Description
The private communal gardens were provided for residents of houses of Kensington Gate, which was developed in 1852 on the site of the old workhouse, demolished in 1849. The land was owned by the Trustees of the Campden Charities estate, one of the three estates in this area, the largest and also the first to be built on. The garden square has mature planes and ornamental trees and shrubs.
Practical Information
| Site location | Kensington Gate |
|---|---|
| Postcode | W8 |
| What3Words | ///penny.crown.sage |
| 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: Gloucester Road (District, Circle) |
| Research Updated | 1 October 2007 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Development of this area began before 1851. The land was owned by the Trustees of the Campden Charities estate, one of the three estates in this area, and also the largest and the first to be built on. The northern area of the estate was developed as Hyde Park Gate, to the south of which was the old workhouse of 1778, later the site of Kensington Gate. A development plan drawn up in 1810 by S P Cockerell attracted no interest from builders and was abandoned; in 1821 Thomas Drew produced a plan for four deep plots fronting onto Kensington Road behind a wide planted strip, with a road between the middle plots leading to a 'square' of eight further plots. This was hardly more successful although some building took place; the remainder of the estate was auctioned in 1828 and 1831, after which the present layout was established. In 1849 the workhouse was demolished and the site laid out by Inderwick and built as Kensington Gate in 1852. This was designed by architect A.C. Bean and the terraces form a remarkably homogeneous ensemble with Ionic porches and Italianate facades.
The garden square with its mature planes, ornamental trees and shrubs provides a perfect setting for the houses. In 1928 the garden was described as 'a long narrow enclosure laid out as a lawn, with a privet hedge and some well-grown trees around the border.' It was provided for the use of the occupiers of the houses, who maintained it, while ownership remained with the Trustees of Campden Charities. An area outside the garden on the north corner of Palace Gate was recently re-landscaped as a formal paved area, a sculpture by Eilis O'Connell, and small trees.
The garden square with its mature planes, ornamental trees and shrubs provides a perfect setting for the houses. In 1928 the garden was described as 'a long narrow enclosure laid out as a lawn, with a privet hedge and some well-grown trees around the border.' It was provided for the use of the occupiers of the houses, who maintained it, while ownership remained with the Trustees of Campden Charities. An area outside the garden on the north corner of Palace Gate was recently re-landscaped as a formal paved area, a sculpture by Eilis O'Connell, and small trees.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ262794 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.08 |
| Site Ownership | private |
| Dates | 1850 |
| Designers | Architect of houses: A C Bean |
| Listed Structures | LBII*: 1-29 (consec.) Kensington Gate |
| 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 |
| Local Authority | Kensington & Chelsea |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Queen's Gate |
| Tree Preservation Order | Yes |
| 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
The layout of this cul-de-sac with its roughly circular area of garden was delineated on plans from the 1820s, although the full complement of houses as it exists today was not completed until the end of the C19th. The secluded private garden appears to be little changed since the early C20th when it was described as 'a circular area enclosed by palings and attractively laid out as a shrubbery', at which time it was leased to one of the residents for his sole use.
The development of this area of Kensington took place largely after the Great Exhibition of 1851 when Parliament decided to establish a 'cultural centre' and grand residential estate. The land was owned by the 1851 Commissioners and a number of private estates, including the Harrington estate, where building began in 1855 on the site of former market gardens. The gardens were laid out c.1860 for the use of those living in surrounding houses, this privilege extended to those in the near neighbourhood. In WWII there were air raid shelters under the gardens. Since early 1990s the residents have been restoring the gardens, and paths have been re-drawn and gravelled to the original layout. In the interim additional planting had taken place, including a grove of 12 silver birch trees for the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977.
Cornwall Gardens is an elongated garden square with three private communal garden enclosures. It was developed by Thomas and John Broadwood, whose family owned the land, and became famous as piano makers. The gardens have magnificent plane trees dating from the 1870s and are overlooked by Italianate terraces probably designed by the Broadwood estate surveyor Thomas Cundy III. The central garden has the original arched cast-iron entrance gates but the perimeter railings were removed during WWII, and the gardens are bounded by privet hedges.