Description
This small landscaped area on the west side of Chelsea Bridge between Chelsea Embankment and the river was formed soon after the embanking of the river by Sir Joseph Bazalgette in 1869-74. Chelsea Embankment was officially opened in May 1874 by Lieutenant Col Sir James MacNaughton Hogg, Chairman of the Metropolitan Board of Works. A second landscaped area on the east side of the bridge falls within the borough of Westminster. Both are overgrown with trees and shrubbery and largely inaccessible to the public.
Practical Information
| Site location | Chelsea Embankment |
|---|---|
| Postcode | SW3 |
| What3Words | ///losses.broad.nobody |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Kensington & Chelsea |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | inaccessible |
| Public Transport | Tube: Sloane Square (District, Circle) |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ285779 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | RB Kensington & Chelsea |
| Site Management | RBKC Parks & Open Spaces |
| Dates | 1874 |
| 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 | Thames |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Metropolitan Importance |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Thames Policy Area, Area of Metropolitan Importance |
| Other LA Designation | Thames Path |
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
This small landscaped area on the east side of Chelsea Bridge between Grosvenor Road and the river was formed soon after the embanking of the river by Sir Joseph Bazalgette in 1869-74. Chelsea Embankment was officially opened in May 1874 by Lieutenant Col Sir James MacNaughton Hogg, Chairman of the Metropolitan Board of Works. A second landscaped area on the west side of the bridge falls within the borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Both are overgrown with trees and shrubbery and largely inaccessible to the public, although a small railed area overlooking the river was reinstated for public enjoyment in 2006.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
The Royal Hospital was founded in 1682 as an almshouse for army veterans. The site was selected by Christopher Wren, the King's Surveyor-General of Works, and paid for by Sir Stephen Fox, former Paymaster-General. The hospital land was added to under James II but in the reign of William III almost a third was made over to the Earl of Ranelagh. Part of his estate became famous pleasure gardens, Ranelagh Gardens, but later bought back by the Hospital's Board of Commissioners. Wren's formal gardens to the river were lost when the Thames was embanked between 1850-68. Ranelagh Gardens was laid out as a public park by John Gibson in 1860. In 1846 Royal Hospital Road was constructed, cutting off Burton's Court from the main site, whose northern boundary of St Leonard's Terrace has the main entrance gates to the Hospital approached by Royal Avenue, originally laid out to communicate with what was then the King's private road. South Ground is sports facilities managed by the local authority, and has been the location for the Chelsea Flower Show.
The Royal Hospital was founded in 1682 as an almshouse for army veterans. The site was selected by Christopher Wren, the King's Surveyor-General of Works, and paid for by Sir Stephen Fox, former Paymaster-General. The hospital land was added to under James II but in the reign of William III almost a third was made over to the Earl of Ranelagh. Part of his estate became famous pleasure gardens, Ranelagh Gardens, but later bought back by the Hospital's Board of Commissioners. Wren's formal gardens to the river were lost when the Thames was embanked between 1850-68. Ranelagh Gardens was laid out as a public park by John Gibson in 1860. In 1846 Royal Hospital Road was constructed, cutting off Burton's Court from the main site, whose northern boundary of St Leonard's Terrace has the main entrance gates to the Hospital approached by Royal Avenue, originally laid out to communicate with what was then the King's private road. South Ground is sports facilities managed by the local authority, and has been the location for the Chelsea Flower Show.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Cemetery within the grounds of the Royal Hospital that served the pensioners residing there. It accommodated some 10,000 burials between its consecration in 1691 and closure in 1854/5 since pensioners were not normally given a headstone and the ground was re-used. There are some fine monuments including a number from the C18th.
Cemetery within the grounds of the Royal Hospital that served the pensioners residing there. It accommodated some 10,000 burials between its consecration in 1691 and closure in 1854/5 since pensioners were not normally given a headstone and the ground was re-used. There are some fine monuments including a number from the C18th.