Hammersmith

Hammersmith Grove and Luxemburg Gardens have some very substantial Victorian houses, and the Mall and Hammersmith Terrace have stunning Georgian terraces overlooking the river. Brackenbury Village has a good stock of pretty three- and four-bedroom Victorian cottages, many extended by their owners.

It is an extremely well-connected area. Its two Underground stations serve four lines between them (District, Piccadilly, Hammersmith & City and Circle), there is a major bus station, and Heathrow is a short drive along the M4 or a direct ride on the Piccadilly line. The airport, foreign-language schools and cultural centres have drawn French, Italian and Polish communities, giving Hammersmith a cosmopolitan feel.

Many families come for the schools. Independent prep schools include Bute House, Latymer Prep and Ravenscourt Park Prep; at secondary level, St Paul’s Girls’ School, Godolphin & Latymer and Latymer Upper are among the most sought-after in London, and state schools such as the West London Free School, Lady Margaret School and Sacred Heart High School are well regarded. Ofsted no longer gives single-word overall grades, so check each school’s latest report.

Hammersmith has seen brisk trade in high-value houses. Larger period houses, particularly along the river, rarely come to market, and buyers have been willing to pay a premium to secure them. In the third quarter of 2023 a house on Hammersmith Terrace sold for £4.575 million, £1.1 million more than its 2015 sale price.

Rightmove sold-price data for the 12 months to December 2024, quoted in our earlier guide, gave an overall average of £1,013,552. Flats averaged £630,018, terraced houses £1.63 million and semi-detached houses just under £1.8 million. Prices were 10% up on the previous year but 2% below the 2017 peak of £1,030,690.

Kensington House owns Sulgrave Road, a large family house in Hammersmith; explore it room by room on its property page.

“Some of the larger period houses, particularly along the river, are architectural gems that do not come to market very often.”

King’s Mall and King Street are the main shopping areas. The mall has been refreshed as Livat Hammersmith, with a small-format IKEA, and the redevelopment of neighbouring Lyric Square, now pedestrianised with fountains, has brought in new names. Hammersmith Food Market comes to Lyric Square on Thursdays with pasta, Caribbean salads, hog roast, crêpes and falafel.

Towards Stamford Brook, King Street has well-loved independent food shops, including Saffron for fresh produce and Middle Eastern pantry staples, Patisserie Sainte Anne for Parisian croissants and baguettes at weekends, and Sriracha for Thai, Chinese and Japanese ingredients. In Brackenbury Village, long-established family butcher Stenton’s is famous for its Christmas queues.

Brackenbury Village has some of the best gastropubs in the area: The Anglesea Arms on Wingate Road, with modern European cooking; The Grove Tavern on Hammersmith Grove, with a covered terrace open all year; and The Andover Arms, a cosy neighbourhood pub with a contemporary menu.

Along the river, The Elder Press on South Black Lion Lane is a beautifully styled café serving colourful, nourishing food, with everything baked on site. Of the riverside pubs, The Dove is the favourite of most locals for its calm, cosy atmosphere, large terrace and seasonal food.