Did you know that...
Swiss Cottage is an area in the London Borough of Camden and part of the ward of Hampstead, situated on the intersection of Finchley Road and Avenue Road, at the trijunction of the postcode zones NW8 (St. Johns Wood) NW6 (West Hampstead/Kilburn) and NW3 (Hampstead). The area is located 5.23 km (3.25 miles) north-northwest of Charing Cross.
The Swiss Cottage NW3 takes its name after the 1804 inn The Swiss Tavern. The Swiss chalet house was built on the site of a tollgate keeper’s house. It was later called the Swiss Inn. The current naming is used starting with the early 20th century.
Swiss Cottage Central Library was designed by Basil Spence, the architect that also worked on the Coventry Cathedral and the Beehive, the New Zealand Parliament building. The library is a grade II listed building. Painter Robert Bevan and his wife painter Stanisława de Karłowska lived in the area.
Ben Browder, Bob Hoskins, Jennifer Saunders, Andrew Garfield, and Judi Dench are some of the most famous actors and actresses that attended the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in Swiss Cottage NW3. The school was opened in 1906 by Elsie Fogerty.
Finchley Road/Swiss Cottage is recognized in the London Plan as a district hub, with an assortment of stores stretching throughout Finchley Road. There are many major hotels in the area including Hampstead Britannia Hotel, Marriott Regents Park and Danubius Regents Park as well as dozens of smaller hotels.
London Underground Finchley Road station and Swiss Cottage station, both on the Jubilee line, are the tube stations that serve the area. Other nearby London Overground railway stations are Finchley Road & Frognal station and Hampstead station. London Buses also has a local hub in the area.