Description
Maida Vale is renowned for its mansion blocks, lining the broad avenues and bringing a European flavour to the area. Among the first, Ashworth Mansions was built in 1899-1900, two red-brick blocks in Queen Anne Revival style overlooking the communal garden provided for the residents. Planting consists of mature trees, shrubs and perennials, herbaceous borders and beds, set in lawns. The road frontages on Elgin Avenue and Grantully Road also have landscaped areas.
Practical Information
| Site location | Ashworth Road/Biddulph Road, Maida Vale |
|---|---|
| Postcode | W9 1JL |
| What3Words | ///asset.themes.overnight |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Westminster |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private, residents only |
| Events | Has opened for OGSW |
| Public Transport | Tube: Maida Vale. Bus: 98 |
| Research Updated | 1 October 2017 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The land in the area to the north of Regent's Canal was owned by the Church Commissioners and remained undeveloped until the 1890s. By that time building mansion flats was deemed more profitable than houses, and these new residential buildings were aimed at attracting the middle classes, suggested by the name 'mansion' itself, and the architectural design reinforced this aspiration. Ashworth Mansions was the first block built on Elgin Avenue and had a carriage drive, copper cupolas and stained glass. The builder was Edward Jarvis Cave who built most of the mansion blocks in Maida Vale and many in West Hampstead, before he went bankrupt in 1900, taking with him two of his sons and DH Evans of department store fame.
The architects of Maida Vale's three mansion blocks, Ashworth, Biddulph and Elgin, were Edward Boehmer and Percy Gibbs, who had met while working at Archer and Green, the architects of many of London's prestigious blocks of flats in Knightsbridge and other smart addresses such as Lissenden Gardens Estate (q.v.) in Gospel Oak. Ashworth Mansions itself was built in two stages with Boehmer supervising from his own flat at 10 Lauderdale Mansions. The Elgin Avenue block was constructed first and occupied in 1899 and the Grantully block followed in 1900. Almost all of the 105 flats were occupied by 1902 and the early residents were generally professional people. A contemporary advertisement boasted of 'landscaped gardens, hot and cold water, electricity, electric bells and tradesman's lifts'. However it is probable that the gardens were more of a yard than a garden in the early days, although there was a tennis court.
In 1944 a V1 bomb landed in the garden and destroyed much of the rear of the block on Elgin Avenue, killing 6 people. Prior to the 1960s most of the residents were tenants. In 1983 the leases were sold and the freehold was then acquired by the leaseholders in 1991. The mansion blocks had suffered neglect over the years but have seen much improvement following a multi-million pound programme of major works in 2001-07 and 2009-14.
The garden's lawns today are shaded by a number of well-grown trees, which include copper beech, silver maple, hornbeam, and silver birch. A knot garden, wild flower garden and herb garden have been planted, and a hedged pergola provides a secluded seating area. The frontage on Elgin Avenue has pollarded plane trees and a garden area with lawn, shrubs and flower beds, a paved area providing entrance to the flats. The Grantully Road frontage is also planted with shrubs. The garden's maintenance is overseen by an informal garden committee, and carried out by a professional garden contractor.
The architects of Maida Vale's three mansion blocks, Ashworth, Biddulph and Elgin, were Edward Boehmer and Percy Gibbs, who had met while working at Archer and Green, the architects of many of London's prestigious blocks of flats in Knightsbridge and other smart addresses such as Lissenden Gardens Estate (q.v.) in Gospel Oak. Ashworth Mansions itself was built in two stages with Boehmer supervising from his own flat at 10 Lauderdale Mansions. The Elgin Avenue block was constructed first and occupied in 1899 and the Grantully block followed in 1900. Almost all of the 105 flats were occupied by 1902 and the early residents were generally professional people. A contemporary advertisement boasted of 'landscaped gardens, hot and cold water, electricity, electric bells and tradesman's lifts'. However it is probable that the gardens were more of a yard than a garden in the early days, although there was a tennis court.
In 1944 a V1 bomb landed in the garden and destroyed much of the rear of the block on Elgin Avenue, killing 6 people. Prior to the 1960s most of the residents were tenants. In 1983 the leases were sold and the freehold was then acquired by the leaseholders in 1991. The mansion blocks had suffered neglect over the years but have seen much improvement following a multi-million pound programme of major works in 2001-07 and 2009-14.
The garden's lawns today are shaded by a number of well-grown trees, which include copper beech, silver maple, hornbeam, and silver birch. A knot garden, wild flower garden and herb garden have been planted, and a hedged pergola provides a secluded seating area. The frontage on Elgin Avenue has pollarded plane trees and a garden area with lawn, shrubs and flower beds, a paved area providing entrance to the flats. The Grantully Road frontage is also planted with shrubs. The garden's maintenance is overseen by an informal garden committee, and carried out by a professional garden contractor.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ258827 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Ashworth Mansions Ltd (AML) |
| Site Management | Informal garden committee / contractor employed by Ashworth Mansions Ltd (AML) |
| Dates | 1899-1900 |
| 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 | No |
| Local Authority | Westminster |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Gallery
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
The site was first used for recreational purposes in 1860 when a cricket pitch was laid down by the local church. As a result of the efforts of R Melville Beachcroft, Treasurer of Paddington Cricket Club, land was purchased from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners and the Paddington Estate. In 1888/9 Paddington Recreation Ground was laid out and opened to the public, money having been raised for purchase of a larger area under an Act of 1893, which reserved at least 4 acres for general use, the rest was leased out for sports. The Paddington Recreation Act enabled the Vestry of Paddington to officially acquire the Ground to 'provide the residents with a public recreational ground'. The bandstand in the south-west corner dates from the original layout, and the Pavilion, built in 1888 was originally used as a refreshment pavilion and grandstand.
The Formosa Garden is a communal garden behind houses on Warrington Crescent, Castellain Road, Formosa Street and Sutherland Avenue. Until c.1980 much of this area was within the Paddington Estate of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, administered by Trustees. Developed in the mid C19th, much of the housing here had communal gardens provided for the use of occupiers of the surrounding houses. The large garden is triangular in shape and lined with plane trees, and has island beds set in lawn and a number of fine trees.
Randolph Gardens, now public gardens, was previously a private garden for the use of leaseholders of adjoining houses. Owned by Paddington Estate Trustees, the garden was managed by a Committee of occupiers, the expense of maintenance assessed proportionately on each house. In 1928 it was described as 'enclosed by palings, and attractively laid out with lawns and tennis courts' and contained 'some fine trees'. On one side it is flanked by St Augustine's Church, which has a pleasant garden. There is evidence of a terrace west of the church along Randolph Gardens frontage, which has a row of lime and plane trees; the ground is now subdivided with privet hedge, the northern part of which is the responsibility of WCC. The church setting now encompasses the mid-late C20th flats of Torridon House.
