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London/West

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Chiswick House
Chiswick House

West London is the outer west district of London.

[edit] Understand

West London's obvious popularity with travellers and short- to mid-term residents (backpackers, working holiday makers, etc.) can be explained by a number of factors, not least its proximity to Heathrow Airport, London's largest airport, and its multiple, easy transport connections with the West End and Central London.

Many outer areas of West London was once part of the county of Middlesex which no longer exists for administrative purposes. However, Middlesex is sometimes used as part of the postal address for these areas.

[edit] Boroughs

West London is itself made up of numerous suburbs, villages and satellite towns. Several areas of West London are particularly popular with travellers and backpackers, for their attractions, their facilities and their many accommodation options.

West London consists of the following boroughs:

  • Ealing [1] — The Borough of Ealing includes the following areas:
  • Ealing,known as the "Queen of the suburbs", transport hub and home to the famous Ealing Studios.
  • Acton, an area popular with visiting Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans. Popular with travellers on account of its entertainment options, relatively cheap accommodation (short stay and rental) and excellent transport links with the rest of London and further afield. Although part of the London Borough of Ealing, Acton very much has its own identity.
  • Southall is also known as 'Little India', and a must-visit if you have the time to venture out of Central London. If you do only one thing when here, make sure you have a curry in one of the many authentic Asian restaurants.
  • Hillingdon [2] — the westernmost Borough of London includes:
  • Uxbridge, the administrative centre of Hillingdon borough. A vibrant area on the edge of London, good shopping experience and good transport links to the West End.
  • Hayes
  • Ruislip
  • Hounslow [3] — a largely working class borough with many of the residents employed at nearby Heathrow airport includes the following areas:
  • Hounslow
  • Brentford
  • Chiswick, a leafy district, well-known for its wide variety of quality food outlets and venues.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By tube

Ealing Broadway rail and Underground station
Ealing Broadway rail and Underground station

West London is well served by Tube connections from Central London:

  • Piccadilly Line (blue) - Runs through Chiswick, then divides at Acton Town with branches to Heathrow and Uxbridge.
  • District Line (green) - Runs through Chiswick, then divides at Turnham Green with branches to Richmond and Ealing Broadway.
  • Central Line (red) - Divides at North Acton with branches to Ealing Broadway and West Ruislip.
  • Metropolitan Line (purple) - Runs through North London, then divides at Harrow-on-the-Hill with one branch joining the Picaddily line to Uxbridge. This is a quicker route to Uxbridge from Central London.

[edit] By train

These routes are useful for areas not well served by the tube.

  • Southwest Trains From Waterloo and Clapham Junction to Chiswick and Hounslow. Chiswick train station is located several hundred metres south of the Great West Road and Chiswick High Road.
  • Thames Trains From Paddington to Ealing Broadway, Southall and Hayes.
  • Heathrow Connect From Heathrow Airport to Hayes, Southall and Ealing Broadway.

[edit] By bus

The Oxford to London bus service runs every 15 minutes and stops at Hillingdon tube station on the Picadilly/Metropolitan line

[edit] By road

The main routes through West London are:

  • A4 and M4 Motorway linking London with the Lower Thames Valley, Bristol and South Wales.
  • A40 and M40 Motorway linking London with Oxford and Birmingham.

[edit] Get around

[edit][add listing] See

Although not as concentrated as Central London, West London's attractions are many:

[edit] Landmarks

  • Chiswick House and Gardens, Burlington Ln, Chiswick (Bus 190 (Hammersmith-Richmond)), [4]. W-Su and bank holidays 1 Apr-31 Oct 10AM-5PM, Sa until 2PM. Maintained by English Heritage, Chiswick House is a famous and fine example of the 18th century Palladian style of British architecture. The third Earl of Burlington (1694-1753),who designed this elegant Classical villa close to the Thames, drew inspiration from his grand tours of Italy, while William Kent was employed to create sumptuous interiors to contrast with the pure exterior. The classical gardens, although much reduced from their original size, are the perfect complement to the house. £4, children £2, concessions £3, family £10, EH members free.  edit
  • The Civic Centre, Uxbridge. Opened in 1979, The architecture of the sprawling, red brick building has attacted a lot of comment.  edit
  • Ealing Studios, [5]. Not open to the public. The oldest film studio in the world.  edit
  • Ealing Town Hall, 5 New Broadway, Ealing, W5 2BY, ☎ +44 20 8579 2424, [6]. Victorian gothic building built in 1888 still in use as town hall.  edit
  • Windsor Street, Uxbridge. Take a stroll along this historic street.  edit

[edit] Parks

  • Ealing Common, Ealing.  edit
  • Ealing Green, Ealing.  edit
  • Fassnidge Park, Uxbridge.  edit
  • Lammas Park, Ealing.  edit
  • Osterly Park, Osterley Park House, Isleworth, TW7 4RB (tube: Osterley), ☎ +44 20 8232 5050 (, fax: +44 20 8232 5080), [7]. House 4 Mar-1 Nov W-Su 1PM-4:30PM; gardens 3 Mar-1 Nov W-Su 11AM-5; park 29 Mar-24 Oct 8AM-7:30PM, 25 Oct-28 Mar 8AM-6PM. House and gardens £8.40, children 5-16 £4.20, children under 5 free, family ticket (for two adults and up to three children) £21; gardens only £3.70, children 5-16 £1.85, children under 5 free; park free.  edit
  • Ruislip Lido, Ruislip (Off the Ruislip to Northwood Road). A lake surrounded by woodland, the Waters Edge Pub/Resturant, a sandy beach (No swimming allowed), narrow guage railway rides around the lake.  edit
  • Syon Park, Brentford, ☎ +44 20 8560 0881, [8]. House: 24 Mar-31 Oct W Th Su, bank holiday Mondays, Good Friday, Easter Saturday 11AM-5PM (last entry 4:15PM); Gardens: 10:30AM-5PM daily or dusk if earlier except 25-26 Dec. The stately home of the Dukes of Northumberland for 400 years, Syon House and its 200-acre estate are located between Brentford and Isleworth. The main house was built to a design by the English architect Robert Adams, the grounds laid out by Capability Brown. Well worth a visit. Syon House & Gardens & Great Conservatory: £7.50, concessions/child £6.50, family £17.00; Gardens & Great Conservatory: adults £3.75, concessions/child £2.50, family £9.00.  edit
  • Walpole Park, Ealing (Just east of the town square). Relaxing experience. There is a small pond and an ice cream stall. There are also great playground facilities, and even a miniature zoo!  edit

[edit] Museums

  • Gunnersbury Park Museum, Gunnersbury Park, Popes Lane, W3 8LQ, ☎ +44 20 8992 1612 (, fax: +44 20 8752 0686), [9]. Apr-Oct 11AM-5PM, Nov-Mar 11AM-4PM. Local history museum for Ealing and Hounslow, housed in the former home of the Rothschild family. Free.  edit
  • Kew Bridge Steam Museum, Green Dragon Lane, Brentford, TW8 0EN, ☎ +44 20 8568 4757 (, fax: +44 20 8569 9978), [10]. Tu-Su 11AM-4PM. Museum of London's water supply. Multi visit ticket £9.50.  edit
  • The Musical Museum, 399 High Street, Brentford, TW8 0DU, ☎ +44 20 8560 8108 (, fax: +44 20 8847 9383), [12]. Tu-Su 11AM-5:30PM. Museum of automatic instruments. £8.00, concessions £6.50, children under 16 accompanied by an adult free.  edit
  • PM Gallery & House, Walpole Park, Mattock Lane, Ealing, W5 5EQ (tube: Ealing Broadway), ☎ +44 20 8567 1227. Tu-F 1-5PM, Sa 11AM-5PM. Houses Pitzhanger Manor House and an art gallery.  edit

[edit] Galleries

  • For Arts Sake, 45 Bond Street, Ealing, W5 5AS, ☎ +44 20 8579 6365 (fax: +44 20 8566 2974), [13]. M-F 10AM-5:30PM, Sa 10AM-6PM, Su 11AM-4PM. Modern British printmaking as well as ceramics and jewellery.  edit

[edit] Other

  • Hounslow Urban Farm.  edit

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit] Ealing

Many events take place in Ealing each year, including

  • Ealing Jazz Festival, Ealing.  edit
  • Ealing Beer Festival, Ealing.  edit
  • Ealing Comedy Festival, Ealing. Ealing hosts an annual comedy festival in the summer. Speaking of comedy in Ealing, in the late 1940s and 1950s Ealing was famous for a series of comedy movies filmed there.  edit
  • Questors, Mattock Lane, Ealing. The cinema is currently under reconstruction, said to include over 10 screens!  edit

[edit][add listing] Buy

[edit] Markets

  • Ealing Market, Leeland Road, Ealing. Street market with farm products.  edit

[edit] Shopping centres

Ealing Broadway square at Christmas time
Ealing Broadway square at Christmas time
  • Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre, Ealing (Moments from Ealing Broadway Station). Was opened by the Queen in 1987 and is home to many shops and a library. The enormous assortment includes WHSmith, Tchibo, Marks and Spencer, Tesco Metro, Boots and Argos.  edit
  • Arcadia Centre, Ealing (Opposite Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre).  edit
  • The Chimes Mall, Uxbridge. Among the the top 100 shopping destinations in the UK.  edit
  • The Pavillions, Uxbridge. Home to many high street names including Marks, Spencers and Argos to name but a few.  edit

[edit] Shops

  • Hippy Heaven, Ealing. Sells nice trinkets, jewelry, incense, and stones. There is also a tattoo/piercing shop, with skilled artists.  edit
  • The square in Ealing Broadway, Ealing. Often eventful, with beatiful decorations at Christmas time and musicians performing in the Summer. Christmas and Easter markets also take place in the shopping centre square.  edit

[edit][add listing] Eat

Chiswick is an area of West London with a wide range of options. There are at least 30 restaurants in Chiswick. Chiswick High Road has the usual wide selection of fast food outlets and supermarket food. For the more discerning, an extensive range of restaurants and eateries exists for all tastes and budgets that makes Chiswick a definite destination for the gastronome.

[edit] Budget

  • Coco's Noodle Bar, 70 The Mall, Ealinng, W5 5LS (tube: Ealing Broadway), ☎ +44 20 8840 8525. M-Sa noon-11PM, Su noon-10PM. Oriental restaurant serving delicious food from all over East and Southeast Asia.  edit
  • Edwards, 28-30 New Broadway, Ealing, W5 2XA, ☎ +44 872 148 4921. Breakfast and dinner-serving.  edit
  • The Green Cafe and Bar, 9 The Green, Ealing, W5 5DA, ☎ +44 20 8579 7493. Has an extensive burger menu.  edit
  • Haha's, 5 Mattock Lane, Ealing, W5 5BG (tube: Ealing Broadway).  edit
  • My Old Dutch, 53 New Broadway, Ealing, W5 5AH (tube: Ealing Broadway), ☎ +44 20 8567 4486 (), [14]. Dutch pancake house. Mains from £6.95.  edit
  • Nandos, Feltham (In the centre of Feltham).  edit
  • The Okawari, 13 Bond Street, Ealing, W5 5AP, ☎ +44 20 8566 0466 (fax: +44 20 8566 2010), [15]. Su-Th noon-3PM, 6PM-11PM; F-Sa noon-3PM, 6PM-11:30PM. Famous for its wonderful Japanese food, and with Takara plum wine on the menu it is worth a trip. Boxes from £9.  edit
  • Thai Tiara, 76 Whitton High Street, Twickenham, TW2 7LS, ☎ +44 20 8898 3303.  edit

[edit] Mid-range

  • Caffè Uno, Ealing. Breakfast and dinner-serving.  edit
  • The Devonshire by Gordon Ramsay, 126 Devonshire Road, Chiswick, ☎ +44 8719611418, [16]. Gastropub revamped by Gordon Ramsay. Simple food, well cooked with friendly staff. Note that parking in the area can be difficult. Average price £25-35.  edit
  • High Road Brasserie, 162-164 Chiswick High Road, Chiswick, ☎ +44 20 8742 7474, [17]. M-Th 7AM-midnight, F 7AM-1AM, Sa 8AM-1AM, Su 8AM-11PM. A recent addition to the High Street restaurant scene, highly reviewed in the local and national press. Menu includes brasserie classics, seafood platters, and fancy sandwiches. Daily set menu a real bargain at £15 a head for three courses. Three courses à la carte with wine averages £30-£45.  edit
  • Sam's Brasserie and Bar, Barley Mow Centre, 11 Barley Mow Passage, Chiswick (Just off the High Street and adjacent to Turnham Green), ☎ +44 20 8987 0555, [18]. 9AM-midnight. Trendy, relaxed, foody eatery popular among locals. Two course menu £15.  edit
  • La Trompette, 5-7 Devonshire Rd, Chiswick (tube: Turnham Green 418 m, Chiswick Park 821 m), ☎ +44 20 8747 1836, [19]. Probably the best restaurant in West London, great value French cuisine, excellent wine list. Prix fixe at £23.50 for lunch, £29 for dinner, although an a-la-carte meal would generally be over £50.  edit

[edit] Splurge

  • Henley's Restaurant and Bar, 140 Bath Road, Hayes Middlesex, UB3 5AW (At Radisson Edwardian Hotels), ☎ +44 20 8817 2607 (), [20]. M-F 7AM-midnight. Mains around £20.  edit
  • Qs Waters Edge, 4 Packet Boat Lane, Cowley, UB8 2.  edit

[edit][add listing] Drink

You will never be short of a pub in West London, with hundreds of great venues from Ealing to central London and beyond. Upmarket bars and clubs are also plentiful.

[edit] Ealing

Pubs in the centre of Ealing tend to be lively and rather noisy.

  • The Drayton, (Opposite West Ealing Station). Homely old fashioned pub.  edit
  • Finnegans Wake, Ealing Green. Cheap, lively and popular with students.  edit
  • The Haven Arms, (Near Ealing Broadway Station). Homely old fashioned pub.  edit
  • North Star, (Near the tube station). Slightly more upmarket and stocks a wide variety of draught beers.  edit

[edit] Acton

  • Redback Tavern, 264 High St, [21]. Haunt of many an Australasian backpacker and their hangers-on, a popular pub and live music venue.  edit

[edit] Uxbridge

Uxbridge is home to a many fine eateries and public houses. Many pubs are located along historic Windsor Street.

[edit] Feltham

Feltham's two main drinking establishments are

  • The Moon on the Square, (In The Centre). A Wetherspoon's chain pub.  edit
  • Red Lion, (On the corner of the High St and Browell's Ln). Used to have a giant boot in the beer garden for children to play in, but it has been removed. Has a new chef since summer 2009 and the lunchtime and evening food menus are good, as is the quality and price of the meals.  edit

[edit][add listing] Sleep

With its proximity to Heathrow Airport, Uxbridge has some good hotels. There is a recently opened (2009) travel lodge in the bus stations and numerous independent pubs offering accommodation in the local area.

[edit] Budget

  • Caspian Hotel, 14 Haven Green, Ealing, W5 2UU (Opposite Ealing Broadway Station), ☎ +44 20 8997 3524 (, fax: +44 20 8998 8236), [22]. On the slightly cheaper end of the scale. Doubles from £50.  edit
  • Travelodge, Feltham (Very close to Feltham train station and the shops). Doubles from around £30.  edit

[edit] Mid-range

  • The Bridge Hotel, Western Avenue, Greenford, UB6 8ST, ☎ +44 20 8566 6246 (, fax: +44 20 8566 6140). Doubles from £75.  edit
  • Ramada Jarvis Hotel, Uxbridge Rd, Ealing (Between Ealing Broadway and Ealing Common Stations), [26]. Upmarket hotel. Doubles from £78.  edit
  • St. Giles Hotel, Feltham (Very close to Feltham train station and the shops), [27]. Doubles from around £75.  edit

[edit] Splurge

[edit] Contact

[edit] Get out

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!

Retrieved from "http://wikitravel.org/en/London/West"