56-498: The Princess Beatrice Hospital was a London hospital located in Earl's Court , which operated from 1887 to 1978, latterly as a maternity hospital. The hospital was founded in 1887 as part of the celebrations of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee , and originally called the Queen's Jubilee Hospital. It was a small hospital of 14 beds, serving local people in need. It was renamed several times in
112-450: A commercial character along the southeastern boundary on Earl's Court Road. Mature street trees, verdant planting, and communal gardens contribute to the area's picturesque streetscape. The layout of much of the Earl's Court differed in some respects from earlier developments, such as ones to the south of Old Brompton Road. Unlike the grand spaces of The Boltons or the more modest Ifield Road,
168-459: A further education college offering electronic engineering and IT courses. The third institution was the Poetry Society , founded in 1909 and housed at 21 Earl's Court Square . It decamped to new premises in the recently refurbished Covent Garden district of Central London in the 1990s. Evidently, after WWI, Earl's Court had already acquired a slightly louche reputation if George Bernard Shaw
224-453: A half of inhabitants born outside of the UK. The Earl's Court ward had a population of 9,104 according to the 2011 census. The recent change in the area's population is largely owed to rocketing property prices and the continued gentrification of the area. The scale of change is illustrated by the economic divide between the eastern and western areas of Earl's Court. Despite fighting fiercely for
280-420: A limited palette of materials, including London stock brick and stucco, with vertically sliding timber sash windows. Street trees and verdant front and rear gardens contribute to the picturesque streetscape. Hidden in the middle of this area is London's smallest communal garden, "Providence Patch" built on the site of former stables serving the surrounding houses. A glimpse of the (private) gardens can be seen via
336-498: A live music venue, hosting events such as the farewell concert by the boy-band Take That . At the other end of the scale, it was also used for arena-style opera performances of Carmen and Aida . Archive Movietone newsreel footage (which can be seen on YouTube) captures a unique and powerful rehearsal of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Wilhelm Furtwängler playing the end of Brahms' Fourth Symphony during
392-533: A mix of mid-Victorian terraced houses, built mainly in the Italianate style . These homes feature pale gault brick frontages with stucco dressings, Roman Doric projecting porches, and sash windows. The area also includes St Cuthbert's Church, a Grade I listed building, and Philbeach Gardens . Nevern Square Conservation Area showcases the evolution of architectural styles in the late 19th century. The area includes mid-late Victorian terraced houses, mansion flats, and
448-489: A post-war reconciliation visit to London. The Prince of Teck is a Grade II listed pub at Earl's Court Road. An early 1940s and 50s Bohemian haunt in the Earl's Court Road was the café, el Cubano , which had piped music and an authentic Italian steam Gaggia coffee machine, a rarity in those days. It was few doors down from the bakery, Beaton's , whose only other outlet was on the King's Road , Chelsea . Also from that era
504-425: A predominantly residential area, lies to the south, surrounded by busy thoroughfares on the east, west, and south. The residential streets consist of terraced housing, semi-detached houses, and mansion blocks, all built in the mid-late Victorian period. The buildings share a common palette of materials, including yellow or red stock brick, stucco, and stone, with timber sash windows or casement windows. The area also has
560-517: A single retail outlet and bar, as Soho and Vauxhall established themselves as the new focus. The first public nightclub aimed at a gay clientele, the Copacabana, opened in Earl's Court Road in the late 1970s, but was re-themed as a general venue in the late 1990s. The bar upstairs, Harpoon Louie's (later Harpo's and later still Banana Max), was until the late 1980s among the most popular gay bars in London. It
616-529: Is South Kensington. Further west, Kensington Mansions, Nevern Square and Philbeach Gardens are built around impressive formal garden settings (access limited to key holding residents). Collingham Road and Harrington Road, also have some unique buildings, many of them used as embassies. "West Earl's Court", lying to the west of Earl's Court Road, is notably different in architecture. White stucco fronted "boutique" hotels in Trebovir Road and Templeton Place, and
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#1732870071249672-431: Is a diverse and vibrant area that comprises several distinct neighborhoods, each with its own unique charm and architectural style. The primary neighborhoods in Earl's Court are Courtfield and Earl's Court Village to the east of Earl's Court Road, and Nevern Square, Earl's Court Square, and Philbeach to the west. Together, these areas form the character of Earl's Court, reflecting the diverse styles and development patterns of
728-591: Is also known for its picturesque streetscape, with numerous mature street trees and lushly planted garden squares. Traditional cast iron railings around some areas such as the Courtfield Gardens have been restored (the originals having been removed on the orders of the MoD (UK) in 1940 for munitions during the Second World War) creating a more authentic Victorian ambience. The Philbeach Conservation Area comprises
784-509: Is now a Jollibee restaurant. The oldest pub on the site was the Lord Ranelagh pub (opposite the former Princess Beatrice Hospital) now demolished, that in 1964 spearheaded the local demand for live entertainment. A young, non-gay, male band, the Downtowners, attracted considerable attention. They persuaded many of the local cross-dressers to come into the pub and perform. Thus, the Queen of
840-512: Is the neighbourhood's local theatre. The area also has a police box of the type used for the TARDIS time machine in the BBC Television series Doctor Who . The blue police box located outside Earl's Court underground station in Earl's Court Road is actually a replica of the traditional GPO police telephone boxes that were once a common sight in the UK from the early 1920s. Earl's Court
896-540: Is to be believed, see his Pygmalion . Following the Second World War a number of Polish officers, part of the Polish Resettlement Corps , who had fought alongside Allied Forces, but were unable to return to their homeland under Soviet dominance (see Yalta Conference ), opened small businesses and settled in the Earl's Court area leading to Earl's Court Road being dubbed the "Polish Corridor". During
952-477: The Coleherne , dates from the 1880s and had a long history of attracting a bohemian clientele before becoming known as a gay pub. A lifelong resident of Earl's Court Square and social activist, Jennifer Ware, recollects as a child being taken there to Sunday lunch in the 1930s, when drag entertainers performed after lunch had finished. It also became infamous as the stalking ground for three separate serial killers from
1008-583: The Natural History , Science and Victoria and Albert Museums . The introduction of two Underground stations, and a mass network of railways trapped a triangle of land on the border of the original parishes of Kensington and Fulham. After an unsuccessful attempt to build a Catholic school on the site, the idea of expanding entertainment in the area was probably inspired by the existence of the Lillie Bridge Grounds popular sports facility, just inside
1064-515: The Old Brompton Road and Finborough Road in Earl's Court. The 1887 hospital was based in Walwyn House (formerly called Brecknock Villa), which had been built for John Evan Thomas in 1842. A separate nurses’ home was provided on Finborough Road. As of 2020, the 1930 building is still standing, called Princess Beatrice House: it provides boarding accommodation for Kensington Park School . It
1120-476: The 1890s a more dense parish with 1,200 houses and two churches. Eardley Crescent and Kempsford Gardens were built between 1867 and 1873, building began in Earl's Court Square and Longridge Road in 1873, in Nevern Place in 1874, in Trebovir Road and Philbeach Gardens in 1876 and Nevern Square in 1880. Gunter estate was developed East of Earl's Court road between 1865 and 1896. Earl's Court's only hospital
1176-601: The 1970s to the 1990s: Dennis Nilsen , Michael Lupo and Colin Ireland . It sought to lighten its image with a makeover in the mid-1990s to attract a wider clientele; to no avail, as in December 2008 it underwent a major refurbishment and repositioned itself as a gastro pub with a new name. Earl of Holland Earl of Holland was a title in the Peerage of England . It was created in 1624 for Henry Rich, 1st Baron Kensington . He
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#17328700712491232-536: The Exhibition Centre was expanded by the construction of a second exhibition hall, Earl's Court 2, which was opened by Princess Diana, herself a former Earl's Court resident. In its heyday the Earls Court Exhibition Centre hosted many of the leading national trade fairs, including the annual British International Motor Show (1937-1976) and Royal Smithfield Show , as well as Crufts dog show and
1288-585: The Fulham boundary, next to West Brompton station. The person who was to bring it to fruition was John Robinson Whitley, an entrepreneur from Leeds who used the land as a show-ground for a number of years from 1887. Whitley did not meet with business success, but his aspirations for Earl's Court took hold for others to fulfil. In 1895 the Great Wheel , a Ferris wheel , was created for the international impresario, Imre Kiralfy 's Empire of India Exhibition . A plaque in
1344-576: The Grade II listed Earl's Court Underground Station . The main focus is Nevern Square, a private garden square surrounded by elegant homes. Development in the area began in the Italianate style, transitioning to the Domestic Revival style, and finally to the construction of mansion flats. Gardens and green corridors play an essential role in the area's character. Earl's Court Square Conservation Area,
1400-459: The Gunter estate was characterized by the typical Kensington "Gardens" – rows of houses backing directly onto private (but communal) ornamental grounds. Even though not every house backed directly onto a garden, the houses still fronted onto the streets in orthodox fashion, rather than presenting their "backs" to the streets. Besides Collingham Gardens designed by Ernest George and Harold Peto ,
1456-570: The Month contest was born. Every Saturday night the pub was packed to capacity. The show ran from September 1964 until May 1965 when the News of the World ran an article entitled 'This show must not go on'. On that Sunday night the pub was so packed that every table and chair had to be removed. Crowds spilled out on to the pavement onto Old Brompton Road. The police closed the show. Many well-known celebrities were among
1512-551: The adjacent West Brompton station . The construction of the Metropolitan District Railway in 1865–69, which eventually became London Underground 's District Line and was joined after 1907 by the Piccadilly line in the 1860s, enabled the transformation of Earl's Court from farmland into a Victorian suburb. In the quarter century after 1867, Earl's Court was transformed into a loosely populated Middlesex suburb and in
1568-542: The area became known for its transient population. Groups settling briefly included Polish refugees, Commonwealth migrants, Arabs, Iranians and Filipinos. The influx led to overcrowded housing conditions and neglect of properties. Some stability returned from the 1970s with residents' associations forming and upgrades to the housing stock. But Earl's Court continued to be known for its rootless, shifting population compared to other more settled Kensington neighbourhoods. Thus, in 1991 it had 30% annual population turnover with almost
1624-482: The clientele and the Lord Ranelagh, in its incarnations as Bromptons and finally, Infinity , is considered to have played a role in the history of gay liberation. In the 1970s it became a notorious leather bar, with blacked-out windows, attracting an international crowd including the likes of Freddie Mercury , Kenny Everett , and Rudolf Nureyev . The pub was demolished after its closure. The Pembroke pub, formerly
1680-577: The combined forces Royal Tournament , which gave its name to the public house (now demolished) on the corner of Eardley Crescent. The biggest trade fairs migrated to the National Exhibition Centre at Birmingham Airport when it opened in 1988. The longest-running annual show was the Ideal Home Show in April, which attracted tens of thousands of visitors. Otherwise, it was increasingly used as
1736-571: The congestion apparent in London and Middlesex for burials at the start of the century was causing public concern not least on health grounds. Brompton Cemetery was duly established by Act of Parliament , laid out in 1839 and opened in 1840, originally as the West of London and Westminster Cemetery. It was consecrated by Charles James Blomfield , Bishop of London , in June 1840, and is now one of Britain's oldest and most distinguished garden cemeteries, served by
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1792-455: The crown. A church had been constructed there by 1104. For centuries, Earl's Court remained associated with the De Vere family, who likely lent their comital title to the manor house that became known as the "Earl's Court". Ownership later transferred through marriage in the early 17th century to the family of Sir William Cope . His daughter Isabella married Henry Rich , an ambitious courtier who
1848-400: The death of the eighth Earl of Warwick and fifth Earl of Holland in 1759 (see Earl of Warwick for a more detailed description of the descent of the titles). Lady Mary Rich, daughter of the first Earl of Holland, married Sir John Campbell, 5th Baronet , who was created Earl of Breadalbane and Holland in the Peerage of Scotland in 1681. Also, Lady Elizabeth Rich, only daughter and heiress of
1904-523: The early 20th century: In 1930, the hospital was rebuilt by Aston Webb and Son to a design by Maurice Webb , and renamed in honour of Princess Beatrice , who laid the foundation stone. Her son, the Marquess of Carisbrooke , was President of the Hospital. The new hospital had up to 100 beds. From 1971, it operated as a dedicated maternity hospital. It closed in 1978. The hospital was located on corner of
1960-554: The exhibition centre, according to Dave Hill in The Guardian , the area's economy has been destroyed by this imbalance and the destruction of the exhibition venue. The quality of the Earl's Court built environment attracted many eminent residents over the years. Earl's Court may be within walking distance of High Street Kensington , Holland Park , Kensington Gardens / Hyde Park , the Royal Albert Hall , Imperial College ,
2016-523: The former Earls Court venue commemorated some of these events and that the reclusive Queen Victoria was an occasional visitor to the many shows put on at the site. In 1897 Kiralfy had the Empress Hall built to seat 6,000 in neighbouring Fulham and he had the Earl's Court grounds converted into the style of the 1893 Chicago White City for the Columbian Exposition . More was to come. Not until 1937
2072-476: The former manor house in 1765. After his death in 1793, the property changed hands several times. For a period in the early 19th century it operated as a lodging house and asylum before being demolished in 1886. At the beginning of the century, the estate was generating modest rents from farmland and some building leases. There were unsuccessful speculative attempts at development in the 1820s, including failed housing development ventures. A two-mile conversion of
2128-458: The impressive late-Victorian mansion flats and town houses of Earl's Court Square, Nevern Square and Kensington Mansions Earl's Court Village is a triangular-shaped conservation area situated behind the bustling Earl’s Court Road and Cromwell Road, comprising Childs Place, Kenway Road, Wallgrave Road and Redfield Lane. The neighborhood retains a village-like charm, with late Georgian and Victorian terraced houses and shops. The buildings are made from
2184-469: The insanitary Counter's Creek into the Kensington Canal (1826 onwards) didn't attract substantial traffic and was followed by its eventual replacement by " Mr Punch's railway ", which ceased operations six months after opening. Building resumed slowly in the 1840s. By 1852 when Lord Kensington died, development was still confined to the northern part of the estate above Pembroke Road. Meanwhile,
2240-448: The larger houses on Cromwell Road and Lexham Gardens. Over time, the balance tipped from owner-occupiers to lodging houses and flats. By the 1890s, Booth's poverty maps showed the area still wealthy overall but with signs of decline setting in. The large houses built for single families were increasingly converted to flats or operated as boarding houses catering to visitors to nearby Earl's Court Exhibition Centre. After World War II,
2296-537: The late 1960s a large transient population of Australian, New Zealand and white South African travellers began to use Earl's Court as a UK hub and over time it gained the name "Kangaroo Valley". Immediately after development, Earl's Court was sought-after and had generally middle class population, apart from some poorer pockets. Multi-occupied homes and overcrowding existed in parts of Warwick Road and around Pembroke Place, inhabited mostly by laborers and working class families. Wealthier residents with many servants occupied
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2352-459: The late 19th century in London. The area is home to many multimillion-pound flats and houses in smart garden squares and residential streets. The southern boundary of Earl's Court is Old Brompton Road, with the area to the west being West Brompton , and the area to the south east being the Beach area of Chelsea. The eastern boundary of Earl's Court is Collingham Gardens and Collingham Road, east of which
2408-570: The lordship of the area prior to the Norman conquest . Subsequently, the land, part of the ancient manor of Kensington , was under the lordship of the de Vere family, the Earls of Oxford , descendants of Aubrey de Vere I , who held the manor of Geoffrey de Montbray , bishop of Coutances , according to the Domesday Book 1086. By circa 1095, his tenure had been converted, and he held Kensington directly from
2464-493: The neighbouring Fulham area with its SW6 and W14 postcodes to the west, and to adjacent streets in postcodes SW7, SW10 and W8 in Kensington and Chelsea. Earl's Court is also an electoral ward of the local authority, Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council . Its population at the 2011 census was 9,104. Earl's Court was once a rural area, covered in orchards, green fields and market gardens. The Saxon Thegn Edwin held
2520-555: The original stable entrance way in Wallgrave Road. The Courtfield Conservation Area is a residential neighborhood surrounded by Cromwell Road to the north, Earl’s Court Road to the west, and Old Brompton Road to the south. The area is characterized by Victorian formal terraces, mature gardens, and generous road widths, with buildings primarily dating from 1870 to 1900. Courtfield boasts a mix of architectural styles, including Italianate and red brick terraces, and mansion blocks. The area
2576-542: The prominence of mews, with over twice as many than south of Old Brompton Road, the number of individual units was only about a quarter of the houses. Earl's Court adds to the Royal Borough's tally of almost 50 garden squares. Within SW5 they include: The mews include: Earl's Court preceded Soho and Vauxhall as London's premier centre of gay nightlife, though the number of businesses aimed mostly at gay men has dwindled to
2632-458: The rear views of the houses across the gardens were orderly and uniform. Considerable importance was placed on the mews, with Hesper Mews laid out in 1884-85 as the largest and finest stable block under the supervision of various architects. Colbeck Mews (1876-84) also had architect-designed stables by George and Peto. Most mews had the typical arched entrance, and some like Hesper Mews presented attractive flank fronts to adjacent streets. Despite
2688-488: The south and Kensington to the northeast. It lent its name to the now defunct eponymous pleasure grounds opened in 1887 followed by the pre–World War II Earls Court Exhibition Centre , as one of the country's largest indoor arenas and a popular concert venue, until its closure in 2014. In practice, the notion of Earl's Court, which is geographically confined to the SW5 postal district, tends to apply beyond its boundary to parts of
2744-429: Was created 1st Earl of Holland in 1624. The manor subsequently passed to Rich and the house later constructed at Holland Park would bear his name for posterity as Holland House . Eventually, the estate was divided into two parts. The part now known as Holland Park was sold to Henry Fox in 1762. The Earl's Court portion was retained and descended to William Edwardes, 1st Baron Kensington . The original manor house
2800-672: Was located on the corner of Cromwell Road and Earl's Court Road, until its move to the former Royal Ballet School in Talgarth Road . The next foundation dated 1892, was the London Electronics College (formerly the London School of Telegraphy), which was located at 20 Penywern Road and in its heyday did much to expand the use of Morse code throughout the world. Already in the 1990s it was threatened with closure as technology had moved on. It finally closed in 2017 having served as
2856-467: Was located on the site of the present-day Earl's Court, where the Old Manor Yard is now, just by Earl's Court tube station , eastern entrance. Earl's Court Farm is visible on Greenwood's map of London dated 1827. In the late 18th century, the area began to transition from rural estates to suburban housing developments. The surgeon John Hunter had established a home and animal menagerie on the site of
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#17328700712492912-462: Was opened in 1887 on the corner of Old Brompton Road and Finborough Road. It was named Princess Beatrice Hospital in honour of Queen Victoria's youngest daughter. The hospital closed in 1978. For most of the century, Earl's Court was home to three notable institutions, all now gone. The first and indeed oldest school of its kind is the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art founded in 1861. It
2968-521: Was the Earls Court Exhibition Centre opened, with its striking Art Moderne façade facing Warwick Road. A new entrance to Earl's Court tube station was constructed to facilitate easy access to the Exhibition Centre, including direct entrance from the underground passage which connects the District and Piccadilly lines. This was however closed in the 1980s at around the time the capacity of
3024-579: Was the theatre club, Bolton's that in 1955 transformed into arthouse cinema, the Paris Pullman in Drayton Gardens . The Troubadour is a coffee house and a small music venue, which has hosted emerging talent since 1954 – including Bob Dylan , Jimi Hendrix and Elvis Costello . The Drayton Arms is a Grade II listed public house at 153 Old Brompton Road , which is also a theatrical venue. The Finborough Theatre , which opened in 1980,
3080-517: Was the younger son of Robert Rich, 1st Earl of Warwick , and had already been created Baron Kensington in 1623, also in the Peerage of England, having married Isabelle Cope, daughter and sole heiress of Sir Walter Cope (c.1553-1614), of Cope Castle in Kensington , Middlesex . His eldest son, the second Earl, succeeded his first cousin as fifth Earl of Warwick in 1673. All the titles became extinct on
3136-528: Was used as a filming location in the film An American Werewolf in London . Earl%27s Court Earl's Court is a district of Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in West London , bordering the rail tracks of the West London line and District line that separate it from the ancient borough of Fulham to the west, the sub-districts of South Kensington to the east, Chelsea to
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