Swiss Cottage is an area of

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from Watling Street, the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the Lon ...

in the

London Borough of Camden The London Borough of Camden () is a London borough in Inner London. Camden Town Hall, on Euston Road, lies north of Charing Cross. The borough was established on 1 April 1965 from the area of the former boroughs of Hampstead, Holborn, and St ...

, England. It is centred on the junction of

Avenue Road Avenue Road is a major north–south street in Toronto, Ontario. The road is a continuation of University Avenue, linked to it via Queen's Park and Queen's Park Crescent East and West to form a single through route.''Toronto Pocket Street Atla ...

and

Finchley Road Finchley Road is a designated arterial road in north-west London, England. The Finchley Road starts in St John's Wood near central London as part of the A41; its southern half is a major dual carriageway with high traffic levels often freque ...

and includes Swiss Cottage tube station. Swiss Cottage lies north-northwest of

Charing Cross Charing Cross ( ) is a junction in Westminster, London, England, where six routes meet. Clockwise from north these are: the east side of Trafalgar Square leading to St Martin's Place and then Charing Cross Road; the Strand leading to the City; ...

. The area was named after a public house in the centre of it, known as "Ye Olde Swiss Cottage".

History

Toponymy

According to the ''Dictionary of London Place Names'' (2001), the district is named after an inn called ''The Swiss Tavern'' that was built in 1804 in the style of a

Swiss chalet Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland *Swiss people Places *Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia *Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss International ...

on the site of a former tollgate keeper's cottage, and later renamed ''Swiss Inn'' and in the early 20th century ''Swiss Cottage''.

Urban development

Finchley Road, Belsize Park, Frognal and Swiss Cottage in Hampstead

The district formed part of the ancient parish of

. It developed following the Finchley Road Act 1826, which authorised construction of Finchley New Road and

, with ''The Swiss Tavern'' built at the junction of the new roads.'Hampstead: St. John’s Wood', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 9: Hampstead, Paddington
(1989), pp. 60–63. The neighbourhood around Finchley Road and Avenue Road was redeveloped in 1937 and 1938 with the opening of an

Odeon cinema Odeon, stylised as ODEON, is a cinema brand name operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Norway, which along with UCI Cinemas and Nordic Cinema Group is part of the Odeon Cinemas Group subsidiary of AMC Theatres. It uses the famous name ...

and the Regency Lodge flats. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, local authority housing was constructed by the

London County Council London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today kno ...

in the area. Council housing includes the five-tower

Chalcots Estate Chalcots Estate is a council housing estate on Adelaide Road and Fellows Road in Swiss Cottage in the London Borough of Camden. It was designed by Dennis Lennon and Partners. The Chalcots Estate was built on land owned by Eton College, which ...

built in the 1960s. On 20 March 2014 a planning application was submitted for a 24-storey tower to be built next to Swiss Cottage tube station. The application was rejected by Camden Council on 11 September 2014 following mass local protests. A revised scheme received planning permission in 2016 but the developer, Essential Living, argued affordable housing requirements made the scheme uneconomic. After delaying construction for several years, it decided to start the originally approved building with construction expected to begin in 2023 and complete by 2025.

Government

Swiss Cottage is in the Hampstead and Kilburn

constituency An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger State (polity), state (a country, administrative region, ...

, formed at the 2010 general election. It was formerly in the Hampstead and Highgate

, for which the MP was

Glenda Jackson Glenda May Jackson (born 9 May 1936) is an English actress and former Member of Parliament (MP). She has won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice: for her role as Gudrun Brangwen in the romantic drama ''Women in Love'' (1970); and again for ...

. It forms part of the Barnet and Camden London Assembly constituency. There is a Swiss Cottage electoral ward, electing councillors to

Camden London Borough Council Camden London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Camden in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. Camden is divided into 18 wards, each electing th ...

Geography

Swiss Cottage is located north-northwest of

. Adjoining neighbourhoods include

Village to the northeast,

Chalk Farm Chalk Farm is a small urban district of north London, lying immediately north of Camden Town, in the London Borough of Camden. History Manor of Rugmere Chalk Farm was originally known as the Manor of Rugmere, an estate that was mentioned in ...

and

Camden Town Camden Town (), often shortened to Camden, is a district of northwest London, England, north of Charing Cross. Historically in Middlesex, it is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Camden, and identified in the London Plan as o ...

to the southeast,

Belsize Park Belsize Park is an affluent residential area of Hampstead in the London Borough of Camden (the inner north-west of London), England. The residential streets are lined with mews houses and Georgian and Victorian villas. Some nearby localities ar ...

to the east,

St John's Wood St John's Wood is a district in the City of Westminster, London, lying 2.5 miles (4 km) northwest of Charing Cross. Traditionally the northern part of the ancient parish and Metropolitan Borough of Marylebone, it extends east to west from ...

to the south and

West Hampstead West Hampstead is an area in the London Borough of Camden in north-west London. Mainly defined by the railway stations of the same name, it is situated between Childs Hill to the north, Frognal and Hampstead to the north-east, Swiss Cottage to ...

to the west.

Regent's Park Regent's Park (officially The Regent's Park) is one of the Royal Parks of London. It occupies of high ground in north-west Inner London, administratively split between the City of Westminster and the Borough of Camden (and historically betwee ...

is within walking distance of Swiss Cottage (about 1.4 km). It is bounded by five conservation areas; Belsize, Elsworthy, Fitzjohns-Netherhall, South Hampstead, St. John's Wood (Camden) and St. John's Wood (Westminster). Swiss Cottage includes part of the NW3, NW6 and NW8 postal areas.

Demography

According to the 2011 census, Swiss Cottage had a population of 12,900. 67% of the Swiss Cottage ward population was white (40% British, 25% Other, 2% Irish). 7% was Other Asian and 5% Indian. 33% were Christians, 24% irreligious, 11% Jewish and 10% Muslim.

Economy

Swiss Cottage/Finchley Road is identified as a district centre in the

London Plan The London Plan is the statutory spatial development strategy for the Greater London area in the United Kingdom that is written by the Mayor of London and published by the Greater London Authority. The regional planning document was first pu ...

and there are assorted shops the length of the Finchley Road. Local major hotels include Marriott Regents Park, Danubius Regents Park, and Hampstead Britannia Hotel. There are many smaller hotels in the area. Notable restaurants provide European, South-east Asian, and Japanese cuisine.

Transport

The area is served by

Swiss Cottage Swiss Cottage is an area of Hampstead in the London Borough of Camden, England. It is centred on the junction of Avenue Road and Finchley Road and includes Swiss Cottage tube station. Swiss Cottage lies north-northwest of Charing Cross. Th ...

and

Finchley Road tube station Finchley Road is a London Underground station at the corner of Finchley Road and Canfield Gardens in the London Borough of Camden, north London. It is on the Jubilee line, between West Hampstead and Swiss Cottage stations and on the Metro ...

s on the

Jubilee line The Jubilee line is a London Underground line that runs between in east London and in the suburban north-west, via the Docklands, South Bank and West End. Opened in 1979, it is the newest line on the Underground network, although some secti ...

of the

London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent ceremonial counties of England, counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and He ...

and is a local hub for

London Buses London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London (TfL) that manages most bus services in London, England. It was formed following the Greater London Authority Act 1999 that transferred control of London Regional Transport (LRT) bus se ...

.Transport for London �
Buses from Swiss Cottage
/ref> The former Swiss Cottage station was opened by the

Metropolitan Railway The Metropolitan Railway (also known as the Met) was a passenger and goods railway that served London from 1863 to 1933, its main line heading north-west from the capital's financial heart in the City to what were to become the Middlesex su ...

in 1868; the current station dates from 1939.

South Hampstead railway station South Hampstead railway station is on Loudoun Road in the London Borough of Camden. It is served by London Overground services on the Watford DC line. It is about south west of Swiss Cottage Underground station. The Chiltern Main Line crosse ...

and

Finchley Road & Frognal railway station Finchley Road & Frognal railway station is on Finchley Road in the London Borough of Camden in north London. It is on the North London line, and the station and all trains serving it are operated by London Overground. It is in Travelcard Zone 2 ...

London Overground London Overground (also known simply as the Overground) is a Urban rail in the United Kingdom, suburban rail network serving London and its environs. Established in 2007 to take over Silverlink Metro routes, (via archive.org). it now serves a ...

are also nearby. Local bus routes are: * 13 – North Finchley to Victoria Station (24 hours daily) via Finchley Road, Marble Arch and Park Lane * 113 – Edgware to Oxford Circus via Finchley Road * 46 – St Bartholomew's Hospital to Lancaster Gate via King's Cross, Hampstead Village, Maida Vale, and Paddington * 31 – White City to Camden Town via Holland Park, Notting Hill Gate, Kilburn and Primrose Hill * C11 – Brent Cross Shopping Centre to Archway via West Hampstead, Belsize Park, and Parliament Hill * 268 – Golders Green to Finchley Road via Hampstead Village and Belsize Park * 603 – Muswell Hill to terminate at Swiss Cottage via Hampstead Heath (school days only) * 187 – Finchley Road to Central Middlesex Hospital via Maida Vale, Queen's Park, Harlesden, and Park Royal Night buses: * 13 – North Finchley to Victoria Station (24 hour Daily) * N28 – Wandsworth to Camden Town via Kilburn, Notting Hill Gate, and Fulham. * N31 – Clapham Junction to Camden Town via Kilburn, Notting Hill Gate, and Chelsea. * N113 – Edgware to Trafalgar Square via Hendon Way, Finchley Road, and Oxford Street.

Culture

Swiss Cottage is a cultural centre within Camden and north-west London.Shaping Places in London through Culture
Local amenities include an Odeon

IMAX IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating. Graeme F ...

Cinema, Sir Basil Spence's Grade II-listed

Swiss Cottage Central Library Swiss Cottage Library is the central library in the public library service of the London Borough of Camden, housed in an architectural landmark building in Avenue Road designed by Sir Basil Spence. It has been Grade II Listed since 1997. Bac ...

and the

Hampstead Theatre Hampstead Theatre is a theatre in South Hampstead in the London Borough of Camden. It specialises in commissioning and producing new writing, supporting and developing the work of new writers. Roxana Silbert has been the artistic director since ...

. Swiss Cottage is the location of the

Royal Central School of Speech and Drama The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama was founded by Elsie Fogerty in 1906, as The Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art, to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students. It became a ...

, resident at the Embassy Theatre on Eton Avenue. Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre reopened in early 2006 after redevelopment; it now has two

swimming pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming or other leisure activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built ...

s, a gym and a

climbing wall A climbing wall is an artificially constructed wall with grips for hands and feet, usually used for indoor climbing, but sometimes located outdoors. Some are brick or wooden constructions, but on most modern walls, the material most often used i ...

. Many of the area's cityscapes and London street scenes, particularly of Swiss Cottage, Adamson Road, Eton Avenue and Belsize Park were represented by the

Camden Town Group The Camden Town Group was a group of English Post-Impressionist artists founded in 1911 and active until 1913. They gathered frequently at the studio of painter Walter Sickert in the Camden Town area of London. History In 1908, critic Frank R ...

painter

Robert Bevan Robert Polhill Bevan (5 August 1865 – 8 July 1925) was a British painter, draughtsman and lithographer. He was a founding member of the Camden Town Group, the London Group, and the Cumberland Market Group. Early life He was born in Bruns ...

and his wife, the Polish painter Stanisława de Karłowska. They lived at 14 Adamson Road and are commemorated with an

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses. The charity states that i ...

Blue Plaque A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving as a historical marker. The term i ...

Notable residents

Commemorative blue plaques

(painter), 14 Adamson Road *

Clara Butt Dame Clara Ellen Butt, (1 February 1872 – 23 January 1936) was an English contralto and one of the most popular singers from the 1890s through to the 1920s. She had an exceptionally fine contralto voice and an agile singing technique, and imp ...

(singer), 7 Harley Road

Other notable residents

Lillie Langtry Emilie Charlotte, Lady de Bathe (née Le Breton, formerly Langtry; 13 October 1853 – 12 February 1929), known as Lillie (or Lily) Langtry and nicknamed "The Jersey Lily", was a British socialite, stage actress and producer. Born on the isl ...

(actress, socialite, and producer) lived in the area of Langtry Walk and was known to rendezvous nearby with

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...

.Elrington, C. R. (editor); Baker, T. F. T.; Bolton, Diane K.; Croot, Patricia E. C.
"A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 9, pp. 60–63"
''British-History.ac.uk'', 1989. Retrieved 24 January 2011

References

External links

Swiss Cottage School
{{Authority control Swiss Cottage Areas of London Districts of the London Borough of Camden Road junctions in London District centres of London