A GENERATION ago, it was said that London had few great private houses in comparison to Paris because so many, such as Devonshire House, had been demolished between the wars or consigned to institutional use. But, in recent years, a growing number of large mansions around the capital have been turned back into family homes. A splendid example is No 15, Kensington Palace Gardens, which had been used as a diplomatic residence from 1949 and was then left empty. In 2006, it was purchased by the current owners. Now, it has not only been sumptuously revived inside and out, but equipped with all the rooms that are today expected of a house of this standing— many of which would have been unimaginable to its Victorian owner, the lace-manufacturer and philanthropist George Moore.
Kensington Palace Gardens was developed on the site of the old kitchen garden at Kensington Palace, closed after the Prince Consort consolidated the royal kitchen gardens at Frogmore in Windsor Great Park. ‘From its great breadth, imposing aspect, and the correct taste displayed throughout,’ the broad avenue designed by James Pennethorne was set ‘to become a most aristocratic neighbourhood’— in the eyes of the Illustrated London News of 1846. The road was soon known as Millionaires’ Row, a more accurate description, as the new residents would be railway contractors, industrialists, builders and businessmen like Moore: merchant princes rather than actual peers.
Denne historien er fra August 02, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra August 02, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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All gone to pot
Jars, whether elegant in their glazed simplicity or exquisitely painted, starred in London's Asian Art sales, including an exceptionally rare pair that belonged to China's answer to Henry VIII
Food for thought
A SURE sign of winter in our household are evenings in front of the television.
Beyond the beach
Jewels of the natural world entrance the eyes of Steven King, as Jamaica's music moves his feet and heart together
Savour the moment
I HAVE a small table and some chairs a bleary-eyed stumble from the kitchen door that provide me with the perfect spot to enjoy an early, reviving coffee.
Size matters
Architectural Plants in West Sussex is no ordinary nursery. Stupendous specimens of some of the world's most dramatic plants are on display
Paint the town red
Catriona Gray meets the young stars lighting up the London art scene, from auctioneers to artists and curators to historians
The generation game
For a young, growing family, moving in with, or adjacent to, the grandparents could be just the thing
Last orders
As the country-house market winds down for Christmas, two historic properties—one of which was home to the singer Kate Bush-may catch the eye of London buyers looking to move to the country next year
Eyes wide shut
Sleep takes many shapes in art, whether sensual or drunken, deathly or full of nightmares, but it is rarely peaceful. Even slumbering babies can convey anxiety
Piste de résistance
Scotland's last ski-maker blends high-tech materials with Caledonian timber to create 'truly Scottish', one-off pieces of art that can cope with any type of terrain
