_Spotlight on Acton

An area that has been largely overlooked until now, Acton offers buyers looking to move to affluent West London a gateway into the residential market, with affordable property that still benefits from all the amenities and facilities that makes this area of the capital so attractive to buyers. 

Acton also boasts fantastic transport links, with a total of seven stations, including Acton Main Line which is set to be served by Crossrail. From Acton, central London can be reached in 10 minutes, Canary Wharf in 23 minutes, and Heathrow Airport in 20 minutes. 

Although close to White City and all that the area has to offer, Acton itself is part of a £26 billion regeneration masterplan. One of the capital’s largest regeneration programmes, it includes the only transport hub with a Crossrail-to-HS2 interchange, along with new schools, a new high street, public realm and the creation of 65,000 new jobs. There will also be two new campuses for Imperial College’s scientific and innovation hubs. 

Above: The Verdean

History 

Ealing is one of the greenest boroughs in London, and with nearby 186-acre Gunnersbury Park, Acton certainly isn’t short of green space. Its name even derives from the Old English Words for ‘oak’ and ‘enclosed garden’, translating loosely as ‘a garden or a field enclosed by oaks’. 

Originally an ancient village, as London expanded, Acton was absorbed into the city, and became synonymous with the hub of commerce and retail thanks to its location on the former main road between London and Oxford, the Uxbridge Road, with many historic inns providing a resting place for weary travellers.

Green Space and Recreation 

Acton is home to a number of parks, such as Acton Park, with a pond, bowling green, tennis courts, playground and Putt in the Park Acton – a popular miniature golf course. Smaller open spaces such as The Woodlands Park and Southfields Playing Fields ensure that you are never too far from greenery, while the larger nearby Gunnersbury Park offers rich history and beautiful scenery. Gunnersbury Park provides 186 acres of playing fields, tennis courts, a museum that displays fine art, archaeology and local history, a fishing lake, boat pond and a pitch and putt golf course. The world-renowned Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew is also nearby, lying just opposite on the south side of the Thames.  

Above: Gunnersbury Park

Leisure

If a healthy and active lifestyle is what you’re after – there’s plenty of great facilities in and around Acton. Everyone Active Swimming Pool and Gym is a brilliant public membership sports centre, offering a 25-metre main pool as well as a teaching pool, a main gym and women’s only gym that offers over 90 pieces of the latest equipment, and a fitness studio with over 80 classes a week. Virgin Active also has a branch of their popular members club, featuring 12 tennis courts, as do David Lloyd, with swimming pools and tennis courts, set in 27 acres of greenery in Acton Park. 

In neighbouring White City, Soho House offers members White City House, a stylish members club that offers guests a taste of TV’s golden era in homage to its location, part of the former BBC Television Centre. As well as bars, restaurants, a screening room and event spaces, White City House also boasts four fitness studios with a fantastic timetable of classes, state-of-the-art equipment, personal trainers, a rooftop pool, indoor pool, steam room, sauna and a hammam. 

If you fancy something a little different, head over to Oxygen Freejumping Trampoline Park – a fun day out for all ages, offering 150 interconnected trampolines and obstacles courses!

Food and Drink

There’s plenty to choose from when it comes to wining and dining in and around Acton. A branch of the popular Bluebird Café from the King’s Road in Chelsea has now opened in White City, offering a delicious menu of cocktails, breakfast, lunch, dinner and brunch. There’s plenty of emerging gastropubs and restaurants in Acton itself, such as The Grange or the eclectic Aeronaut, offering site-brewed craft ales and weekend circus shows. Nearby, popular eateries such as No 17 Dickens Yard in Ealing and No 197 Chiswick Fire Station in Chiswick make for some great alternatives. 

If dining in is more your thing, then there’s a host of fantastic food and drink suppliers, some favourites include Vindinista bespoke wine shop (which also opens as an early evening wine bar), the popular English Butcher and most importantly, Acton Market, (featuring a farmer’s market on Saturdays) which is on every Friday to Sunday, where you can pick up local arts and crafts, freshly baked bread, and local produce.  

Shopping and Entertainment

Acton is home to plenty of commodity shops and the newly refurbished Oaks Shopping Centre, but is also within a stone’s throw of Westfield White City, one of the biggest shopping centres in Europe, home to more than 300 shops, from high street to designer, a 17-screen cinema and a total of 90 restaurants, ranging from fine dining to grab-and-go. 

So, if you’re sold on Acton, why not find out more about The Verdean?

Where to buy

We're delighted to announce that Knight Frank will soon be launching The Verdean, for our client Mount Anvil, one of our biggest new home developments this year, offering nearly six acres of reimagined landscaping with 990 new homes set over 24 floors. The development is centred around green space and biodiversity, with 213 trees planted, two podium gardens, two rooftop gardens and an eco walk. The Verdean will be just a 45-second walk from Acton Main Line station. Prices start at £369,000.