Facts about Shepherds Bush
Shepherds Bush History
The name Shepherd’s Bush is thought to have originated from the use of the common land here as a resting point for shepherds on their way to Smithfield Market in the City of London. An alternative theory is that it could have been named after someone in the area because in 1635 the area was recorded as “Sheppard’s Bush Green”.
A map of London dated 1841 shows Shepherd’s Bush to be largely undeveloped and chiefly rural in character, with much open farmland, compared with fast-developing Hammersmith. Residential development began in earnest in the late 19th century, as London’s population expanded relentlessly. In 1904 the Catholic Church of Holy Ghost and St Stephen. Built-in the Gothic style with a triple-gabled facade of red brick and Portland stone, was completed and opened to the public.
General Info
Shepherd’s Bush is a district of West London, England, currently classified as a deprived area, within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham 4.9 miles west of Charing Cross, and identified as a major metropolitan center in the London Plan. Although primarily residential in character, its focus is the shopping area of Shepherd’s Bush Green.
With the Westfield London shopping center a short distance to the north. The main thoroughfares are Uxbridge Road, Goldhawk Road, and Askew Road, all with small and mostly independent shops, pubs, and restaurants. The Loftus Road football stadium in Shepherd’s Bush is home to Queens Park Rangers. In 2011, the population of the area was 39,724.
