Description
This area of Earl's Court was developed between 1852-62, prior to which it was fields. Probably the smallest garden square in the borough, this communal garden was provided for residents of Sunningdale Gardens, sandwiched between the terraces either side and blocked off at one end. Its layout today probably dates from the 1930s, with informal planting, a metal arch with roses, decorative lamp post and paving.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Cleveland Terrace Garden |
|---|---|
| Site location | Stratford Road/Abingdon Road junction |
| Postcode | W8 6PX |
| What3Words | ///putty.amuse.heads |
| 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: Earls Court (District, Piccadilly); High Street Kensington (District, Circle). Bus: 9, 10, 27, 28, 49, 328, 74. |
| Research Updated | 1 October 2007 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Development here followed the earlier developments nearby such as Edwards Square and Pembroke Square (q.q.v) and ribbon development along the main road, later Kensington High Street. This terrace was originally called Cleveland Terrace Gardens and was developed at the same time as other late Victorian terraces such as Abingdon Road Terraces. The terraces of Sunningdale Gardens are described as 'one of the most accomplished examples of this style, having a selection of the many interesting decorative features still in good repair' (RBKC Edwardes Square Scarsdale and Abingdon Conservation Area Policy Statement). The small communal garden is sandwiched between the terraces either side and blocked off at the end. Sunningdale Gardens is probably the smallest square in the borough. It is owned by the freeholders and maintenance is carried out paid for with precept charged as part of RB Kensington and Chelsea council tax. Layout of the current garden and paths probably dates from the 1930s, with informal planting and a metal arch with roses, decorative lamppost and paving, creating the atmosphere of a country garden. In 2002 it won the Community Effort Cup awarded by RB Kensington and Chelsea, a 'reward for E F Benson-ish neighbourly spirit as much as horticulture' (London Garden Squares Day booklet, 2002). It enjoys the historic right to graze pigs, not lately exercised.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ253790 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Residents |
| Site Management | Garden Committee of residents |
| Dates | 1852-62 |
| 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 | Edwardes Square, Scarsdale and Abingdon |
| 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
Pembroke Square was built in the first period of development of Lord Kensington's Edwardes Estate in the early C19th. It followed the building of Edwardes Square and Earls Terrace and was completed by 1831 after a slow start. Ownership of the central garden enclosure was in several hands from at least the late C19th, with the western portion accessible to residents of surrounding houses, where a sunken rock garden was laid out. The remainder of the enclosure houses one of London's oldest nurseries to be still trading today, Rassells of Kensington. It was established here in 1897 by Charles Rassell who initially purchased the lease of The Lodge, a building at the eastern end of Pembroke Square, for his florist shop. He subsequently acquired the freehold of The Lodge and then part of the garden enclosure, which was initially laid out with tennis courts.
The private communal gardens were provided for residents of surrounding houses of Lexham Gardens, which were gradually built from the 1870s, the garden probably laid out in 1869. The gardens have the distinction of being the first London square to be offered for sale in 1987 for underground rights (the opposite of air rights). The garden was refurbished in 1990 and among the facilities are a children's play area and ponds with fountains.
Kensington Green is a new complex built in 1989-91 by architects Norman and Dawbarn, designed in neo-Victorian Italianate style with terraces, a medical centre and two nursing homes set within landscaping. It is built on the site of St Mary Abbots Hospital, which developed around the workhouse of 1848. Some of the gardens that were part of the workhouse survive, as well as old buildings such as Stone Hall and the gate piers on Marloes Road. Stone Hall was the male wing of the workhouse and designed by Thomas Allom.