Asylums, hydraulic power and one of the largest London mansions never lived in: the history of Kensington Court
Today, Kensington Court is a striking enclave of Victorian red brick houses (pictured, below) ideally situated opposite the entrance to Kensington Palace. The houses were some of the last constructed in Victorian Kensington, built on the site of one of London’s most notorious Victorian white elephants – the grand palace of Baron Grant.
17th century country houses
Prior to this time the area of today’s Kensington Court had been the site of two large country houses – Colby House and Kensington House –belonging to the Colby family from the 17th century. However, by the early 19th century, Kensington House had become a lunatic asylum and Colby House was a boarding house for women. By the 1860s, the two houses and surrounding gardens were being sold for building land, although it wasn’t until 1872 that the plot was purchased by Baron Albert Grant.
Entrepreneur and speculator – Baron Grant
Baron Grant is believed to have acquired his title from Victor Emmanuel I, but he was actually born Albert Gottheimer in Dublin. Grant has been described as an entrepreneur, as well as an unscrupulous speculator, with records of great success, along with great failure leading to bankruptcy. He became MP for Kidderminster in 1865, but in just a year was in exile in Europe after large financial losses on the stock market. By 1870 he was back in England and once again investing in property, foreign investments, and he even bought The Echo newspaper.
‘Pretentious and frightful’
It was during this period of prosperity that Grant decided to build himself a large palace in Kensington. In May 1873 he commissioned architect James Knowles Junior (who also designed Tennyson’s house in Sussex) to design a grand house in the French style. The house was constructed between 1873 and 1875, although the interiors weren’t completed until 1876. By the time it was finished, Grant’s enormous palace was scorned and described as ‘rather out-of-date’ and ‘pretentious and frightful’. The house also had extensive gardens, with an orangery and glasshouses, as well as a skating rink, ornamental lake and ‘an American bowling alley’. However, as early as 1874 Grant was again facing financial difficulties and he also lost his parliamentary seat for voting irregularities. The house was completed in 1876, but Grant was never to live in it, as almost immediately he had to sell it. Six years later, the large palatial house had to be sold off piece-by-piece and the land divided into building plots.
Queen Anne Style Kensington Court
By early 1883, developer Jonathan T Carr, most remembered for his work in Bedford Park in Chiswick, was preparing the area for new building. He divided it into 77 plots and commissioned J.J. Stevenson, a well-known Victorian architect particularly popular for his designs in the ‘Queen Anne Style’. Kensington Court is particularly noteworthy for its early allowance for services to be provided to each house, with space under the roads made for gas, water and hydraulic mains, as well as space for future electricity supply.
Terracotta, turrets and decoration
Building began in Kensington Court in 1883, with Jonathan T Carr, his brother Richardson and JJ Stevenson directly responsible for the eastern side, today’s Nos.3-15 and 22-25, and a section in the central area. The remainder of the plots were sold freehold and owners could commission their own architects. This led to slight variations in completed houses, while the favoured style was the popular Queen Anne Style, with red brick and terracotta, as well as turrets, external decoration and motifs. In particular, No.1 was bought by Mrs Anne Marie Lucena, who commissioned Stevenson to build ‘Chenesiton House’ in 1883-4. It features ornate ironwork, decorated hoods over windows and strong gables. Neighbouring No.2 Kensington Court (pictured, above right) was bought by Athelstan Riley and designed by TG Jackson. It also features strong decoration, including the unique bay window topped with a sculptured group of sea monsters in terracotta. Nos. 1 and 2 Kensington Court were converted into the Milestone Hotel in 1985.
Residential hydraulic power and electricity
The remainder of Kensington Court was designed and built, between 1884 and the early 1900s, by various architects and builders as commissioned by freeholders. Some of the last sections completed were Roxburghe Mansions (No.32) in 1896-7 and Cornwall Mansions (No.33) in 1902.
Kensington Court is particularly noted for its early provision of hydraulic power to drive lifts, and a specially built pumping station was built on site in 1884 by EB Ellington’s London Hydraulic Power Company. It was the first use of hydraulic power provided for domestic use in Britain. Along with hydraulic power, Kensington Court was also known for the Kensington Court Electricity Company, established in 1886, with a specially built power station built in 1888, which can still be seen in the north west pedestrian section near Kensington High Street.
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