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."

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CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LOCALITY

EMC Ossington Street, W8 Added: 10 Jul 2023 22:35 GMT	Ossington Street, W8 correcting the date on my existing comment Source: Paddington: Bayswater \| British History Online Reply
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
EMC Ossington Street, W8 Added: 10 Jul 2023 22:31 GMT	Correction re Ossington Street In the Wikipedia date of 1837 for the renaming of Victoria Grove as Ossington Street, the two last figures appear to have been transposed from the likely source, London County Council, Names of Streets (1905) quoted in T F T Baker, Diane K Bolton and Patricia E C Croot, ’Paddington: Bayswater’, in A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 9, Hampstead, Paddington, ed. C R Elrington (London, 1989), pp. 204-212. British History Online ptth;:’www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/middx/vol9/pp204-212 [accessed 10 July 2023]. "During the 1830s Victoria Grove (renamed Ossington Street in 1873) (fn. 48) was laid out from the Uxbridge road close to the boundary, on part of Gravel Pit field." This makes sense, as John Evelyn Denison, a former Speaker of the House of Commons, was created 1st Viscount Ossington in 1873. Source: Paddington: Bayswater \| British History Online 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

Sue Meyrick Road, SW11 Added: 24 Sep 2023 19:09 GMT	Meyrick Rd My family - Roe - lived in poverty at 158 Meyrick Rd in the 1920s, moving to 18 Lavender Terrace in 1935. They also lived in York Rd at one point. Alf, Nell (Ellen), plus children John, Ellen (Did), Gladys, Joyce & various lodgers. Alf worked for the railway (LMS). Reply
Michael Tyrrell Avenue, DA16 Added: 20 Sep 2023 21:10 GMT	Momentous Birth! I was born in the upstairs front room of 28 Tyrrell Avenue in August 1938. I was a breach birth and quite heavy ( poor Mum!). My parents moved to that end of terrace house from another rental in St Mary Cray where my three year older brother had been born in 1935. The estate was quite new in 1938 and all the properties were rented. My Father was a Postman. I grew up at no 28 all through WWII and later went to Little Dansington School Reply
Mike Levy Arbour Square, E1 Added: 19 Sep 2023 18:10 GMT	Bombing of Arbour Square in the Blitz On the night of September 7, 1940. Hyman Lubosky (age 35), his wife Fay (or Fanny)(age 32) and their son Martin (age 17 months) died at 11 Arbour Square. They are buried together in Rainham Jewish Cemetery. Their grave stones read: "Killed by enemy action" Reply
Lady Townshend Bridge House Added: 8 Sep 2023 16:02 GMT	Tenant at Westbourne (1807 - 1811) I think that the 3rd Marquess Townshend - at that time Lord Chartley - was a tenant living either at Westbourne Manor or at Bridge House. He undertook considerable building work there as well as creating gardens. I am trying to trace which house it was. Any ideas gratefully received Reply
Alex Britton Roding Valley Added: 30 Aug 2023 10:43 GMT	Late opening The tracks through Roding Valley were opened on 1 May 1903 by the Great Eastern Railway (GER) on its Woodford to Ilford line (the Fairlop Loop). But the station was not opened until 3 February 1936 by the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER, successor to the GER). Source: Roding Valley tube station - Wikipedia Reply
Kevin Pont Roding Valley Added: 30 Aug 2023 09:52 GMT	Shhh.... Roding Valley is the quietest tube station, each year transporting the same number of passengers as Waterloo does in one day. Reply
Kevin Pont Dollis Hill Added: 30 Aug 2023 09:47 GMT	The connection with Bletchley Park The code-breaking computer used at Bletchley Park was built in Dollis Hill. Reply
Kevin Pont Hampstead Added: 29 Aug 2023 15:25 GMT	The deepest station At 58m below ground, Hampstead is as deep as Nelson’s Column is tall. Source: Hampstead tube station - Wikipedia Reply

NEARBY LOCATIONS OF NOTE

Goodwins Field - a field with a story.

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

Bailey’s Hotel

Chelsea Chelsea is an affluent area, bounded to the south by the River Thames.

Chelsea

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

Glendower Preparatory School

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

Gloucester Road

Queen’s Gate School Queen’s Gate School is an independent day school for girls.

Queen’s Gate School

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

The Bentley London

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.

Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art

THE STREETS OF BROMPTON

102474, SW7 Thistle Grove was a rural track before the area was urbanised in the 1860s.

102474, SW7

Attwood House, SW5 Attwood House is a block on Dove Mews.

Attwood House, SW5

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

Bina Gardens, SW5

Boltons Place, SW5 Boltons Place is a road in the SW5 postcode area

Boltons Place, SW5

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

Brechin Place, SW7

Clareville Court, SW7 Clareville Court is sited on Clareville Grove.

Clareville Court, SW7

Clareville Grove, SW7 Clareville Grove is one of the streets of London in the SW7 postal area.

Clareville Grove, SW7

Clareville Street, SW7 Clareville Street is one of the streets of London in the SW7 postal area.

Clareville Street, SW7

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

Cranley Gardens, SW7

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

Cranley Mews, SW7

Dove Mews, SW5 Dove Mews is a road in the SW5 postcode area

Dove Mews, SW5

Eagle Place, SW7 This is a street in the SW7 postcode area

Eagle Place, SW7

East House, SW10 East House is a block on Cresswell Place.

East House, SW10

East House, SW5 East House is a block on The Boltons.

East House, SW5

Ensor Mews, SW7 This is a street in the SW7 postcode area

Ensor Mews, SW7

Gledhow Gardens, SW5 Gledhow Gardens is a road in the SW5 postcode area

Gledhow Gardens, SW5

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

Gloucester Terrace, SW7

Hereford Square, SW7 Hereford Square is a road in the SW7 postcode area

Hereford Square, SW7

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

Manson Mews, SW7

North House, SW7 North House is sited on Clareville Grove.

North House, SW7

Onslow Gardens, SW7 Onslow Gardens was named after Viscount Cranley, the eldest son of the Earl of Onslow.

Onslow Gardens, SW7

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

Roland Gardens, SW7

Roland Way, SW7 Roland Way is one of the streets of London in the SW7 postal area.

Roland Way, SW7

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

Rosary Gardens, SW7

Selwood Terrace, SW7 Selwood Terrace is one of the streets of London in the SW7 postal area.

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

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

Sumner Place, SW7

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

Wetherby Gardens, SW5

THE PUBS OF BROMPTON

Anglesea Arms

Drayton Arms

Duke of Clarence

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

Ship Inn

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LOCAL PHOTOS

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Battersea Bridge (1860s) James Hedderly was a photographer active in Chelsea before the building of the Embankment and afterwards. This is a view taken from the tower of Chelsea Old Church. It shows the tangle of closely-packed houses and wharves between Cheyne Walk and Beaufort Street before the embankment. Beyond are the larger houses of Lindsey Row and the trees of Cremorne Gardens. Credit: James Hedderly TUM image id: 1557403627 Licence:	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
24-hour potato service on the King’s Road, Chelsea (1962) TUM image id: 1660647630 Licence: CC BY 2.0	Possibly the most Instagramable mews in London, leafy Kynance Mews is hidden away in South Kensington, not so far from Gloucester Road station. Credit: IG/withinlondon TUM image id: 1691581234 Licence:	Houses on the northwest side on Onslow Square, SW7 Credit: Wiki Commons/Nigel Mykura TUM image id: 1646482035 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:
Justice Walk links Old Church Street and Lawrence Street. It has stayed relatively untouched, a reminder of early 19th century Chelsea. The cellar under the Wesleyan Chapel, seen on the right, was used as a soup kitchen for the poor. The chapel was relocated to the corner of Chelsea Manor Street and King’s Road circa 1900. H. Allen Smith, wine merchants, occupied the premise from 1903 to 1985. According to local legend, a courthouse with a gaol beneath occupied this site in 18th century. Prisoners were led through a tunnel to boats moored on the river to be transported to Australia. Credit: William Walter Burgess c.1890 TUM image id: 1654184434 Licence: CC BY 2.0	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

Elm Park Gardens
Licence: CC BY 2.0

Possibly the most Instagramable mews in London, leafy Kynance Mews is hidden away in South Kensington, not so far from Gloucester Road station.
Credit: IG/withinlondon
Licence:

Houses on the northwest side on Onslow Square, SW7
Credit: Wiki Commons/Nigel Mykura
Licence: CC BY 2.0

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