Description
Now a landscaped area behind the Holiday Inn, this was once part of private communal gardens provided for residents of the houses that surrounded it, which were built as part of the Gunter Estate development that took place from 1840s onwards. The northern area of the estate was developed from 1865, encouraged by the arrival of the railway. The garden was laid out with lawn, shrubbery and trees, and was accessible to lessees of houses abutting. A garden rent for its upkeep was reserved in the leases. A number of mature plane trees remain from the original garden square.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Holiday Inn |
|---|---|
| Site location | Cromwell Road/Courtfield Road |
| Postcode | SW7 |
| What3Words | ///onions.volunteered.fluid |
| Type of Site | Private Open Land |
| Borough | Kensington & Chelsea |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private |
| Public Transport | Tube: Gloucester Road (District, Circle, Piccadilly) |
| Research Updated | 1 October 2007 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Ashburn Gardens is within the Courtfields area, the Court Fields once part of the land held by Earl's Court Manor, but later owned by the Gunter family who had farms and agricultural land here. They began developing the area for housing from the late 1840s onwards although the northern part of their estate was undeveloped until the 1870s. Many of the street names reflect the Gunter family links with Yorkshire. Owned by Lady George Campbell in 1928, the gardens were for the benefit of lessees or inhabitants of houses around the enclosure, with a garden rent reserved in their leases, and this was also extended in some cases to other occupants of the near neighbourhood on payment of an agreed rent. The garden was maintained by a Committee composed of lessees and paid for out of the garden rents. At that time it was described as an 'oblong enclosure flanked on two adjoining sides by roads and on the other two sides by the rear of buildings. An attractive open space laid out as a lawn with a shrubbery in the middle and some fine trees around the border'.
The site is now part of the Holiday Inn, and consists of a landscaped area behind the hotel with plane trees from the original garden square remaining on two sides, Courtfield Gardens and Ashburn Gardens, but with more recent landscaping.
The site is now part of the Holiday Inn, and consists of a landscaped area behind the hotel with plane trees from the original garden square remaining on two sides, Courtfield Gardens and Ashburn Gardens, but with more recent landscaping.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ261787 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Holiday Inn |
| Dates | ?late C19th |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | Yes |
| Local Authority | Kensington & Chelsea |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Courtfield |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
Ashburn Place is within the Courtfields area. The Court Fields were once part of the land held by Earl's Court Manor, but later owned by the Gunter family who had farms and agricultural land here. They began developing the area for housing from the late 1840s onwards although the northern part of their estate was undeveloped until the 1870s. Many of the street names reflect the Gunter family links with Yorkshire. The garden enclosure east of Ashburn Place has fine railings and gateway with lawn and mature trees.
Private communal gardens provided for residents of the houses that surround it, which were built as part of the Gunter Estate development in the area that took place from 1840s. The development of the northern part of their estate came a little later, encouraged by construction of the Metropolitan and District Railways here. Harrington Gardens was built between 1880-88; the communal gardens were laid out with trees, shrubs and lawns and were for the use of lessees as well as those in nearby houses, on payment of a garden rent.
The private communal garden was provided for residents of the surrounding houses, which were built as part of the Gunter Estate development commencing in the 1840s. This area of the estate, including Wetherby Gardens, was built in the 1880s and the garden was available to freeholders and lessees of surrounding houses as well as in certain neighbouring streets including Ashburn Place and Harrington Gardens. The garden was laid out with trees, grass and flower beds. Surrounded by large blocks of houses, the garden enclosure can be glimpsed from the street through an archway.