Westbourne Park Platform

Westbourne Park Platform

Westbourne Park Entrance

Westbourne Park Entrance

Westbourne Park Platform

Westbourne Park Platform

 

Although the Metropolitan Railway had been extended to Notting Hill and Hammersmith on 1 June 1864 the first station by this name did not open until 1 February 1866. In 1867, with the companies on better terms, the Metropolitan bought a share of the H&CR from the GWR, after which they eliminated the broad-gauge track and operated almost all the trains (the H&CR's identity being effectively lost). The original station closed on 31 October 1871 and was replaced the following day by a new station constructed to the east of the original. To remove this traffic from their own busy main line, the GWR built a new pair of tracks from Paddington to Westbourne Park, and on 12 May 1878 they opened a diveunder to remove conflicts where the service crossed the main line. In February 1913 a bomb (possibly planted by the Suffragettes) was discovered at the station. In 2009 the Circle line was extended to Hammersmith. The line now operates between Hammersmith and Edgware Road via a single complete circuit of the previous route. This was done with the aim of improving reliability by providing a place for trains to terminate after each trip rather than letting delays accumulate. However, it means that no trains through Notting Hill Gate go east of Edgware Road

 

The hamlet of Westbourne, was a High Middle Ages (mid-mediaeval) settlement, centred on Westbourne Green. It included a mansion house and a farmhouse. It is recorded as Westeburn in 1222 and as Westborn in 1294. The green is recorded as Westborne Grene in 1548, Washborne Green in 1680 and Wesborn Green in 1754. Westbourne Green had five main houses, the largest of these being Westbourne Place which had been rebuilt as an elegant Georgian mansion in 1745 by the architect Isaac Ware. The mansion's well-known residents included: baronet Sir William Yorke, a Venetian ambassador, architect Samuel Pepys Cockerell (a distant relative of diarist Samuel Pepys) and General Rowland Hill, 1st Viscount Hill (Commander-in-Chief of the Army, 1828–39). Hill gave his name to Lord Hill's Bridge. The station has payphones, help points and a waiting room, and steps.

 

Connections: Circle Line. London Bus routes 7, 18, 23, 28, 31, 36, 70, 328 and 328 and night routes N28 and N31 serve the station. In addition, bus routes 23 and 70 provide a 24-hour bus service.