Acton
Acton is a district inside the London Borough of Ealing in west London. It is 6.1 miles west of Charing Cross. At the 2011 census, Acton had a population of 62,480 - a 10-year increase of 8,791 people.
Acton means 'oak farm' or ''farm by oak trees', and comes from old English. It was initially an ancient village, and as London expanded it was absorbed in to the city. Since 1965, Acton has been part of the east of Ealing, but some areas of East Acton are in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and a small section of South Acton is inside the London Borough of Hounslow. Acton is one of the locations with the most stations bearing their name anywhere within the United kingdom, with seven stations including its name.
Central Acton is referred to as the hub of commerce and retail on the former primary road between London and Oxford, referred to as the Uxbridge Road. The main road includes lots of inns, which go back to the late Tudor period as stopping places for travellers. These days, the A40 dual carriageway is the key route from London to Oxford, and it bypasses central Acton. It still passes via East Acton and North Acton.
Acton contains the largest housing estate in West London, named the South Acton estate, with approximately 2,000 properties and 5,800 residents. The area is currently in phase 2 of a major 15-year phased regeneration which involves almost full demolition of the existing residential units as well as the construction of brand new and much more residences. This is most likely to increase its population even further.