Kensington, Notting Hill, and Paddington: With Remembrances of the Locality 38 Years AgoAn Old Inhabitant
History
Kensington, Notting Hill, and Paddington: With Remembrances of the Locality 38 Years Ago
An Old Inhabitant
London (England) -- History
I could tell a great deal about Latimer Road in 1844 to 1850, but other
Pharoahs have arisen there who know not Joseph and they are doing a good
work in that which by the opening of a railway station has become a
well-known place.
Westbourne Grove was a pleasant Grove of small villas with gardens in
front and behind. Newton Road was a similar place.
The only road by which they could be approached was Black Lion Lane, now
Queen’s Road and a footpath across the field where Princes Square now
stands.
The Royal Oak was a country inn.
There were no houses of business then in the Grove, but where the Redan
and about twelve shops down the Grove stand, there was a nursery ground,
which in former times was a favourite resort of Queen Ann.
The inhabitants of the Grove were principally City or West-end men of
business, who reached their habitation by the Bayswater or Paddington
omnibuses.
These omnibuses belonged to two companies, the principal proprietors
were:—Messrs. Melliship, Treadaway, Carpenter and Grant.
The General Omnibus Company afterwards bought up all their vehicles.
There was also one omnibus, the “Eagle,” which ran from Kensington
Church, through Church Street, Bayswater Road, New Road, Islington to the
Bank.
There were no cab stands but a stray cab might often be found at the
Black Lion in the Bayswater Road or outside one of the other country
inns.
Queen’s Road (Black Lion Lane) was only partly built on and the houses
were small. A Wesleyan Chapel and Orphanage stood then on the site of
the Queen’s Road Chapel, and in 1846, a high house (about No. 153, since
taken by Mr. Whiteley) was erected for a Chartist Club House. It
afterwards became the Queen’s Hotel. The houses opposite the baths were
also built about 1846.
Porchester Terrace was only partially built, but on the west side resided
Mr. Linnel, an artist, whose paintings of corn fields, &c., are so much
admired by all who see them.
The reader may judge what sort of house the Royal Oak was by looking at
the newspaper shop a few doors away. Beyond this to the railway on both
sides of that which is now Bishop’s Road was a waste wilderness. I only
remember one house and that a wooden one which had an inscription “The
Cottage of Content.” It was a large basin-like piece of land and upon
this Westbourne Terrace, Gloucester Gardens, Bishop’s Road, the north end
of Porchester Terrace, and Craven Hill Road were built.
The Bishop of that day gave the deepest hole to the parishioners to build
a church—about the worst part of what was then his large estate. It cost
about £2,000 to fill up the hole to its present level before Trinity
Church could be built. This church, like others, the ratepayers paid for
with Church Rates. I had the pleasure of seconding a resolution to make
the _last Church rate in Paddington_.
St. Mary’s Hospital was commenced about 1845 and under its excellent
management has proved to be a great blessing to Paddington.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account