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The name Gunnersbury is derived from the Old Scandinavian female name Gunnhildr and the Middle English word “bury” which means manor. The name translates to Gunnhildr’s manor. The majority of the houses in this W4 area date from the pre-war era. Most of them are flats, semi-detached, detached, and terrace houses. The British Standards Institution is an iconic Gunnersbury building. The 18-floors building was IBM UK headquarters between 1966 and 1992. This building is on Chiswick High Road. The local tube station is on the same street.
Gunnersbury station opened in 1869 as Brentford Road. The original station had four platforms. The current name is in use starting with 1871. The Chiswick Curve tracks were removed in 1932. Chiswick Village housing estate was developed on the site. In 1954, the station suffered severe damage from a tornado. Six people were injured and the roof of the station was ripped off. In 1960, the station was remodeled with only two platforms. Several London bus routes serve this station. In 1921, a London General Omnibus Company facility was established near Chiswick High Road. The facility closed in 1989 and the site was redeveloped in 2001 as the Chiswick Business Park which features 12 office buildings. Companies such as Singapore Airlines, Intelsat, CBS News, and Discovery Europe have offices in this West London business park.
In 1983, for the first time in Britain, a land development was stopped for ecological reasons. Gunnersbury Triangle was declared a nature reserve in 1985. This area has birch woodland, wet woodland, and acid grassland. It is a popular place for school trips. Gunnersbury Boys’ School in nearby Brentford takes its name after this area. Notable former pupils include actor Richard O’Sullivan, rugby player Marland Yarde, and guitarist Jamie Kensit. Gunnersbury Park was established as a public park in 1926 after it was bought from the Rothschild family.