Melbury Road is a residential road in the Holland Parkarea of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England.[1] It is known for houses owned by the Victorian Holland Park Circle, an informal group of 19th-century artists, including William Burges, Luke Fildes, Frederic Leighton, Valentine Prinsep, Hamo Thornycroft, and George Frederick Watts.[2]
![]() Looking northeast along Melbury Road from Addison Road | |
Namesake | Dorset home of the Earl of Ilchester |
---|---|
Type | Street |
Length | 440 m (1,440 ft) |
Area | Holland Park |
Location | Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England |
Postal code | W14 |
Nearest metro station | High Street Kensington tube station |
Coordinates | 51°29′58″N 0°12′14″W / 51.49936°N 0.20397°W |
West end | Addison Road (A3220) |
Major junctions | Abbotsbury Road Holland Park Road |
South end | Kensington High Street |
North | Abbotsbury Road |
East | Addison Road (A3220) |
South | Holland Park Road Kensington High Street |
West | Design Museum |
Construction | |
Commissioned | 1874 |
Construction start | 1875 |
Other | |
Known for | Holland Park Circle |
The road links Addison Road (A3220) to the west with Kensington High Street to the south. There is a junction with Holland Park Road, location of the Leighton House Museum.
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/Melbury_Road_W14.jpg/220px-Melbury_Road_W14.jpg)
The road was created on the Ilchester Estate, named in 1875 after the Dorset home of the Earl of Ilchester.[1] The Kensington home of Lord Holland was demolished in 1875 to make way for the road.[2]
Buildings
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/76/Melbury_Road_Londres.jpg/220px-Melbury_Road_Londres.jpg)
The following historic houses are of special interest,[1][3] many listed and some with blue plaques for members of the Holland Park Circle[2] and others:
- 2, 2a, and 2b Melbury Road, designed by John Belcher for the sculptors Thomas and Mary Thornycroft and their family, built 1876–7; their son Sir Hamo Thornycroft, also a sculptor, lived at 2b Melbury Road.
- 6 Melbury Road ("Little Holland House"),[4] designed by Frederick Pepys Cockerell for George Frederick Watts, built 1875–6; gallery extension by George Aitchison, 1878; demolished 1964 and replaced in 1965 by a block of flats, Kingfisher House. Watts lived here from 1878 until his death in 1904; he and his wife, the actress Ellen Terry, also lived in an earlier house here.
- 8 Melbury Road (Grade II* listed),[5] designed by Richard Norman Shaw for Marcus Stone, built 1875–7; later the film director Michael Powell (1905–1990) lived here during 1951–1971. Both Stone and Powell are recorded with plaques on the front of the building.
- East House, 9 Melbury Road (Grade II listed).[6]
- 10 and 12 Melbury Road, two detached four-storey houses built by William Turner of Chelsea; demolished c.1964 and replaced by Stavordale Lodge.[3]
- 14 Melbury Road, designed by J. J. Stevenson for Colin Hunter, built 1876;[7] destroyed by bombing during the Second World War.
- 18 Melbury Road (Grade II listed along with Nos 16 and 18A),[8][9] built by William Turner of Chelsea; home of the Pre-Raphaelite painter, William Holman Hunt, from 1903 until his death in 1910;[10][11] Cetshwayo kaMpande (died 1884), King of the Zulus, stayed here in 1882. Both Holman Hunt[12] and Cetshwayo are recorded with blue plaques on the building.
- 22 Melbury Road, home of the composer Benjamen Britten during 1948–1853; he wrote Billy Budd, Gloriana, The Little Sweep, and Spring Symphony here.[13]
- The Tower House, 29 Melbury Road (formerly No 9, Grade I listed),[14] designed by William Burges for himself, built 1876–8;[15][16] later owned by the rock guitarist Jimmy Page.[17]
- Woodland House, 31 Melbury Road (formerly 11, Grade II* listed),[18] designed by Richard Norman Shaw for Luke Fildes, built 1876–7; later owned by the film director Michael Winner and then the singer Robbie Williams.[19]
- 47 Melbury Road (Grade II listed).[20]
- 55 and 57 Melbury Road (Grade II* listed).[21]
See also
References
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- The Melbury Road Set, 1987 documentary by Colin Cunningham on YouTube (24 minutes)