[Last updated April 2023] A guide looking at serviced offices and office space for rent in Brentford as well as providing general information that may be useful if you are looking to rent office space in the town.
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History & Geography
Brentford is a suburban town located in West London and is part of the borough of Hounslow. The town is set on the confluence of the Thames and Brent rivers approximately eight miles southwest of Charing Cross. The first mention of the town is in an Anglo-Saxon charter from 705 CE. In the charter, the town appears as ‘Breguntford’, meaning ‘ford over the river Brent’. It is likely that the ford was located where the main road crossed the river. However, Brentford has been around far longer than this first mention and is actually an older settlement than London, which was founded during the Roman occupation of Britain, whereas Brentford is a pre-Roman settlement. In fact, the quantity of Bronze Age pottery and flints suggest that Brentford was a fairly important meeting place for the tribes of Britain. In particular, one Iron Age piece, an intricately carved chariot fitting, has become known as the ‘Brentford Knot’. Brentford is also thought to be the location where Julius Caesar fought a significant battle during his invasion of Britain in 54 BCE. Through the centuries, the settlement continued to grow around the ford and became a significant trading centre. In 1016, the town was the site of a large battle between Edmund Ironside and the Danes, led by Canute. In this case, Ironside won but was ultimately unsuccessful against the Danes. Over the subsequent centuries, the town did not grow significantly until the Grand Junction Canal was built in 1805 which increased Brentford’s access to the rest of Britain. In 1855, Brentford Dock was constructed and only a few years later was connected to the Great Western Railway main line at Southall. In 1884, the Boston Manor Underground Station was built, connecting Brentford directly to London. During this time, Brentford thrived as an industrial centre. The Brentford section of the Great West Road was dubbed the Golden Mile due to the number of factories it was home to. During the early 20th century, industry declined in the area, though, to this day, Brentford still retains some factories, however, the economy in the area is now mainly service-based.
Economy
Brentford has become a fairly popular town for companies to base themselves. This is in large part due to the fact that the town has such convenient transport connections to the rest of London and the UK. Among those who have their headquarters in the town are Brompton, Datapoint, GlaxoSmithKline and E.M Tool Designs. Kraft Foods International also has its European headquarters in Brentford, and Audi is built its European headquarters in the old Lucozade building. GlaxoSmithKline is by far the largest employer in Brentford with a working population of approximately 20,000. Many people who live in Brentford commute to jobs in inner London and the town is one of the largest in London’s commuter belt. Brentford also has a strong retail economy, with Brentford High Street being one of the most popular shopping destinations in the area.
Culture & Sites
Brentford has a number of cultural and historical sites that are popular with visitors. Chief among these is Syon House, the residence of the Duke of Northumberland dating from the 18th century. The house is in Syon Park which overlooks the Thames River across from Kew Gardens and boasts over 200 kinds of rare trees. The park also contains the London Butterfly House, where visitors can see butterflies and moths emerging from Chrysalises. Another historical house is Boston manor house built in 1622 and is famous for its fine plasterwork ceilings. The largest local museum is the Gunnersbury Park Museum, which contains Roman and Viking weapons found in the area. The museum also has elaborate costume displays reflecting different eras and interesting local historical events. Another museum in the area is the Kew Bridge Steam Museum, featuring the world’s largest working beam engine. The most popular local sports club is Brentford FC which plays in the Premier League. The club plays out of the historical Griffin Park, built in 1904 and known as the only football ground in the country to have a pub on each corner.
Transportation
Situated as it is in west London, Brentford has excellent transportation links with the rest of the city. A range of tube stations serves the local area, including Boston Manor tube station, South Ealing tube station, Gunnersbury tube station, and Northfields tube station. The town is also served by a number of different train stations, the main one being Brentford railway station. The station is on the Hounslow Loop Line in Travelcard Zone 4. Kew Bridge railway station and Syon Lane railway station also serve Brentford. Kew Bridge Station is in Travel Zone 3. Brentford is also served by a comprehensive bus network which connects it to the rest of the city.
Office space for rent in Brentford
Brentford’s office market falls with the sphere of London and consequently was not as badly affected as the rest of the country by the Great Recession.
In 2013, the area had a large supply of Grade A office space and demand remained fairly steady.
Take-up was almost 50 per cent below the long-term average but was rising.
In the same year, prime office rent was £25 per square foot per year and the vacancy rate was at six per cent. Prime rent was expected to rise gradually over the next few years and there were a number of new developments in the pipeline.
In April 2023, there is no brand new office space available to rent in Brentford. The best refurbished space available is at The Mille at 1000 Great West Road.
Office space here is quoted at £29.50 per square foot and offers air-conditioned workspace and the building features covered cycle racks and shower facilities.
Fitted office space is also available at this property.
Other options include Great West House at 993 Great West Road which is on the market for £25 per square foot and Profile West at 950 Great West Road which has a quoted office rental rate of £23.50 per square foot.
There are also 6 serviced office providers in Brentford that offer a range of flexible office space and workspace solutions such as private serviced office suites, managed offices and coworking memberships.
As opposed to traditional rented office space, these solutions offer space on flexible short-term contracts and, in the majority of cases, offer all-inclusive office rental with overheads such as utilities and cleaning covered by the rent.
We carry out a free office space search and our advisory and acquisition services are also free, always. Our Brentford office space brokers and agents are globally regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) ensuring the highest standards of commercial property advice and service at all times. We look forward to helping you find the best office space for rent for your business.