three trains per hour between Clapham Junction and Willesden Junction, and one train per hour between Milton Keynes and East Croydon.

By road

The A219 links Fulham with the A205 (South Circular) and with the A4.

Get around

The Gatehouse at Fulham Palace

See

• Chelsea Harbour Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, SW10 0XG, ☎ +44 20 7225 9101, e-mail: enquiries@chelsea-harbour.co.uk. 09:30-17:00 daily. The cutting edge of British design from Furniture to Fabrics and Lighting. Some showrooms actually sell their designs (at impossible prices). There is also a nice cafe here.

• Fulham Palace, Bishop's Ave, SW6 6EA, ☎ + 44 20 7736 3233, e-mail: education@fulhampalace.org. Sa 11:00-14:00, Su 11:30-15:30, M Tu noon-16:00. Free. The former retreat of the Bishops of London now incorporates Bishop's Park and is a lovely green area in a heavily built part of London as well as home to some important historic buildings. Also a museum which charts the history of the palace back to the 11th century and a small cafe.

• Brompton Cemetery, can be nice, if morbid, for an afternoon stroll, especially as a route (and cycle route) between Old Brompton Road and Fulham Road. (Fulham Cemetery and Hammersmith Cemetery are interesting too, though not as old or large.) Nearby you can visit Brompton Oratory, a famous Catholic Italinate-style church, with a famous school attached, were three of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's children attended.

• Earl's Court, the gigantic exhibition centre, hosts all sorts of conventions and concerts, from arcade-gaming trade fairs, to the Ideal Home Show.

• Queens Club, hosts the traditional mens warm-up tennis competition, before the Wimbledon Chamipionship. This grand Victorian structure is home to other raquet sports such as badminton and squash. A new National Tennis Centre has been built further west at Roehampton, to hopefully end the Wimbledon English-winner drought.

• Hurlingham Park (tube: Putney Bridge). A large open park which is mainly sports pitches. It does though have some lovely frontage right onto the Thames and makes for a lovely walk for that reason.

• Ravenscourt Park, Padderswick Rd (tube: Ravencourt Pk). An eight hectare park in Hammersmith with a long history. It is home to a lake, tea house, tennis courts, an all-weather football pitch, a bowling green, areas in which to just sit or play, a garden centre and some truly ancient trees, particularly cedars.

• Barnes Wetland Centre, just across the river from Craven Cottage, is an idlyic spot for bird-watching, and a entertaining place for kids to learn about nature. It also possible to get involved with rowing, a traditional pastime of the gentry of England. Lots of clubhouses dot along this part of the Thames from Putney to Mortlake.

Do

Cinema, Theatre and concerts

• Bush Theatre, Uxbridge Rd near Shepherd's Bush Green, W12 (tube: Shepherd's Bush), ☎ +44 20 8743 3584. Home of the Alternative Theatre Company and dedicated to breaking new plays and new writers.

• Riverside Studios, 1 Crisp Road, Hammersmith, London, W6 (tube: Hammersmith), ☎ +44 20 8743 3584. Riverside Studios is a production studio, theatre and independent cinema on the banks of the River Thames in Hammersmith.

• Irish Culture Centre, Blacks Rd, W6 9DT (tube: Hammersmith), ☎ +44 20 8563 8232, e-mail: info@irishculturalcentre.co.uk. Regular performances of Irish music and Irish art exhibitions.

• MyVue Cinema, West 12 Shopping and Leisure Centre, Shepherd's Bush (tube: Shepherd's Bush). Large chain multiplex showing all the big films in comfort and some style

• 02 Shepherd's Bush Empire, Shepherd's Bush Green, W12 8TT (tube: Shepherd's Bush), ☎ +44 20 8354 3300, e-mail: mail@o2shepherdsbushempire.co.uk. Built in 1903 and at the centre of the entertainment scene ever since, the Empire is one of London's premier live music venues, with an emphasis on contemporary rock and pop.

• Vue Fulham Broadway, Fulham Broadway Shopping Centre, Fulham Road (tube: Fulham Broadway). Modern multiplex showing the latest mainstream films

Other

• BBC Television Centre Tours, Wood Ln, W12 7RJ, ☎ +44 28 9053 5904. £7-9.50. Take the tour of BBC with a BBC Backstage Tour.

• Fulham FC, Craven Cottage, Stevenage Rd, SW6 6HH (Craven Cottage is about 10 min walk from both Putney Bridge and Parsons Green tube stations), ☎ +44 870 442 1222, e-mail: enquiries@fulhamfc.com. The home of EPL football team Fulham. The oldest team in London. Tours of their quirky old stadium on non-matchdays are fun.

• Despite the name, Chelsea FC are actually ironically located in Fulham too. Stamford Bridge has tours on non-matchdays, though the tickets are fairly pricey, as is the Club Shop for souvenirs. It is the one of the best supported teams, hence tickets are hard to come by, unlike QPR and Fulham to a lesser extent. The stadium has an illustrious history, dating back to before the foundation of the team, and is worth a visit as it may not be around in a couple of years time, if Chelsea's owner has his way.

• Queen's Park Rangers FC, Loftus Rd Stadium, South Africa Rd, W12 7PA (Loftus Rd is about a 5-min walk from White City, Shepherd's Bush Market and Wood Ln tube stations, and is situated just north of the Uxbridge Rd). The home of Premiership football team QPR.

Buy

• Fulham Broadway (Around the tube station of the same name). Shopping centre.

• North End Road Market, North End Road, between Lille Rd and Fulham Rd (tube: Fulham Broadway). Mondays to Saturdays, 8am to 6pm. A London street market that's high on character and low on tourists, this has been running since the 1880s. A good place for fresh and affordable fruit and vegetables, household goods, and other items.

• Shepherds Bush Market, Uxbridge Rd (Tube: Goldhawk Rd). An astonishing array of goods with Afro-Caribbean, Middle Eastern and Indian cultural influences vying for the shopper's attention.

• Westfield Shopping Centre, Ariel Way, W12 7GF (tube: Shepherd's Bush), ☎ +44 20 3371 2300. The largest urban shopping mall in Europe. Vast array of stores, restaurants and a 14 screen cinema.

Eat

There are loads of great restaurants in Fulham along the high streets and also a distinct lack of any chain restaurants (don't worry, you can find all of these along Putney High St if you're desperate). It is often a good idea to just start walking along any of the main roads and you should have more choice of places to eat than you will ever need.

Budget

Uxbridge Road is noted for good-value and diverse restaurants.

• Abu Zaad, 29 Uxbridge Rd, W12 8LH (tube: Shepherd's Bush), ☎ +44 20 8749 5107. M-Su 11:00-23:00. Ave £10. Authentic Syrian fare. Great value.

• King Solomon's, 300 Uxbridge Rd, ☎ +44 20 8749 1355. £3-7. Try the falafel kebab and hummus -- delicious! The take away menu is well priced, falafel is only £3.

• Raj of India, 46 Shepherd's Bush Road W6 7PJ (tube: Shepherd's Bush), ☎ +44 20 7602 9112‎. Very reasonable prices and good service at this popular Indian restaurant.

• Red Sea Restaurant, 382 Uxbridge Rd, W12 7LL (tube: Shepherd's Bush), ☎ +44 20 8749 6888‎. All manner of Middle Eastern food with Eritrean and Ethiopian also town in! All at very reasonable prices.

Mid-range

• Fiesta Havana, 490-492 Fulham Rd, SW6 5NH (tube: Fulham Broadway), ☎ +44 20 7381 5005‎. Latin themed restaurant with live DJs and staff who will give you Salsa classes in between courses! The set Tapas menu for £10 is very popular.

• Le Cinnamon, 158B Shepherd's Bush Rd, W6 7PB (tube: Hammersmith), ☎ +44 20 7602 8899‎. Odd name for an Indian restaurant but that's what it is and a very good one to boot. Contemporary takes on many classic Indian dishes.

• Miraggio, 510 Fulham Rd, SW6 5NJ (tube: Fulham Broadway), ☎ +44 20 7384 9774‎. Ever-popular family-owned Italian restaurant. BYOB no problem. Has an adjoining deli.

Splurge

The River Cafe - Classy Italian and modern gourmet cuisine at Rainville Rd, Fulham, (not to be confused with the cafe at Craven Cottage which is open non-matchdays and nice for a quick bite or afternoon tea). A 3-course meal will set you back from £60-100, with lovely views of the Thames, you can often glimpse a celeb or two dining here.

Drink

Shepherds Bush Green contains many large chain pubs. Uxbridge Road and Goldhawk Road have smaller, more laid-back bars and gastro-pubs. Fulham is full of highly rated, popular pubs some of them right by the Thames.

• The Dove, 19 Upper Mall, W6 9TA (tube: Ravenscourt Pk). This pretty 17th century riverside establishment may have London's smallest bar (room just to the right of the entrance), as well as an outside seating area with river views.

• Duke on the Green, 235 New King's Rd, SW6 4XG (tube: Parson's Green), ☎ +44 20 7736 2777, e-mail: dukeonthegreen@youngs.co.uk. Very popular Young's pub at the Fulham end of the King's Rd.

• The Goldhawk, 122 Goldhawk Rd, W12 8HH (tube: Goldhawk Rd), ☎ +44 20 8576 6921. Popular local pub, good food and wine.

• The Morrison Bar and Lounge, 648 King's Rd, SW6 2DU, ☎ +44 20 7610 9859, e-mail: info@themorrison.co.uk. Smart bar on the King's Rd in the heart of Fulham. Has a popular resident guitarist.

• The Walkabout (Walkie), 56 Shepherd's Bush Green, W12 8QE (tube: Shepherd's Bush), ☎ +44 20 8740 4339. Largest concentration of Aussies and Kiwis in London (most people will find that idea horrible!). Expect lots of Antipodean sports.

• The White Horse, 1-3 Parson's Green, SW6 4UL (tube: Parsons Green), ☎ +44 20 7736 2115. Awarded best pub of the year several times, it offers an extensive choice of local and imported beers, both draught and bottled. It also serves restaurant grade meals. Particularly interesting, each one of them is matched with a beer. Somewhat expensive, but it is a must.

Sleep

Shepherd's Bush and Hammersmith are well known as the home of many discount hotels (some of low quality, unfortunately) and B&Bs. With the gradual gentrification of the area, more comfortable and expensive options are appearing.

Budget

• Abbey Hotel, 23 Wood Ln, W12 7DP (tube: Shepherd's Bush), ☎ +44 20 8749 8780, e-mail: info@abbeyhotel.org. £69. Budget hotel close to the BBC Television Centre. Discounts for long stays.

• Adria Hotel, 44 Glenthorne Rd, W6 0LS (tube: Hammersmith), ☎ +44 20 8742 6674. £69. A four generation family run hotel with excellent transport connections and good value for money. Regularly refurbished.

• Grantly Hotel, 50 Shepherds Bush Green, W12 8PS (tube: Goldhawk Rd), ☎ +44 20 8743 4345, e-mail: grantlyhotel@gmail.com. £67. No-frills budget hotel in an converted Edwardian house. Single, Double and Family rooms available.

• Hotel Sergul, 87 Shepherds Bush Rd, W6 7LR (tube: Hammersmith), ☎ +44 20 7603 5400, e-mail: info@hotelsergul.co.uk. £40. Affordable smart hotel with excellent links to West End and close to Olympia and Earls Court exhibition centre.

• Jim's Guest House, 26 Aldine St, W12 8AN (tube: Shepherd's Bush), ☎ +44 20 8743 0456, e-mail: info@jimsguesthouse.co.uk. From £79. Good value bed and breakfast. Family suite available.

• Plaza Hotel, 53 Shepherds Bush Rd, W6 7LU (tube: Goldhawk Rd), ☎ +44 20 7603 2667. From about £40. Actually three hotels all run by the same company - The Plaza, The Rex and The Acropolis. All similar standard and nearby to each other.

• Royal Guest House, 47 Shepherds Bush Rd, W6 7LU (tube: Goldhawk Rd), ☎ +44 20 7603 4528, e-mail: info@royalguesthouse.co.uk. From £45. Very cheap guesthouse within walking distance of Shepherd's Bush and Hammersmith. Triple rooms available.

Mid-range

• Hammersmith Apartments, 109 Hammersmith Gr, W6 0NQ, ☎ +44 20 8748 2645. From £34/person. Great value Luxury Serviced Apartments in the heart of residential Hammersmith. Stay in London for business or pleasure, in a home-from-home environment.

• Jurys Inn Chelsea Hotel, Imperial Rd, Imperial Wharf SW6 2GA, ☎ +44 20 7411 2200. From £79. Affordable hotel of one of the better hotel chains. All rooms are ensuite and large by London standards.

• La Reserve, 422-428 Fulham Rd, SW6 1DU (tube: Fulham Broadway), ☎ +44 20 7385 8561. £95. Small hotel with 43 rooms in the extreme south-east of the district bordering Chelsea.

• Novotel London West, 1 Shortlands, Hammersmith W6 8DR (tube: Hammersmith), ☎ +44 20 8741 1555. From about £130. Very large business-class hotel. The rooms are reasonably priced with basic amenities in each room. Wireless internet available, or basic internet through the room's television. English breakfast available at extra charge. Restaurant/Bar/Lounge, massage center, concierge, cash machine, shoe shine machine, tourist information desk, porter, dry cleaning/ironing available, currency exchange, pets allowed with deposit.

• Premier Inn, 3 Putney Bridge Approach, SW6 3JD (tube Putney Bridge), ☎ +44 870 238 3302. From £90. In the extreme south of the district close to the Thames

• The Ville's B&B, 39 Brookville Road, SW6 7BH (tube Parsons Green), ☎ +44 207 381 2093. From £80. In the friendly area with fashionable restaurants, cafes, pubs and antique shops

Splurge

• Lamington Serviced Apartments, 109 Hammersmith Gr, W6 0NQ (Tube: Hammersmith or Goldhawk Rd), ☎ +44 20 8748 2645, e-mail: lettings@lamingtonuk.com. From around £68.50. Luxury short term serviced apartments for business and leisure guests. Spacious and modern apartments in a quiet residential area, with local restaurants, delicatessens, and amenities, and in walking distance of major transport links.
• K-West, Richmond Way (tube: Shepherd's Bush), ☎ +44 20 8743 3206. From £150. Modern, fashionable hotel with a day spa.

Go next

Routes through London/Hammersmith and Fulham

END ← North London ←	W  E	→ Paddington-Maida Vale → Bloomsbury
END ← West London ←	W  E	→ Notting Hill-North Kensington → Bloomsbury-Soho
END ←	W  E	→ Notting Hill-North Kensington → Mayfair-Marylebone
Richmond-Kew (Richmond branch) / END (Ealing branch) ← West London ←	W  E	→ South Kensington-Chelsea → Westminster
Wimbledon ← Wandsworth ←	W  E	→ South Kensington-Chelsea → Westminster / Mayfair-Marylebone
END ←	W  E	→ Notting Hill-North Kensington → Bloomsbury-Camden
Heathrow Airport / North London ← West London ←	W  E	→ South Kensington-Chelsea → Westminster-Mayfair-Marylebone
North London ← Hammersmith ← South Kensington-Chelsea ←	N  S	→ South Kensington-Chelsea → Fulham → Wandsworth