Royal Guest House Hotel London - History of the Area

The Sheperds Bush History

The name "Shepherds Bush" could have its origin in a name of a person who owned the Shepherds Bush. In the 16th century it was called the Shepherds Bush Green. Another theory says that the famous name Shepherds Bush arised because many shepherds rested on the way to the Smithfield Market in the city of London.

The Goldhawk station

The tube line which is known as the Hammersmith Line already opened in 1864 and there was no station at the place where the Goldhawk station is located nowadays. In the year 1914 many things in the area changed. The Shepherds Bush station (today known as the Shepherds Bush Market station) was moved from between the Uxbridge Road and the Goldhawk Road to the upper side of the Uxbridge Road. Therefore a new station, called the Goldhawk station was created beyond the Goldhawk Road.

The West Kensington Tube station History

The West Kensington tube station was opened by the Metropolitan District Railway (today the District Line) in 1874 and it was named Fulham - North End. The next station at that time was the Hammersmith station. In 1877 it has been renamed to West Kensington. The Barons Court opened in the year 1905.

In 1878 the Midland Railway started running a circuitous service which was known as the "Super Outer Circle" going from St. Pancras to Earl's Court. It operated between the NLR and the London & South Western Railway's branch to Richmond. Unfortunately this line did not succeed and finally ended on September 30th in 1880.

In 1927 the entrance of the West Kensington tube station was rebuilt. The designer, Charles Holden, used similar materials that he had used for the Northern Line's Morden extension which opened in 1926.