West Kensington

Underground station, existing between 1877 and now.

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(51.491 -0.207, 51.491 -0.207) 
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Underground station · * · ·
December
5
2013
West Kensington station was opened in 1877.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century this was the northern part of the Fulham Fields, a rural area of nurseries, market gardens and small fanns supplying produce to Londoners. The transformation from country idyll to city suburb was hastened by speedier travel to London’s business and commercial centres: the Metropolitan District Railway (now the District Line) was extended from Earls Court to Hammersmith in 1874 with one station on the way, North End (Fulham), which became West Kensington in 1877. The Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway (now the Piccadilly Line) arrived in Hammersmith thirty years later, and Barons Court station was opened in 1905. There was never a baron’s court here, the name merely imitated the popular Earl's Court. Encouraged by the arrival of the railways, building firms laid out their tidy housing developments between 1870 and 1890: much work was done by the local firm of Gibbs and Flew, who built the Margravine Estate. In untidy contrast, the older roads wriggle across this area: North End Road from north to south, and Margravine and Greyhound Roads from west to east.

The notable landmarks in this area were provided for Fulham’s burgeoning population. To take advantage of the increased income and leisure of the middle classes, the private Queen's Club was started in 1886. In the 1890s some football internationals were held there, but today it is known as the venue for the pre—Wimbledon men’s tennis tournament.

Not far away is Charing Cross Hospital, which moved to Fulham in 1959. It was not however the first hospital here, since this had been the site of the Fulham Infirmary since 1850. Although originally the Fulham Union Workhouse with room for only thirty or so sick people, its facilities were increasingly called upon as the local population expanded.

By 1914 it was providing general medical and surgical care, as well as training nurses. After the amalgamation with Charing Cross a new hospital was built and pened in 1973.

Finally, on the east side of the hospital is Margravine Cemetery. Although in Fulham, this was the burial ground for Hammersmith after burials in London churchyards were forbidden for health reasons in 1855.


Licence: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LOCALITY

Lived here
Former Philbeach Gardens Resident   
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

LATEST LONDON-WIDE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PROJECT

Comment
Wendy    
Added: 22 Mar 2024 15:33 GMT   

Polygon Buildings
Following the demolition of the Polygon, and prior to the construction of Oakshott Court in 1974, 4 tenement type blocks of flats were built on the site at Clarendon Sq/Phoenix Rd called Polygon Buildings. These were primarily for people working for the Midland Railway and subsequently British Rail. My family lived for 5 years in Block C in the 1950s. It seems that very few photos exist of these buildings.

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Steve   
Added: 19 Mar 2024 08:42 GMT   

Road construction and houses completed
New Charleville Circus road layout shown on Stanford’s Library Map Of London And Its Suburbs 1879 with access via West Hill only.

Plans showing street numbering were recorded in 1888 so we can concluded the houses in Charleville Circus were built by this date.

Source: Charleville Circus, Sydenham, London

Reply
Comment
Steve   
Added: 19 Mar 2024 08:04 GMT   

Charleville Circus, Sydenham: One Place Study (OPS)
One Place Study’s (OPS) are a recent innovation to research and record historical facts/events/people focused on a single place �’ building, street, town etc.

I have created an open access OPS of Charleville Circus on WikiTree that has over a million members across the globe working on a single family tree for everyone to enjoy, for free, forever.

Source: Charleville Circus, Sydenham, London

Reply
Comment
Charles   
Added: 8 Mar 2024 20:45 GMT   

My House
I want to know who lived in my house in the 1860’s.

Reply

NH   
Added: 7 Mar 2024 11:41 GMT   

Telephone House
Donald Hunter House, formerly Telephone House, was the BT Offices closed in 2000

Reply
Comment
Paul Cox   
Added: 5 Mar 2024 22:18 GMT   

War damage reinstatement plans of No’s 11 & 13 Aldine Street
Whilst clearing my elderly Mothers house of general detritus, I’ve come across original plans (one on acetate) of No’s 11 & 13 Aldine Street. Might they be of interest or should I just dispose of them? There are 4 copies seemingly from the one single acetate example. Seems a shame to just junk them as the level of detail is exquisite. No worries if of no interest, but thought I’d put it out there.

Reply
Comment
Diana   
Added: 28 Feb 2024 13:52 GMT   

New Inn Yard, E1
My great grandparents x 6 lived in New Inn Yard. On this date, their son was baptised in nearby St Leonard’s Church, Shoreditch

Source: BDM London, Cripplegate and Shoreditch registers written by church clerk.

Reply
Comment
Vic Stanley   
Added: 24 Feb 2024 17:38 GMT   

Postcose
The postcode is SE15, NOT SE1

Reply


NEARBY LOCATIONS OF NOTE
Barons Court Barons Court station serves the District and Piccadilly lines.
Gwendwr Garden Gwendwr Gardens is a small park in West Kensington.

NEARBY STREETS
Ada Lewis House, W14 Ada Lewis House is a block on Palliser Road
Aisgill Avenue, W14 Aisgill Avenue is a road in the W14 postcode area
Archel Road, W14 Archel Road is a street in West Kensington
Ashcroft House, W14 Ashcroft House is sited on North End Road
Ashley Cottages, SW5 Ashley Cottages dated from the 1860s
Auriol Road, W14 Auriol Road is a street in West Kensington
Avonmore Road, W14 Avonmore Road, built in the 1880s, has been dubbed "Kensington Village"
Barons Court Road, W14 Barons Court Road is a street in West Kensington
Barons Keep, W14 Barons Keep is a gated community of flats off of Gliddon Road, Barons Court (Barons Court)
Barton Road, W14 Barton Road is a street in West Kensington (Barons Court)
Beaumont Avenue, W14 Beaumont Avenue is a street in West Kensington
Beaumont Crescent, W14 Beaumont Crescent is a road in the W14 postcode area
Beckford Close, W14 Beckford Close is a road in the W14 postcode area
Bellamy Close, W14 Bellamy Close is a road in the W14 postcode area
Bramber Road, W14 Bramber Road is a street in West Kensington
Burne Jones House, W14 Burne Jones House is located on North End Road
Castletown Road, W14 Castletown Road is a street in West Kensington
Challoner Crescent, W14 Challoner Crescent is a street in West Kensington
Challoner Mansions, W14 Challoner Mansions is a street in West Kensington
Challoner Street, W14 This is a street in the W14 postcode area
Charleville Road, W14 Charleville Road is a street in West Kensington
Chesson Road, W14 Chesson Road is a street in West Kensington
Clifford House, W14 Clifford House is a block on Edith Villas (West Kensington)
Cluney Mews, SW5 Cluny Mews, Philbeach Gardens and Warwick Road was the work of a family of builders - the Mineard family who worked on this area between 1876 and 1891
Colet Gardens, W14 Colet Gardens is a shadow of its former self
Colet House, W14 Colet House is a block on Talgarth Road (Barons Court)
Comeragh Mews, W14 Comeragh Mews is a street in West Kensington
Comeragh Road, W14 Comeragh Road is a street in West Kensington (Barons Court)
Corelli Court, SW5 Corelli Court is a block on West Cromwell Road
Drum Street, W14 Drum Street is a road in the E1 postcode area (Barons Court)
Edith Road, W14 Edith Road is a street in West Kensington
Edith Villas, W14 Edith Villas is a road in the W14 postcode area (West Kensington)
Empress State Building, W14 Empress State Building is a block on Marchbank Road
Fairholme Road, W14 Fairholme Road is a street in West Kensington
Falkland House, W14 Falkland House is a block on West Cromwell Road
Fane Street, W14 Fane Street is a road in the W14 postcode area
Faraday Mansions, W14 Faraday Mansions is a street in West Kensington
Fenelon Place, W14 Fenelon Place lies west of Warwick Road
Fenelon Road, SW5 Fenelon Road - at first Alma Road - was created in the 1850s but disappeared during the 1960s
Field Road, W6 Field Road lies within the W6 postal area (Fulham)
Fitz-George Avenue, W14 Fitz-George Avenue is a road in the W14 postcode area
Fitzjames Avenue, W14 Fitzjames Avenue is a street in West Kensington
Gibbs Green Close, W14 Gibbs Green Close is a road in the W14 postcode area
Glazbury Road, W14 Glazbury Road is a street in West Kensington
Gledstanes Road, W14 Gledstanes Road is a road in the W14 postcode area
Glenallan House, W14 Glenallan House is a block on North End Road (West Kensington)
Gliddon Road, W14 Gliddon Road is a street in West Kensington
Gorleston Street, W14 Gorleston Street is a street in West Kensington
Greyhound Road, W14 Greyhound Road is a street in West Kensington
Griffin House, W6 Griffin House is a block on Hammersmith Road
Gunterstone Road, W14 Gunterstone Road is a street in West Kensington
Gwendwr Road, W14 Gwendwr Road pays homage to the Welsh heritage of the Gunter estate
Hammersmith Road, W14 Hammersmith Road is a street in West Kensington
Ivatt Place, W14 Ivatt Place is a road in the W14 postcode area
Kensington Hall Gardens, W14 Kensington Hall Gardens is a street in West Kensington
Lily Close, W14 Lily Close is a road in the W14 postcode area
Lincoln House, W14 Lincoln House is a block on Hammersmith Road
Lisgar Terrace, W14 Lisgar Terrace is a road in the W14 postcode area
Lyric House, W6 Lyric House is a block on Hammersmith Road
Matheson Road, W14 Matheson Road is a street in West Kensington
Matthias House, SW5 Matthias House is a building on Philbeach Gardens
Mornington Avenue, W14 Mornington Avenue is a road in the W14 postcode area
Mortimer House, W14 Mortimer House is a block on North End Road
Mulgrave Road, W14 Mulgrave Road is a road in the W14 postcode area
Mund Street, W14 Mund Street is a street in West Kensington
Munden Street, W14 Munden Street is a street in West Kensington
Normand Road, W14 Normand Road is a street in West Kensington
North End Crescent, W14 North End Crescent is a street in West Kensington (West Kensington)
North End House, W14 North End House is a block on Fitz-James Avenue
North End Parade, W14 North End Parade is a street in West Kensington (West Kensington)
North End Road, W14 North End Road is a street in West Kensington
Overlord House, W14 Overlord House can be found on Colet Gardens
Palliser Road, W14 Palliser Road is a street in West Kensington
Pelham House, W14 Residential block (West Kensington)
Pembroke Road, SW5 Pembroke Road is a street in Kensington (Earl’s Court)
Perham Road, W14 Perham Road is a street in West Kensington
Philbeach Gardens, SW5 Philbeach Gardens is one of the streets of London in the SW5 postal area
Queens Club Gardens, W14 Queens Club Gardens is a street in West Kensington
Samuel Richardson House, W14 Samuel Richardson House is located on North End Crescent
Southcombe Street, W14 Southcombe Street is a street in West Kensington
St Andrew’s Road, W14 St Andrew’s Road is a road in the W14 postcode area
St Paul’s Court, W14 St Paul’s Court is a block on St Paul’s Court
St Paul’s Studios, W14 St Paul’s Studios was designed by Frederick Wheeler and built in 1891 (Barons Court)
Stanwick Road, W14 Stanwick Road is a street in West Kensington
Star Road, W14 Star Road is a street in West Kensington
Stonor Road, W14 Stonor Road is a street in West Kensington
Sun Road, W14 Sun Road is a road in the W14 postcode area
Talgarth Mansions, W14 Talgarth Mansions is a street in West Kensington (Barons Court)
The Old Courthouse, W14 The Old Courthouse is a block on North End Road
The Old Magistrates Court, W14 The Old Magistrates Court is located on Southcombe Street
Tilden House, W14 Tilden House is a building on Comeragh Road
Trevanion Road, W14 Trevanion Road is a road in the W14 postcode area
Turneville Road, W14 Turneville Road is a street in West Kensington
Vereker Road, W14 Vereker Road is a street in West Kensington
Vernon Street, W14 Vernon Street is a road in the W14 postcode area
Warwick Building, W14 Warwick Building is sited on West Cromwell Road
West Cromwell Road, W14 West Cromwell Road is a street in West Kensington
West Kensington Court, W14 West Kensington Court is a block on North End Road (West Kensington)
West Kensington Mansions, W14 West Kensington Mansions is a street in West Kensington

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