St Quintin's Gardens

The land here was formerly in the Manor of Notting Barns, a farm owned by Thomas Darby of Sunbury, who in 1769 conveyed it to a relative by marriage, William St Quintin of Scampston Hall in Yorkshire. The farmhouse used to stand on the junction of St Quintin Avenue and Chesterton Road. The St Quintin Estate was only developed for housing after the construction of the Hammersmith and City railway opened up this hitherto inaccessible part of North Kensington. At that time the estate was owned by Colonel Matthew Chitty Downs St Quintin, who leased land to the entrepreneur Charles Henry Blake (1794-1872) then developing the area around the railway. Blake had already acquired land for his development on the Portobello and Ladbroke estates, and was responsible for Kensington Park Gardens, Stanley Gardens and Stanley Crescent. As ground landlord, Col. St Quintin imposed stringent building requirements on Blake, such as provision of shops and houses built to high specifications and the prior approval of plans by his own architect, Henry Currey, who was employed to supervise his estate. This contrasted with building on Blake's other land, which was later notorious for its bad conditions. Cambridge Gardens and Oxford Gardens were laid out in 1869-70, the houses aimed at middle-classes and early commuters. The second building phase took place between 1871 and 1890 and included St Quintin Avenue and Highlever Road. The last part of the estate to be built took place after 1905 and was completed after WWI, and was predominantly working class housing built by Kensington Borough Council or charitable trusts.

In the early C20th this small low-walled 'green' at the junction of three roads was laid out with flower beds and ornamental trees. In 1928 it was owned by William Herbert St Quinton, who had succeeded as owner of the estate following the death of Col St Quintin in 1876. He let the garden 'on a strict tenancy at will at 5s per annum' and the tenant was required 'not to use the enclosure otherwise than as an ornamental garden'. It was for the use of the tenant 'or any person authorised by him', 'maintained by voluntary subscriptions from the tenants of houses in the triangle and a yearly donation from the freeholder'. In 1970 the garden was awarded the London Regional Trophy of the Britain in Bloom competition, presented to RB Kensington and Chelsea. There are four mature trees, including two planes, and a number of smaller trees. A scarlet oak was presented by London Transport Board and planted by the Mayor in 1971. Outside the perimeter railings are a number of niches for trees.