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TURNHAM GREEN ...
Turnham
Green is not the big bit of grass opposite Turnham Green tube station.
This is all very confusing, but that is Acton Green Common (not very near
Acton). Turnham Green is further along the High Road with Christ Church
standing in the middle of it. It is a lovely big space with shops along
one side and the Town Hall and beautiful Heathfield Terrace along the
other side. But seeing as Turnham Green tube is at the top of Turnham
Green Terrace, we’ve included the whole stretch of the Terrace up
to the (real) Green for this profile. You could live your whole life here
– pretty much everything is available – and due to the high
number of families in the area there are also good schools and a range
of activities and playgroups for tinies. Good shopping for children, too..
Food shops
Essentials
Interesting extras
Shopping for kids
Health & Beauty
Playgrounds
Nurseries
Prep & primary schools
Activities for children
Cafés
Pubs, Bars & Restaurants
Property
Food Shops
Walk along Turnham Green Terrace for:
Macken
Brothers
Tel 020 8994 2646
I took my Granny to this butcher’s recently and she came over all
nostalgic. This is the real sawdust on the floor experience, with fantastic
fresh meat and unbeatable cocktail sausages. They also sell good homemade
apple pies.
M&C
Tel 020 8995 0140
Wonderful watercress and other greengrocery and fruit.
Mortimer and Bennet
Tel 020 8995 4145
The first deli on the way up with lovely cheeses and occasionally Sally
Clarke goodies. As recommended by Nigella.
Indigo Delicafé
Tel 020 8995 9000
Another delicatessen further up by the tube. They are open until 8pm,
so you can pick up dinner on the way home. They also do lots of outside
catering, from canapés to dinner parties.
Covent Garden Fishmonger
Tel 020 8995 9273
Expensive but fresh and so delicious. Good range of sushi products, too.
Fish Works
Tel 020 8994 0086
New (2003) – and giving Covent Garden Fishmonger stiff competition;
there is a restaurant at the back.
The Natural Food Store
Tel 020 8995 4906
A little gem with a good selection of organic pulses, snacks, yoghurts
and chocolate as well as an expanding range of preservative-free cosmetics.
They also stock Truuuly Scrumptious organic frozen baby food.
Go back on to the High Road and up towards the Green for:
As
Nature Intended
Tel 020 8742 8838
The organic supermarket.
M&S
Tel 020 8994 2236
The easy if expensive way to buy just about everything you need.
There is a big Sainsbury’s (020 8994 9128) opposite Turnham Green behind the High Road.
There are two very good fruit and veg stalls
in the area – one just along from Waterstone’s (my nearest
and favourite) and one opposite MVC a little further up the High Road.
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Essentials
Starting at the Green and working back to the Terrace:
A big Post Office that does everything is on Turnham Green (0845 7223344).
West London Pharmacy is the best of the small chemists on the High Road (020 8994 1702); for a broader range and branded products head to the big branch of Boots opposite the Green (020 8994 1431).
Fantastically, there is a Woolies (020 8994 0773). Inexpensive dressing up outfits and knickers for potty-training toddlers. Really handy for toys and presents, too. Also up this end, there is a big WH Smith (020 8995 9427).
MVC (020 8987 0128) for video and music sales – there is a big selection and they will take orders. Join their club for a discount.
Nicolas (020 8995 9916) is our favourite for wine – good selection and beautiful gift-wrapping.
For books, try Waterstone’s (020 8995 3559) for a full selection and Bookcase (020 8742 3919) for discounted old lines – great for children’s books and tapes.
There is a good flower stall next to Waterstone’s;
Wheeler’s has a flower stand next to the
tube station and a garden centre tucked behind
the tube, which sells shrubs, trees, pots and offers a design service
(020 8747 9505). Pot Pourri (020 8994 2404)
is a flower shop further up towards the Green.
Snappy Snaps
Tel 020 8994 0854
On the corner of the Terrace – always reliable and speedy.
VidBiz
Tel 020 8994 8012
A good selection of videos to rent, and some old ones to buy.
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Interesting Extras
On the Terrace:
Theobroma Cacao
Tel 020 8996 0431
An incredible chocolate shop. Lovely gift boxes, which they overfill,
make a brilliant present. There is a little seating area in the back for
drinking hot chocolates and sampling the truffles, which they also sell
individually.
Melbury's
Tel 020 8994 2747
A treat of a bathroom shop – good for gifts; they also sell Calvin
Klein pjs.
Dynasty New and Nearly New Designer Wear
Tel 020 8995 9846
This is a shop which I walked past without noticing for three years; since
discovering it I rarely go past without popping in. (Best so far: Stella
McCartney denim skirt for £15.)
PES Electronics
Tel 020 8994 8020
A wonderful electrical shop which has been on the Terrace since 1977 selling
all small electrical items, batteries, clocks, light bulbs and so on.
They will also repair your telly and other running electrical repairs.
Turnham Arts and Crafts
Tel 020 8995 2872
A lovely art shop just up from the tube which sells wooden easels, canvases,
paper and all kinds of paint, and art kits for children.
On the High Road:
Action Bikes
Tel 020 8994 1485
Sensible advice on children’s bikes and will also keep the bike
you have bought for Christmas right up until the last minute so no problems
hiding one in London houses without storage space.
The Old Cinema
Tel 020 8995 4166
Four floors of antique furniture.
Collection (for women) and American Pie (for men)
Tel 020 8995 1942 for both
Two adjacent clothes shops full of designer names, including Nicole Farhi.
Bang and Olufsen
Tel 020 8747 4712
For beautiful sound systems
The
Bay Tree
Tel 020 8994 1914
On Devonshire Road is great for gifts for adults and children, stocks
Cath Kidston, and has an excellent selection of cards
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Shopping for Children
This really is a family area, so here is a long list:
On the Terrace:
Tots
Tel 020 8995 0520
A big range of children’s clothes and accessories – handy
if you need something smart.
Rift Kids (shoes) is in the back of Something
Nice (020 8742 7135) – which sells gifts, cards and toys
in the front.
Snap Dragon
Tel 020 8995 6618
The full-to-bursting toy shop.
On the High Road:
Petit Bateau
Tel 020 8987 0288
I would love to dress our children in nothing else. Look out for good
sales and sign up for their loyalty card for special offers. Lovely for
gifts for babies
Gap Kids and Baby Gap
Tel 020 8995 3255
For essentials, especially good in the sales. We love the skinny pyjamas.
Don’t miss:
Chiswick Shoes
Tel 020 8987 0525
On Devonshire Road stock a good selection of Start Rite shoes and also
sell ballet shoes
The Little Trading Company
Tel 020 8742 3152
On Bedford Corner, just above the tube station. This is a brilliant resource
for Chiswick families, and is worth travelling out of your own area for.
They sell second-hand children’s furniture, clothes, toys, books,
videos, bikes, nursery curtains, dressing-up outfits, new and second-hand
buggies, and second-hand uniform for local schools.
This is a small shop, but they pack it in! Everything is in good condition
and prices start low. If you want something they haven’t got, they
keep a record and call when they see one. There is also a children’s
hairdresser who comes Wednesday and Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.
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Space NK
Tel 020 8994 3184
For all beauty products.
Re-aqua
Tel 020 8995 7360
A beauty therapy centre at the top of the Terrace offering the full range
of beauty treatments as well as Clarins products.
Toni & Guy
Tel 020 8995 4556
For a good hairdo.
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Playgrounds
I think this is what the area lacks. There is a little
playground on Fisher’s Lane, behind Sainsbury’s, which
is popular, especially after school. Also, Homefield
Rec, on Chiswick Lane. But there are the open spaces of Acton
Green Common and Turnham Green; just
remember to bring a ball. For a larger park, head west to Chiswick House
and Park, or east to Ravenscourt Park.
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Nurseries
The Caterpillar Montessori in St Alban’s
Church Hall, South Parade (behind Acton Green Common) is very popular
(020 8747 8531); also try Primary Steps at the
Homefield Rec on Chiswick Lane (020 8876 8144).
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Prep and Primary Schools
Chiswick and Bedford Park Preparatory School (020
8994 1804) and Orchard House (020 8742 8544)
are both independent co-ed schools up to 8 years and keep girls up to
11. Popular choices with families in the area; register your interest
early – Orchard House is first-come, first-served; CBPP operates
a ballot system.
State primaries to try to get into are Belmont Primary
(020 8994 7677) next to Sainsbury’s, which came third on the Hounslow
league table, and St Mary’s RC Primary (020
8994 5606).
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Activities for Children
Chiswick Library on Duke’s Avenue
Tel 020 8994 1008
The children’s library is light and spacious. There is story time
with songs and colouring activities every Friday at 2.30pm. No ticket
required. Craft and more reading events are organized for the school holidays.
Call for more information.
The Town Hall on Turnham Green is a great local resource. Look on the noticeboard for information about all the various activities, for adults (yoga, salsa, keep fit) and children.
Also, recommended for children are:
Crechendo (020 8675 6611); Amanda’s
Action Kids (020 8578 0234), a music and movement class for babies
from 6 months up to 3 1/2 years, which is run on a drop-in basis; and
Boogie Mites, a music workshop for under 5s
(020 8767 1352).
There is also a French club for 5–8 year-olds (020 7924 4649) and Kumon Maths (call Elsie Nassar on 020 8876 9954) among other things on offer.
The Art Café (020 8994 4100) is on the High Road just past Sainsbury’s – plate decorating and parties for older children.
Chiswick Holiday Courses are actually held in Ealing, but advertised all over Chiswick, and attract many local families. The summer holiday courses include magic, drama, art and cooking and are for children from 5 years. Call 020 8742 3936 for information and a booking form.
Tiggerty-boo is a new weekend playtime for under-5s, held in the Homefield Rec on Chiswick Lane. It is open 10am–6pm and offers arts and crafts activities, toys and games, cars and trikes, and newspapers, magazine and coffee for the grown-ups. (You must stay with your child.) Call 020 8995 7097 for more information.
Hogarth
Youth and Community Centre on Duke’s Road (020 8994 7736)
Open Mon–Sat 8.30am–6.30pm £2.50 per child and £1
for sibling. There is a café serving latte, milkshakes, cakes,
breakfast, lunch and tea. Also soft playroom and outside playground.
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Cafés
Elias Lebanese Express
Tel 020 8747 1166
Relatively new and offers delicious falafel, shawarma and fresh juices.
Busy at lunchtime; you can also take out
Maison Blanc
Tel 020 8995 7220
These seem to be everywhere now, but this is a good one with a large seating
area.
There are four branches of Starbucks in the area, but our favourite is
Café Nero, making a stand with two branches, opposite the Green
and next to the Terrace.
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Pubs, Bars and Restaurants
Dodgy pubs and All Bar Ones abound. For a really decent bar experience,
go elsewhere. The great selection of restaurants makes up for this. 
We recommend:
La Trompette on Devonshire Road (020 8747 1836)
for extravagant French food.
The Chiswick (020 8994 6887) and Gravy (020 8994 6816) for modern British, both on the High Road.
Fish Hoek (020 8742 0766) for South African
seafood on Elliot Road (just off the High Road; they helpfully put a sign
out)
Thai Bistro is slightly to the east of our area
on the High Road, but brilliant, so we let it in (020 8995 5774).
Chris’s Fish and Chips on the Terrace (020 8995 2367) – you can eat in, but you might prefer to take out – great for that once-in-a-while taste of the English seaside.
PizzaExpress (020 8747 0193) and Zizzis
(020 8747 9400) are both on the High Road and particularly good
for children.
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Property
Estate Agents
FPD Savills (020 8987 5550) houses only
Barnard Marcus (020 8995 2345)
Haart of Chiswick (020 8747 8601)
House Prices
Two-bedroom flats from £225,000
Three-bedroom houses from £450,000
Five-bedroom houses from £850,000
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First published in angels and urchins, Autumn 2003