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4
SECTION A
SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE BOROUGH AND
STATISTICS
Hammersmith is the most westerly Borough in the County
of London. It has an area of 2,282.5 acres and is bounded on
the north by the Borough of Willesden, on the south by the
River Thames, on the east by the Boroughs of Kensington and
Fulham and on the west by the Boroughs of Acton and Chiswick.
The sub-soil in the northern half of the Borough (north of
Uxbridge Road) mainly consists of clay, whilst in the south it
consists of a layer of some 20ft. of gravel above blue clay.
Years ago there was a layer of several feet thick of brown clay,
particularly in the east of the Borough, much of which was
excavated for brick-making purposes before building development
took place.
Under the control of the Council and within the Borough
are 22/2 acres of public gardens and open spaces. The London
County Council similarly controls 278 acres of public open
spaces. In addition to the five pre-war housing estates many
Eost-war dwellings consisting of 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedroomed flats
ave been erected by the Borough Council on various sites in
the Borough. Under the control of the London County Council
are also six housing estates. The total length of roads in the
Borough is approximately 67 miles. There are many industries
most of which are situated in our northern extremity.
Year 1951 saw the triumph of the Festival of Britain and
the opening of Furnivall Gardens and Hammersmith Pier, where
a large number of visitors to London embarked on the water
buses to complete their journey to the Festival site and Pleasure
Gardens.
The year under review has been one of steady progress in .
Hammersmith.
Furnivall Gardens for most of the spring and summer was
a mass of flowers, and with the Town Hall and a new block of
flats in the background, edged with the remaining Queen Anne
and early Georgian houses in Upper Mall, was a very popular
rendezvous for local people.
The Council have pressed forward with their various development
plans. Odd blitzed sites have been developed into
pleasant gardens amid the built-up areas. The tenancies of all
war time allotments in the Borough have been terminated and
the land is being restored to its former uses or re-developed.
The Town and Country Planning (Control of Development)