Description
Avondale Park Gardens is a private communal garden surrounded by two-storey brick terraces on three sides. The houses were built by the local council on the site of the former workhouse in 1919-22/3. The central garden has three mature plane trees at the entrance, trees, shrubs in grass, modern railings. It is protected under 1851 Garden Square Act.
Practical Information
| Site location | Avondale Park Gardens |
|---|---|
| Postcode | W11 |
| What3Words | ///spring.chins.scam |
| Type of Site | Garden Square |
| Borough | Kensington & Chelsea |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private |
| Public Transport | Tube: Latimer Road (Metropolitan) |
| Research Updated | 1 October 2007 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Pending further research
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ240807 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.0882 |
| Site Ownership | private |
| Dates | 1919-22/3 |
| 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 | Kensington & Chelsea |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Avondale Park Gardens |
| 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
Avondale Park was laid out in in the 1890s by Kensington Borough Council on the former site of the main refuse dump and cesspool. The park opened to the public in 1892 and among the original facilities were a playground, shelter, entrance lodge and bandstand, the latter demolished in 1966. A grey granite drinking fountain was presented by the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association. In recent years a nature area has been created and there are ornamental bedding displays in some areas including around the Lodge.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Part of the Ladbroke Estate, laid out as a planned garden suburb with a coherent layout of concentric crescents and large communal gardens whose features were first suggested in a plan by architect and estate surveyor Thomas Allason in 1823. His scheme was later modified by others, including James Thomson, although he remained involved until his death in 1852. Building started in the 1840s; the outer concentric crescents date from the 1860s. During the lull in building development, the land was leased for a time for a racecourse, the Hippodrome, which operated from 1837-41. After Allason's death, artist and designer Thomas Allom was responsible for the next phase of development.
Part of the Ladbroke Estate, laid out as a planned garden suburb with a coherent layout of concentric crescents and large communal gardens whose features were first suggested in a plan by architect and estate surveyor Thomas Allason in 1823. His scheme was later modified by others, including James Thomson, although he remained involved until his death in 1852. Building started in the 1840s; the outer concentric crescents date from the 1860s. During the lull in building development, the land was leased for a time for a racecourse, the Hippodrome, which operated from 1837-41. After Allason's death, artist and designer Thomas Allom was responsible for the next phase of development.
The private communal gardens were provided for residents of St James's Square, which was built c.1847-51 as part of the Norland Estate. The estate originally comprised 52 acres attached to Norland House, and passed through a number of owners until 1839 when it was sold for development to William Kingdom. The sale of the estate was assigned to solicitor Charles Richardson who began by raising funds to lay 3 miles of sewers before building commenced. He donated the site for St James's Church in St James's Gardens. The gardens to the east and west of the church were simply laid out with central paths and perimeter trees.