Acton, London
Encyclopedia : A : AC : ACT : Acton, London
Acton is a place in the London Borough of Ealing. It is located 6.4 miles (10.3 km) west of Charing Cross. Originally an ancient village (mentioned in the Domesday Book), as London expanded, Acton became absorbed into the city. Acton was a municipal borough of Middlesex from 1921 to 1965, when it was absorbed into the London Borough of Ealing. East Acton is in the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham.
Acton lies on the former main road between London and Oxford and several inns along it date back several centuries as stopping places for travellers. Several springs were found towards the end of the 17th century on the north-east side of Acton and they became for a time health spas. Acton used to be famous for its laundries. The local soft water led to there being around 170 establishments in South Acton at the end of the 19th century, serving hotels and the rich in London's West End, leading to the nickname "soapsuds island".
Acton is now principally residential, though it maintains some light industry: particularly in the north east in the Park Royal area, and the south near the border with Chiswick.
Acton is also home to the largest housing estate in West London, the South Acton estate, with approximately 2000 homes and 5800 residents#redirect [[Template:Fact]].
Since WW2, 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 / 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.
The name Acton derives from the Anglo-Saxon for "oak town".
Acton was also the birthplace of The Who, of which all members except Keith Moon went to Acton High School, and was where 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.
Nearest places:
Nearest tube stations:- Acton Town tube station, Piccadilly Line
- Ealing Broadway station, District Line, Central Line
- Ealing Common tube station, Piccadilly Line, District Line
- North Ealing tube station, Piccadilly Line
- North Acton tube station, Central Line
- East Acton tube station, Central Line
- West Acton tube station, Central Line
- Acton Central railway station, Silverlink
- South Acton railway station, Silverlink
- Acton Main Line railway station, First Great Western Link
- Ealing Broadway station, First Great Western Link, Heathrow Connect
External links
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