North Acton

Commercial activity

The commercial district of Park Royal overspills into North Acton, and several facilities are located on the edge of North Acton Playing Fields, including the Black Island Film Studios, which are the largest television and film studios in central London. In recent years there has been new commercial and high-rise residential redevelopment to the south of North Acton tube station, including extensive provision of student accommodation for the University of the Arts and Imperial College London.

BBC

The BBC has been associated with North Acton for many decades, with its main television rehearsal studios and its costume collection located in North Acton, adjacent to the railway station. There is a short and easy journey of just two stops on the Central line to reach White City and the BBC Television Centre there. Many famous actors and producers have utilised the rehearsal studios, and North Acton public house 'The Castle' opposite, where actors frequently gathered for lunch and refreshments. Following a decision by the BBC to relocate services, the rehearsal studios have closed, and the Television Centre itself also closed in 2013. The costume collection building has closed and been demolished with a new tower block of student accommodation (for the University of the Arts) opening on the site late in 2012. The student block has been named "The Costume Store" in tribute to the former BBC activity on the site.

The last remaining BBC facility in North Acton today is the "BBC Park Western" studios and office block, located on Kendall Avenue, beside the Central line, midway between North Acton and West Acton tube stations. Once the headquarters of the BBC TV Outside Broadcasting Department, half the site has now been sold and redeveloped, with the remaining BBC Park Western used as the operating base, standing set, and production offices for popular television series Silent Witness, much of which is filmed around Acton and Park Royal.

Parish Church

North Acton is served by the Parish Church of St Gabriel, North Acton, located on Noel Road, beside North Acton Playing Fields, part of the Church of England. St Gabriel's is one of the forty new churches 'planted' in the early 1930s by Bishop Winnington-Ingram, the Bishop of London, to serve London's expanding suburbs. It celebrated its eightieth anniversary in July 2011. The very large church was designed and built by architect Ernest Charles Shearman, and houses an original painting ("The Annunciation") by artist John Pelling. Other points of interest include a high altar frontal used at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and a stone font originally located in Westminster Abbey, and still bearing carved stone symbols of the Abbey Church.

Public spaces

North Acton Playing Fields is a large open space for public recreation. Its facilities include several football and cricket pitches, multiple hard-surfaced and grass tennis courts, a basketball court, exercise machines forming a public 'outside gym', refreshment facilities including "Piccolo Cafeteria" (open all year round), a pavilion, a children's playground, hard (tarmac) surfaced paths for walking in inclement weather, a picnic area with metal picnic tables, and designated dog-walking areas.

Tube

The main tube station is North Acton Station (Central line), although several others are within easy walking distance of the community. The Piccadilly line also passes through the parish of North Acton, although with no station stop. North Acton station is on the border of fare zones 2 and 3. It is also the location of a junction (to the west of the station) where the Central line splits between its main line and the Ealing Broadway branch.

Buses

London Buses serving North Acton are:

Neighbouring places