Notting Hill Area Guide
Notting Hill’s charm and appeal rests on a wonderful mixture of atmosphere, architecture, demographics and hype.
Its beautifully manicured communal gardens, parks, boutiques, restaurants and the sights and delights of Portobello market combine to make the area a prime central London location where bohemian meets cool.
Why live here in Notting Hill
Along with its world renowned stunning communal gardens and highly prized London squares, Notting Hill enjoys close proximity to Hyde Park and Holland Park.
Notting Hill is home to:
History
Saxon origins
When the Saxons arrived around AD700, the ‘sons of Cynesige’ founding Cheniston (Kensington) while the ‘sons of Cnotta’ or Cnotingas moved further up the hill (Notting Hill). For centuries, the area was known only for its roadside inns, which attracted highwaymen, and gravel pits at the top of Kensington Church Street.
Racing from Notting Hill
In 1836, ‘a racing emporium more extensive than Ascot or Epsom’ was created, with Portobello Lane forming its eastern boundary. Spectators would walk across the fields to a hill used as a vantage point, which is now the site of St John’s Church. However, the racecourse only lasted until 1842.
Pots and pigs
In the early 1840s, the hamlet of Notting Hill had turned into a village. At that time, it was known as ‘The Potteries and Piggeries’ because the first people who moved into the area were brick and pottery makers, closely followed by pig keepers. An old kiln still stands on Walmer Road, and the village water pump is now Waterstone’s.
Today’s vista
With the arrival of a railway line in 1864, the last remaining fields soon became covered by shops and homes.
Property type
Property ranges from large stucco fronted family houses, sweeping crescents and terraces surrounding communal gardens to smaller, bohemian pied a terres.
Places of Interest
- Markets:
Portobello Road and the market on Fridays and Saturdays
- Cinemas:
The Coronet cinema at Notting Hill Gate and Electric cinema on Portobello Road
- Shops:
The boutiques and shops and café culture of Westbourne Grove
- Fame
The Travel bookshop and ‘blue door’ made famous by Richard Curtis’s 1999 film Notting Hill starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts
- Events:
Communal gardens open day in summer
The world famous Notting Hill carnival over the August bank holiday weekend.
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Getting to Notting Hill
Tube:
Central, District and Circle tube lines, all about 20 minutes from the heart of the West End.
Nearby Ladbroke Grove station is on the Hammersmith & City line.
Rail:
Paddington Station is just over a mile away, providing direct mainline trains to the west, south west, Wales, and Cotswolds.
Airport:
Heathrow is 15 minutes away using the Heathrow Express service from London Paddington. |
Notting Hill Local authority
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
The Town Hall
Hornton Street
London
W8 7NX
020 7361 3000
City of Westminster
PO Box 240
Westminster City Hall
64 Victoria Street
London
SW1E 6QP
020 7641 6000 |
Where to go out in Notting Hill
Restaurants
E&O
14 Blenheim Crescent
Notting Hill
London
W11 1NN
020 7229 5454
Le Café Anglais
8 Porchester Gardens
Bayswater
London
W2 4DB
020 7221 1415
Osteria Basilico
29 Kensington Park Road
Notting Hill
London
W11 2EU
020 7727 9372
The Ledbury
127 Ledbury Road
Notting Hill
London
W11 2AQ
020 7792 9090
The Wine Factory
294 Westbourne Grove
Notting Hill
London
W11 2PS
020 7229 1877
Bars:
Beach Blanket Babylon
45 Ledbury Road
London
W11 2AA
0207229 2907
The Chepstow
39 Chepstow Place
London
W2 4TS
020 7229 0323
The Cock and Bottle
17 Needham Road
London
W11 2RP
020 7229 1550
The Cow Pub & Restaurant
89 Westbourne Park Road
London
W25QH
020 7221 0021
The Lonsdale
48 Lonsdale Road
London
W11 2DE
020 7727 4080
The Walmer Castle
58 Ledbury Road
London
W11 2AJ
020 7229 4620
The Westbourne
101 Westbourne Park Villas
London
W2 5ED
020 7221 1332 |
Florists
Bursting Buds
8 Clarendon Road
London
W11 3AA
020 7229 6930
Harper and Toms
73 Clarendon Road
London
W11 2JA
020 7792 8510
Wild at Heart
222 Westbourne Grove
London
W11 2RH
020 7727 3095 |
Taxis
Addison Lee - 020 7387 8888
Karma Kars - 020 8964 0700
Portobello Cars - 020 7221 2221 |
Police
101 Ladbroke Road
London
W11 3PL
020 7221 1212 |
Banks
Abbey
88 Notting Hill Gate
London
W11 3HH
08457 654321
Barclays Bank Plc
35 Notting Hill Gate
London
W11 1PR
0800 400 100
HSBC
25 Notting Hill Gate
London
W11 3JJ
08457404404
Natwest
46 Notting Hill Gate
London
W11 1PR
0845 3030956
Royal Bank of Scotland
78 Notting Hill Gate
London
W11 3HS
020 7221 2360 |
Post offices
190 Kensington Church Street
London
W8 4DS
08457 223344
2 Ladbroke Grove
London
W11 3BG
020 7727 4394 |
Cinemas:
Electric Cinema
191 Portobello Road
London
W11 2ED
020 7229 8688
The Gate Cinema
87 Notting Hill Gate
London
W11 3JZ
020 7727 4043
Coronet Cinema
103 Notting Hill Gate
London
W11 3LB
020 77276705 |
Sports and Leisure
Kensington Leisure Centre
Walmer Road
London
W11 4PQ
020 7727 9747
Temple Health and Fitness
22 Powis Terrace
London
W11 1JH
020 7229 2828 Beauty Works West (formerly Lampton Place)
11 Lampton Place
London
W11 2SH
020 7229 2291
Virgin Active
119-131 Lancaster Road
London
W11 1QT
020 7243 4141 |
Hairdressers
Guy Parsons Hairdressers
243 Westbourne Grove
London
W11 2SE
020 7243 0939
Blade Runners
158 Notting Hill Gate
London
W11 3QG
020 7229 2255 |
Locksmiths
Marios Security Ltd
132 Talbot Road
London
W11 1JA
020 7727 5429
Buckingham Palace Emergency Locksmiths
Suite 324
22 Notting Hill Gate
London
W11 3JE
0800 9177144 |
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 Schools in Notting Hill |
Primary schools
Wetherby School
11 Pembridge Square
London
W2 4ED
020 7727 9571 |
Southbank International School
36-38 Kensington Park Road
London
W11 3BU
020 7229 8230 |
Pembridge Hall School
18 Pembridge Square
London
W2 4EH
020 7229 0121 |
Acorn Nursery
2 Lansdowne Crescent
London
W11 2NH
020 7727 2122 |
Ladbroke Square Montessori School
43 Ladbroke Square
London
W11 3ND
020 7229 0125 |
Norland Place School
162-166 Holland Park Avenue
London
W11 4UH
07603 9103 |
Bassett House School
60 Bassett Road
London
W10 6JP
020 8969 0313 |
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