The west London district is a key commercial area and borders Shepherds Bush to the north, Kensington to the east, Chiswick to the west and Fulham to the south, with which it forms part of the north bank of the River Thames. Barnes in the southwest can be reached via the Hammersmith Bridge.
The combination of two tube stations, a bus station and then the arrival of the A4 flyover in the 1960s has turned Hammersmith into a major transport hub, allowing people easy access to the Riverside Studios, the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, the Hammersmith Apollo and Ravenscourt Park where facilities include tennis courts, a playground, a basketball court and a bowling green.
Hammersmith has a truly international feel, reflected in its restaurants and cafés, offering Indian, Italian, Polish and Vietnamese food alongside traditional English pub grub. For fresh food farm produce head to Hammersmith Farmers’ Market, taking place at Lyric Square every Thursday.
The first record of the name Hammersmyth appears in 1294, the name possibly a combination of the Old English words of Hamor (a hammer) and Smyththe (smithy) with the land part of the Manor of Fulham, owned by the Bishop of London.
King Street formed part of the main route from London to Windsor and The Swan on the Broadway was a popular stop off for stage coaches. The district’s riverside location attracted notable residents such as William Morris, the renowned writer and designer of fabrics and wallpaper, whose work can be seen in the William Morris Society and Kelmscott House Museum.
