Nearest Tube: Chiswick

The district of London called Chiswick lies in west London, about 5 miles to the west of Hyde Park. Until the 19th century it was a rural area populated by farms, hamlets and villages.

But once the railways reached Chiswick in the 1850s the area rapidly expanded and the population grew massively. Much of the area was used for housing, and right to this day the district has a very residential feel to it, much of it “exclusive” and middle class.

The artist William Hogarth was a past resident of the area, and there is a museum, called Hogarth’s House, dedicated to his life and work in the district. The other principal tourist attraction in the district is Chiswick House.

There is also a very picturesque walk along the river all the way from Chiswick to Hammersmith. And nearby is the district of Kew with its world famous Royal Botanical Gardens.