No. 8a Holland Villas Road (Kensington & Chelsea)
Brief Description
This private walled garden was originally created by the poet Jean Ingelow and later developed by Beth McWilliam as a setting for the sculpture of F.E.McWilliam who worked here until his death in 1992. The studio was originally a garden music room probably dating from the same time as the main house (1852). The garden was simply laid out with a large bordered lawn and a central stone path connecting the house and artist's studio. A proposal made to English Heritage to preserve the house, garden and studio as a place where McWilliam's sculpture could be studied in the setting of its making did not come to fruition. The contents of his studio were later gifted to Banbridge District Council in Northern Ireland, the town of his birth, where a purpose-built gallery was opened in his memory in 2008. No 8a was sold to a private buyer and a garden house has been built on the studio site.
Practical Information
- Site location:
- 8a Holland Villas Road
- Postcode:
- W14
- What 3 Words:
- atom.easy.festivity
- Type of site:
- Private Garden
- Borough:
- Kensington & Chelsea
- Open to public?
- No
- Opening times:
- private
- Special conditions:
- Facilities:
- Events:
- Public transport:
- London Overground/Tube (District): Kensington (Olympia).
- Research updated:
- 01/04/2012
- Last minor changes:
- 14/07/2022
Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news.
Full Site Description
Frederick Edward McWilliam was born in Banbridge, County Down on 30 April 1909, son of a local doctor. He came to London where he made his name and was a contemporary of Henry Moore, and is regarded as one of Ireland's most successful and influential artists, with work in numerous public and private collections. His work spans most of the major artistic movements of the C20th. After his death on 3 May 1992, his estate gifted the contents of his studio in Holland Park and a number of sculptures to Banbridge District Council. The F E McWilliam Gallery and Studio, comprising a purpose-built gallery, sculpture garden and replica of his studio opened in September 2008 on the outskirts of Banbridge.
The private walled garden of No. 8a Holland Villas Road was originally created by the poet Jean Ingelow and later developed by Beth McWilliam as a setting for the sculpture of F E McWilliam who worked here until his death in 1992. The studio was originally a garden music room probably dating from the same time as the main house (1852). The garden was simply laid out with a large bordered lawn and a central stone path connecting the house and artist's studio. After his death No 8a was sold to a private buyer and a garden house has been built on the studio site.
A proposal had been made to English Heritage to preserve the house, garden and studio as a place where McWilliam's sculpture could be studied in the setting of its making but did not come to fruition. 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.Sources consulted:
Proposal to English Heritage
Further Information (Planning and Conservation)
- Grid ref:
- TQ242796 (524292,179601)
- Size in hectares:
- Site ownership:
- private
- Site management:
- Date(s):
- 1950-1992
- Designer(s):
- Jean Ingelow/F.E. and Beth McWilliam
- Listed structures:
- None
- 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:
No
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:
- Holland Park
- Tree Preservation Order:
- Not known
- Nature Conservation Area:
- No
- Green Belt:
- No
- Metropolitan Open Land:
- No
- Special Policy Area:
- No
- Other LA designation:
- None
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.