Description
Two areas of communal gardens are provided for the residents of Egerton Terrace, which was built in the 1890s as part of Henry Smith's Charity Estate. The gardens comprise a small semi-circular area at the front and an area at the back of the terrace. Initial development in the area dates from 1785 but Egerton Place was subsequently replaced and rebuilt in the 1890s. The front garden has mature trees and has been re-landscaped with ornamental plants, flower beds in recent years.
Practical Information
| Site location | Egerton Terrace/Egerton Place |
|---|---|
| Postcode | SW3 |
| What3Words | ///lazy.expose.change |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Kensington & Chelsea |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private |
| Public Transport | Tube: South Kensington (District, Circle, Piccadilly); Knightsbridge (Piccadilly) then bus |
| Research Updated | 1 October 2007 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Egerton Place is on land that was part of the Smith's Charity Estate, which was held by Henry Smith (d.1628), a City merchant who bequeathed it. The first building development in the Egerton area was undertaken in 1785 by Michael Novosielski but Egerton Place was subsequently replaced and rebuilt in the 1890s, the work supervised by Col. Harold Malet. The architect of Nos. 1-7, which were built in 1892, was Mervyn Macartney; A F Faulkner built Nos. 8-14 in 1894 by which time William Willett, builder, had taken on the development. Two areas of communal gardens were provided for the residents of Egerton Terrace, comprising a small semi-circular front garden and a back garden. In 1928 the area at the front was planted with trees and shrubs and it is now a newly landscaped railed garden with ornamental plants, flower beds, small amount of grass and some mature trees. The area at the back was described in 1928 only as 'an enclosure flanked on all sides by the rear of dwelling houses to which it forms a common back garden.'
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ273790 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.2457 |
| Site Ownership | private |
| Dates | 1890s |
| 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 | Yes (front enclosure) |
| Local Authority | Kensington & Chelsea |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Thurloe Estate and Smith's Charity |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| 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
These private communal gardens were provided for residents of the adjacent houses of Egerton Gardens, which were built in 1886-8 as part of the Smith's Charity Estate development. The Trustees of the Estate began building on the estate land from 1823, appointing George Basevi as architect in 1828. The garden forms a narrow strip between two brick terraces and has cast-iron railings at either end.
This private communal garden was provided for residents of Ovington Square and some houses in Ovington Gardens, which were built from the late 1840s when the area was being developed for housing. In the early C18th the land was an open field known as Flounder's Field and belonged to the Dyer family of Essex where they owned an estate called Ovington, hence the street names here. The square has modern railings, curved wrought iron gates and a wide paved path leading across to the entrance opposite. There is a narrow paved path around the edge of the garden, mature plane trees, shrubs and grass.
Egerton Crescent Gardens are private communal gardens provided for residents of the adjacent houses, which were built in 1843 as part of the Smith's Charity Estate. The Trustees of the Estate began building on the estate land from 1823, appointing George Basevi as estate architect in 1828. The garden is bordered by its original railings and privet hedging, and has lawn, shrubs and mature trees.