Cadogan Gardens

This area was once within the Manor of Chelsea, whose owners included Westminster Abbey and Henry VIII, which was purchased by Hans Sloane in 1712. When Sloane died his estate was divided between his daughters, one of whom, Elizabeth, was married to Charles Cadogan, taking the eastern part, which became the Cadogans' London estate. Part of the estate was developed on land leased from Lord Cadogan by Henry Holland for his Hans Town development from 1777 onwards. Cadogan Gardens was part of the area redeveloped by the Cadogan and Hans Place Estate Company from 1875-90. The terraces of Cadogan Gardens were built from the late 1880s, a series of individual short stretches of terrace in different styles, providing a range of examples of the Queen Anne Revival style. No. 25 Cadogan Gardens was designed by A H Mackmurdo (1893) for Australian artist Mortimer Menpes, since 1939 part of Peter Jones department store. The land was owned by Earl Cadogan and previously there were 3 areas of garden, part of 2 of which were owned by Metropolitan District Railway Company, which granted the Cadogan Estate a 999 year lease with restrictions as to height of buildings. Access to the gardens was restricted to leaseholders of houses around the square and certain adjoining streets, and it was managed by a committee of householders, with fees paid by the leaseholders.

In 1928, the enclosures were as follows: at the junction of Cadogan Gardens and Symons Street was a small triangular shrubbery, the other two enclosures laid out as ornamental gardens 'well kept and attractive'. Between the terraces are mature gardens, bounded on opposite sides by the houses whose gardens lead directly onto it, the other two sides bounded by roads. Along the east side of the gardens is an avenue of plane trees. The railings date from c.1930 and are square in section and there are laurel shrubs around the edge. The paths around the edge of the site have brick edgings and there is an C18th curved stone seat.