Description
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Clarendon Road and Lansdowne Road Communal Garden is 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. This is one of the earliest gardens on the estate.
Clarendon Road and Lansdowne Road Communal Garden is 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. This is one of the earliest gardens on the estate.
Practical Information
| Site location | Clarendon Road/Lansdowne Road |
|---|---|
| Postcode | W11 2LQ |
| What3Words | ///deed.than.complains |
| Type of Site | Garden Square |
| Borough | Kensington & Chelsea |
| Open to Public | Occasionally |
| Opening Times | Has opened for London Open Gardens. Otherwise private, for keyholders only |
| Public Transport | Tube: Holland Park (Central). Bus: 52, 94, 148, 452 |
| Research Updated | 1 October 2007 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Ladbroke Estate: Site on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens, for Register Entry see https://www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list. The Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England was established in 1984 and was commonly called English Heritage. In April 2015 it split into 2 separate entities, Historic England (HE), which continues to champion and protect the historic environment, and the English Heritage Trust, whose role is to look after the 400+ historic sites and monuments owned by the state. HE manages the National Heritage List for England (NHLE) that includes over 400,000 items ranging from prehistoric monuments to office blocks, battlefields and parks, which benefit from legal protection.
The Ladbroke Estate was 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.
Clarendon Road and Lansdowne Road Communal Garden is one of the earliest gardens in the estate bounded by large brick houses with stucco detailing along Clarendon Road to the west, and Lansdowne Road to the east, both built 1846. The garden slopes gently to the west and has a central shrub bed, connected to the perimeter path by a cross path which runs west/east. The mid C19th north/south path has now gone. The communal garden is backed to the west and east by large private gardens, with replicas of the original street railings, including a curved cast iron coping. The rest of the garden is open with scattered mature trees, including fine planes and hawthorns. In the C19th Madame Blavatsky, founder of the Theosophical Society, lived at No. 17 Lansdowne Road. The leader of the suffragettes, Emmeline Pankhurst lived at No. 50 Clarendon Road with her daughter Christabel. Protected under 1851 Garden Square Act.
The Ladbroke Estate was 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.
Clarendon Road and Lansdowne Road Communal Garden is one of the earliest gardens in the estate bounded by large brick houses with stucco detailing along Clarendon Road to the west, and Lansdowne Road to the east, both built 1846. The garden slopes gently to the west and has a central shrub bed, connected to the perimeter path by a cross path which runs west/east. The mid C19th north/south path has now gone. The communal garden is backed to the west and east by large private gardens, with replicas of the original street railings, including a curved cast iron coping. The rest of the garden is open with scattered mature trees, including fine planes and hawthorns. In the C19th Madame Blavatsky, founder of the Theosophical Society, lived at No. 17 Lansdowne Road. The leader of the suffragettes, Emmeline Pankhurst lived at No. 50 Clarendon Road with her daughter Christabel. Protected under 1851 Garden Square Act.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ244804 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.4218 |
| Site Ownership | private |
| Dates | 1840s |
| Designers | Thomas Allason, architect and surveyor (overall plan of Ladbroke Estate) |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | Yes |
| NHLE grade | Grade II |
| 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 | Ladbroke |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Borough Importance II |
| 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
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Clarendon Road and Lansdowne Garden is 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. Clarendon Road and Lansdowne Garden is one of the earliest gardens on the estate.
Clarendon Road and Lansdowne Garden is 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. Clarendon Road and Lansdowne Garden is one of the earliest gardens on the estate.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Hanover Gardens is 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. Hanover Gardens was one of the earliest gardens on the estate. Dame Sylvia Crowe, noted landscape architect and garden designer, lived here and a bench commemorates her 90th birthday.
Hanover Gardens is 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. Hanover Gardens was one of the earliest gardens on the estate. Dame Sylvia Crowe, noted landscape architect and garden designer, lived here and a bench commemorates her 90th birthday.
* 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.
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.