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PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS
The London Borough of Hammersmith covers an area of 3,995 acres,
bounded on the South by the Thames, on the North by Brent, to the East by
Kensington and Chelsea, and to the West by Ealing and Hounslow.
The subsoil in the Northern section of the Borough is mainly clay,
whilst in the South there is a layer of some twenty feet of gravel over
blue clay. There is a variation of approximately 120 feet in elevation
from the river to the Northern boundary whilst the lowest point is 13
feet above sea level.
There are more than 900 factories of varied nature within the Borough
and most trades are represented. This development is undoubtedly due
to the excellent water, road, and rail transport facilities available. Of
equal importance to the industrialist and the resident alike are the comprehensive
passenger transport services of the area which, for eighteen
hours a day, provide train and bus schedules to most parts of London and
to surrounding districts. The Borough is easily accessible to London Airport.
Hammersmith has all the usual amenities for recreation and relaxation.
There are swimming baths at Lime Grove and North End Road, whilst Bloemfontein
Road has an open-air swimming pool measuring 150 feet by 75 feet.
For the onlooker there is a very wide choice indeed as, at most weekends,
the river is a spectacle with racing eights, sailing boats and skiffs
from the various rowing and sailing clubs. The highlights of such activities
are undoubtedly the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race and the Head of
the River Race, both held in the Spring.
The White City Stadium stages national and international athletics,
and greyhound racing, whilst the Royal International Horse Show, (Patron
H.M. The Queen), and organised by the British Horse Society, is also held
there. Olympia attracts thousands to its well-known exhibitions and shows;
whilst the B.B.C. Television Centre in Wood Lane and Lime Grove Studios,
which provide entertainment for millions, are household names.
The Borough enjoys many sporting facilities, and includes the Association
Football grounds of Chelsea, Fulham and Queen's Park Rangers in
its area.
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