Wikipedia:West Hampstead
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The following article is a local copy of the Wikipedia article at West Hampstead. (more info)
Coordinates: 51°33′15″N 0°11′20″W / 51.5543°N 0.1888°W
| West Hampstead | |
  West Hampstead
West Hampstead shown within Greater London |
|
| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| London borough | Camden |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | London |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LONDON |
| Postcode district | NW6 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| EU Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament | Hampstead and Highgate |
| London Assembly | Barnet and Camden |
| List of places: UK • England • London | |
West Hampstead is an area in northwestern Greater London, England, situated between Childs Hill to the north, Frognal, Hampstead to the north-east, Swiss Cottage to the east, Kilburn to the south-west, and South Hampstead to the south. Until the late 19th century, the locale 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 its station on West End Lane, the main road through the area. Its motivation seemed to be to avoid confusion with the main retail area in central London, which was also known as the West End.
A few hundred yards south, toward central London, the West End Lane joins Abbey Road, of Beatles fame. This 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's "village" atmosphere during the day. In addition to the London "tube", West Hampstead also has the West Hampstead Thameslink and West Hampstead Overground railroad stations on West End Lane, making the locale one of the best-served ones by public transportation in Greater London.
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History
- The first public library in West Hampstead was opened in 1901, but it was destroyed by a fire bomb in 1940.
- The West Hampstead Fire Station was opened in 1901 also. It is still operating, responding to over two thousand emergency calls a year. Its service area covers 12 square miles, including Hampstead, West Hampstead, Kilburn, Cricklewood and parts of Golders Green.
Location in context
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Cricklewood | Fortune Green | Childs Hill | |
| Kilburn |  |
Hampstead | ||
 West Hampstead  |
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| St John's Wood | South Hampstead | Swiss Cottage |
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).
West Hampstead Signal Box
The power signal box (PSB) for the northern end of the Thameslink route is situated in Iverson Road, West Hampstead, just around the corner from the Thameslink station. The Network Rail signal box can be see from the north end of the platforms on the left. As well as being a 24hrs a day, 7 days a week operational building, it also houses engineers and acts as a base for Mobile Operation Managers (MOMs). The upper floor of this box is where the signals and operation of the railway from Farringdon/Moorgate/St Pancras International up as far as Sharnbrook (just north of Bedford Station) are controlled from. Also located in the signal box (in the same room as the signalling panels) is First Capital Connect's Thameslink control (or known to staff as the Service Delivery Centre aka SDC). FCC's services between London Blackfriars and Bedford are controlled from here by controllers. South of Blackfriars, FCC trains are either controlled by southeastern control (to Sevenoaks) or FCC's other SDC at Croydon (for services to Brighton and Sutton/Wimbledon). Information to do with the service status of the line, including the operation of the information screens, is also controlled from here. East Midlands Trains do not have controllers at West Hampstead however.
West Hampstead interchange
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
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This article's section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2008) |
- 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.[1]
- Matt Lucas - comedian and actor. Starred in Little Britain
- Dusty Springfield, pop singer, was born here.
- 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
- Slash - guitarist for Velvet Revolver and former guitarist for Guns N' Roses
- Marina Fiorato - author
- Sacha Bennett - filmmaker
Gallery
 West End Green, near the northern end of West End Lane |
 Shops on West End Lane |
 Shops, Library on West End Lane |
 West Hampstead tube station |
 West Hampstead London Overground station |
External links
- Hampstead Scientific Society
- Northwest 6
- West Hampstead Life
- Hampstead Synagogue
- Londra Rehberi - Article about West Hampstead in Turkish
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