Kensington Area Guide

Why live in Kensington
Kensington is one of the most sought after areas in London. It has fantastic transport links, in the form of its tube lines, which offer the choice of both the central & district & circle lines which go directly to The City. The location in relation to the A4 & A40 which lead straight to the M4 & M40, is also fantastic, offering easy access to and from London’s city centre to the home counties and London Heathrow airport. It is also situated in between 2 of the most famous parks in London, Holland Park & Hyde Park, meaning that it is easy to escape from the hustle & bustle of living in London to the open, green tranquil spaces of the parks making the area very popular with families with children. Nowadays the population of Kensington has a worldwide selection of apartments.

Kensington is the home of:

Kensington Palace
Kensington Gardens

History of Kensington

Kensington and Chelsea first originated from Saxon settlements with both areas mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. Royalty first moved into the area in 1689 when William III moved into Kensington Palace. Queen Victoria was born in Kensington Palace in 1819 and continued to reside there until her accession to the throne in 1837. With Queen Victoria's wishes, the title "Royal Borough" was given to Kensington in 1901, after her death.

Property types in Kensington
The majority of Kensington properties were built in the Victoria era and are a mixture of detached villas, town houses and mansion blocks. The property is of a very high standard and is arranged in attractive squares and quiet streets. There are also 1 or 2 private roads in the area as well, where the houses are always popular. Today there are also several bespoke developments which have been built in the last 5 years and which offer the ultimate in 24 hour concierge & security, such as Academy Gardens. The architecture of the buildings does vary in Kensington meaning that the area has a special quality that other parts of London are perhaps lacking.

Places of Interest

Kensington Palace
Kensington Gardens
Holland Park
Portobello Market

Getting to Kensington

Underground:
Kensington High Street (Circle & District lines)
Notting Hill Gate (Circle & District lines & Central line)

Trains:
Olympia train station

Boat:
N/A

Roads:
A4 & A40 both lead out of London to 2 major motorway routeways, the M4 & M40.
This allows easy access to London Heathrow airport.

Kensington Local authority

The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea
The Town Hall Hornton Street
London
W8 7NX

Where to go out in Kensington

Kensington Roof Gardens
99 Kensington High Street, London, W8 5SA
020 7937 7994

The Elephant & Castle
40 Holland Street, London, W8 4LT
020 7368 0901

The Windsor Castle
114 Campden Hill Road, London W8 7AR
020 7243 9551

The Churchill
119 Kensington Church Street, W8 7LN
020 7727 4242

Schools in Kensington
St James Independent School Earsby Street, London, W14 8SH 020 7348 1743	St Clement & St James CE Primary School Penzance Place, London W11 4PG 020 7603 9225	Hawkesdown House 27 Edge Street, London, W8 7PN 020 7727 9090
Thomas’s 17-19 Cottesmore Gardens, London, W8 5PR 020 7937 0583