Thistle Grove, SW7

Thistle Grove was a rural track before the area was urbanised in the 1860s.

Before the 1860s, this area was entirely rural with most of the land occupied by market gardens, grassland and paddocks and with villages at Earl’s Court and Little Chelsea. A gravel pit was recorded in the area in 1753.

A legacy of the area’s market garden past can be seen in Brompton Cemetery. As it has remained an enclosed piece of land, asparagus and other food crops can occasionally be seen growing.

As George Godwin, architect of much of the 1860s development, recalled in 1875, “We remember an old friend who used to say the adjacent field (now Thistle Grove) was never without a hare and that he had out of the window counted six brace of partridge rise from the Bolton’s”.

Main source:	Earl's Court Local History – Posts on the history of Earl's Court, Little Chelsea, West Brompton and the surrou
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CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LOCALITY

Peter H Davies Ethelburga Street, SW11 Added: 17 Jun 2021 09:33 GMT	Ethelburga Estate The Ethelburga Estate - named after Ethelburga Road - was an LCC development dating between 1963�’65. According to the Wikipedia, it has a "pleasant knitting together of a series of internal squares". I have to add that it’s extremely dull :) Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Reply
Cheyne Place, SW3 Added: 1 May 2021 16:46 GMT	Cheyne Place, SW3 Frances Faviell, author of the Blitz memoir, "A Chelsea Concerto", lived at 33, Cheyne Place, which was destroyed by a bomb. She survived, with her husband and unborn baby. Reply
Former Philbeach Gardens Resident Philbeach Gardens, SW5 Added: 14 Jul 2021 00:44 GMT	Philbeach Gardens Resident (Al Stewart) Al Stewart, who had huts in the 70s with the sings ’Year of the Cat’ and ’On The Borders’, lived in Philbeach Gdns for a while and referenced Earl’s Court in a couple of his songs. I lived in Philbeach Gardens from a child until my late teens. For a few years, on one evening in the midst of Summer, you could hear Al Stewart songs ringing out across Philbeach Gardens, particularly from his album ’Time Passages". I don’t think Al was living there at the time but perhaps he came back to see some pals. Or perhaps the broadcasters were just his fans,like me. Either way, it was a wonderful treat to hear! Reply
Albert Mews, SW7 Added: 26 Mar 2023 14:50 GMT	Albert Mews It is not a gargoyle over the entrance arch to Albert Mews, it is a likeness of Prince Albert himself. Reply

LATEST LONDON-WIDE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PROJECT

Loraine Brocklehurst Holcombe Road, N17 Added: 24 May 2023 14:00 GMT	Holcombe Road, N17 I lived at 23Holcombe Rd. with my parents, Grandfather , Aunt and Uncle in 1954. My Aunt and Uncle lived there until it was demolished. I’m not sure what year that was as we emigrated to Canada. Reply
Jen Williams Corfield Street, E2 Added: 20 May 2023 17:27 GMT	Corfield Street, E2 My mother was born in 193 Corfield Street in 1920.Her father was a policeman. Reply
sofia East Acton Added: 19 May 2023 08:57 GMT	43 MELLITUS STREET 43 MELLITUS STREET Reply
Milson Road, W14 Added: 17 May 2023 11:50 GMT	Milson Road (1908 - 1954) My grandparents and great grandparents and great great grandparents the Manley family lived at 33 Milson Road from 1908 to 1935. My grandad was born at 33 Milson Road. His parents George and Grace had all four of their chidren there. When his father Edward died his mother moved to 67 Milson in 1935 Road and lived there until 1954 (records found so far, it may be longer). Before that they lived in the Porten Road. I wonder if there is anyone that used to know them? My grandad was Charles ’Ted’ Manley, his parents were called George and Grace and George’s parents were called Edward and Bessie. George worked in a garage and Edward was a hairdresser. Reply
Rendlesham Road, E5 Added: 16 Apr 2023 15:55 GMT	Rendlesham Road, E5 I lived at 14 Rendlesham Road in the 1940s and 50s. The house belonged to my grandfather James Grosvenor who bought it in the 1920s for £200.I had a brother who lived in property until 1956 when he married. Local families were the paisleys, the Jenners and the family of Christopher Gable. Reply
Sandra Field Masons Place, EC1V Added: 15 Apr 2023 16:15 GMT	Removal Order Removal order from Shoreditch to Holborn, Jane Emma Hall, Single, 21 Pregnant. Born about 21 years since in Masons place in the parish of St Lukes. Source: Sign up Reply
Sue Germain Southwood Road, SE9 Added: 10 Apr 2023 08:35 GMT	Southwood Road, SE9 My great great grandfather lived in Time Villa, Southwood Rd around 1901. He owned several coffee houses in Whitechapel and in South London, including New Time Coffee House so either his house was named after the coffee house or vice versa. Reply
David Gleeson Campbell Road, N4 Added: 7 Apr 2023 22:19 GMT	MBE from Campbell Bunk (1897 - 1971) Walter Smith born at 43 Campbell Bunk was awarded the MBE in january honours list in 1971. A local councillor for services to the public. Reply

NEARBY LOCATIONS OF NOTE

Bailey’s Hotel The Bailey’s Hotel, 140 Gloucester Road, is a historic hotel in Kensington.

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Glendower Preparatory School Glendower Prep School is an independent preparatory school for girls aged 4 to 11.

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Gloucester Road Gloucester Road: Where Rumpole of the Bailey hung his hat.

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Goodwin’s Field Goodwins Field - a field with a story.

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The Bentley London The Bentley London is a luxury hotel located at 27-33 Harrington Gardens in South Kensington.

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Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art The Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, formerly the Webber Douglas School of Singing and Dramatic Art, was a drama school, and originally a singing school.

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Ashburn House, SW5 Ashburn House is a block on Collingham Road.

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Ashburn Place, SW7 Ashburn Place is one of the streets of London in the SW7 postal area.

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Boltons Court, SW5 Boltons Court is a block on Old Brompton Road.

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Elm Park Road, SW3 Elm Park Road is a road in the SW3 postcode area

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Gloucester Terrace, SW7 Gloucester Terrace was the name for a terrace of houses along Old Brompton Road.

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Grove Court, SW10 Grove Court is a block on Drayton Gardens.

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Harrington Gardens, SW7 Harrington Gardens is one of the streets of London in the SW7 postal area.

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Milborne Grove, SW10 Milborne Grove was built between 1851 and 1862.

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Old Brompton Road, SW7 Old Brompton Road is one of the streets of London in the SW7 postal area.

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Onslow Crescent, SW7 Onslow Crescent is a road in the SW7 postcode area

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Redcliffe Square, SW10 Redcliffe Square was built as part of the Gunter estate in the 1860s.

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Rosary Gardens, SW7 Rosary Gardens is one of the streets of London in the SW7 postal area.

Rosary Gardens, SW7

Rose Square, SW3 Rose Square is one of the streets of London in the SW3 postal area.

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Selwood Terrace, SW7

Selwood Terrace; Neville Terrace, SW7 Neville Terrace is a road in the SW7 postcode area

Selwood Terrace; Neville Terrace, SW7

South Bolton Gardens, SW5 South Bolton Gardens is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area.

South Bolton Gardens, SW5

South Kensington Station Arcade, SW7 South Kensington Station Arcade is one of the streets of London in the SW7 postal area.

South Kensington Station Arcade, SW7

South Parade, SW3 South Parade is a road in the SW3 postcode area

South Parade, SW3

Stanhope Gardens, SW7 Stanhope Gardens was built in the 1860s in developments following the Great Exhibition of 1851.

Stanhope Gardens, SW7

Stanhope Mews South, SW7 Stanhope Mews South is a road in the SW7 postcode area

Stanhope Mews South, SW7

Stanhope Mews West, SW7 Stanhope Mews West is one of the streets of London in the SW7 postal area.

Stanhope Mews West, SW7

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The Boltons, SW10

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The Little Boltons, SW10

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Tregunter Road, SW10

Warner House, SW10 Warner House is a block on Priory Walk.

Warner House, SW10

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Westgate Terrace, SW10

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Wetherby Gardens, SW5

Wetherby Place, SW7 Wetherby Place is one of the streets of London in the SW7 postal area.

Wetherby Place, SW7

Yale House, SW5 Yale House is a block on Old Brompton Road.

NEARBY PUBS

Goat

Ship Inn The Ship Inn (later the Swan) stood where today's Queen's Gate intersects with Old Brompton Road.

Ship Inn

Zetland Arms

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Brompton

Brompton is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

It is roughly defined by a triangle formed by the Brompton Cemetery, Old Brompton Road/Brompton Road and Walton Street/Fulham Road.

Charles Dickens, Jr. (eldest child of Charles Dickens) wrote in his 1879 book Dickens's Dictionary of London that "[Brompton] was at one time almost exclusively the artist quarter and is still largely frequented by the votaries of the brush and chisel, though of late years Belgravia has been encroaching upon its boundaries, and Belgravian rents are stealing westward."

LOCAL PHOTOS

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Map of the Kensington Canal area. Credit: John Greenwood TUM image id: 1556881759 Licence: CC BY 2.0	Natural History Museum (2022) Credit: IG/engr.nelson.ph TUM image id: 1653839233 Licence: CC BY 2.0	Salve Volpe - known locally as "Jacko" - selling chestnuts from an ice cream barrow outside the World’s End pub, Chelsea (1951) "Jacko", who lived in Fulham, branched out to selling ice cream in the summer. Selling chestnuts on London streets seems to have largely died out. Credit: Mirrorpix TUM image id: 1684934610 Licence:	Springtime, Earl’s Court Credit: IG/MrLondon TUM image id: 1679253309 Licence:	Elm Park Gardens TUM image id: 1573064988 Licence: CC BY 2.0
Finborough Road, Chelsea Credit: Nancy Weir Huntly (1890-1963) TUM image id: 1671293275 Licence:	24-hour potato service on the King’s Road, Chelsea (1962) TUM image id: 1660647630 Licence: CC BY 2.0	Houses on the northwest side on Onslow Square, SW7 Credit: Wiki Commons/Nigel Mykura TUM image id: 1646482035 Licence: CC BY 2.0	St Mary Abbot’s Hospital operated from 1871 to 1992. From 1846 to 1869 the site housed the Kensington Parish Workhouse Credit: Wiki Commons TUM image id: 1672307411 Licence: CC BY 2.0	Plan of the Redcliffe Estate, developed by Corbett and McClymont, 1860s. Until the development in the 1860s, the area was entirely rural, with villages at Earl’s Court and Little Chelsea, and the intervening land occupied by market gardens, grassland and paddocks. TUM image id: 1671294160 Licence: CC BY 2.0
Old Battersea Bridge, Walter Greaves (oil on canvas, 1874) Old Battersea Bridge, seen from upstream, on Lindsey Row (now Cheyne Walk), with Battersea on the far shore. The boatyard belonging to the Greaves family is in the foreground. On the extreme left is the wall surrounding the garden of the artist William Bell Scott. In the far distance Crystal Palace is just visible. Battersea Bridge was demolished in 1881, and replaced with the present bridge. Before the alterations Greaves recalled the danger to shipping and the difficulty of steering through the arches unless the ‘set of the tide was known’. On the horizon, Crystal Palace can be seen Credit: Tate Gallery TUM image id: 1610042070 Licence:	Battersea Bridge, a painting by John Atkinson Grimshaw (1885) Credit: The Maas Gallery TUM image id: 1610041769 Licence:	Graffiti, Raasay Street, Chelsea (1969). Credit: Roger Perry TUM image id: 1565109451 Licence:

In the neighbourhood...

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Natural History Museum (2022)
Credit: IG/engr.nelson.ph
Licence: CC BY 2.0

Springtime, Earl’s Court
Credit: IG/MrLondon
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Elm Park Gardens
Licence: CC BY 2.0

Plan of the Redcliffe Estate, developed by Corbett and McClymont, 1860s. Until the development in the 1860s, the area was entirely rural, with villages at Earl’s Court and Little Chelsea, and the intervening land occupied by market gardens, grassland and paddocks.
Licence: CC BY 2.0

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