Combining characteristics of both the inner-city and the suburban, this Hammersmith and Fulham neighbourhood sits nestled between well-heeled West Kensington and the banks of the Thames. Its proximity to the Hammersmith Flyover as well as several well-connected tube stations makes it a prime location for commuting into town by public transport or by car and has long made its local businesses popular with those visiting The Queens Club, Craven Cottage, or The Apollo. The Hammersmith Flyover gives the northern part of the neighbourhood a grey, industrial feel, which quickly transforms into a quaint, affluent residential area, lined with Victorian and Edwardian terraces, interspersed with green space. Residents can often be found enjoying the serenity of Margravine Cemetery or having a bite to eat in one of the local cafes.

For much of the neighbourhood’s history, the area has been rural, made up of market gardens that were used to feed the city, and interestingly, of land for archery practice. A village had emerged by 1745, which became the rather unfashionable ‘North End’ of Kensington. The village expanded rapidly in the early 19th century with the building of a chapel, and again when North End station was opened in 1874, and the influx of artists to the area began to improve its reputation as an affluent but liberal part of town. The Blitz caused extensive damage to the area, forcing rapid rebuilding in some areas and returning the neighbourhood’s reputation to somewhat seedy. Over the years this reputation has dissipated, however, and South East Hammersmith has become synonymous once again with the well-off.

One of the first developers of the area was Major Sir William Palliser. ‘Good old Major Will’ made his fortune as the inventor of the ‘Palliser shot’; a type of gun shell that could pierce armour. His wife, Hannah, was more of a lover than a fighter – she was the model for the Pre-Raphaelite artist John Everett Millais’ painting ‘Charlie is my Darling’.

Charing Cross hospital, despite actually being nowhere near Charing Cross at all, is located in this area. Whilst the hospital moved to its current location in 1973 from the Strand, the name of the hospital stuck, much to everyone’s confusion.

Another notable landmark in the area is Margravine Cemetery, and particularly its creepy Victorian reception. The small octagonal-shaped building was used to keep bodies before burial to deter local families from the unhygienic, cholera-inducing practice of keeping their dead relatives at home.

One of the few issues that this area suffers from is some severe road congestion due to the Hammersmith Flyover. Not only does this make driving around the area at some points in the day difficult, but also has an adverse effect on the air quality and noise in the area. That said, plans to replace the flyover with a ‘flyunder’, an underground motorway, are still being explored by the local council, which has included that ambition in their updated constitution. There are also concerns that any further expansion of Heathrow Airport would make this issue even worse. However, as most of the area is tucked away from the flyover, this problem is really only limited to the spaces most close to the busy road. A local resident told us that “it’s both a quiet and lively place, full of families and young professionals.”

The area is looking forward to some important developments to a handful of its key institutions in the near future. Charing Cross Hospital, for example, is currently redeveloping its A&E department to increase beds, mental health care and ambulance capacity. The next stage of the design process is expected to begin in 2023, with renovations and construction to be initiated in 2026, if all goes according to plan. It’s not just healthcare services that are being revamped either; Riverside Studios, after closing its doors in 2014 for redevelopment, finally reopened with an updated and expanded centre in 2020. The organisation’s renovated venue ‘now boasts state-of-the-art studio facilities for theatre and television consisting of three studios, two cinemas, a riverside bar and kitchen and a bakery as well as numerous flexible event and rehearsal spaces plus some tenant office accommodation.’ Loyal fans of Fulham Football Club can also cheer on their team (or boo their opponents) from the seats of the FC’s new riverside stand at Craven Cottage, which has been completed and expected to open for the 2022-2023 football season. While some may be concerned about the noise pollution that the stand may cause, it will undoubtedly add an air of activity and dynamism to the area in the sporting months, which take place in the winter.