Bedford Gardens, W8

Road in/near Kensington, existing between 1822 and now.

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(51.50601 -0.1965, 51.506 -0.196) 
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Road · * · W8 ·
APRIL
21
2013
Bedford Gardens is one of the prime residential streets in Kensington.

The street runs between Campden Hill Road and Kensington Church Street. It is wider than most of the neighbouring roads and the houses are mainly Victorian terraced houses of three-storeys, with stucco up to first floor level. They are well set back from the road with large front gardens. There are many trees and shrubs in the front gardens giving the street a particularly ‘green’ feel. The street is on a slight slope and all the front gardens are different many with attractive small box hedges. Many houses have off-street parking and at the western end are some substantial semi-detached houses on the north side with front gardens hidden behind high walls and hedges, giving an almost Edwardian suburban feel to the street.

William Hall borrowed money to develop this area which he had purchased, but he must have over-extended himself because creditors then sued and he had to sell his land in Bedford Garden by auction in 97 lots. Most of the land was bought by William Bromley, a solicitor who then entered into an agreement with Hall, under which Hall was to build a terrace of 51 houses. Possibly they were working together and sharing the profits, because the agreement provided for 99 year leases to be granted to Hall once the houses were built.

The Bedford Gardens development was carried out by William Hall and his sons. Starting at the eastern end of the street, they built 23 houses on the north side and 22 on the south side. Most of them still survive. The development stopped in 1830 when William Hall the younger died and William Hall the elder was again in financial difficulties. Another builder, Robert Paton of Paddington, may have completed Nos. 36-46 (even).

In 1831 Bromley sold land further west on the north side of Bedford Gardens to Walter Urquhart, a merchant in the City, who had also bought the land it backed on to in Campden Street. Urquhart used Robert and Charles Jearrad and Charles Duncan, builders from Oxford Street, to build seven pairs of semi detached houses in Bedford Gardens, which were completed by 1836. These were two-storey brick-faced houses, Nos.  48-74 (even) Bedford Gardens. On the remaining land on the south side of the street, Nos. 85-91 (odd) were built around 1830 by various builders.

At the eastern end there is an attractive Edwardian mansion block – Bedford Gardens House – which is seven storeys high and was constructed in 1909. At the western end of the street there is a 1960s-style block of flats, consisting of five storeys painted entirely in white with glass balconies.


Citation information: Kensington Streets
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CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LOCALITY

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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

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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

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Comment
Charles   
Added: 8 Mar 2024 20:45 GMT   

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

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NH   
Added: 7 Mar 2024 11:41 GMT   

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

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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.

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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.

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

Postcose
The postcode is SE15, NOT SE1

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LOCAL PHOTOS
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Notting Hill
TUM image id: 1510169244
Licence: CC BY 2.0
Pembridge Road (1900s)
TUM image id: 1556889569
Licence: CC BY 2.0
Abingdon Arms Pub, Abingdon Road.
TUM image id: 1489943648
Licence: CC BY 2.0
Boyne Terrace Mews, W11
TUM image id: 1453967964
Licence: CC BY 2.0
3-4 Ladbroke Terrace in 2006.
TUM image id: 1453881424
Licence: CC BY 2.0

In the neighbourhood...

Click an image below for a better view...
Notting Hill
Licence: CC BY 2.0


Pembridge Road (1900s)
Licence: CC BY 2.0


St Peter's Notting Hill
Credit: Asteuartw
Licence: CC BY 2.0


The Churchill Arms, Kensington
Credit: IG/lililondoner
Licence: CC BY 2.0


Pump attendant at a Lex Garage in Campden Hill Road, Kensington fills up for a customer (1952) In the 1950s, petrol pumps were still largely attached to garage workshops. People didn’t yet use the term “petrol station“ but instead “garage”.
Credit: Kurt Hutton/Picture Post
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3-4 Ladbroke Terrace in 2006.
Licence: CC BY 2.0


Notting Hill in Bygone Days
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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
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This video is a little different - no walks from anywhere to anywhere. This video looks at the snapshots of lives captured by postcard photographers in Notting Hill Gate at the turn of the 1900s. As these photographers were ’winging it’ - taking photos of streets in anticipation of these being snapped up by postcard publishers - they were drawn to capturing scenes full of people going about their everyday lives. This means that zooming into these high-definition photos we can take a look at captured scenes that those depicted weren’t aware were being taken.
Credit: https://youtu.be/-Tqf2qTKTZM
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Ossington Street, W2 (2012)
Credit: Geograph/Jaggery
Licence: CC BY 2.0




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