Earl's Court District  
SW5 -SW10
Nearest Tube: Earl's Court  

This small district of London is situated between Kensington and Chelsea. The name comes from the court-house of the two Earls who once owned the land in the area (the Earls of Holland and Warwick).

Today the area is most well known for the Earl's Court Exhibition Hall. But in its time it has also been famous for its Australian and New Zealand inhabitants who, taking advantage of the cheap flats and bedsits, headed for the area. As a result Earl's Court has often gone by the nickname 'Kangaroo Valley'.

The general atmosphere of the Earl's Court district is lively and cosmopolitan and young, and it is a good place to head for if you are looking for cheap accommodation.

Earl's Court Exhibition Hall
Warwick Road, SW5

This massive building in Earl's Court covers an astonishing 12 acres and has the capacity for 20,000 people. It dates from 1937 when it was purpose built for entertaining and exhibiting and today it is still one of the main venues in London.

Opening times vary according to the current event or exhibition so it is best to phone in advance to find out details of what is on. Ticket prices also vary according to event.

Fulham

Fulham is the area of south-west London that lies on the north banks of the River Thames, just to the west of Chelsea. The area is believed to be named after the Saxon chief Fulla, who once lived in the area.

For much of its history the area was a rural one, with the main industry being market gardening. In fact the district used to be nicknamed 'the fruit and kitchen garden north of the Thames'.

Until the 19th century the area had several separate villages and settlements in it, all of which revolved around the powerful Fulham Palace, the country residence of the Bishops of London. 

The area was also home to several of London's wealthy families who built country residences in Fulham and so the district first began to gain a reputation as a sought after and exclusive residential district.

Fulham's villages retained distinct characters right up until the late 19th century. But once the expansion of London reached the area, Fulham was quickly transformed. The villages merged together and the market gardens were replaced with rows of residential housing.

But Fulham retained a very genteel and elegant feel to it, and to this day the district has remained the home of London's wealthier residents. For tourists the main attraction in the area is Fulham Palace.