Westbourne Farm

Westbourne Farm - an old farm with a theatrical connection.

Westbourne Farm was, until the nineteenth century, situated along the Harrow Road.
Credit: User unknown/public domain

Westbourne Green was still considered a beautiful rural place in 1820. One of the buildings along the east side of the Harrow Road was Westbourne (or Westbury) Farm home of a Mr John White by 1801. The farmhouse was some 84 yards south of the canal but its lands, south of the Harrow Road, extended to the site of the future Kensal Town in the west and Paddington in the east

Once the Grand Junction Canal was dug in 1801, White, an architect, built Bridge House on the far bank of the canal in 1805.

Westbourne Farm became the home of the actress Sarah Siddons between April 1805 to Autumn 1817 and lived there with her daughter. Her brother Charles Kemble lived in a smaller house nearby for part of the time. Mrs Siddons was buried at St Mary’s Church, the main church of Paddington, on Paddington Green, where her grave can still be seen.

By 1861, Westbourne Farm had made way for Clarendon, Woodchester, and Cirencester streets.

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CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LOCALITY

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
PETER FAIRCLOUGH Brindley Street, W2 Added: 10 May 2021 14:46 GMT	We once lived here My family resided at number 53 Brindley Street Paddington. My grandparents George and Elizabeth Jenkinson (ne Fowler) had four children with my Mother Olive Fairclough (ne Jenkinson) being born in the house on 30/09/1935. She died on 29/04/2021 aged 85 being the last surviving of the four siblings Reply
Robert Burns Abourne Street, W9 Added: 5 Jan 2023 17:46 GMT	1 Abourne Street My mother, and my Aunt and my Aunt’s family lived at number 1 Abourne Street. I remember visitingn my aunt Win Housego, and the Housego family there. If I remember correctly virtually opposite number 1, onthe corner was the Lord Amberley pub. Reply
Hampden Street, W2 Added: 22 Aug 2023 12:31 GMT	Hampden Street, W2 My great great grandparents William and Hannah Playford lived at 60 Hampden Street from the mid 1880s when they moved from rural poverty in Norfolk to inner city hardship in Paddington and where all their children were born. My great grandfather was a road sweeper and sold cat meat. They had seven children in all, of whom five survived infancy: three boys who all volunteered for the army at the outbreak of WW1 and miraculously returned via Salonika, France and a German POW camp; and two daughters, the eldest of whom was my great grandmother, Annie Playford b 1888. She had an illegitimate daughter in 1910, my grandmother Hilda Sarah Catherine. She brought her up singlehandedly and assumed a false married name to conceal her (then socially unacceptable) status as a single mother. In fact she never married and would never tell my grandmother anything about her father. Because of her longevity (she died in 1986) I remember Annie very well. As a child I perceived her as grumpy, uncommunicative, unsocial and a voracious eater. Of course as an adult I realised this was borne from pride loneliness, ill health, a grim determination to survive, and hunger. Somehow she did survive on her own as a single parent, despite lack of family support and serious deprivation. She worked three back breaking menial cleaning jobs over many years to make ends meet. With the advent of DNA I now know the identity of my grandmother’s father which she always dearly wished to know herself. She used to ask her mother if she loved her. The answer: "I kept you, didn’t I?" In the context of the times, I think that says it all. I only wish nanny was still here so that I could tell her all about her father. Reply

LATEST LONDON-WIDE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PROJECT

Parkers Row, SE1 Added: 9 Jan 2025 18:51 GMT	Parkers Row, SE1 My great great grandmother, and her soon to be husband, lived in Parker’s Row before their marriage in St James in June 1839. Thier names were - Jane Elizabeth Turner and Charles Frederick Dean. She was a hat trimmer and he was a tailor. Reply
Lindsay Trott Lockside, E14 Added: 1 Jan 2025 17:55 GMT	Lockside not on 1939 Register I have the Denby family living in Lockside in 1938 but it does not appear on the 1939 Register. Reply
Janelle Robbins Blossom Place, E1 Added: 27 Dec 2024 18:47 GMT	Harriet Robbins Please get in touch re Harriet Robbins Reply
Dave Hinves Bacon Street, E1 Added: 27 Nov 2024 03:55 GMT	he was a School Teacher Henry sailed from Graves End 1849 on ’The Woodbridge’ arrived South Australia 1850. In 1858 he married Julia Ann Walsh at Burra, South Australia, they had 3 children, and 36 grand children. Died 24 June 1896 at Wilmington, South Australia. He is my 1st cousin 3x removed. Reply
Kevin Pont St George’s Square, SW1V Added: 23 Nov 2024 17:03 GMT	St Georges Square This is rather lovely and well worth a visit! Reply
Simon Chapman Blossom Place, E1 Added: 22 Nov 2024 17:47 GMT	Blossom Place My Great Great Grandmother, Harriett Robbins lived in 2 Blossom Place in 1865 before marrying my Great Great Grandfather. They moved to 23 Spitall Square. Reply
Mark G Skidmore Street, E1 Added: 26 Oct 2024 21:54 GMT	Skidmore Street, E1 Skidmore Street was located where present day Ernest Street and Solebay Street now stand. They are both located above Shandy Street and Commodore Street. Reply
Alan Russell Cheshire Street, E1 Added: 26 Oct 2024 14:36 GMT	Cheshire Street, London E2 - 1969 Cheshire Street, London E2 - 1969 Reply

NEARBY LOCATIONS OF NOTE

Bridge House Canal side house in Westbourne Park

Bridge House

Desborough Lodge Desborough Lodge was a house which was one of five grand houses in the village of Westbourne Green.

Desborough Lodge

Harrow Road bridge Harrow Road once spanned the River Westbourne at this point.

Harrow Road bridge

Kilburn Aqueduct Some way from the area now called Kilburn, the Kilburn Aqueduct of the Grand Union Canal spanned the River Westbourne.

Kilburn Aqueduct

Orme’s Green Ormes Green was the former name for this part of Westbourne Park.

Orme’s Green

River Westbourne The Westbourne is one of the lost rivers of London.

River Westbourne

Royal Oak Royal Oak is a station on the Hammersmith and City Line, between Westbourne Park and Paddington stations, and is the least used station on the Hammersmith and City line.

Royal Oak

Spotted Dog The Spotted Dog public house was one of the earliest buildings in Westbourne Green.

Spotted Dog

St Mary’s Harrow Road St Mary’s Harrow Road was built as the infirmary for the Paddington Workhouse.

St Mary’s Harrow Road

Warwick Avenue Warwick Avenue is an area, street and a Bakerloo Line tube station near Little Venice.

Warwick Avenue

Westbourne Farm Westbourne Farm - an old farm with a theatrical connection.

Westbourne Farm

Westbourne Green The story of the building of a suburb.

Westbourne Green

Westbourne House Two hundred years ago, the biggest house hereabouts...

Westbourne House

Westbourne Lodge Westbourne Lodge appeared in one of the earliest photographs in London.

Westbourne Lodge

Westbourne Manor The Manor of Westbourne

Westbourne Manor

Windsor Castle The Windsor Castle dates from the 1820s but its main incarnation was as a classic Victorian public house, seminal in 1970s musical history.

Windsor Castle

NEARBY STREETS

Abourne Street, W9 Before the Second World War, Abourne Street had been called Netley Street (Maida Hill)

Abourne Street, W9

Admiral Walk, W9 Admiral Walk is a street in Maida Vale (Westbourne Green)

Admiral Walk, W9

Africa House, W2 Africa House is a block on Blomfield Villas (Paddington)

Africa House, W2

Aldsworth Close, W9 Aldsworth Close is a pale buff brick terrace (Westbourne Green)

Aldsworth Close, W9

Alfred Road, W2 Alfred Road is the last survivor of a set of Victorian streets (Westbourne Green)

Alfred Road, W2

Amberley Mews, W9 Amberley Mews starred as Tom Riley’s home in the 1950 movie "The Blue Lamp" (Little Venice)

Amberley Mews, W9

Amberley Road, W9 Amberley Road was formerly lined by canalside wharves (Maida Hill)

Amberley Road, W9

Ascot House, W9 Ascot House was built as part of the GLC’s small Windsor estate (Maida Hill)

Ascot House, W9

Barnard Lodge, W9 Barnard Lodge is a street in Maida Vale (Westbourne Green)

Barnard Lodge, W9

Barnwood Close, W9 Barnwood Close replaced a set of canal-side industrial buildings (Little Venice)

Barnwood Close, W9

Blomfield Mews, W2 Blomfield Mews is a road in the W2 postcode area (Little Venice)

Blomfield Mews, W2

Blomfield Villas, W2 Blomfield Villas is a road in the W2 postcode area (Little Venice)

Blomfield Villas, W2

Bourne Terrace, W2 Bourne Terrace is part of the Warwick Estate in Paddington and has 38 properties. (Westbourne Green)

Bourne Terrace, W2

Brindley Street, W2 Brindley Street was once one of the poorest streets in Paddington (Westbourne Green)

Brindley Street, W2

Brinklow House, W2 Brinklow House is a block on Torquay Street (Westbourne Green)

Brinklow House, W2

Bristol Gardens, W9 Bristol Gardens is an extension southeastwards of Shirland Road (Little Venice)

Bristol Gardens, W9

Celbridge Mews, W2 Celbridge Mews is a street in Paddington (Royal Oak)

Celbridge Mews, W2

Charfield Court, W9 Charfield Court is part of the 1972 Amberley Estate (Little Venice)

Charfield Court, W9

Chichester Road, W2 Chichester Road is a road in the W2 postcode area (Little Venice)

Chichester Road, W2

Chippenham Mews, W9 Chippenham Mews lies behind Harrow Road running from Chippenham Road to Marylands Road (Maida Hill)

Chippenham Mews, W9

Cirencester Street, W2 Cirencester Street came about in the 1860s but was shortened when the Warwick Estate was built (Westbourne Green)

Cirencester Street, W2

Clarendon Crescent, W2 Clarendon Crescent was said to be the longest road in London without a turning (Westbourne Green)

Clarendon Crescent, W2

Clearwell Drive, W9 Clearwell Drive is a newer street, roughly built over the line of the former Amberley Mews (Little Venice)

Clearwell Drive, W9

Clifton Villas, W9 Clifton Villas is a street in Maida Vale (Little Venice)

Clifton Villas, W9

Culham House, W2 Culham House is a block on Great Western Road (Westbourne Green)

Culham House, W2

Dainton House, W2 Dainton House is a block on Great Western Road (Westbourne Green)

Dainton House, W2

Delamere Terrace, W2 Delamere Terrace runs beside the Grand Union Canal towpath (Little Venice)

Delamere Terrace, W2

Desborough Close, W2 Desborough Close was named after Desborough House which was demolished in the 19th century (Westbourne Green)

Desborough Close, W2

Devonport House, W2 Devonport House is a block on Great Western Road (Westbourne Green)

Devonport House, W2

Downfield Close, W9 Downfield Close is a street in Maida Vale (Westbourne Green)

Downfield Close, W9

Edbrooke Road, W9 Edbrooke Road is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Hill)

Edbrooke Road, W9

Ellwood Court, W9 Ellwood Court is a two-storey block (Little Venice)

Ellwood Court, W9

Elmfield Way, W9 Elmfield Way is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Hill)

Elmfield Way, W9

Elnathan Mews, W9 Elnathan Mews is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Vale)

Elnathan Mews, W9

Elsie Lane Court, W2 Elsie Lane Court is a block on Elsie Lane Court (Westbourne Green)

Elsie Lane Court, W2

Formosa Street, W9 Formosa Street leads northeast from Little Venice (Warwick Avenue)

Formosa Street, W9

Foscote Mews, W9 This is a street in the W9 postcode area (Westbourne Green)

Foscote Mews, W9

Gaydon House, W2 Gaydon House is a 21-storey block containing 125 dwellings (Royal Oak)

Gaydon House, W2

George Lowe Court, W2 George Lowe Court is a block on George Lowe Court (Westbourne Green)

George Lowe Court, W2

Goldney Road, W9 Goldney Road was built around 1860 on land which was once the property of Westminster Abbey (Maida Hill)

Goldney Road, W9

Hampden Street, W2 Hampden Street is a now demolished street (Westbourne Green)

Hampden Street, W2

Hanwell House, W2 Hanwell House is a block on Great Western Road (Westbourne Green)

Hanwell House, W2

Harrow Road, W9 Harrow Road is a main road running through Paddington, Willesden and beyond (Maida Hill)

Harrow Road, W9

Hermes Close, W9 Hermes Close is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Hill)

Hermes Close, W9

Holy Trinity House, W2 Holy Trinity House is a building on Orsett Terrace (Paddington)

Holy Trinity House, W2

Hunter Lodge, W9 Hunter Lodge is a street in Maida Vale (Westbourne Green)

Hunter Lodge, W9

Hurlingham House, W2 Hurlingham House is sited on Westbourne Terrace Road (Paddington)

Hurlingham House, W2

Keyham House, W2 The twenty-storey Keyham House is on Westbourne Park Road (Westbourne Green)

Keyham House, W2

Landor House, W2 Landor House is a block on Westbourne Park Road (Westbourne Green)

Landor House, W2

Lister Lodge, W9 Lister Lodge is a street in Maida Vale (Westbourne Green)

Lister Lodge, W9

Lockbridge Court, W9 Lockbridge Court can be found on Elmfield Way (Westbourne Green)

Lockbridge Court, W9

Lord Hills Road, W2 Lord Hill’s Road was at first called Ranelagh Road (Westbourne Green)

Lord Hills Road, W2

Marylands Road, W9 Marylands Road was built by the Neeld family during the 1860s (Maida Hill)

Marylands Road, W9

Mickletone House, W2 Mickletone House is a block on Westbourne Park Road (Westbourne Green)

Mickletone House, W2

Moulsford House, W2 Moulsford House is a block on Westbourne Park Road (Westbourne Green)

Moulsford House, W2

Oakington Road, W9 Oakington Road is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Hill)

Oakington Road, W9

Oldbury House, W2 Oldbury House is a shopping parade along the Harrow Road with accommodation above, part of the Warwick Estate development (Westbourne Green)

Oldbury House, W2

Orsett Mews, W2 Orsett Mews is a road in the W2 postcode area (Paddington)

Orsett Mews, W2

Orsett Terrace, W2 Orsett Terrace combined with Orsett Place to form one street in Paddington (Paddington)

Orsett Terrace, W2

Pindock Mews, W9 Pindock Mews is a street in Maida Vale (Warwick Avenue)

Pindock Mews, W9

Polesworth House, W2 Polesworth House is a block on Alfred Road (Westbourne Green)

Polesworth House, W2

Polperro House, W2 Polperro House is a block on Westbourne Park Road (Westbourne Green)

Polperro House, W2

Portishead House, W2 Portishead House is part of the Brunel Estate (Westbourne Green)

Portishead House, W2

Princethorpe House, W2 Princethorpe House is a block on Woodchester Square (Westbourne Green)

Princethorpe House, W2

Ranelagh Bridge, W2 Ranelagh Bridge is a road in the W2 postcode area (Paddington)

Ranelagh Bridge, W2

Riverford House, W2 Riverford House is a block on Westbourne Park Road (Westbourne Green)

Riverford House, W2

Rowington Close, W2 Rowington Close probably dates from 1962 (Westbourne Green)

Rowington Close, W2

Sappertone House, W2 Sappertone House is a block on Westbourne Park Road (Westbourne Green)

Sappertone House, W2

Senior Street, W2 Senior Street has a long history of over 150 years (Westbourne Green)

Senior Street, W2

Sevington Street, W9 Sevington Street is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Hill)

Sevington Street, W9

Shrewsbury Road, W2 Shrewsbury Road is a street in Paddington (Westbourne Green)

Shrewsbury Road, W2

St Stephens Mews, W2 St Stephens Mews is a street in Paddington (Westbourne Green)

St Stephens Mews, W2

St Stephen’s Gardens, W2 St Stephen’s Gardens is a street in Paddington (Westbourne Green)

St Stephen’s Gardens, W2

Stonehouse House, W2 Stonehouse House is a block on Westbourne Park Road (Westbourne Green)

Stonehouse House, W2

Sunderland House, W2 Sunderland House is sited on Westbourne Park Road (Westbourne Green)

Sunderland House, W2

Surrendale Place, W9 Surrendale Place is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Hill)

Surrendale Place, W9

Sutherland Avenue, W9 Sutherland Avenue is one of the main streets of Maida Vale (Maida Vale)

Sutherland Avenue, W9

Sutherland Court, W9 Sutherland Court is located on Marylands Road (Maida Hill)

Sutherland Court, W9

Swanleys, W2 Swanleys was built east of St Stephen’s Church in 1978 (Westbourne Green)

Swanleys, W2

The Greene House, W9 The Greene House is a block on Goldney Road (Maida Hill)

The Greene House, W9

The Toll House, W2 The Toll House is a block on Delamere Terrace (Little Venice)

The Toll House, W2

Thorngate Road, W9 This is a street in the W9 postcode area (Maida Hill)

Thorngate Road, W9

Torquay Street, W2 Torquay Street underwent name changes and building changes (Westbourne Green)

Torquay Street, W2

Truro House, W2 Truro House is a block on Westbourne Park Road (Westbourne Green)

Truro House, W2

Warwick Avenue, W9 Warwick Road was named in 1840, later to become Warwick Avenue in 1905 (Warwick Avenue)

Warwick Avenue, W9

Warwick Court, W9 Warwick Court is a street in Maida Vale (Warwick Avenue)

Warwick Court, W9

Warwick Place, W9 Warwick Place is a street in Maida Vale (Little Venice)

Warwick Place, W9

Waverley Road, W2 Waverley Road, now gone, lasted just over a hundred years (Westbourne Green)

Waverley Road, W2

Westbourne Park Road, W2 Houses at the Paddington end of Westbourne Park Road date from the 1850s (Westbourne Green)

Westbourne Park Road, W2

Westbourne Park Villas, W2 Westbourne Park Villas is a street in Paddington (Westbourne Green)

Westbourne Park Villas, W2

Westbourne Terrace Road, W2 Westbourne Terrace Road is a street located in Little Venice that connects Blomfield Road in the north and Westbourne Bridge in the south. (Little Venice)

Westbourne Terrace Road, W2

Wilmcote House, W2 Wilmcote House is sited on Woodchester Square (Westbourne Green)

Wilmcote House, W2

Windsor Gardens, W9 Windsor Gardens is a street in Maida Vale (Maida Hill)

Windsor Gardens, W9

Woodchester Square, W2 Woodchester Square is a street in Paddington (Westbourne Green)

Woodchester Square, W2

Woodchester Street, W2 Woodchester Street disappeared from the map in 1961 (Westbourne Green)

Woodchester Street, W2

Woodfield Crescent, W9 Woodfield Crescent was a former street in London W9 (Maida Hill)

Woodfield Crescent, W9

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LOCAL PHOTOS

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This photo from 6 August 1857 shows guests at the wedding at Westbourne Lodge, Paddington (Royal Oak) The wedding was of Florence Augusta Saunders, daughter of Charles Saunders, first general secretary of the Great Western Railway, with the Reverend Frederick Manners Stopford. Isambard Kingdom Brunel was amongst the guests. During the wedding, both Brunel and Saunders were able to experience trains running beside the wedding party along the railway which they had built. TUM image id: 1556886976 Licence:	Mrs Siddons’ house at Westbourne Green c. 1800 TUM image id: 1557227342 Licence:	Amberley Estate (2009) Credit: Wiki Commons/Panhard TUM image id: 1687170603 Licence: CC BY 2.0	The Bayswater Conduit in 1798. TUM image id: 1490459429 Licence: CC BY 2.0	Duke of Cornwall, Ledbury Road W11, around 1990. Later the Ledbury restaurant, holder of two Michelin Stars TUM image id: 1453282426 Licence:
Weston’s Cider House In 1930 Weston’s opened their first and only ’cider mill’ on the Harrow Road. It was closed in 1970 and demolished as part of a road improvement scheme TUM image id: 1453899876 Licence:	The picture painted to show the opening of the Grand Junction canal in 1801 clearly shows the embankment over the valley of the former river Westbourne TUM image id: 1483566096 Licence:	The Royal Oak pub in Bayswater gave its name to the nearby station TUM image id: 1621895594 Licence:	Bourne Terrace - taken from Torquay Street. On the corner of Bourne Terrace is Saws Ltd at number 264 along with various blocks which no longer exist. Credit: Bernard Selwwyn TUM image id: 1483796732 Licence: CC BY 2.0	Chippenham Mews (1959) This photo was taken by a Swiss maid who worked in the area during the late 1950s. Chippenham Mews lies behind Harrow Road running from Chippenham Road to Marylands Road. Building had been begun in the 1860s with substantial terraces near Harrow Road. The area did not attract the upper classes that were expected and parts of the area came to suffer from cramped layouts and houses. Credit: Gregoire Ming TUM image id: 1666003307 Licence:
Junction of Cirencester Street, W2 Cirencester Street was curtailed when the post-war Warwick Estate was built TUM image id: 1620671975 Licence:	Great Western Road (1959) Great Western Road, which runs past Westbourne Park station, replaced a lane called Green Lane. The bridge over the railway, pictured here, was known as Green Lane Bridge until the 1860s - maybe later. TUM image id: 1588415018 Licence:	Lord Hills Road at the junction with Senior Street Credit: Historic England TUM image id: 1588433441 Licence:	Dada style Maida Vale block of flats Credit: GoArt/The Underground Map TUM image id: 1605698670 Licence: CC BY 2.0	Talbot Road from the east corner of Powis Square 1900s featuring the site of Fullerton's tailor's/blues and the Globe bar. TUM image id: 1453293428 Licence: CC BY 2.0