West London is the western part of London, England, north of theRiver Thames, west of theCity of London, and extending to theGreater London boundary.
The term is used to differentiate the area from the other parts of London:Central London,North London,East London andSouth London.[1] West London was part of thehistoric county ofMiddlesex.
Early West London had two main focuses of growth, the area aroundThorney Island, site ofWestminster Abbey and thePalace of Westminster, andribbon development heading west - towards Westminster - from gates in thewalls of theCity of London. In the 17th century these areas of growth would be linked by high status new developments, which formed a focal point in their own right, later becoming known as theWest End of London.
The development of the area began with the establishment of theAbbey on a site then calledThorney Island, the choice of site may in part relate to thenatural ford which is thought to have carriedWatling Street over theRiver Thames in the vicinity.[2] Tradition dates the foundation to the 7th century AD with written records dating back to the 960s or early 970s.[3] The Island and surrounding area became known as Westminster in reference to the church.
The legendary origin[4] is that in the early 7th century, a local fisherman named Edric ferried a stranger in tattered foreign clothing over the River Thames toThorney Island. It was a miraculous appearance ofSt Peter, a fisherman himself, coming to the island toconsecrate the newly built church, which would subsequently develop into Westminster Abbey. He rewarded Edric with a bountiful catch when he next dropped his nets. Edric was instructed to present theKing andSt. Mellitus, Bishop of London with a salmon and various proofs that the consecration had already occurred . Every year on 29 June, St Peters day, theWorshipful Company of Fishmongers presents the Abbey with a salmon in memory of this event.[5]
The Palace of Westminster subsequently developed, with Parliament being based there from its establishment in 1265. The presence of the centre of government as a distinct focus for growth, accompanied by the proximity of the City, ensured that western London was the fastest growing part of early London.
The growth of the City of London beyond its city walls was much faster outside the western gates ofLudgate andNewgate than it was outside the gates to the north or to the east; this rapid growth was due to the roads from these western gates leading to the political centre of Westminster. The large and prosperous extra-mural ward ofFarringdon Without, extensively urbanised during the 12th century, has been described as London'sFirst West End.[6]
From the 15th to 17th centuries, growth along the roads from Ludgate (Fleet Street andThe Strand) and Newgate (Holborn andHigh Holborn) accelerated, and came to extend far beyond Farringdon Without, intoHolborn,Bloomsbury andWestminster.
Urban growth extending from the Westminster urban area, linked up with that extending from the City in the time ofHenry VIII. It was at around that time that Westminster first acquired City status.[7]
In the mid 17th centuryHenry Jermyn, was instrumental in developing theSt James's andMayfair districts of Westminster. These districts provided a fashionable new focus for western London, that came to be known as theWest End. Jermyn would become known as theFather of the West End.[8]
In 1720,John Strype's "Survey of London" described Westminster as one of the then four distinct areas of London;[9] in it he describes theCity of London,Westminster (West London),Southwark (South London), and'That Part beyond the Tower' (East London). The area now usually referred to asNorth London developed later.
As well as the proximity of the centre of government, the West End was long favoured by the rich elite as a place of residence because it was usually upwind of the smoke drifting from the crowded City.[10]A further factor facilitating rapid growth in West London was the very large number of bridges linking the area to South London and the area beyond; by contrast, even today, there are no bridges east ofTower Bridge, partly as the river becomes wider as it heads east.
The term "West End of London" gained widespread currency as a proper noun, rather than just a geographical description in the 19th century.
Like other areas of the capital, West London grew rapidly in the Victorian era as a result of railway-based commuting; with the building of the termini atPaddington andMarylebone, and the lines radiating from them, having a particularly profound effect. This trend continued in the twentieth century and was subsequently reinforced by motorcar-based commuting.
The size of London stabilised after the establishment of theMetropolitan Green Belt shortly after theSecond World War.
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West London is an informally and inexactly defined area lying north of theRiver Thames and historically extended west from the edge of theCity of London, to West London's historic and commercial core ofWestminster and theWest End, although nowadays those areas are regarded as part ofCentral London, which also lacks a precise definition. West of Central London, West London continues to theGreater London boundary, much of which is formed by theRiver Colne. Some interpretations of the area include the boroughs ofBrent andHarrow, takingancient Watling Street as the boundary in thoseouter areas.[11] TheGrand Union Canal is West London's major internal waterway.
West London is bordered by the administrative counties ofSurrey to the south west and south;Berkshire to the west and north west;Buckinghamshire to the north west; andHertfordshire to the north.
A publication by theMayor of London in 2011 referred to the London boroughs ofBrent,Harrow,Ealing,Hammersmith and Fulham,Hounslow,Richmond, andHillingdon as West London. The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames spans the River Thames so its status can be ambiguous.
The term West London is used to differentiate the area from other informal radial divisions of London, theMetropolitan Compass;[12]North London,East London andSouth London.[13]
The term "West London" has been used for a variety of formal purposes with the boundaries defined according to the purposes of the designation.
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The 2011 iteration of theLondon Plan[11] included an altered "West" sub-region, to be used for planning, engagement, resource allocation and progress reporting purposes. It consists of theLondon Boroughs ofBrent,Harrow,Ealing,Hammersmith and Fulham,Hillingdon,Hounslow andRichmond upon Thames.As well as including outer areas of West London, the sub-region also includes areas south of the river, not usually counted as part of West London; areas of the cross-riverLondon Borough of Richmond upon Thames.
The2004-2008 and 2008-2011 versions of the sub-region varied in their composition.
The W (Western) postcode area was introduced in 1857[14] to facilitate the distribution of mail. The postcode area is a sub-set of West London.
TheLondon Plan[15] defines two areas of London as International Centres, theWest End andKnightsbridge, both in west London. Five of the thirteen Metropolitan Centres in the plan are also in West London:Ealing,Hounslow,Harrow,Uxbridge andShepherd's Bush.
Eleven of the London Plan's thirty-eight Opportunity Areas are part of West London;Kensal Canalside,Paddington,Earl's Court andWest Kensington,Harrow andWealdstone,Park Royal,Old Oak Common,Southall,Tottenham Court Road, Victoria,Wembley andWhite City.
London Heathrow Airport is a major employer in West London, and theUniversity of West London has more than 47,000 students.[16]