Acton
OS grid reference	TQ205805
London borough	Ealing
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LONDON
Postcode district	W3, W4
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
UK Parliament	Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush
London Assembly	Ealing and Hillingdon
European Parliament	London
List of places: UK • England • London

Coordinates: 51°30′38″N 0°15′46″W / 51.510519, -0.262661 Image File history File links Greater_london_outline_map_bw. ... Image File history File links Red_pog2. ... The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ... The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. ... The London Borough of Ealing is a London borough in the west of the city. ... The Ceremonial counties of England are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England. ... Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England. ... The region, also known as Government Office Region, is currently the highest tier of local government subnational entity of England in the United Kingdom. ... Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England. ... Constituent countries is a phrase used, often by official institutions, in contexts in which a number of countries make up a larger entity or grouping; thus the OECD has used the phrase in reference to the former Yugoslavia[1], the Soviet Union and European institutions such as the Council of... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This is an alphabetical list of the sovereign states of the world, including both de jure and de facto independent states. ... A post town is a required part of all UK postal addresses. ... The London postal districts are divisions of the London post town in England and are primarily used for the direction of mail. ... UK postal codes are known as postcodes. ... The W (Western and Paddington) postcode area, also known as the London W postcode area[1] is a group of postcode districts in central and west London, England. ... The UK telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Numbering Plan, is regulated by the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which replaced the Office of Telecommunications (Oftel) in 2003. ... 020 is the dial code for Greater London in the United Kingdom. ... The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is the name currently used by the territorial police force which is responsible for Greater London other than the City of London (the responsibility of the City of London Police). ... A Fire Appliance belonging to the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service The fire service in the United Kingdom has undergone dramatic changes since the beginning of the 21st century, a process that has been propelled by a devolution of central government powers, new legislation and a change to operational... The London Fire Brigade (LFB) is the statutory fire and rescue service for London, England. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The London Ambulance Service (LAS) is the largest ambulance service in the world that does not directly charge its patients for its services. ... The United Kingdom House of Commons is made up of Members of Parliament (MPs). ... Ealing, Acton and Shepherds Bush is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Greater London is divided into a number of constituencies for London Assembly elections. ... Ealing and Hillingdon is a constituency represented in the London Assembly. ... This is a list of Members of the European Parliament for the United Kingdom in the 2004 to 2009 session, ordered by name. ... London is a constituency of the European Parliament. ... List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places within counties List of places in Bedfordshire List of places in Berkshire List of places in Buckinghamshire List of places in Cambridgeshire List of places in Cheshire List of places in Cleveland List of places... This is a partial list of places in London, England. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

Acton is a place in west London, situated 6.4 miles (10.3 km) west of Charing Cross. At the time of the 2001 census, Acton, comprising the wards of East Acton, Acton Central, South Acton and Southfield, had a population of 53,689 people.^[1] The Victorian Eleanor Cross at Charing Cross The name Charing Cross, now given to a district of central London in the City of Westminster, comes from the original hamlet of Charing, where King Edward I placed a memorial to his wife, Eleanor of Castile. ... UK Census 2001 logo A nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001. ...

Acton means "oak farm" or "farm by oak trees", and is derived from the Anglo-Saxon ac (oak) and tun (farm).^[2] Originally an ancient village (mentioned in the Domesday Book), as London expanded, Acton became absorbed into the city. Nowadays, Acton lies predominantly in the London Borough of Ealing, although some of East Acton lies within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Note: This page contains phonetic information presented in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) using Unicode. ... A line drawing entitled Domesday Book from Andrew Williamss Historic Byways and Highways of Old England. ... The London Borough of Ealing is a London borough in the west of the city. ... The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham is a London borough in West London and forms part of Inner London. ...

St Mary's Church, King Street, Acton Central

Central Acton lies on the former main road between London and Oxford (the Uxbridge Road) and several inns along it date back several centuries as stopping places for travellers. Nowadays, the principal route linking London and Oxford (the A40 dual carriageway) bypasses central Acton, but passes through North Acton. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 490 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1607 × 1967 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 490 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1607 × 1967 pixel, file size: 1. ... The A40 is a trunk road in England and Wales, connecting London to Fishguard. ...

History

Several springs were found towards the end of the 17th century on the north-east side of Acton and, for a time, they became health spas. As a result of the local soft water Acton became famous for its laundries and at the end of the 19th century there were around 170 establishments in South Acton. These laundries would serve hotels and the rich in London's West End, leading to the nickname "soapsuds island".

Development

Acton formed an urban district and, later, municipal borough of Middlesex from 1894 to 1965. Its former area was used to form part of the London Borough of Ealing in 1965. Acton is a place in the London Borough of Ealing, west London. ...

Acton is now principally residential, though it maintains some light industry, particularly in the northeast Park Royal area, and the south near the border with Chiswick.

Acton is home to the largest housing estate in West London, the South Acton estate, with approximately 2,000 homes and 5,800 residents.^[3] This area is currently in the Phase 2 of a major 15-year phased regeneration which includes near-total demolition of the existing residential units, and the construction of new and more numerous residential units.

Since World War II, Acton has had a small but notable population of Polish immigrants. In recent years, a number of Antipodean immigrants have settled there; there are several Australian and South African pubs concentrated in a small area. Other substantial immigrant groups include Iraqis and Somalis. A Japanese school has attracted a Japanese community to West Acton. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Acton Town Hall

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 729 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1978 × 1626 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 729 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1978 × 1626 pixel, file size: 1. ...

Out and about in Acton

Eating and Drinking

Acton High Street has a range of pubs which vary in theme and clientele. The Puzzle and the Redback Tavern are particularly popular pubs for the many Antipodeans who live in and travel to the area. The newly opened 'Belvedere'on the High Street is the UK's first Polish pub run by a UK chain. More traditional pubs include the newly restored St George and the Dragon on the High Street, which has earned Fancyapint.com's top 5-pint rating. The Red Lion & Pineapple (a Wetherspoons pub) is popular with younger people and older people, particularly those out seeking a very cheap pint. On and around the High Street is a range of restaurants, including the Be Thai, Thai Nice, the North China and the only Nepalese restaurant in the W3/W4 area, the Tandoori Palace. The Moon Under Water in Hounslow J. D. Wetherspoon plc (LSE: JDW) (commonly referred to as Wetherspoons or spoons) is a British pub chain founded by Tim Martin. ...

On Churchfield Road, which runs north of and parallel to the High Street, is a range of pubs and restaurants, from the Churchfield near the level crossing to the Rocket, a gastropub and Vanilla, an organic coffee shop and deli. There are Korean, Lebanese, Chinese, Portuguese and Spanish bars and restaurants, along with a well-regarded Indian restaurant, 3Spice. Churchfield Road also features a flower shop, several specialist clothes and antique shops and many hairdressers. The term level crossing (also called a railroad crossing, railway crossing, train crossing or grade crossing) is a crossing on one level (at-grade intersection) — without recourse to a bridge or tunnel — of a railway line by a road, path, or another railroad. ... The Eagle, the first pub to which the term gastropub was applied Gastropub ready meal from Marks & Spencer A gastropub is a British term for a public house (pub) which specializes in high-quality food a step above the more basic pub grub. ...

Recreation

The recently refurbished 'Mount' on Acton High Street hosts a weekly Farmers Market from 9 am to 1 pm every Saturday. Visitors to the market can shop at choice of stalls selling a range of produce which includes organic & outdoor reared meat, game (when in season), dairy, fruit juice, freshly caught fish, plants, flowers, hand-made preserves, soft fruit & top fruit, herbs, free range eggs, bread and cakes from local bakeries and the freshest vegetables and salads.

Pilot of Acton Farmers' Market on 2 December, 2006.

Acton's library, swimming baths and Town Hall are fine examples of tall Victorian municipal buildings that can be found along the High Street (a conservation area). Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1984x1488, 296 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1984x1488, 296 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ...

On the east end of Acton High Street, is Acton Park, which features bowls facilities, a children’s play area, tennis courts and an art block. There is a cafe next to the bowling green selling meals as well as tea/coffee and cakes.

Acton in popular culture

• Acton was the birthplace of The Who, of which all members except Keith Moon went to Acton High School.

• Pete Townshend's 1982 solo album, All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes, contained the track "Stardom in Acton" in reference to his home town, while the accompanying video was filmed on and around Acton High Street.

• The Monty Python sketch 'Bicycle Repair Man' was shot on Churchfield Road.

• Harlech Tower, on the South Acton estate, was a stand-in for the fictional Nelson Mandela House, the home of Del Boy in the popular sitcom Only Fools and Horses.

• Acton Park often hosts filming for programmes such as Rose & Macaulay and The Deal.

• The first Waitrose store was in Acton. Originally called "Waite, Rose and Taylor", it opened in 1904, at number 263 Acton Hill. A metal plate commemorating this has been inserted into the pavement outside these premises as it was not possible to obtain permission from the current owners of the building to affix a plaque onto it.

• Scenes from the 1986 movie Aliens and the 1989 movie Batman were shot inside the disused Acton power station.

• Musician M.I.A in interviews has hinted one of the meanings of her stage name is "Missing in Acton", with Acton being the place she grew up.

• Adam Faith first lived at 4, Churchfield Road, from 1940, till about 1960.

The Who are an English rock band that first formed in 1964, and grew to be considered one of the greatest[1] and most influential[2] bands in the world. ... Keith John Moon (August 23, 1946 – September 7, 1978) was the drummer of the rock group The Who. ... Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born May 19, 1945 in Chiswick, London), is an award-winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. ... All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes is the third official solo album by English Rock musician and songwriter Pete Townshend from The Who. ... Monty Python, or The Pythons, is the collective name of the creators of Monty Pythons Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. ... Churchfield Road, Acton, lies parallel to Acton High Street. ... Derek Reginald Trotter (born July 12, 1948 in Deptford),[1] more commonly known as Del Boy, is the lead character in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. ... Only Fools and Horses is a British television sitcom, created and written by John Sullivan, and made and broadcast by the BBC. Seven series were originally broadcast in the UK between 1981 and 1991, with sporadic Christmas specials until 2003. ... The Deal is a 2003 made for television play directed by Stephen Frears starring Michael Sheen as Tony Blair and David Morrissey as Gordon Brown. ... Waitrose is a British supermarket chain owned by the John Lewis Partnership, with 184 branches (November 2006). ... Aliens is a 1986 science fiction/action film starring Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Carrie Henn, Bill Paxton and Paul Reiser and is regarded by many as a benchmark for the action and science fiction genres. ... Batman is a 1989 American Academy Award-winning superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman. ... M.I.A., real name: Mathangi Maya Arulpragasam, (born 1978 in Hounslow, London) is a Sri Lanka-raised singer and artist. ...

Transport

Acton has seven railway stations, namely North, South, East, West, Central, Mainline and Town. Four of these are on the London Underground and three on national rail. North Acton is a London Underground station in Acton in North West London. ... South Acton railway station is in the London Borough of Ealing in West London. ... East Acton is a London Underground station in Acton in west London. ... West Acton is a London Underground station between Ealing Broadway and North Acton on the Central line (Ealing Broadway branch) and in zone 3. ... The London Underground is a transit system that serves much of Greater London and some neighbouring areas. ...

Tube stations

Level Crossing at Acton Central Station

• Acton Town tube station, Piccadilly Line, District Line
• North Acton tube station, Central Line
• East Acton tube station, Central Line
• West Acton tube station, Central Line

Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 349 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Level crossing adjacent to Acton Central Station, 8th February 2007. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 349 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Level crossing adjacent to Acton Central Station, 8th February 2007. ... Acton Town tube station is a station on the London Underground. ... London Transport Portal The Piccadilly Line is a line of the London Underground, coloured blue on the Tube map. ... The District Line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. ... North Acton is a London Underground station in Acton in North West London. ... London Transport Portal The Central Line is a line of the London Underground and coloured red on the tube map. ... East Acton is a London Underground station in Acton in west London. ... London Transport Portal The Central Line is a line of the London Underground and coloured red on the tube map. ... West Acton is a London Underground station between Ealing Broadway and North Acton on the Central line (Ealing Broadway branch) and in zone 3. ... London Transport Portal The Central Line is a line of the London Underground and coloured red on the tube map. ...

Railway stations

• Acton Central railway station, Silverlink
• South Acton railway station, Silverlink
• Acton Main Line railway station, First Great Western

Transport for London, led by the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, proposed to build a West London Tram between Shepherd's Bush and Uxbridge town centre. It would have run along the A4020, the Uxbridge Road, through Acton, Ealing, West Ealing, Hanwell, Southall and Hayes End. This proposed scheme was highly controversial and has resulted in strong differences in opinion between TfL, who support the scheme, and local councils throughout the proposed route, who have all taken a 'no tram' stance. The scheme was recently shelved. The Acton Central railway station is a railway station on the North London Line, between South Acton and Willesden Junction, in Zone 2. ... Silverlink Trains is a regional franchise in the British railway system with routes in suburban London and from London to Northampton. ... South Acton railway station is in the London Borough of Ealing in West London. ... Silverlink Trains is a regional franchise in the British railway system with routes in suburban London and from London to Northampton. ... Acton Main Line railway station is a National Rail station in Acton in west London. ... First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd,[1] a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup, which operates services in the west and south west of England and South Wales. ... Transport For London (TfL) is a local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system throughout Greater London in England. ... Kenneth Robert Livingstone (born June 17, 1945) is an English politician who became Mayor of London on the creation of the post in 2000. ... London Transport Portal The West London Tram was a proposed on-street light rail line running along the Uxbridge Road corridor in West London, England. ... Uxbridge Road is a road in London, UK (A4020). ...

Neighbouring places

• Chiswick
• Gunnersbury
• Ealing
• Park Royal
• Harlesden
• Shepherds Bush

Chiswick is a suburb in the London Borough of Hounslow. ... Gunnersbury is a place in the London Borough of Hounslow, west London. ... , Ealing is a town in the London Borough of Ealing. ... Park Royal is an industrial part of northwest London, partly within the London Borough of Ealing (W5) and mostly within the London Borough of Brent (NW10). ... Harlesden is a place in the London Borough of Brent. ... Shepherds Bush is a district in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham situated 4. ...

Gallery

View of South Acton from Barwick House, showing Jerome Tower and Berrymede Junior School Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1984x1488, 686 KB) South Acton estate, with Jerome Tower in the background and Berrymede Junior School in the middleground Photograph taken by Mohamed Ansar (User:Selia_lahugeea) on 08 June 2006, 19:25:20 I, the creator of this work, hereby grant...

Acton Park Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 947 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Acton Park, 8th Feb 2007. ...

Barwick House, on the South Acton estate Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1984x1488, 694 KB) Photograph of Barwick House on the South Acton estate Taken by Mohamed Ansar (User:Selia_lahugeea) on 08 June 2006 16:23:27 I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify...

Blocks of flats on the South Acton estate Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1984x1488, 606 KB) Photograph of South Acton estate, with Harlech Tower (location for Only Fools and Horses) on the left, Corfe Tower in the middle and Beumaris Tower on the right. ...

References

External links

• actonW3.com: Acton community website
• sarag.org: Residents' association for South Acton
• Moosehead Acton Triva Quiz site
• Stardom in Acton video on YouTube
• Transport for London: Official site for West London Tram scheme
• History of Acton website
• British History Online - Acton
• Acton Farmers' Market Website