Inventory Site Record

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

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 Allason 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.

Site location:

Lansdowne Crescent

Postcode:

W11

What 3 Words:

shin.super.number

Type of site:

Garden Square

Borough:

Kensington & Chelsea

Open to public?

No

Opening times:

private, for keyholders only

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Events:

Public transport:

Tube: Ladbroke Grove (Hammersmith & City), Holland Park (Central), Notting Hill Gate (Central, District). Bus: 23, 52, 70, 452

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Google Map    
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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.

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.

Lansdowne Crescent Garden is 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. During the lull in building development, the land was leased for a time for a racecourse, the Hippodrome, built by John Whyte in 1837. The venture floundered, the course proving too heavy going, and it only operated from 1837-41. Building started in the 1840s; the outer concentric crescents date from the 1860s. After Allason's death, artist and designer Thomas Allom was responsible for the next phase of development.

This garden is at the crest of the hill, bounded along its curving west side by semi-detached villas along Lansdowne Crescent, which were built 1844-5, and their private gardens. The Vicarage to St John's Church is in the southern corner of the garden. To the east, the garden is bounded by a tall terrace of houses along Ladbroke Grove of 1841-2, which was originally terminated at each end by houses with large private gardens that have been replaced by C20th blocks of flats, that to the south designed by Maxwell Fry in 1938. There are no private gardens along the east side, which has a raised terrace. The original path layout has been simplified and an additional path created across the centre of the garden. Most of the garden is open but there are roses trained on poles and pergolas.

Sources consulted:

EH Register entry for Ladbroke Estate, 2002/3

Grid ref:

TQ245807 (524544,180702)

Size in hectares:

0.3203

Site ownership:

?Ladbroke Estate

Site management:

Date(s):

1844-5

Designer(s):

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

Listed structures:

LBII: block of flats by Maxwell Fry on Ladbroke Grove

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:

Yes - Area of Archaeological Importance

Other LA designation:

None

Photo: London Gardens Trust

Click a photo to enlarge.