In July 1822, Lord Kensington leased approximately nine acres of land along the south side of Hammersmith Road to developer Adam Tirrell for a term of 99 years, with the annual rent set to increase over time. Tirrell quickly began construction of 14 substantial townhouses on the site, later known as Kensington Crescent. Tirrell was a speculator focused on quick returns.
Within a year, he had assigned the remainder of the land to G.T.R. Reynal, who was granted leases for 14 more townhouses on the crescent as well as the residual land. City merchant John Plaskett also had a financial stake, applying for sewer access for all 28 homes. Kensington Crescent originally consisted of two curved ranges of stucco-faced houses set back from the main road and separated by a street intended to connect to a network of smaller streets and 80 houses, though only a handful were built. The crescent’s design is attributable to Lord Kensington’s surveyor William Cutbush, whose signature is on the original plans.
Despite grand intentions, Kensington Crescent never gained distinction as an elegant residential area. By 1830, only half its townhouses were occupied, and vacancies persisted for years. Proximity to the Kensington Canal basin, planned railways, and drainage issues made the location undesirable. Construction of actual railway lines led to demolition of some houses, while the adjacent land housed coal depots and sidings encroaching on the crescent. Lord Kensington himself occupied a house in his declining years until his death there in 1852. More eminent residents included engineer William Siemens in the 1850s and author Kenneth Grahame in the 1890s.
The crescent became increasingly isolated and forlorn before final demolition in the 1930s. Rebuilt as offices in the postwar era, its original residential purpose was lost, reflecting the area’s diminished appeal over time despite initial aspirations.
