A bombed-out
Rackham Street, looking down from the junction with
Exmoor Street.
The huge bomb crater which actually had its epicentre on the north side of
St Charles Square, one block south, can be seen. This one bomb fell in September 1940 and caused so much destruction that it was decided, after the war finished, to redevelop the whole area. Most of the street plan was changed utterly.
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Photographed just after the Second World War, this is the bombed-out Rackham Street, London W10 looking down from the junction with Exmoor Street.
Kensington and Chelsea library
3 Acklam Road From the 19th century up until 1965, number 3 Acklam Road, near the Portobello Road junction, was occupied by the Bedford family. 6 East Row, W10 6 East Row was a house along East Row which was demolished in 1960 as part of slum clearance in the area. Clayton Arms A pub which was situated halfway down West Row in Kensal Town. Exmoor Street (1950) Photographed just after the Second World War, looking north along Exmoor Street. Gas Light and Coke Company The gasometers of the Gas Light and Coke company dominated North Kensington until demolition in the late 20th century. Harrow Road (1920s) Harrow Road in the 1920s, looking south east towards the Prince of Wales pub and the Emmanuel Church spire. Hudson’s the chemist (1906) Hudson's, a chemist shop, stood on the corner of Ilbert Street and Third Avenue in the Queen's Park estate. Jack of Newbury The Jack of Newbury stood at the corner of East Row and Kensal Road until it was bombed on 2 October 1940. Kensal Green Kensal Green, site of England’s oldest cemetery still in use. Kensal House There are two Kensal Houses in London W10 - this was the original Kensington Hippodrome The Kensington Hippodrome was a racecourse built in Notting Hill, London, in 1837, by entrepreneur John Whyte. Ladbroke Grove Ladbroke Grove is named after James Weller Ladbroke, who developed the Ladbroke Estate in the mid nineteenth century, until then a largely rural area on the western edges of London. Ladbroke Grove Ladbroke Grove on the corner of St Charles Sqaure taken outside the Eagle public house, looking north, just prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. Middle Row School Middle Row School was established in the late 19th century to provide education to the children of Kensal New Town. North Kensington Library North Kensington Library opened in 1891 and was described as one of London’s finest public libraries. Portobello Arms The Portobello Arms was a former pub in Kensal Town, established in 1842. Portobello Farm Portobello Farm House was approached along Turnpike Lane, sometimes referred to as Green’s Lane, a track leading from Kensington Gravel Pits towards a wooden bridge over the canal. Portobello Green Portobello Green features a shopping arcade under the Westway along Thorpe Close, an open-air market under the canopy, and community gardens. Princess Louise Hospital The Princess Louise Hospital for Children was opened by King George V and Queen Mary in 1928. It had 42 beds, an Out-Patients Department and Dispensary for Sick Women. Queen’s Park Library Queen’s Park Library was built to improve the minds of the new Queen’s Park Estate residents. Rackham Street, eastern end (1950) The bombing of the Second World War meant that some whole streets were wiped off the future map. Rackham Street, in London W10, was one of them. St Charles Hospital The St Marylebone workhouse infirmary was opened in 1881 on Rackham Street, North Kensington and received a congratulatory letter from Florence Nightingale. St Martins Mission Saint Martin's Mission was originally known as Rackham Hall as it was situated on Rackham Street. St Quintin Park Cricket Ground (1890s) Before the turn of the 20th century, west of present day North Kensington lay fields - the future Barlby Road was the site of the St Quintin Park Cricket Ground. St. Joseph’s Home St Joseph's dominated a part of Portobello Road up until the 1980s. The Eagle The Eagle, on the corner of Ladbroke Grove and Telford Road. The Flora The Flora is situated on Harrow Road, W10. The Mitre The Mitre was situated at 62 Golborne Road. The Plough From the sixteenth century onwards, the Plough stood beside the Harrow Road. Wedlake Street Baths In a time when most had somewhere to live but few had somewhere to wash at home, public baths were the place to go... Western Arms The Western Arms was a pub situated on the corner of Ladbroke Grove and Kensal Road. Western Iron Works The Western Iron Works was the foundry business of James Bartle and Co. Absalom Road, W10 Absalom Road was the former name for the western section of Golborne Gardens. Acklam Road, W10 Acklam Road was the centre of much action during the building of the Westway. Adair Road, W10 Adair Road is a street on the Kensal Town/North Kensington borders. Adair Tower, W10 Adair Tower is a post-war tower block on the corner of Adair Road and Appleford Road, W10. All Saints Road, W11 Built between 1852-61, All Saints Road is named after All Saints Church on Talbot Road. Alperton Street, W10 Alperton Street is the first alphabetically named street in the Queen’s Park Estate, W10. Appleford Road, W10 Appleford Road was transformed post-war from a Victorian street to one dominated by housing blocks. Blake Close, W10 Blake Close is one of the streets of London in the W10 postal area. Blenheim Crescent, W11 Blenheim Crescent one of the major thoroughfares in Notting Hill - indeed it features in the eponymous film. Bosworth Road, W10 Bosworth Road was the first street built as Kensal New Town started to expand to the east. Bramley Mews, W10 Bramley Mews become part of a redelevopment of the area north of Latimer Road station in the 1960s. Bruce Close, W10 Bruce Close replaced the earlier Rackham Street in this part of W10. Buller Road, W10 Buller Road is a small residential road on the west side of Kilburn Lane. Calverley Street, W10 Calverley Street, one of the lost streets of W10 is now underneath a motorway slip road. Canal Way, W10 Canal Way was built on the site of the Kensal Gas Works. Codrington Mews, W11 This attractive L-shaped mews lies off Blenheim Crescent between Kensington Park Road and Ladbroke Grove. Cornwall Crescent, W11 Cornwall Crescent belongs to the third and final period of building on the Ladbroke estate. Cornwall Road, W11 Cornwall Road was once the name for the westernmost part of Westbourne Park Road. Dalgarno Way, W10 Dalgarno Way is one of the streets of London in the W10 postal area. Darfield Way, W10 Darfield Way, in the Latimer Road area, was built over a number of older streets as the Westway was built. Darfield Way, W10 Darfield Way is one of the streets of London in the W10 postal area. Droop Street, W10 Droop Street is one of the main east-west streets of the Queen’s Park Estate. East Mews, W10 East Mews was lost when the Westway was built. It lies partially under the modern Darfield Way. East Row, W10 East Row is a road with a long history within Kensal Town. Edenham Mews, W10 Edenham Mews was the site of a youth club and day nursery after the Second World War until demolition. Faraday Road, W10 Faraday Road is one of the ’scientist’ roadnames of North Kensington. Farrant Street, W10 Farrant Street is the missing link in the alphabetti spaghetti of the streetnames of the Queen’s Park Estate Golborne Road, W10 Golborne Road, heart of North Kensington, was named after Dean Golbourne, at one time vicar of St. John’s Church in Paddington. Hewer Street, W10 Built as part of the St Charles’ estate in the 1870s, it originally between Exmoor Street to a former street called Raymede Street. Humber Drive, W10 Humber Drive is one of the streets of London in the W10 postal area. Huxley Street, W10 Huxley Street is the only street beginning with an H on the Queen’s Park Estate. Kensal House, W10 Kensal House (1936), was designed to show off the power of gas and originally had no electricity at all. Kensal Road, W10 Kensal Road, originally called Albert Road, is the heart of Kensal Town. Kingsdown Close, W10 Kingsdown Close is one of a select number of roads in London W10 lying south of Westway. Ladbroke Crescent, W11 Ladbroke Crescent belongs to the third and final great period of building on the Ladbroke estate and the houses were constructed in the 1860s. Ladbroke Grove, W10 Ladbroke Grove runs from Notting Hill in the south to Kensal Green in the north, and straddles the W10 and W11 postal districts. Lavie Mews, W10 Lavie Mews, W10 was a mews connecting Portobello Road and Murchison Road. Lionel Mews, W10 Lionel Mews was built around 1882 and probably disappeared in the 1970s. Malton Mews, W10 Malton Mews, formerly Oxford Mews, runs south off of Cambridge Gardens. Manchester Road, W10 Manchester Road is one of the lost streets of North Kensington, now buried beneath a roundabout. Maple Walk, W10 Post war development on the Queen’s Park Estate created some plant-based street names. Middle Row, W10 Middle Row is one of the original streets laid out as Kensal New Town. Mozart Street, W10 Mozart Street was part of the second wave of development of the Queen’s Park Estate. Munro Mews, W10 Munro Mews is a part cobbled through road that connects Wornington Road and Wheatstone Road. Nursery Lane, W10 Nursery Lane is one of the streets of London in the W10 postal area. Oakworth Road, W10 Oakworth Road dates from the 1920s when a cottage estate was built by the council. Peach Road, W10 Paach Road is one of the newer streets of the Queen’s Park Estate in London W10 Pember Road, NW10 Pember Road is one of the side streets to the west of Kilburn Lane, NW10 Portobello Road, W10 Portobello Road is split into two sections by the Westway/Hammersmith and City line. Rackham Street, W10 Rackham Street is a road that disappeared from the streetscape of London W10 in 1951. Raymede Street, W10 Raymede Street, after severe bomb damage in the area, disappeared after 1950. Regent Street, NW10 Regent Street, otherwise an obscure side street is one of the oldest roads in Kensal Green. Ronan Walk, W10 Ronan Walk was one of the streets constructed in a 1970s build parallel to the Harrow Road. Rootes Drive, W10 Rootes Drive is one of the streets of London in the W10 postal area. Southern Row, W10 Southern Row was originally South Row to match the other streets in the neighbourhood. St Andrews Square, W11 St Andrews Square is a street in Notting Dale, formed when the Rillington Place area was demolished. St Quintin Avenue, W10 St Quintin Avenue connects North Pole Road with the roundabout at the top of St Mark’s Road. Talbot Mews, W11 Talbot Mews seems to have disappeared just after the Second Worid War. Tavistock Crescent, W11 Tavistock Crescent was where the first Notting Hill Carnival procession began on 18 September 1966. Telford Road, W10 Telford Road is one of the local streets named after prominent nineteenth century scientists. Thorpe Close, W10 Thorpe Close is a redevelopment of the former Thorpe Mews, laid waste by the building of the Westway. Trellick Tower, W10 Trellick Tower is a 31-storey block of flats designed in the Brutalist style by architect Ernő Goldfinger, completed in 1972. Walmer Road, W10 Walmer Road is the great lost road of North Kensington, obliterated under Westway. Waynflete Square, W10 Waynflete Square is one of the newer roads in the vicinity of Latimer Road station. Webb Close, W10 Webb Close is one of the streets of London in the W10 postal area. Wedlake Street, W10 Wedlake Street arrived as the second wave of building in Kensal Town was completed. Western Dwellings, W10 Western Dwellings were a row of houses, opposite the Western Gas Works, housing some of the workers. Westway, W10 Westway is the A40(M) motorway which runs on an elevated section along the W10/W11 border. Wornington Road, W10 Wornington Road connected Golborne Road with Ladbroke Grove, though the Ladbroke end is now closed to through traffic.
North Kensington lies either side of Ladbroke Grove, W10.North Kensington was rural until the 19th century, when it was developed as a suburb with quite large homes. By the 1880s, too many houses had been built for the upper-middle class towards whom the area was aimed. Large houses were divided into low cost flats which often degenerated into slums, as documented in the photographs of Roger Mayne.
During the 1980s, the area started to be gentrified although areas in the north west of the district at
Ladbroke Grove and Westbourne Park remain deprived and run down to this day.
Waves of immigrants have arrived for at least a century. This constant renewal of the population makes the area one of the most cosmopolitan in London.
The Notting Hill carnival was first staged in 1964 as a way for the local Afro-Caribbean communities to celebrate their own cultures and traditions. After some rough times in the 1970s and 1980s when it became associated with social protest, violence and huge controversy over policing tactics, this is now Europe’s largest carnival/festival event and a major event in the London calendar. It is staged every August over the Bank holiday weekend.
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