Hammersmith

Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, 4.3 miles (6.9 km) southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. It is bordered by Shepherd's Bush to the north, Kensington to the east, Chiswick to the west, and Fulham to the south, all on the north bank of the River Thames. The area is one of west London's main commercial and employment centres, and has for some decades been a major centre of London's Polish community. It is a major transport hub for west London, with two London Underground stations and a bus and coach station at Hammersmith Broadway. Hammersmith Bridge, opened in 1827, was the first suspension bridge across the River Thames. Famous residents of Hammersmith include the 17th century poet John Milton. It features in literature in works such as Charles Dickens's Great Expectations and William Morris's News from Nowhere. In music, it appears in Gustav Holst's Hammersmith for military band and his Brook Green Suite. In the 20th century, many actors lived in the borough.