Inventory Site Record

These ornamental gardens were created for the communal use of residents of Collingham Gardens, built in the 1880s as the Gunter family developed their estate lands in this area. The original elaborate entrance gate is still in place, although the railings are modern. The gardens are laid out with lawn, mature trees, flowers and shrub beds and a network of paths.

Site location:

Collingham Gardens

Postcode:

SW5 0HW

What 3 Words:

stack.noting.valley

Type of site:

Garden Square

Borough:

Kensington & Chelsea

Open to public?

Occasionally

Opening times:

Has opened for OGSW. Otherwise private, for keyholders only
Has taken part in Open Garden Squares Weekend 17 times, most recently in 2022.

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Events:

Public transport:

Tube: Gloucester Road (District, Circle, Piccadilly), Earl's Court (District, Piccadilly). Bus: C1, 74, 328, C3

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Research updated:

01/10/2007

Last minor changes:

19/07/2023

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news.

Like much of the borough, the Courtfield area developed rapidly in the latter part of the C19th where open fields had previously covered the land from the village of Kensington to the Thames. The Court Fields originally belonged to Earl's Court Manor and were part of the large tract of land owned by the Gunter family who had made their money selling high class confectionary in Berkeley Square. They began to develop the estate from the late 1840s, commencing with The Boltons (q.v.) and continuing northwards. Many of the street names reflect the family's connections in the West Riding of Yorkshire, including Collingham Gardens, the village where Captain Robert Gunter lived in the C19th.

The houses of Collingham Gardens are described as representing 'the extreme point of late Victorian individualism' (Survey of London) and are placed in the setting of a square that was very simply laid out, with grass and trees and shrubs around the edge. Paths divided the rectangular space into three main areas. In 1928 the garden enclosure at Collingham Gardens was owned by Sir R V Gunter and leased to Mr G J Spicer, solicitor and son of John Spicer, the lease expiring in 1983. Spicer had similar leases from the Gunter family for the garden enclosures of Bina Gardens West, Bolton Gardens, Bramham Gardens, Gledhow Gardens and Wetherby Gardens (q.q.v.). Collingham Gardens was for the use of lessees who paid a rent for its upkeep, this maintenance undertaken through a Committee. In that year it was described as 'An oblong enclosure flanked on the two narrow sides byroads and on the other two sides by the rear of dwelling-houses. Laid out as an attractive ornamental garden, with a thick shrubbery along the borders abutting on roads. Contains some fine trees'. The elaborate original entrance gate is still there, but the railings are modern; like elsewhere in the borough garden railings were removed for the war effort. Protected under 1851 Garden Square Act.

Sources consulted:

Survey of London; OGSD booklet 2004; RBKC The Boltons Conservation Area Policy Statement; Report of the Royal Commission on London Squares, 1928

Grid ref:

TQ259785 (525915,178516)

Size in hectares:

0.3504

Site ownership:

private

Site management:

Garden Committee

Date(s):

1883-8

Designer(s):

Ernest George and Harold Peto

Listed structures:

LBII: 1-18a Collingham Gardens

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 Data

The information below is taken from the relevant Local Authority's planning legislation, which was correct at the time of research but may have been amended in the interim. Please check with the Local Authority for latest planning information.

On Local List:

No

In Conservation Area:

Yes

Conservation Area name:

Courtfield

Tree Preservation Order:

Not known

Nature Conservation Area:

No

Green Belt:

No

Metropolitan Open Land:

No

Special Policy Area:

No

Other LA designation:

Article 4 Direction: 1-18a Collingham Gardens

Collingham Gardens - Photo: Diana Jarvis
Date taken: 10/06/18 11:03

Click a photo to enlarge.

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