Today I investigated my new area, Acton, to see what I could find. Its history is much like any other part of London - it used to be a little village, as old as the Domesday book, which got glomped by the growing city.
The name comes from Anglo Saxon ac and tun, meaning "oak farm" or "farm by oak trees", though I suspect oaks are few and far between nowadays. It was known as "soapsud island" in the 19th century, when the soft water lead to the foundation of over 600 laundries in the area. Something to remember when we students are living among two months of unwashed clothing - especially because the discovery of springs in the 17th century made it famous for spas. The remains of this heritage can be seen in the 1904 baths.
Like most little villages, the church was it's heart - St Mary's. It's been there in some form since the 13th century, and was bashed up by Roundheads during the civil war because it's vicar was believed to be Royalist. On the road from Oxford to London, the village's first fame was as a stopover for travellers. In short, it was famous for pubs. What more could a student want? In the Regency and Victorian period, it was an area of retreat from the city and site of country homes. In the 20th Century, Acton was an industrial area and home of companies such as Wilkinson Sword, the razor manufacturers, and T. Wall & Son - who make Walls Ice Cream. It was also the site of the first "Waite, Rose and Taylor" store - now known as Waitrose.
The area has a semi-rich musical heritage, as the birthplace of The Who, and referenced in songs including: Stardom in Acton (Pete Townshend), Henry (The Hit Parade), Orchard Road (Leo Sayer), Acton Art (Art of Noise), Acton Zulus (Carbon/Silicon). It is also something of a small-screen mecca - bits of Monty Python, Only Fools and Horses, The Deal, Sweeney, The Bill, Rose & Mccauley, Towering Alan and Minder were all shot around here. Slightly more highbrow: Aliens and Batman were both shot in a disused power station there, and Ladybird Ladybird was filmed in the surrounding area.
A lot of Doctor Who locations seemed to have been demolished in Acton, including the Wing Commander's HQ from Remembrance of the Daleks which used to stand on Horn Lane! The Seventh Doctor and Ace go on a driving tour there in that episode - some evil policemen cross a road in Attack of the Cybermen - and a warehouse from Evil of the Daleks used to stand nearby too. Double ironic, as Evil of the Daleks was burnt by the BBC - neither the film nor the building remains.
If Wikipedia's priorities are to be believed, it is most famous for death. The first thing it wanted to tell me about my new home was the Massacre of Braybrook Street. Three policemen were shot dead in 1966 by three hardened crooks after noticing - what else! - their car had no tax disk. I don't know if three constitutes a massacre, but there was a huge manhunt. Public outrage called for the return of the death penalty, for British cops to be armed - and others saw them as heroes.
A few other random things:
While not being famous for multiculturism, the area has a population of Poles, Iraquis, Somalis and Japanese - or to put it in student terms, Australian, South African and Irish pubs, Korean, Lebanese, Spanish and Chinese restaurants. I am particularly excited about Vanilla, a home-run vegan-fairtrade-looksbothwaysbeforecrossingtheroad coffee shop and purveyor of sandwiches:
http://www.worldvanilla.co.uk/?page=about/times There is also a weekly Farmers Market
Acton Library has a 100 year history, since being funded by a philanthropist and opened by an American Ambassador. The building cost £6,690, and originally contained 8,000 "volumes of wholesome literature". Here's hoping everything has got a bit grungier since then. Originally the collection was closed - you had to request something from the catalogue. There was also a large technical section, which had a reputation for being the best in London during the 50s and 60s.
On Horn Lane itself, a memorial was set up to Earl James Radcliffe. While the local connection is pretty spurious, he's still an interesting fella: executed in 1715 for leading a Stuart rebellion. The obelisk is now in a local park.
Acton cemetry has a gorgeous stone angel erected to George Lee Temple, the first British Airman to ever fly upside down.
Green parakeets fly wild there. Yes. Really. Greek parakeets.
It holds the distinction of having more railway stations than any other area of London.
Not all is fine and dandy: there is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission graveyard in the area, reminding me uncomfortably of the Canada debacle. We're also home to Wormwood Scrubs prison
The most enigmatic thing I have discovered is one very sinister building, and a brief one line explanation: "The Isolation Hospital in North Acton was opened in 1904, and was closed and demolished about ten years ago." Because we all know exactly what an Isolation Hospital is, right? No - I give up. Tell me about the Isolation Hospital. Photo here:
http://www.actonhistory.co.uk/acton/page9.html
Laundries, The Who, violence and ice cream. Somehow this area seems strangely apt for students.
The name comes from Anglo Saxon ac and tun, meaning "oak farm" or "farm by oak trees", though I suspect oaks are few and far between nowadays. It was known as "soapsud island" in the 19th century, when the soft water lead to the foundation of over 600 laundries in the area. Something to remember when we students are living among two months of unwashed clothing - especially because the discovery of springs in the 17th century made it famous for spas. The remains of this heritage can be seen in the 1904 baths.
Like most little villages, the church was it's heart - St Mary's. It's been there in some form since the 13th century, and was bashed up by Roundheads during the civil war because it's vicar was believed to be Royalist. On the road from Oxford to London, the village's first fame was as a stopover for travellers. In short, it was famous for pubs. What more could a student want? In the Regency and Victorian period, it was an area of retreat from the city and site of country homes. In the 20th Century, Acton was an industrial area and home of companies such as Wilkinson Sword, the razor manufacturers, and T. Wall & Son - who make Walls Ice Cream. It was also the site of the first "Waite, Rose and Taylor" store - now known as Waitrose.
The area has a semi-rich musical heritage, as the birthplace of The Who, and referenced in songs including: Stardom in Acton (Pete Townshend), Henry (The Hit Parade), Orchard Road (Leo Sayer), Acton Art (Art of Noise), Acton Zulus (Carbon/Silicon). It is also something of a small-screen mecca - bits of Monty Python, Only Fools and Horses, The Deal, Sweeney, The Bill, Rose & Mccauley, Towering Alan and Minder were all shot around here. Slightly more highbrow: Aliens and Batman were both shot in a disused power station there, and Ladybird Ladybird was filmed in the surrounding area.
A lot of Doctor Who locations seemed to have been demolished in Acton, including the Wing Commander's HQ from Remembrance of the Daleks which used to stand on Horn Lane! The Seventh Doctor and Ace go on a driving tour there in that episode - some evil policemen cross a road in Attack of the Cybermen - and a warehouse from Evil of the Daleks used to stand nearby too. Double ironic, as Evil of the Daleks was burnt by the BBC - neither the film nor the building remains.
If Wikipedia's priorities are to be believed, it is most famous for death. The first thing it wanted to tell me about my new home was the Massacre of Braybrook Street. Three policemen were shot dead in 1966 by three hardened crooks after noticing - what else! - their car had no tax disk. I don't know if three constitutes a massacre, but there was a huge manhunt. Public outrage called for the return of the death penalty, for British cops to be armed - and others saw them as heroes.
A few other random things:
While not being famous for multiculturism, the area has a population of Poles, Iraquis, Somalis and Japanese - or to put it in student terms, Australian, South African and Irish pubs, Korean, Lebanese, Spanish and Chinese restaurants. I am particularly excited about Vanilla, a home-run vegan-fairtrade-looksbothwaysbeforecrossingtheroad coffee shop and purveyor of sandwiches:
http://www.worldvanilla.co.uk/?page=about/times There is also a weekly Farmers Market
Acton Library has a 100 year history, since being funded by a philanthropist and opened by an American Ambassador. The building cost £6,690, and originally contained 8,000 "volumes of wholesome literature". Here's hoping everything has got a bit grungier since then. Originally the collection was closed - you had to request something from the catalogue. There was also a large technical section, which had a reputation for being the best in London during the 50s and 60s.
On Horn Lane itself, a memorial was set up to Earl James Radcliffe. While the local connection is pretty spurious, he's still an interesting fella: executed in 1715 for leading a Stuart rebellion. The obelisk is now in a local park.
Acton cemetry has a gorgeous stone angel erected to George Lee Temple, the first British Airman to ever fly upside down.
Green parakeets fly wild there. Yes. Really. Greek parakeets.
It holds the distinction of having more railway stations than any other area of London.
Not all is fine and dandy: there is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission graveyard in the area, reminding me uncomfortably of the Canada debacle. We're also home to Wormwood Scrubs prison
The most enigmatic thing I have discovered is one very sinister building, and a brief one line explanation: "The Isolation Hospital in North Acton was opened in 1904, and was closed and demolished about ten years ago." Because we all know exactly what an Isolation Hospital is, right? No - I give up. Tell me about the Isolation Hospital. Photo here:
http://www.actonhistory.co.uk/acton/page9.html
Laundries, The Who, violence and ice cream. Somehow this area seems strangely apt for students.
Comments (2)
Without looking, I assume an isolation hospital is for quarantine.
Would make sense. But it sounds so sinister!