HAMMERSMITH AND FULHAM

formerly Hammersmith, inner borough of London, part of the historic county of Middlesex. It lies north of the River Thames and west of Kensington and Chelsea. It was created a borough in 1965 by the amalgamation of the former metropolitan boroughs of Fulham and Hammersmith. The present borough comprises such areas and neighbourhoods as (from north to south) Wormwood Scrubs, White City, Shepherd's Bush, Hammersmith, and Fulham. The borough is predominantly residential, and 19th-century houses are common. Its southern part contains Fulham Palace (early 16th century), the residence of the bishops of London until 1973; the palace is now a museum. The northern sector extends through densely developed areas of terraced houses and flats up to the bleak space known as Wormwood Scrubs, with its prison built by convicts in 187490 and still in use today. The borough also includes the Olympia exhibition centre; Hurlingham Park; the grounds of Chelsea, Fulham, and Queen's Park Rangers football (soccer) clubs; and the British Broadcasting Corporation's television headquarters and main studios. Also notable are the Palais de Danse (Hammersmith Palais) dance hall, which opened in 1919, and the 17th-century Dove, which has been a coffeehouse and inn since 1796. The annual University Boat Race of Oxford and Cambridge eights starts from near Putney Bridge. Queen's Club at Barons Court is well known for tennis competition. Fulham, Shepherd's Bush, and Hammersmith have large shopping centres. Hammersmith and Fulham has a large number of Irish residents. Ethnic minorities account for about one-sixth of the total population; Shepherd's Bush in particular has large African and Afro-Caribbean communities. Area 6 square miles (16 square km). Pop. (1998 est.) 157,500.