118-535: Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London , running from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch via Oxford Circus . It marks the notional boundary between the areas of Fitzrovia and Marylebone to the north, with Soho and Mayfair to its immediate south. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, with around half a million daily visitors, and as of 2012 had approximately 300 shops. It
236-552: A portcullis as the main charge, which now forms the crest . The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the City of Westminster. Shepherd%27s Bush Shepherd's Bush is a suburb of West London , England, within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham 4.9 miles (7.9 km) west of Charing Cross , and identified as a major metropolitan centre in
354-651: A 12-screen cinema, gym, pub, restaurants, a medical practice and a supermarket. The small shops continue along many of the most popular roads within Shepherd's Bush, such as Uxbridge Road. Many of these establishments cater for the local ethnic minority communities. For example, a relatively large proportion of the local shops on Goldhawk Road (south of the Green) are dedicated to Ethiopian culture, whether that be through food, clothing or barbershops. (see Demographics ). Running parallel to, and partly under, an elevated section of
472-795: A ban on private vehicles during daytime hours on weekdays and Saturdays (in place since the 1970s), widened pavements and improved pedestrian crossings. Oxford Street runs for approximately 1.2 mi (1.9 km) and is entirely within the City of Westminster . The road begins at St Giles Circus as a westward continuation of New Oxford Street, meeting Charing Cross Road , Tottenham Court Road (next to Tottenham Court Road station ). It runs past Rathbone Place , Wardour Street and Great Portland Street to Oxford Circus , where it meets Regent Street . From there it continues past New Bond Street , Bond Street station and Vere Street , ending at Marble Arch . The route continues as Bayswater Road and Holland Park Avenue towards Shepherd's Bush . The road
590-628: A car or van, 6.0%; work mainly at or from home, 5.5%; bicycle, 3.1%; train, 3.0%. Westminster Children's Services administers many primary and secondary schools. In addition, there are several state-funded faith schools, primarily Church of England (CE), and Roman Catholic (RC), but Christian non-denominational (ND) schools are also in the borough, and there are several non-profit-making junior and senior independent schools . The city operates two reference libraries; Westminster Reference Library and Marylebone Information Service. Westminster Reference Library holds several special collections: of which
708-448: A centre of protest against the lack of suitable accommodation in central London. In 2015, building work began to convert it into residential flats, with development initially expected to finish in 2017. The restoration and conversion was completed in March 2018. Much as had been the case at its original opening, the refurbished tower remains largely empty, with few windows lit in the evenings,
826-648: A city. In 1585 the Westminster Court of Burgesses was established to administer certain judicial powers in an area known as the City and Liberty of Westminster . From 1856 the area was also governed by the Metropolitan Board of Works , which was established to provide services across the metropolis of London. In 1889 the Metropolitan Board of Works' area was made the County of London . From 1856 until 1900
944-461: A cluster of taller tower blocks provided office space. Begun in 1959 the work was largely completed within two years; it was one of the largest post-war redevelopment projects to be undertaken in the West End. From August 1963 until April 1968 part of Oxford Street had to be closed to traffic so that Oxford Circus tube station could be rebuilt to incorporate the new Victoria line , which began serving
1062-516: A few days ahead of that a royal charter was issued conferring city status on the new borough of Westminster from its creation. The Court of Burgesses, which had ceded most practical powers to the newer authorities, was finally abolished in 1901. The modern borough was created in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963 . It was a merger of the old Paddington, St Marylebone and Westminster metropolitan boroughs, and Westminster's city status
1180-521: A flagship Next store was opened on the site. The principal Topshop store by Oxford Circus shut in late 2020 after its parent company, Arcadia Group went into administration. A year later, following the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant , the Government introduced new lockdown restrictions, which caused problems with businesses along Oxford Street, which had been hampered by the pandemic since
1298-610: A hotel. The BBC's presence in the Bush is now concentrated in two huge sites on Wood Lane, Television Centre and the White City building. The Media Village was built next to the White City building in the mid-1980s on the former site of the White City Stadium . It is used by the BBC and other media companies including Red Bee Media (formerly BBC Broadcast, now a private company). Television Centre
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#17328442833941416-527: A live music venue since 24 October 1942. It was thought to be safe from bombing threats because of its underground location, and played host to jazz musicians, including Glenn Miller . It was renamed the London Jazz Club in 1948, and subsequently the Humphrey Lyttelton Club after he took over the lease in the 1950s. Louis Armstrong played at the venue during this time. It became a key venue for
1534-456: A major coaching route, there were several obstacles along it, including the bridge over the Tyburn. A turnpike trust was established in 1721 to improve upkeep of the road. It became notorious as the route taken by prisoners on their final journey from Newgate Prison to the gallows at Tyburn. Spectators jeered as the prisoners were carted along the road, and could buy rope used in the executions from
1652-415: A number of original 1840s stuccoed buildings have survived, providing a glimpse of its former character. Centre Point , at the corner of New Oxford Street and Charing Cross Road, was one of London's first skyscrapers; it was designed by property developer Harry Hyams and opened in 1966. It failed to find a suitable tenant and remained empty for many years before being occupied by squatters who used it as
1770-444: A population of 204,300 at the 2021 census. The original settlement of Westminster was historically a separate urban area to the west of London, growing up around the minster church of Westminster Abbey. Westminster was an important centre of royal authority from Saxon times, and was declared a city in 1540. It was gradually absorbed into the urban area of London, but London's official city boundaries remained unchanged, covering just
1888-535: A retail location, with many British retail chains having their flagship stores on the street, and has a number of listed buildings . Unlike nearby shopping streets such as Bond Street , it has retained an element of downmarket trading alongside more prestigious retail stores. Generally speaking, the eastern end of Oxford Street features a higher proportion of more downmarket retailers, fast food restaurants and souvenir shops whilst more exclusive and upmarket stores can be found towards its western end which passes close to
2006-617: A shed for a London Underground power station. The Dimco buildings were used as a filming location for the 'Acme Factory' in the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit , and later served as the interior of the British Museum in The Mummy Returns . The area's focal point is Shepherd's Bush Green (also known as Shepherds Bush Common), a triangular area of about 8 acres (3 ha) of open grass surrounded by trees and roads with shops, with Westfield shopping centre to its north. The Green
2124-589: A shopping district in the West End of London , along with other streets including Covent Garden , Bond Street and Piccadilly . The New West End Company, formerly the Oxford Street Association, oversees stores and trade along the street; its objective is to make the place safe and desirable for shoppers. The group has been critical of overcrowding and the quality of shops and has clamped down on abusive traders, who were then refused licences. Several British retail chains regard their Oxford Street branch as
2242-448: A small draper's shop at No. 147 in 1879; as D H Evans the business swiftly expanded, taking in more than a dozen properties either side of Old Cavendish Street and becoming one of London's largest drapery establishments by the mid-1890s. At the same time, smaller independent retailers continued to thrive alongside their larger counterparts, specialising in all sorts of different goods, trades and services. Meanwhile, construction of
2360-423: Is a hub on the local road network, with four main roads radiating from the western side of the green and three roads approaching its eastern apex, meeting at the large Holland Park Roundabout. This position makes it an important node of the bus network , with eighteen bus routes arriving there. It is also served by five London Underground stations (see Transport below): Shepherd's Bush and White City both on
2478-462: Is a music venue and former television studio, and has played host to some very popular acts and TV programmes, including David Bowie , Rolling Stones , Bob Dylan , The Old Grey Whistle Test , Wogan , That's Life! , Crackerjack , and This Is Your Life . Bush Hall is another, rather smaller, venue at 310 Uxbridge Road, built in 1904 as a dance hall. It predominantly showcases smaller acoustic performers. Shepherd's Bush Walkabout
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#17328442833942596-508: Is at 14 St James's Square . Many countries' embassies or High Commissions are in Westminster. The current Westminster coat of arms was given by an official grant on 2 September 1964. Westminster had other arms before, which had a chief identical to the chief in the present arms. The symbols in the lower two thirds of the shield stand for former municipalities now merged with the city, Paddington and St Marylebone. The original arms had
2714-512: Is based in Hopgood Street, just off Shepherd's Bush Green. Some important rock and roll groups have roots in Shepherd's Bush. The Who infused much of their work with the youth culture of Shepherd's Bush during the 1960s and 1970s. Steve Jones , guitarist of punk legends the Sex Pistols , was born in Shepherd's Bush, and Pistols drummer Paul Cook grew up here. The Clash 's early work
2832-634: Is designated as part of the A40 , a major road between London and Fishguard , though it is not signed as such, and traffic is regularly restricted to buses and taxis. The road was originally part of the Via Trinobantina, a Roman road between Essex and Hampshire via London. It was known as Tyburn Road through the Middle Ages when it was notorious for public hangings of prisoners at Tyburn Gallows . It became known as Oxford Road and then Oxford Street in
2950-508: Is infused with the culture of Shepherd's Bush and the Westway . Libertines and Babyshambles frontman Pete Doherty moved to Shepherd's Bush at age 16. Tony Butler , bass-player with 1980s band Big Country and others, was born in Shepherd's Bush. Bands Bush and Symposium hail from Shepherd's Bush, the former taking their name from the area. Classical musicians Evelyn Glennie and Robert Steadman have both lived in Shepherd's Bush. In
3068-529: Is now focused on the Westfield shopping centre next to Shepherd's Bush Central line station and on the many small shops which run along the northern side of the Green. Originally built in the 1970s with a rooftop car park and connecting bridge to the station, the older West 12 Shepherds Bush shopping centre was significantly redeveloped in the 1990s. The bridge was removed, and the centre now houses several chain stores,
3186-705: Is part of the University of the Arts London , formerly the London Institute. The Salvation Army opened Regent Hall , its first Central London venue, at Nos. 275–279 Oxford Street in 1882. It served as a base for poverty relief , street missions and a Salvation Army band . Rebuilt in 1959–1960, the hall remains in Salvation Army use. The cosmetics retailer Lush opened a store in 2015. Measuring 9,300 sq ft (860 m) and containing three floors, it
3304-568: Is the company's largest retail premises. Two large hotels dominate the western (Marble Arch) end of the street: the red brick Mount Royal Hotel (now the Amba) was built in 1933–1934 to a design by Francis Lorne ; while the Portland stone -fronted Cumberland Hotel, by F. J.Wills, opened in 1933 (it was renamed the Hard Rock Hotel in 2018). Oxford Street has several Grade II listed buildings. In addition,
3422-409: Is the only Borough to have three football teams playing Premier League Football. Bush Theatre is one of the most celebrated new writing theatres in the world. Situated on the green it has international reputation for discovering, nurturing and producing the best new theatre writers from the widest range of backgrounds, and for presenting their work to the high standards. Shepherd's Bush Empire
3540-611: Is within the London Congestion Charging Zone . It is part of the A40 , most of which is a trunk road running from London to Fishguard (via Oxford , Cheltenham , Brecon and Haverfordwest ). Like many roads in Central London that are no longer through routes, it is not signposted with that number. Numerous bus routes run along Oxford Street, including the 55, 73, 94, 98, 159, 390 and Night Buses N8, N55, N73, N98 and N207. {{{annotations}}} Oxford Street follows
3658-633: The Central line , and Shepherd's Bush Market , Goldhawk Road and Wood Lane all on the Hammersmith & City and Circle lines. To the east, Shepherd's Bush is bounded by the physical barrier of the West London railway line and the grade-separated West Cross Route (part of the aborted 1960s London Motorway Box scheme); the Holland Park Roundabout and the small Addison Bridge to the south are
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3776-450: The Diocese of London in 1540, by letters patent which also granted city status to Westminster, a status retained after the diocese was abolished in 1550. The area was historically part of the county of Middlesex . Whilst an important centre of royal authority from Saxon times, Westminster was not formally incorporated as a borough for local government purposes until 1900. However, it
3894-609: The Hammersmith & City line there is a large permanent market, the Shepherd's Bush Market , selling all types of foodstuffs, cooked food, household goods, clothing and bric-à-brac. The Westfield Group (with Hausinvest Europa) opened a shopping centre in October 2008. As well as the offices within the Television Centre on Wood Lane , opposite this is Network House, 1 Ariel Way, a 20,000 sq ft (2,000 m ) building that
4012-513: The Iron Age . Shepherd's Bush enters the written record in the year 704 when it was bought by Waldhere , Bishop of London as a part of the "Fulanham" estate. A map of London dated 1841 shows Shepherd's Bush to be largely undeveloped and chiefly rural in character, with much open farmland, compared with fast-developing Hammersmith . Residential development began in earnest in the late 19th century, as London's population expanded relentlessly. In 1904
4130-546: The London Plan . Although primarily residential in character, its focus is the shopping area of Shepherd's Bush Green , with the Westfield London shopping centre a short distance to the north. The main thoroughfares are Uxbridge Road , Goldhawk Road and Askew Road, all with small and mostly independent shops, pubs and restaurants. Loftus Road football stadium in Shepherd's Bush is home to Queens Park Rangers . In 2011,
4248-471: The Northern line thirty years later). Development continued through the first half of the 20th century, with Bourne & Hollingsworth opening in 1902. When Waring & Gillow opened their new store in 1906 it became the first West End store to occupy an entire city block . Selfridges opened on 15 March 1909 at No. 400; it promptly had a 'transformative influence on Britain's retail scene, elevating
4366-555: The Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament) and Big Ben . Charing Cross is the notional centre of London and the location where distances from London are measured. This custom appears to have begun with the set distances of the 12 Eleanor crosses to Lincoln, England in the north, and expanded even after destruction of most of the crosses. These include Green Park , Hyde Park , Kensington Gardens , Regent's Park and St James's Park . In addition to parks and open spaces within
4484-501: The Sex Pistols , the Damned and the Buzzcocks . The Flying Horse (formerly The Tottenham) is a Grade II* listed pub at No. 6 Oxford Street, near Tottenham Court Road. It was built in the mid-19th century and is the last remaining pub in the street, which once had 20. The London College of Fashion has an Oxford Street campus on John Prince's Street near Oxford Circus. The college
4602-598: The Westfield shopping centre area at White City, the grade II listed Dimco buildings (1898), now redeveloped as a bus station, were used as the location for the 'Acme Factory' in the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit . Shepherd's Bush is home to Queens Park Rangers football club, who play their home games in Loftus Road . Olympic gold medal winner Linford Christie also grew up in Shepherd's Bush and lived in Loftus Road as
4720-504: The hangman in taverns. By about 1729, the road had become known as Oxford Street. Development began in the 18th century after many surrounding fields were purchased by the Earl of Oxford . In 1739, a local gardener, Thomas Huddle, built property on the north side. After Lord Oxford's death the estate was inherited by his daughter the Duchess of Portland ; it then passed down to successive dukes as
4838-615: The trad jazz revival, hosting gigs by Chris Barber and Acker Bilk . It was renamed the 100 Club in 1964 after Roger Horton bought a stake, adding an alcohol licence for the first time. The venue hosted gigs by several British rock bands, including the Who , the Kinks and the Animals . It was an important venue for punk rock in the UK and hosted the first British punk festival on 21 September 1976, featuring
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4956-603: The 18th century, and began to change from residential to commercial and retail use, attracting street traders, confidence tricksters and prostitution. Department stores began to dominate the streetscape from the early 20th century, the most imposing of all being Selfridges (which opened in 1909). The street suffered heavy bombing during World War II , and several longstanding stores including John Lewis & Partners were completely destroyed and rebuilt from scratch. Despite competition from out-of-town shopping centres and online retailers , Oxford Street remains in high demand as
5074-523: The Beatles recorded their first-ever BBC Television broadcast at Lime Grove Studios in Shepherd's Bush. The group returned in 1964 for a further recording. Lime Grove Studios was demolished in 1994 to make way for residential accommodation. More recently, the White City bus station is housed in the redeveloped Dimco Buildings (1898), Grade II listed red brick buildings which were originally built in 1898 as
5192-532: The Catholic Church of Holy Ghost and St Stephen, built in the Gothic style with a triple-gabled facade of red brick and Portland stone , was completed and opened to the public. Like other parts of London, Shepherd's Bush suffered from bomb damage during World War II , especially from V-1 flying bomb attacks (known as "doodlebugs" or "buzzbombs"), which struck randomly and with little warning. On 13 April 1963,
5310-607: The Central London Railway (now the Central line of the London Underground), which runs under Oxford Street for part of its course, began in 1896, which necessitated the development of four new station buildings on or near the street, at Marble Arch , Bond Street , Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road . Of the three chief engineers of the project, only Benjamin Baker lived to see the railway completed. On 27 June 1900,
5428-577: The City of Westminster also have a large concentration of hedge fund and private equity funds. The West End is known as the Theatre District and is home to many of the leading performing arts businesses. Soho and its adjoining areas house a concentration of media and creative companies. Oxford Street is a busy shopping destination. The City of Westminster contains some of the most famous sites in London, including Buckingham Palace , Westminster Abbey ,
5546-570: The County of London was reorganised into metropolitan boroughs . The parish of Paddington became the Metropolitan Borough of Paddington , and the parish of the St Marylebone became the Metropolitan Borough of St Marylebone . The various territories within the old City and Liberty of Westminster became the Metropolitan Borough of Westminster . The new boroughs came into being on 1 November 1900;
5664-487: The Green, either side of Uxbridge Road and Goldhawk Road to the southwest, and about as far as Askew Road in the west. Much of the housing in this area consists of three- or four-storey terraces dating from the late 19th century, and subsequently divided up into small flats. Shepherd's Bush is also home to the White City Estate, a housing estate that was originally constructed in the 1930s and further extended after
5782-652: The Metropolitan Police, was killed while defusing a bomb planted by the IRA in the basement toilet of a Wimpy Bar on Oxford Street. The IRA also detonated a bomb at the John Lewis department store in December 1992, along with another in nearby Cavendish Square , injuring four people. The human billboard Stanley Green began selling on Oxford Street in 1968, advertising his belief in the link of proteins to sexual libido and
5900-566: The Olympic and Paralympic Games ) making it part of the Cultural Olympiad ) artwork was installed on Shepherd's Bush Green for the duration of London 2012 and the Paralympic Games . These large unique rotating football related sculptures commemorated the history of Shepherd's Bush and White City , which hosted the 1908 Summer Olympics football. The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
6018-537: The Portland Estate, before becoming the Howard de Walden Estate in 1879 (by way of the 5th Duke 's sister). The Howard de Walden Estate progressively sold off its Oxford Street holdings (which lay on the north side between Marylebone Lane and Wells Street ) in the first half of the twentieth century. Other landowning estates held sway over the western end of Oxford Street: most of the northern side west of Duke Street
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#17328442833946136-458: The Portman Estate. The Pantheon , a place for public entertainment, opened at No. 173 in 1772. The street became popular for entertainment including bear-baiters , theatres and public houses . However, it was not attractive to the middle and upper classes due to the nearby Tyburn gallows and the notorious St Giles rookery , or slum. The gallows were removed in 1783, and by the end of
6254-526: The Prince of Wales (who became King Edward VII the following year) ceremonially opened the line and public services began on 30 July. The line's route below Oxford Street made it the first railway to provide a direct service to the theatre and shopping areas of the West End and the City. The Bakerloo line came to Oxford Circus on 10 March 1906, and the Hampstead line to Tottenham Court Road on 22 June 1907 (it became
6372-434: The Shepherd's Bush Walkabout was the centre of Antipodean life in London. The live music was usually a mixture of up and coming local acts, and cover bands who played Australian and New Zealand classic songs and contemporary popular music. Shepherd's Bush Walkabout closed in early October 2013 and it was announced the site would be redeveloped into a hotel. The casting agency 2020 Casting, which supplies extras for film shoots,
6490-814: The Sherlock Holmes, Arts and Business collections are the most comprehensive. In addition to the collections in Westminster Reference Library the city has two specialist libraries: the Westminster Music Library , the largest music library in the UK and the Westminster Chinese Library in the Charing Cross Library. Free City of Westminster operated public lending libraries in Westminster include: The London Library , an independent lending library funded by subscription,
6608-525: The South Coast including Clapham Junction , Sutton , Brighton , Eastbourne , Gatwick Airport ( [REDACTED] ), Guildford , Portsmouth , and Southampton . Services operated by Southern . Gatwick Airport [REDACTED] Services operated by Gatwick Express . The City of Westminster is served by 27 London Underground stations and 10 of the 11 lines. By 2009 Westminster City Council had electric vehicle charging points in 15 locations through
6726-505: The UK's high streets. The frontage to Oxford Street was, on completion, the largest shop façade in London. Marks & Spencer has two stores on Oxford Street. The first, Marks & Spencer Marble Arch, is at the junction with Orchard Street; it was opened in 1930. The second branch, which opened eight years later, is between Regent Street and Tottenham Court Road, on the former site of the Pantheon. Both premises were significantly expanded in
6844-454: The West End, particularly Oxford Street. Many buildings were damaged, either from direct hits or subsequent fires, including four department stores: John Lewis, Selfridges, Bourne & Hollingsworth and Peter Robinson. George Orwell wrote in his diary for 24 September that Oxford Street was "completely empty of traffic, and only a few pedestrians", and saw "innumerable fragments of broken glass". John Lewis caught fire again on 25 September and
6962-413: The adjoining fields, eventually absorbing nearby villages such as Marylebone and Kensington , and gradually creating the vast Greater London that exists today. Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries abolished the abbey at Westminster, although the former abbey church is still called Westminster Abbey . The church was briefly the cathedral of the Diocese of Westminster created from part of
7080-450: The area called the City of London , broadly corresponding to the medieval walled city. From the 19th century some metropolis -wide administrative bodies were introduced. The County of London was created in 1889, replaced in 1965 by the larger administrative area of Greater London , which since 2000 has been led by the Mayor of London . The cities of London and Westminster retain their separate city statuses despite having long been part of
7198-515: The area to Ealing and areas of north-west London, such as Greenford and Ruislip . To the east, the line links Shepherd's Bush to London's West End , the City , and Stratford . The Circle and Hammersmith & City lines share the same route through the area, with direct services southbound to nearby Hammersmith . To the north, the lines curve eastwards towards Latimer Road and Ladbroke Grove . The lines then run directly to key destinations such as Paddington , King's Cross , Moorgate in
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#17328442833947316-633: The area to Wembley , Watford , Hemel Hempstead , and Milton Keynes . London Overground services running northbound travel towards Willesden Junction , where services continue towards West Hampstead , Camden , Hackney , and Stratford in east London. The station is an out-of-station interchange with Shepherd's Bush tube station on the Central line, and is situated on the western side of Holland Park Roundabout. There are two main bus interchanges in Shepherd's Bush. London Buses routes 31, 49, 72, 94, 95, 148, 207, 220, 228, 237, 260, 272, 283, 295, 316, 607, N72, N207, and C1 serve Shepherd's Bush Green and
7434-405: The border with the City of London formed the Strand District . Beyond the liberty to the north, the two parishes of Paddington and St Marylebone were also governed by their vestries. The Westminster District was renamed the St Margaret and St John Combined Vestry in 1887, and unsuccessfully petitioned to be incorporated as a borough in 1897. In 1900 the lower tier of local government within
7552-597: The borough, the City owns and maintains East Finchley Cemetery and crematorium in the London Borough of Barnet . Four National Rail stations serve the City of Westminster: [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Heathrow Airport [REDACTED] Services operated by Heathrow Express and Elizabeth line ( [REDACTED] ) . [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] South London, Sussex and
7670-409: The borough. The name Shepherd's Bush is thought to have originated from the use of the common land here as a resting point for shepherds on their way to Smithfield Market in the City of London . An alternative theory is that it could have been named after someone in the area, because in 1635 the area was recorded as "Sheppard's Bush Green". Evidence of human habitation can be traced back to
7788-405: The case until their withdrawal from the UK market in 2001). It is notable that all the aforementioned department stores were or are on the north side of the street. Whether this was down to a preference for south-facing shop fronts, or there being better access routes to the north for deliveries and services, or something akin to coincidence remains an open question. Some large stores were opened on
7906-487: The century, Oxford Street was built up from St Giles Circus to Park Lane , containing a mix of residential houses, shops and places of entertainment. Oxford Circus was designed as part of the development of Regent Street by the architect John Nash in 1810. It was later rebuilt (the four quadrants of the circus as seen today were designed by Sir Henry Tanner and constructed between 1913 and 1928). The Pantheon closed as an entertainment venue in 1814 (twenty years later it
8024-410: The city (13 car parks and two on-street points). Users pay an annual fee to cover administration costs to register and use the points. By 2018 there were 60 electric vehicle charging locations. In March 2011, the main forms of transport that residents used to travel to work were: underground, metro, light rail, tram, 21.0% of all residents aged 16–74; on foot, 9.3%; bus, minibus or coach, 9.3%; driving
8142-402: The city, and the East End . Shepherd's Bush railway station is served by National Rail trains, operated by London Overground ( [REDACTED] ) and Southern . There are direct services from Shepherd's Bush to Kensington , and Clapham Junction and Balham , both of which are based in the south west of London, and Croydon in the south east of London. Northbound Southern services link
8260-484: The concept of a department store as a social and cultural institution open to everyone, with innovative window dressing, exceptional customer service and masterly advertising'. Shoemakers Lilley & Skinner acquired the lease of 358–360 Oxford Street in 1914; they later expanded into Nos. 356–366, reputedly becoming the world's largest shoe store in 1921. In 1922 C&A purchased Nos. 376–384 (before long C&A had three stores on Oxford Street, which remained
8378-423: The dangers therein. He regularly patrolled the street with a placard headlined "less passion from less protein", and advertised his pamphlet Eight Passion Proteins with Care until his death in 1993. His placards are now housed in the British Museum . The opening of Britain's first out-of-town shopping centre at Brent Cross in 1976 prompted experiments with mall-style shopping precincts on Oxford Street. West One
8496-589: The destruction of the Palm Court Restaurant. The basement was converted to a communications base, with a dedicated line run along Oxford Street to Whitehall . The line allowed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to make secure and direct telephone calls to the US President Franklin D. Roosevelt . The store was damaged again on 6 December 1944 after a V2 rocket exploded on nearby Duke Street, causing its Christmas tree displays to collapse into
8614-566: The east, and westbound to Acton and the M40 motorway . Southbound, the A3220 is named Holland Road and links the area to Earl's Court , the A4 , and Chelsea . Other key routes through Shepherd's Bush include: The junkyard in the sitcom Steptoe & Son was situated at the fictional 24 Oil Drum Lane, Shepherd's Bush. It is often humorously referred to in the popular BBC series Absolutely Fabulous where
8732-504: The eastern rim of the district. Until 2000, the route was the M41 motorway , part of the abandoned Ringways network of orbital roads in London. Despite not retaining motorway status, pedal cycles are prohibited from using the route northbound. The A3220 links Shepherd's Bush with the A40/Westway to the north. This provides the area with a dual-carriageway link to Paddington and Marylebone to
8850-510: The entertainment district of Soho . Many London landmarks are within the borough, including Buckingham Palace , Westminster Abbey , Whitehall , Westminster Cathedral , 10 Downing Street , and Trafalgar Square . The borough also has a number of major parks and open spaces , including Hyde Park , and most of Regent's Park . Away from central London the borough also includes various inner suburbs, including St John's Wood , Maida Vale , Bayswater , Belgravia and Pimlico . The borough had
8968-482: The ethnic group of respondents in the 1991 to 2021 censuses in Westminster. The borough ranks highest on one standard criteria in analysing housing supply and demand, the proportion of private rented accommodation relative to other types of housing in England. A study in 2017 by Trust for London and The New Policy Institute found that Westminster has the third-highest pay inequality of the 32 London boroughs. It also has
9086-639: The façades to Oxford Circus tube station are also listed. City of Westminster The City of Westminster is a London borough with city status in Greater London , England. It is the site of the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and much of the British government . It contains a large part of central London , including most of the West End , such as the major shopping areas around Oxford Street , Regent Street , Piccadilly and Bond Street , and
9204-483: The flagship store. In 1919 Marshall & Snelgrove merged with Debenhams (which had opened in nearby Wigmore Street in 1778). The Oxford Street store continued to trade as Marshall & Snelgrove until 1972, when the rebuilt premises were reopened as Debenhams. (Debenhams' flagship Oxford Street store closed in 2021.) The London flagship store of House of Fraser began as D. H. Evans in 1879; its current premises were designed by Louis Blanc and opened in 1937. It
9322-530: The former Roman city with its still-existing Roman walls, was repopulated and Lundenwic declined, becoming pastoral and partly known as Aldwych (Aldwic—'old village'), the name of which lives on for a section of Westminster. The origins of the City of Westminster pre-date the Norman Conquest of England. In the mid-11th century, King Edward the Confessor began the construction of an abbey at Westminster, only
9440-408: The foundations of which survive today. Between the abbey and the river he built a palace, thereby guaranteeing that the seat of Government would be fixed at Westminster, and inevitably drawing power and wealth west out of the old City of London. For centuries Westminster and the City of London were geographically quite distinct. It was not until the sixteenth century that houses began to be built over
9558-460: The late 1830s, remarks that almost all the street, save for the far western end, was primarily retail. Peter Robinson opened his draper's shop at 103 Oxford Street in the 1830s; by the 1890s the shop had expanded to fill the entire block between Great Portland Street and Regent Street. Likewise Marshall & Snelgrove opened on Vere Street in 1837; within 40 years it had expanded to fill the entire block between that street and Marylebone Lane, and
9676-436: The latter brand was withdrawn. It remained Topshop's flagship store until 2021 when (the parent company Arcadia having gone into administration) it closed. From 1970 to 1991, the fourth floor of this building was occupied by AIR Studios recording production facilities. Ikea announced they would open a store on the former TopShop site in 2023. However, this was later pushed back to the following year. The music retailer HMV
9794-596: The latter two being separated from Westminster by the River Thames . Charing Cross in Westminster is the notional centre of London, being the point from which distances from London are measured. After the depopulation of Roman London in the 5th century, an Anglo Saxon agricultural and trade settlement likely developed to its west, associated with the Middle Saxons , sometimes called Lundenwic ('London village' or London port'). Over time, Lundenburh ('London fort'),
9912-494: The lower tier of local government within the metropolis comprised various parish vestries and district boards . Within the City and Liberty of Westminster, the three parishes of St George Hanover Square , St James Piccadilly and St Martin-in-the-Fields were governed by their vestries , whilst the parishes covering the central part of Westminster formed the Westminster District and the parishes and territories adjoining
10030-469: The main character, Edina Monsoon, owns her home but prefers to say she lives in the more favourable, upscale Holland Park nearby. The BBC used to have many offices in Shepherd's Bush, but many have now been closed or moved. They included the Lime Grove Studios on the site of previous film studios Gaumont and Gainsborough Pictures . Sulgrave House, Threshold and Union Houses and Kensington House—now
10148-539: The only ways to cross this barrier from Shepherds Bush. Most of the areas to the east of the barrier differ significantly in character, being associated with the more affluent Holland Park and Notting Hill; although the Edward Woods Estate just to the north-east of the roundabout is part of and is managed by the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham . To the south, Shepherd's Bush neighbours Brook Green and Hammersmith . Commercial activity in Shepherd's Bush
10266-411: The population of the area was 39,724. The district is bounded by Hammersmith to the south, Holland Park and Notting Hill to the east, Harlesden and Kensal Green to the north and by Acton and Chiswick to the west. White City forms the northern part of Shepherd's Bush. Shepherd's Bush comprises the Shepherd's Bush Green, Askew, College Park & Old Oak, and Wormholt and White City wards of
10384-518: The previous year. An analyst at GlobalData said the street "has been forever changed by the closure, or in some cases, downsizing of long-standing department stores". The House of Fraser store closed in January 2022 as a result. New Oxford Street was built in 1847, in accordance with a plan of James Pennethorne , to link the eastern end of Oxford Street with High Holborn . It extends the axis of Oxford Street eastwards from St Giles Circus. Previously,
10502-576: The rest in darkness, despite at least half its units being sold. This has led to its being called one of London's "ghost towers". Oxford Street is home to a number of major department stores and flagship retail outlets, containing over 300 shops as of 2012. It is the most frequently visited shopping street in Inner London, attracting over half a million daily visitors in 2014, and is one of the most popular destinations in London for tourists, with an annual estimated turnover of over £1 billion. It forms part of
10620-463: The route into the City of London had deviated southwards at this point, to skirt around the ancient settlement of St Giles with its leper hospital . The building of the new street involved much slum clearance , but did not entirely eradicate the notorious old rookeries. Once a fashionable shopping street, a preponderance of office buildings has led to New Oxford Street no longer sharing the activity or ambience of its namesake; but in its central section
10738-580: The route of a Roman road , the Via Trinobantina, which linked Calleva Atrebatum (near Silchester , Hampshire ) with Camulodunum (now Colchester ) via London and became one of the major routes in and out of the city. Between the 12th century and 1782, it was variously known as Tyburn Road (after the River Tyburn that crossed it north to south), Uxbridge Road (the name still used for the road between Shepherd's Bush and Uxbridge ), Worcester Road and Oxford Road. Tyburn , near where Marble Arch now stands,
10856-519: The same urban area. The modern borough was created in 1965 as part of the same reforms which created Greater London, covering the area of the three former metropolitan boroughs of Westminster , Paddington and St Marylebone . The local authority is Westminster City Council . To the east, Westminster borders the City of London , with the boundary marked by Temple Bar . Other neighbouring boroughs (anti-clockwise from north-east) are Camden , Brent , Kensington and Chelsea , Wandsworth and Lambeth ,
10974-455: The second half of the 20th century. Topshop was conceived in the 1960s as a youth brand for Peter Robinson , and a sizeable Topshop department was opened within the flagship store on Oxford Street (which had been rebuilt in the 1920s as part of the Oxford Circus improvements). Gradually Topshop took over more of the premises, operating alongside Peter Robinson for a time in the 1970s before
11092-406: The second-least affordable private rent for low earners in London, behind only Kensington and Chelsea . In education, 82% of adults and 69% of 19-year-olds having Level 3 qualifications. The City of Westminster covers all or part of the following areas of London : Many global corporations have their global or European headquarters in the City of Westminster. Mayfair and St James's within
11210-399: The south side of the street in the 20th century: Woolworths opened its first West End store at No. 311 in 1925, followed by a handful of others in the 1930s (for example Littlewoods , which opened its first Central London store at Nos. 207–213 in 1937, later expanding into Nos. 197–205; it was rebuilt in the early 1960s but closed in the early 2000s). By the 1930s the street
11328-557: The southern rim of the Holland Park Roundabout on the eastern side of Shepherd's Bush. This provides cyclists with traffic-free access from Holland Park Avenue to Shepherd's Bush Green . Transport for London (TfL) proposes that a cycle spur will link the roundabout to Cycleway 9 , which is intended to run along Kensington High Street . The Santander Cycles bicycle-sharing system operates around Shepherd's Bush, with docking stations near Westfield, Wood Lane station, and Shepherd's Bush Road. The A3220/West Cross Route runs along
11446-508: The southern side of the Westfield shopping centre. Most of these routes also serve White City bus station on the northern side of Westfield. Shepherd's Bush was also the proposed terminus of the West London Tram , an on-street light rail line running to Uxbridge via Acton , Ealing and Southall . This project was cancelled in 2007 in favour of an enhanced bus service and the development of Crossrail . Cycle lanes run around
11564-748: The station on 7 March 1969, its official opening. In September 1973 a shopping-bag bomb was detonated by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) at the offices of the Prudential Assurance Company , injuring six people. A second bomb was detonated by the IRA next to Selfridges in December 1974, injuring three people and causing £1.5 million worth of damage. Oxford Street was again targeted by the IRA in August 1975; an undiscovered bomb that had been booby trapped exploded without any injuries. On 26 October 1981 Kenneth Howorth , an explosives officer with
11682-427: The street outside. Damage was repaired, and the shop reopened the following day. After its main store was destroyed, John Lewis operated from properties on the other side of Holles Street (i.e. to the east) until the completion of its new store to the west. Relinquishing these properties then enabled it to purchase the whole of the west site. Subsequently the entire block between Holles Street and John Prince's Street
11800-496: The war in the early 1950s. It was built on the site of the grounds of the 1908 Franco-British Exhibition and close to the White City Stadium and has given its name to the northern part of Shepherd's Bush which is now better known as White City. Shepherd's Bush is a major transport interchange in west London. Five London Underground stations serve the area, including: All stations are in London fare zone 2 . The Central line links
11918-538: The wealthy Mayfair district. Some of adjacent Tottenham Court Road's famous electronics stores have spread onto its eastern extremity. The annual switching on of Christmas lights by a celebrity has been a popular event since 1959. As a popular retail area and main thoroughfare for London buses and taxis, Oxford Street has suffered from traffic congestion , pedestrian congestion, a poor safety record and pollution. Various traffic management schemes have been implemented by Transport for London (TFL) and others, including
12036-406: Was a place of public execution from 1388 to 1783 and a set of gallows stood here. On Ralph Aggas' "Plan of London", published in the 16th century, the road is described partly as "The Waye to Uxbridge" followed by "Oxford Road", showing rural farmland at the present junction of Oxford Street and Rathbone Place. By 1678 it was known as the "King's Highway", and the "Road To Oxford" by 1682. Though
12154-642: Was a popular music and live sports venue located on the western end of the green, and home to the West London Wildcats and Shepherds Bush Raiders Aussie Rules teams. On Australian and New Zealand national holidays, big sporting events such as the National Rugby League Grand Final , Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup Rugby Union test matches, Australian Football League grand final , memorial days such as Waitangi Day , Australia Day , and Anzac Day , and on Sundays after The Church,
12272-557: Was almost entirely retail, a state that still obtains today. However, unlike nearby streets such as Bond Street and Park Lane, there remained a seedy element including street traders and prostitutes. Gradually, as the century progressed, the independent retailers began to be replaced by chain stores . During the Second World War , Oxford Street was bombed several times. Overnight and in the early hours of 17 to 18 September 1940, 268 Heinkel He 111 and Dornier Do 17 bombers targeted
12390-564: Was and is owned by the Portman Estate ; while facing it (on the southern side) most of the land west of Davies Street was and is part of the Grosvenor estate . John Rocque's Map of London , published in 1746, shows urban buildings as far as North Audley Street (on the south side) and Marylebone Lane (on the north side), but only intermittent rural property beyond. Further development to the west occurred between 1763 and 1793, when building began on
12508-418: Was declared a city in 1540 on the elevation of Westminster Abbey to being a cathedral . From at least 1545 there was also a Westminster parliamentary borough (constituency). The Anglican Diocese of Westminster was short-lived, being absorbed back into the Diocese of London in 1550. Despite having no borough corporation and having ceased to be the seat of a diocese, Westminster continued to be described as
12626-528: Was developed by the Grosvenor Estate on the corner of Davies Street as part of the rebuilding of Bond Street tube station for the Jubilee line in 1979; it opened the following year. In 1986 The Plaza shopping centre was opened within the walls of the former Bourne & Hollingsworth department store building (dating from 1925–1928), the latter having closed three years earlier. The Plaza itself closed in 2016 and
12744-428: Was erected in four stages over a twenty-two year period, having been designed by a combination of architects including D. H. Burnham & Company , Frank Atkinson , Sir John Burnet and Thomas Tait . Its construction was influenced by American high rise technology: steel framing and reinforced concrete were employed to create a large and adaptable retail space, and their use was subsequently widely adopted across
12862-443: Was housed (from 1870) in a new building designed by Horace Jones and Octavius Hansard. What would now be called department stores began to appear on Oxford Street in the 1870s (the rebuilt Marshall & Snelgrove being one of the first). John Lewis started in 1864 in small shop at No. 132; he took on an adjacent property in 1878, and over the next twenty years expanded further and began rebuilding. Dan Harries Evans opened
12980-558: Was let by Frost Meadowcroft on behalf of Westfield to Zodiak Entertainment in September 2009 and in Rockley Road is the 160,000 sq ft (15,000 m ) Shepherds Building where Endemol another TV company are based and where Jellycat, a soft toy company, relocated their head office to in February 2010. The residential areas of Shepherd's Bush are primarily located to the west of
13098-429: Was opened at No. 363 Oxford Street in 1921 by Sir Edward Elgar ; the premises were twice rebuilt by Joseph Emberton in the moderne style, first in 1935 and then again in 1938–1939 (following a fire). The Beatles made their first recording in London in 1962, when they cut a 78 rpm demo disc in the store. A larger store at No. 150 (site of the old Princess's Theatre) was opened in 1986 by Bob Geldof , and
13216-517: Was reduced to a shell. It remained a bomb site for the remainder of the war and beyond, finally being demolished and rebuilt between 1958 and 1960. Peter Robinson partially reopened on 22 September, though the main storefront remained boarded up. The basement was converted into studios for the BBC Eastern Service. Orwell made several broadcasts here from 1941 to 1943. Selfridges was bombed again on 17 April 1941, suffering further damage, including
13334-918: Was reopened as a covered bazaar ); this prompted another bazaar (across the road at No. 150) to close, and in 1836 the Princess's Theatre opened on the site. Oxford Street changed in character from residential to retail towards the end of the 18th century. Recording an evening visit to the street in 1786, Sophie von La Roche described a multitude of shops lit by Argand lamps behind 'handsome glass windows': confectioners, fruiterers, watchmakers, silversmiths, 'spirit booths' (selling strong drink), glass shops, china shops, silk shops, lamp shops and others. There were also clothing retailers of various sorts, and furniture-makers (such as Gillow & Co. , established in 1769). Street vendors sold tourist souvenirs during this time. A plan in Tallis's London Street Views , published in
13452-525: Was sold by the Howard de Walden Estate to Land Securities for redevelopment: designed by T. P. Bennett & Partners, it would provide small units of retail accommodation either side of a central flagship department store (namely British Home Stores , until its closure in 2016). Atop the Oxford Street frontage a six-storey block was constructed to house the London College of Fashion , behind which
13570-462: Was the first department store in the UK with escalators serving every floor. It retained the D. H. Evans name until 2001, when it was rebranded as House of Fraser (the name of the parent company ). House of Fraser closed in 2022. Selfridges, Oxford Street , the second-largest department store in the UK and the flagship of the Selfridges chain, has been trading in Oxford Street since 1909. The building
13688-441: Was the largest music shop in the world, at 60,000 sq ft (6,000 m). As well as music and video retail, the premises supported live gigs in the store. Because of financial difficulties, the store closed in 2014, with all retail moving to No. 363 (which itself closed in 2020). In November 2023 the store at No. 363 was reopened, branded as 'The HMV Shop'. The 100 Club , in the basement of No. 100, has been run as
13806-497: Was the national home of BBC Television, and it is from there that BBC TV and radio news, the BBC website and a host of TV drama and light entertainment were broadcast. The BBC moved all of its news operations from Television Centre to Broadcasting House in central London in 2012. Shepherd's Bush Green The newly regenerated green in 2012–13 was the site for the public sculptures Goaloids by Fine Artist Elliott Brook. This Inspire Mark (awarded by LOCOG ( London Organising Committee of
13924-564: Was transferred to the enlarged borough. In 1966 the city was granted the right to appoint a lord mayor . The local authority is Westminster City Council, which meets at Westminster Council House (also known as Marylebone Town Hall ) and has its main offices at Westminster City Hall on Victoria Street. Since 2000, for elections to the London Assembly , the borough forms part of the West Central constituency. The following table shows
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