property, homes and houses for sale in West Hampstead

Separated from Hampstead by Finchley Road, West Hampstead is a worthy member of the Hampstead family.

Living in West Hampstead

Until the late 19th century, West Hampstead was a small village called West End, but the arrival of the railways transformed farmland into housing estates.

The Metropolitan Railway adopted the name 'West Hampstead' for their station on West End Lane, to avoid confusion with the West End in central London.

West Hampstead lies to the west of the A41 Finchley Road, north-west of Swiss Cottage and south of Fortune Green.

Property is a mix of Victorian terraces and semi-detached villas some, of which, have been converted into flats and maisonettes.

West Hampstead also has a fair number of mansion blocks, mostly found in roads leading off Fortune Green Road; and there are contemporary developments of houses and flats most notably in Lymington Road near West Hampstead railway station.

West End Lane is especially noted for its coffee shops, furniture stores, fashionable restaurants, gastro pubs and a giant Pizza Express near the fire station.

For serious shopping there is the O2 centre near Finchley Road tube station which offers the largest Sainsbury's in London, a vast Books etc., an eight-screen multiplex cinema, a gym, and lots of places to eat and drink.

For green space, there's an attractive park on Fortune Green Road, ideal for young children, and the vast expanse of Hampstead Heath is a short ride in the car.

Towards Brondesbury, Kilburn Grange Park has children's play areas and tennis courts.

In and around West Hampstead there is a good choice of state, independent, and faith schools.

Transport

West Hampstead residents have ample choice when it comes to public transport, including two railway stations and one London Underground station, all within a few metres of each other.

West Hampstead tube station is on the Jubilee Line and is located on West End Lane by Broadhurst Gardens.

A few minutes' walk north is West Hampstead London Overground station which links (west) to Willesden Junction, and (south) to Richmond and Clapham Junction. Heading east it connects to Gospel Oak, Stratford and Barking.

The third station in West Hampstead is served by First Capital Connect which links to St. Pancras International, Farringdon and Blackfriars mainline stations, and to stations south of the river.

Heading north, First Capital Connect provides services to St. Albans, Luton Airport and beyond.

For full details of local transport serving West Hampstead including bus routes please visit http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/default.aspx.

For details of mainline trains serving St. Pancras International, Farringdon and Blackfriars, please visit http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/.

History and culture

West Hampstead Fire Station was opened in 1901 and is still operational, responding to over two thousand emergency calls a year.

In the 1960s, road planners wanted to extend the M1 to a new terminus in West Hampstead, where it would have linked to the proposed North Cross Route. The plan, like so much lousy planning in the 1960s, would have resulted in the widespread demolition of large areas of West Hampstead and Kilburn, wrecking the character of the entire area.

Fortunately, somebody within the Department of Transport came to their senses.

For current information regarding West Hampstead which is in the London Borough of Camden please visit www.camden.gov.uk.