Open House Festival 2022: a neighbourhood guide to Shepherd’s Bush

The London Open House Festival celebrates the buildings, homes and communities that make it such a special city.

From 8-21 September,  you can visit more than 800 venues across the capital. Tickets are free and you can book them through the Open House website.

As the headline partner this year, we’re helping to shine a spotlight on some of the incredible neighbourhoods you can explore during the event this year.

Shepherd’s Bush is just one of the areas you can visit to discover some of the incredible architecture in west London. Check out our handy guide before you go.

Where is Shepherd’s Bush?

Shepherd’s Bush is in the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. The area sits about four miles west of central London. It’s surrounded by areas such as Holland Park, Hammersmith, and Ravenscourt Park. It’s also famously home to the original Westfield shopping centre, Westfield White City, and the Television Centre and BBC Studios.

Shepherd’s Bush Green is a triangle of green space near the Tube stations, while Hammersmith Park is home to a tranquil Japanese garden.

What can I see in Shepherd’s Bush during Open House Festival 2022?

As well as Sam Tisdall’s family home, festival-goers can visit the ‘Tin House’ – a collection of metal-clad pavilions built on an irregular, undeveloped urban site. Other venues include the Victorian and Grade I-listed New West End Synagogue, and the newly developed Silchester Estate.

You can take a look at some of the incredible buildings, gardens and private homes you can visit via the Open House website.

And if you’re planning to visit east London, make sure you check out our neighbourhood guide to East Ham.

What do Shepherd’s Bush locals say?

Sam Tisdall, an architect, lives in Shepherd’s Bush with his family, and moved to the area in 2007. He first took part in Open House in 2013, but this is the first year that he’s opened his own home to festival-goers.

“Getting involved with Open House is a great way to meet a huge variety of people, as well as to show my work as an architect. It’s not an easy process designing and constructing buildings, so I found it very satisfying to be able to speak about the project. This is the fourth year I’m showing a project at Open House – this time my own home.”

Before moving to Shepherd’s Bush, Sam lived in east London. But he wanted to find a home with more space for his growing family.

“We moved to our current house when our second child was born in 2012. The house is in a cul-de-sac in a group of tree-lined streets of typical Victorian housing just by Wendell Park. We didn’t quite realise it at the time but we had stumbled upon a buzzing local neighbourhood jam-packed with interesting people and stories – which we’ve grown to love more and more over the 10 years we’ve lived here.”

He says Shepherd’s Bush offers both the bustle of urban life and pockets of calm.

“We have just the right mix. Our area is quieter than many of our friends’ homes in the countryside! Plus, you can walk to the Thames in 25 minutes for even more space and fresh air. However, the best thing about the area is the sense of local community. We always bump into people we know on the street, in the park, and in the local shops and cafés. This sense of community was even more important during the pandemic as we came to rely more on each other for support,” he says.

And he loves the thriving network of independent shops and restaurants in the area.

“Wild Thyme is a favourite café for Sunday brunch or a quick coffee, as is the W6 garden centre under a railway arch. Sufi on Askew Road serves great Persian food and is good value to boot.”

Visit Sam’s home as part of Open House Festival

Sam’s home is one of the many Open House venues that have drop-in entries, with no need to book a ticket in advance. So if you want to see first-hand some of the ingenious ways an architect can create more living space, it’s definitely worth popping in for a visit.

“The main two changes we’ve made to the home have been a basement project – which added a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen – and then a new kitchen extension. The main ‘wow’ space is the kitchen, which has loads of light and a big single pivot door which opens right up to the garden. It uses a lot of natural materials, and is just a very comfortable space to be in,” he says.

“The garden is also really important to us. We have a small pond that attracts frogs and dragonflies. Increasingly I feel the need for greenery and nature, even if it’s just a small pocket.”

What do the local experts say about Shepherd’s Bush?

John Horton, director of local estate agents Horton and Garton, says Shepherd’s Bush has something for everyone.

He says: “From street to street, you’ll discover a different vibe. We see people – who may have moved here thinking they wouldn’t be in the area particularly long term – lay down more permanent roots.”

“Movers who might have once looked to Notting Hill are now looking to come to W12. Whereas at one time being in Zone 1 was the goal, this has changed for people. What people are looking for in a home has changed – they’re realising that it’s possible to have the outside space, and a place for hybrid working, as well as having central London easily accessible.”

John says locals are spoilt for choice for shops, too. As well as Westfield shopping centre, there’s a real community feel at Shepherd’s  Bush Market, and along the Uxbridge Road.

“Askew Road is also filled with independent traders, and some of them have been there for decades. We love the owner of Askew Wines – he’s been there 20 years, and knows everyone!”

With more than 100  restaurants in the area, and great local pubs, he finds it difficult to find a favourite.

“The Eagle is an amazing family-friendly pub with a big beer garden, and the Princess Victoria is an iconic pub that’s been used in lots of film sets. Proud Mary’s is great for brunch and serves amazing cakes,” he says.

John also says Shepherd’s Bush is attracting a younger crowd, with London College of Fashion and Imperial College London now in the area.

“We also have some of the best schools in the capital here, or in the surrounding postcodes, such as Wendell Park and St Stephen’s.”

What’s the average house price in Shepherd’s Bush?

The average asking price of a home in Shepherd’s Bush is £702,034.

Demand for properties for sale – that’s the number of people that send an enquiry on Rightmove about a home – is up 11% when compared to the same period in 2021. Demand for rented homes in Shepherd’s Bush has increased by 21% since 2021.

You can also take a look at recent sold prices in Shepherd’s Bush

What types of homes are there in Shepherd’s Bush?

You can find restored Victorian terraces with high ceilings and light-filled rooms, along with modern converted flats and spacious maisonettes.

Take a look at houses and flats for sale in Shepherd’s Bush

Take a look at homes available to rent in Shepherd’s Bush

Does Shepherd’s Bush have good transport links?

Shepherd’s Bush is in Zone 2. It’s well served by four Tube stations, with Central, Circle, Hammersmith & City, and London Overground trains. Journey times into central London take around half an hour.

READ MORE: London Open House Festival 2022: visit famous buildings and private homes across the capital

Rightmove is the headline partner of Open House Festival.