Inventory Site Record

* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens

Until 2011, Rosmead Garden was known as Lansdowne and Elgin Crescent Gardens. It was built as part of the Ladbroke Estate, laid out as a planned garden suburb with a coherent layout of concentric crescents and large communal gardens whose features were first suggested in a plan by architect and estate surveyor Thomas Allason in 1823. His scheme was later modified by others, including James Thomson, although he remained involved until his death in 1852. Building started in the 1840s; the outer concentric crescents date from the 1860s. During the lull in building development, the land was leased for a time for a racecourse, the Hippodrome, which operated from 1837-41. After Allason's death, artist and designer Thomas Allom was responsible for the next phase of development.

Previous / Other name:

Lansdowne and Elgin Crescent Gardens

Site location:

Rosmead Road/Lansdowne Rise

Postcode:

W11 2JG

What 3 Words:

dwell.bucket.slime

Type of site:

Garden Square

Borough:

Kensington & Chelsea

Open to public?

Occasionally

Opening times:

Has opened for OGSW. Otherwise private, keyholders only
Has taken part in Open Garden Squares Weekend 25 times, most recently in 2024.

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Events:

Public transport:

Tube: Holland Park (Central), Notting Hill Gate (Central/Circle/District), Ladbroke Grove (Hammersmith & City). Bus: 7, 23, 52, 452

Citymapper    
Google Map    
streetmap.co.uk

Research updated:

10/02/2021

Last minor changes:

19/07/2023

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

Ladbroke Estate: Site on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens, for Register Entry see https://www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list. The Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England was established in 1984 and was commonly called English Heritage. In April 2015 it split into 2 separate entities, Historic England (HE), which continues to champion and protect the historic environment, and the English Heritage Trust, whose role is to look after the 400+ historic sites and monuments owned by the state. HE manages the National Heritage List for England (NHLE) that includes over 400,000 items ranging from prehistoric monuments to office blocks, battlefields and parks, which benefit from legal protection.

The Ladbroke Estate was laid out as a planned garden suburb with a coherent layout of concentric crescents and large communal gardens whose features were first suggested in a plan by architect and estate surveyor Thomas Allason in 1823. His scheme was later modified by others, including James Thomson, although he remained involved until his death in 1852. Building started in the 1840s; the outer concentric crescents date from the 1860s. During the lull in building development, the land was leased for a time for a racecourse, the Hippodrome, which operated from 1837-41. After Allason's death, artist and designer Thomas Allom was responsible for the next phase of development.

Now renamed Rosmead Garden, this is a large curving garden near the foot of the hill, lying between painted stuccoed houses along the south side of Elgin Crescent, mostly built 1852 to north and Lansdowne Road built c.1862 to south with their private gardens. The garden retains most of its mid C19th paths although is simplified in the centre, and has its original railings with cast iron coping along Rosmead Road. Shrubberies back three large oval-shaped lawns and there are also dense evergreen shrubberies at the west and east ends. Osbert Lancaster lived in Elgin Crescent as a child and described it in 'All done from Memory' (1963) and the Ladbroke Estate in general in 'The Pleasure Garden' (1977), co-authored with Anne Scott-James.

Sources consulted:

EH Register entry for Ladbroke Estate, 2002/3

Grid ref:

TQ244809 (524400,180884)

Size in hectares:

0.82

Site ownership:

private

Site management:

Elgin Crescent and Lansdowne Road Garden Committee

Date(s):

1860s

Designer(s):

Thomas Allason, architect and surveyor (overall plan of Ladbroke Estate)

Listed structures:

None

On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens:

Yes

NHLE grade:

Grade II

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:

Ladbroke

Tree Preservation Order:

Not known

Nature Conservation Area:

Yes - Borough Importance II

Green Belt:

No

Metropolitan Open Land:

No

Special Policy Area:

No

Other LA designation:

None

Rosmead Garden - Photo: Colin Wing
Date taken: 10/06/18 15:44

Click a photo to enlarge.

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