Kensington Area Guide

With a history spanning back to Saxon origins, and nearly 1000 years, Kensington was always sure to be grand. Royalty moved in to the area in the 1700s, and Kensington Palace was where Queen Victoria was not only born but grew up in. In fact, it was at her behest that the area of Kensington was given the title “Royal Borough”. So what’s there to do and see in the neighbourhood that was once a queen’s backyard? Plenty.

Kensington Palace

Though home to royalty for centuries now, the first house on its site was actually built for a businessman and politician. It was purchased by William II in 1689 and transformed into Kensington Palace. It has been open to the public since 1899, and today top highlights include the King’s Gallery and Staircase, the Sunken garden, and the King and Queen’s State Apartment.

Royal Albert Hall

This concert hall was built after Prince Albert was inspired by the Great Exhibition in 1851. Though he would die before his vision was completed, the concert hall was named after him and opened by Queen Victoria in 1871. Fun fact: this concert hall has severe acoustic problems that cause an echo – hence the Acoustic diffusing disks that are installed on the ceiling. Nowadays you can see a wide variety of performances, and every summer the Royal Albert Hall also holds the Proms.

A cluster of museums

Kensington is the go-to for all things museum. This borough is home to many of the most famous and certainly most grand museums within London. On one street alone you can visit the beautiful Natural History Museum, or take a trip through innovation in the Science museum. On the other side of the street you have the Victoria and Albert Museum, otherwise known as the V&A. The Design Museum, which was once held in the V&A’s basement, has returned home – at least, returned to Kensington. It now has its own exhibition hall. Between these museums the greatest monuments of our history, past and present, are within walking distance of each other.

Leighton House Museum

This gorgeous building was once the home to Lord Leighton, an artist in the 1900s. Step inside the only home built to be a studio that is open to the public in the entire United Kingdom. It’s an artist’s paradise. This home’s key features include such delights as the Arab Hall and rooms filled with paintings in various states of progress, rooms, by the way, which have held the likes of Queen Victoria within their walls.

Holland Park and Kyoto Garden

There are two unique gardens that can be found within the neighbourhood of Kensington. The first is Holland Park, which also holds the Kyoto Garden. The park itself is a massive 54 acres, and even holds the ruins of Holland House which presently forms part of the open-air Holland Par Theatre. It holds a café, a restaurant, a giant chess set, sports facilities, and, of course, gardens. The Kyoto Garden is just one of two Japanese-inspired gardens within the park’s confines.

Brompton Cemetery

London has a few stunning cemeteries, and Brompton Cemetery is one of them. Not only is Brompton Cemetery one of London’s Magnificent Seven historic cemeteries, it’s also the only cemetery that is owned by the Crown and managed by The Royal Parks.

Kensington is a must for all tourists and Londoners alike. Between its museums, local attractions, and, of course, the shopping, what’s not to like? Oh, and watch out for blue plaques in the Kensington and Chelsea area; they denote that the building they are attached to was once home to a famous resident. You might stumble upon the abodes of folks like Winston Churchill, George Eliot, Alfred Hitchcock, and even Oscar Wilde.