Kenway Road, SW5

Kenway Road was, after 1803, called North Row.

Kenway Road (1970)
Credit: British History Online

Kenway Road was originally part of a country track linking the Manor House at Earl’s Court with Kensington village, via what are now Wright’s Lane and Marloes Road. It may be an abbreviation of ’the Way to Kensington’.

In 1797, one Thomas Smith bought a local piece of land called ’Pound Field. At Earl’s Court Smith began building in 1803 along established thoroughfares - today’s Kenway Road and Hogarth Place.

In 1856, Charles William Wallgrave (of King’s Road, Chelsea) invested in a plot of land at Earl’s Court. Four years later he decided to build Wallgrave Road but wrote to the local Parish Vestry to say that the drains at Earl’s Court appeared to be blocked, since all the sewage from the cottages in Kenway Road was overflowing onto his ground. The vestry replied that this was not surprising, since there were no sewers at Earl’s Court. Nor did they intend to do anything about it - clearly a class of people so depraved as to live in houses without sanitation must be left to suffer from the folly of their ways.

Kenway Road is now much better thought of well-placed and close to many of the local amenities on Earls Court Road. Earls Court Station is a short walk away.

Citation information:	London Street Names (book)
	Further citations and sources

Click here to explore another London street
We now have 612 completed street histories and 46888 partial histories
Find streets or residential blocks within the M25 by clicking STREETS

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LOCALITY

Admin Olympia Added: 26 Aug 2022 12:17 GMT	TV comes to Olympia Over 7000 people queued to see the first high definition television pictures on sets at the Olympia Radio Show. The pictures were transmitted by the BBC from Alexandra Palace, introduced by Leslie Mitchell, their first announcer. 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
Runcorn Place, W11 Added: 19 Jun 2022 16:58 GMT	Runcorn Place, W11 Runcorn place 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

Coleherne House Coleherne House once stood on the corner of Brompton Lane (later Brompton Road) and Walnut Tree Lane (now Redcliffe Gardens).

Coleherne House

Cromwell Curve The Cromwell Curve was a short section of railway line between Gloucester Road and High Street Kensington stations.

Cromwell Curve

Earl’s Court Farm Earl’s Court Farm is pictured here as it was in 1867, before the opening of the underground station two years later.

Earl’s Court Farm

New Local Government Network Nokes Estate was an agricultural estate in the Earl’s Court area, formerly known as Wattsfield.

New Local Government Network

NEARBY STREETS

Alma Studios, W8 Alma Studios is a street in Kensington.

Alma Studios, W8

Ambassador’s Court, SW5 Ambassador’s Court is a road in the SW1A postcode area

Ambassador’s Court, SW5

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

Ashburn Gardens, SW7

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

Ashburn House, SW5

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

Astwood Mews, SW7

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

Barkston Gardens, SW5

Beatrice Place, W8 Beatrice Place is a street in Kensington.

Beatrice Place, W8

Blithfield Street, W8 Blithfield Street is a quiet cul-de-sac running north from Stratford Road.

Blithfield Street, W8

Bolton Gardens Mews, SW10 Bolton Gardens Mews is a road in the SW10 postcode area

Bolton Gardens Mews, SW10

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

Bolton Gardens, SW5

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

Boltons Court, SW5

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

Boltons Place, SW5

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

Bramham Gardens, SW5

BurtonWhite House, SW5 BurtonWhite House can be found on West Cromwell Road.

BurtonWhite House, SW5

Chantry Square, W8 Chantry Square is part of the Kensington Green Estate, built over the site of St Mary Abbots Hospital.

Chantry Square, W8

Chatsworth Court, W8 Chatsworth Court is a block on Pembroke Road.

Chatsworth Court, W8

Childs Place, SW5 Childs Place is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area.

Childs Place, SW5

Colbeck Mews, SW7 Colbeck Mews is a road in the SW7 postcode area

Colbeck Mews, SW7

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

Collingham Gardens, SW5

Collingham Place, SW5 Collingham Place is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area.

Collingham Place, SW5

Collingham Road, SW5 Collingham Road is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area.

Collingham Road, SW5

Corelli Court, SW5 Corelli Court is a block on West Cromwell Road.

Corelli Court, SW5

Cornwall Gardens Walk, SW7 Cornwall Gardens Walk is a road in the SW7 postcode area

Cornwall Gardens Walk, SW7

Cornwall Gardens, SW7 Cornwall Gardens is a long, narrow garden square.

Cornwall Gardens, SW7

Courtfield Gardens, SW5 Courtfield Gardens is named after the field beneath it, cultivated until the 19th century.

Courtfield Gardens, SW5

Cromwell Crescent, SW5 Cromwell Crescent is a road in the SW5 postcode area

Cromwell Crescent, SW5

Cromwell Road, SW5 Once known as Cromwell Lane, the road was named after one of Cromwell’s sons who lived here.

Cromwell Road, SW5

Devonshire Place, W8 Devonshire Place lies off St Mary’s Place.

Devonshire Place, W8

Earls Court Gardens, SW5 Earls Court Gardens runs from Earl’s Court station to Knaresborough Place.

Earls Court Gardens, SW5

Earls Court Road, W8 Earls Court Road is the main road serving Earls Court.

Earls Court Road, W8

Earls Court Square, SW5 Earls Court Square is a residential square

Earls Court Square, SW5

Earls Walk, W8 Earls Walk is a street in Kensington.

Earls Walk, W8

Earl’s Court Road, SW5 Earl’s Court Road is a road in the SW5 postcode area

Earl’s Court Road, SW5

Emperiors Gate, SW7 Emperiors Gate is a location in London.

Emperiors Gate, SW7

Emperor’s Gate, SW7 This is a street in the SW7 postcode area

Emperor’s Gate, SW7

Emperors Gate, SW7 Emperors Gate is one of the streets of London in the SW7 postal area.

Emperors Gate, SW7

Euro House, SW5 Euro House is a block on Warwick Road.

Euro House, SW5

Farnell Mews, SW5 Farnell Mews is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area.

Farnell Mews, SW5

Hesper Mews, SW5 Hesper Mews is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area.

Hesper Mews, SW5

Hogarth Place, SW5 Hogarth Place is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area.

Hogarth Place, SW5

Hogarth Road, SW5 Hogarth Road is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area.

Hogarth Road, SW5

Inkerman House, SW5 Inkerman House is a block on Nevern Road.

Inkerman House, SW5

Juniper Court, W8 Juniper Court is sited on St Mary’s Place.

Juniper Court, W8

Knaresborough House, SW5 Knaresborough House is located on Knaresborough Place.

Knaresborough House, SW5

Knaresborough Place, SW5 Knaresborough Place is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area.

Knaresborough Place, SW5

Langham Mansions, SW5 Langham Mansions is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area.

Langham Mansions, SW5

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

Laverton Place, SW5

Lexham Gardens Mews, SW7 This mews runs off Lexham Gardens.

Lexham Gardens Mews, SW7

Lexham Gardens, W8 Lexham Gardens is a street in Kensington.

Lexham Gardens, W8

Lexham House, W8 Lexham House is a block on Lexham Gardens.

Lexham House, W8

Lexham Mews, W8 Lexham Mews is a street in Kensington.

Lexham Mews, W8

Logan Place, W8 Logan Place is a road in the W8 postcode area

Logan Place, W8

Longridge Road, SW5 Longridge Road is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area.

Longridge Road, SW5

Marlborough Court, W8 Marlborough Court is a block on Logan Place.

Marlborough Court, W8

Marloes Road, W8 Marloes Road runs north from the Cromwell Road.

Marloes Road, W8

Marlogs Road, W8 Marlogs Road is a street in Kensington.

Marlogs Road, W8

Matthias House, SW5 Matthias House is a building on Philbeach Gardens.

Matthias House, SW5

McLeod’s Mews, SW7 McLeod’s Mews is a road in the SW7 postcode area

McLeod’s Mews, SW7

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

Melbourne House, SW5

Nevern Place, SW5 Nevern Place is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area.

Nevern Place, SW5

Nevern Road, SW5 Nevern Road is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area.

Nevern Road, SW5

Nevern Square, SW5 Nevern Square is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area.

Nevern Square, SW5

Old Brompton Road, SW5 Old Brompton Road is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area.

Old Brompton Road, SW5

Old Manor Yard, SW5 Old Manor Yard runs beside Earl’s Court station.

Old Manor Yard, SW5

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

Osten Mews, SW7

Pembroke Gardens Close, W8 Pembroke Gardens Close is a road in the W8 postcode area

Pembroke Gardens Close, W8

Pembroke Gardens, SW5 A street within the W8 postcode

Pembroke Gardens, SW5

Pembroke Gardens, W8 Pembroke Gardens is a road in the W8 postcode area

Pembroke Gardens, W8

Pembroke Road, SW5 Pembroke Road is a street in Kensington.

Pembroke Road, SW5

Pembroke Square, W8 Pembroke Square was developed by the Hawks family.

Pembroke Square, W8

Pembroke Villas, W8 Pembroke Villas is a road in the W8 postcode area

Pembroke Villas, W8

Pembroke Walk, W8 Pembroke Walk is a road in the W8 postcode area

Pembroke Walk, W8

Pennant Mews, SW5 Pennant Mews is a street in Kensington.

Pennant Mews, SW5

Penywern Road, SW5 Penywern Road is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area.

Penywern Road, SW5

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

Philbeach Gardens, SW5

Radley Mews, W8 Radley Mews is a street in Kensington.

Radley Mews, W8

Redfield Lane, SW5 Redfield Lane is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area.

Redfield Lane, SW5

Rupert House, SW5 Rupert House is a building on Nevern Square.

Rupert House, SW5

Sherborne Court, SW5 Sherborne Court is a block on the corner of Cromwell Road and Marloes Road.

Sherborne Court, SW5

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

South Bolton Gardens, SW5

Spear Mews, SW5 Spear Mews is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area.

Spear Mews, SW5

St John’s Villas, W8 St John’s Villas is a 1990s development.

St John’s Villas, W8

St Mary’s Gate, W8 St Mary’s Gate was laid out over the site of St Mary Abbots Hospital.

St Mary’s Gate, W8

Stratford Road, W8 Stratford Road is a street in Kensington.

Stratford Road, W8

Sunningdale Gardens, W8 Sunningdale Gardens is a street in Kensington.

Sunningdale Gardens, W8

Templeton Place, SW5 Templeton Place is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area.

Templeton Place, SW5

The Mansions, SW5 The Mansions is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area.

The Mansions, SW5

Thomas Place, W8 Thomas Place leads off St Mary’s Place.

Thomas Place, W8

Trebouir Road, SW5 Trebouir Road is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area.

Trebouir Road, SW5

Trebovir Road, SW5 Trebovir Road is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area.

Trebovir Road, SW5

Warwick Road, SW5 Warwick Road is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area.

Warwick Road, SW5

West Cromwell Road, SW5 West Cromwell Road is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area.

West Cromwell Road, SW5

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

Wetherby Mansions, SW5

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

Wetherby Mews, SW5

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

NEARBY PUBS

Radnor Walk The Devonshire Arms at 37 Marloes Road is a Victorian era pub built in 1865 with a traditional beer garden.

Radnor Walk

The Bolton

The Britannia

The Earls Court Tavern

The Hansom Cab

The Prince of Teck

Click here to explore another London street
We now have 607 completed street histories and 46893 partial histories

Earl’s Court

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

Earls Court was once a rural area, covered with green fields and market gardens. For over 500 years the land, part of the ancient manor of Kensington, was under the lordship of the Vere family, the Earls of Oxford and descendants of Aubrey de Vere, who held the manor of Geoffrey de Montbray, bishop of Coutances, in Domesday Book in 1086. The earls held their manorial court where Old Manor Yard is now, just by the London Underground station.

The construction of the Metropolitan District Railway (MDR) station in 1865–69 was a catalyst for development. On 12 April 1869, the MDR (now the District Line) opened tracks through Earl’s Court as part of a south-westward extension from its station at Gloucester Road to West Brompton where the MDR opened an interchange with the West London Extension Joint Railway. In the quarter century afterwards, Earls Court was transformed into a densely populated suburb with 1200 houses and two churches. Eardley Crescent and Kempsford Gardens were built between 1867 and 1873, building began in Earls Court Square and Longridge Road in 1873, in Nevern Place in 1874, in Trebovir Road and Philbeach Gardens in 1876, and Nevern Square in 1880.

Following WWII a number of Polish immigrants settled in the Earls Court area leading to Earls Court Road being dubbed ’The Danzig Corridor’. During the late 1960s a large transient population of Australia and New Zealand travellers began to use Earls Court as a UK hub and over time it gained the name ’Kangaroo Valley’. It was at the time one of the cheapest areas close to central London, and up until the 1990s remained a somewhat down-at-heel district compared to its more upmarket neighbours to the North and East.

Today, while there are still significant numbers of students or other people on temporary visas, many of the Australians and New Zealanders appear to have moved on to now-cheaper areas further North and West.

The change in the area’s population is largely owed to rocketing property prices during the first decade of the 2000s and the continued gentrification of the area. The scale of change is illustrated by the economic divide between the eastern and western areas of Earls Court.

LOCAL PHOTOS

Click here to see map view of nearby Creative Commons images
Click here to see Creative Commons images near to this postcode
Click here to see Creative Commons images tagged with this road (if applicable)

St Cuthbert’s, Philbeach Gardens is a Grade I listed Anglican church in Earls Court. It was built between 1884 and 1887, designed by the architect Hugh Roumieu Gough (1843–1904) and hailed as a jewel of the Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Credit: Wiki Commons/Trearddur72 TUM image id: 1631012517 Licence:	The Holland Arms on Kensington High Street, drawn by Thomas Hosmer Shepherd. The writer Joseph Addison was a frequent customer. Credit: Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea TUM image id: 1623770043 Licence:	Abingdon Arms Pub, Abingdon Road. TUM image id: 1489943648 Licence: CC BY 2.0	Allen Street Credit: GoArt/The Underground Map TUM image id: 1593784668 Licence: CC BY 2.0	Springtime, Earl’s Court Credit: IG/MrLondon TUM image id: 1679253309 Licence:
Finborough Road, Chelsea Credit: Nancy Weir Huntly (1890-1963) TUM image id: 1671293275 Licence:	Marloes Road, W8 TUM image id: 1530121229 Licence:	Tower House, Melbury Road, Kensington Constructed between 1876 and 1881, Tower House has an unique medieval design by fantasist and architect William Burges. Every room was decorated in accordance with a unique theme drawn from nature with rooms dedicated to themes such as the Sea, Animals, astronomy and astrology. In 1969, Richard Harris acquired the house and then in 1973 Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin outbid David Bowie and purchased it for £350 000. Page welcomed the cult filmmaker Kenneth Anger to move into his basement and complete the post-production of his movie Lucifer Rising. However, Anger soon grew weary of living in what he described as Page’s "evil fantasy house". Credit: Geograph/Jim Osley TUM image id: 1677337202 Licence:	The corner depicted is that of Abingdon Road and Scarsdale Villas, showing the church in the background. TUM image id: 1489943340 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
Here is the original Earl’s Court entrance from 1871. With the coming of the Piccadilly Tube, the station moved across the road to the current one. TUM image id: 1681222601 Licence:	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	Safety First, Kensington High Street TUM image id: 1681229475 Licence:	Earl’s Court, District Line TUM image id: 1660570712 Licence: CC BY 2.0

In the neighbourhood...

Click an image below for a better view...

Abingdon Arms Pub, Abingdon Road.
Licence: CC BY 2.0

Allen Street
Credit: GoArt/The Underground Map
Licence: CC BY 2.0

Springtime, Earl’s Court
Credit: IG/MrLondon
Licence:

Finborough Road, Chelsea
Credit: Nancy Weir Huntly (1890-1963)
Licence:

Marloes Road, W8
Licence:

The corner depicted is that of Abingdon Road and Scarsdale Villas, showing the church in the background.
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
Licence: CC BY 2.0

Here is the original Earl’s Court entrance from 1871. With the coming of the Piccadilly Tube, the station moved across the road to the current one.
Licence:

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

Earl’s Court, District Line
Licence: CC BY 2.0

MAP YEAR:	1750	1800	1810	1820	1830	1860	1900	1950	2023	Show map without markers
ZOOM:	14 15 16 17	14 15 16 17	14 15 16 17	14 15 16 17	14 15 16 17	14 15 16 17	14 15 16 17 18	14 15 16 17	14 15 16 17 18
	TIP: Adjust the MAP YEAR and ZOOM to tweak historical maps