Earls Court

Earls Court, a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It is an inner-city district centered on Earl's Court Road and surrounding streets, located 3.1 miles (5 km) west south-west of Charing Cross. It borders the sub-di

Earls Court, a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It is an inner-city district centered on Earl's Court Road and surrounding streets, located 3.1 miles (5km) west south-west of Charing Cross. It borders the sub-districts of South Kensington to the East, West Kensington to the West, Chelsea to the South and Kensington to the North. The Earls Court ward had a population of 9,659 according to the 2001 Census. It is home to Earls Court Exhibition Centre, one of the country's largest indoor arenas and a popular concert venue.

To find a flat or house to rent in Earls Court, London contact the Black Katz Hammersmith office. Black Katz have flats and houses to rent in Earls Court and across London. If you are a landlord wishing to rent out your property contact Black Katz.

History

Early history

Earls Court, originally spelled Earl's Court, was once a rural area, covered with green fields and market gardens. For over 500 years the land, part of the ancient manor of Kensington, was owned by the De Vere family, Earls of Oxford and descendants of Aubrey De Vere, who followed William the Conqueror to England in 1066. The Earl held his manorial court where Old Manor Yard is now, just by the London Underground station. Earl's Court Farm is visible on Greenwood's map of London dated 1827.

Railway line

The construction of the Metropolitan District Railway station, in 1865-9, was a catalyst for development. In the quarter century after 1867 Earl's Court was transformed into a densely populated suburb 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.

Twentieth century

Following World War II, a large transient population of Australians and New Zealanders stayed in Earls Court, leading to Earl's Court Road being known for several decades as "Kangaroo Alley." It was at the time one of the cheapest areas close to central London, and up until the 1990s remained a somewhat down-at-heel district compared to its more upmarket neighbours to the North and East. Today, while there are still significant numbers of students or other people on temporary visas, many of the Australians and New Zealanders appear to have moved on to now-cheaper areas further North and West. The name "Kangaroo Alley" lingers on in the usage of older ex-patriate Australians and Australian visitors, as does the alternate nickname "Kangaroo Court."

The change in the area's population is largely owed to rocketing property prices and the continued gentrification of the area. This can be seen in the obvious divide between the eastern and western areas of Earls Court.

Neighborhoods

East Earls Court

"East Earls Court" lies to the south of Cromwell Road and to the east of Earl's Court Road (a main North-South artery and now the Western Bounday of the London Congestion Charge which bisects Earls Court) and is home to many multi-million-pound apartments and houses in smart garden squares and residential streets. Moving south, one enters the richest enclave of Earls Court (based on sale prices per square foot), The Boltons, which has some of the most costly real estate in Europe. Houses in The Boltons have sold for up to £20 million.

West Earls Court

"West Earls Court," lying to the west of Earl's Court Road, is notably different in architecture. This area still contains a number of cheap hotels and cramped apartment houses or rooming houses full of "bed sits" (also known as bed-sitters or bed-sitting rooms). There are, nevertheless, a number of notable exceptions, such as the impressive Earls Court Square and Nevern Square.

Architecture

There are some impressive examples of early- to mid-Victorian architecture in the Earls Court ward. Gardens such as Bramham Gardens and Courtfield Gardens are beautiful traditional residential squares with many imposing properties fronting onto them and in the case of Courtfield Gardens, traditional cast iron railings around the enclosed gardens have just been restored (the originals having been removed in 1940 for scrap iron during World War 2) creating a more authentic Victorian ambience. Further West, 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 very large and currently used as Embassies. A little further north, just south of the Cromwell Road, the tranquil conservation area comprising Childs Place, Kenway Road, Wallgrave Road and Redfield Lane contains fine examples of more modest terraced townhouses painted in pastel shades in a very picturesque setting with some fine floral displays. 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, which were destroyed by a V1 flying bomb in 1941. A glimpse of the (private) gardens can be seen via the original stable entrance way in Wallgrave Road

Local attractions

Earls Court is within easy walking distance of High Street Kensington, Holland Park, Kensington Gardens/Hyde Park, the Royal Albert Hall, Imperial College, the Natural History, Science and Victoria and Albert Museums. The multi-award-winning Finborough Theatre which opened in 1980 is the neighbourhood's local theatre. 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. Earl's Court Village is the center of the Filipino British community, where it has a number of Asian restaurants and Filipino supermarkets, many of which serve take-away food.

To find a flat or house to rent in Earls Court, London contact the Black Katz Hammersmith office. Black Katz have flats and houses to rent in Earls Court and across London. If you are a landlord wishing to rent out your property contact Black Katz.

Gay nightlife

A corner of Earls Court is said to have preceded Soho as London's centre of gay nightlife, and there are still some businesses aimed mostly at gay men, including the well-known Coleherne pub. The Balans restaurant chain and the Clone Zone chain of shops, both aimed at a gay clientele, both originated in Old Brompton Road in Earls Court. The nearby Bromptons nightclub is popular with gay men.

In 1964, The Lord Ranelagh Pub (opposite the former Princess Beatrice Hospital) 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 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 the clientele and the Lord Ranelagh is considered to have played a role in the history of gay liberation.

In the early 70's the "Masquerade Club" in the basement of the local laundromat was a popular venue for London's drag queen population. Some of the costumes were quite fantastic! Many "glitterati" crowded the club and spilled out onto the streets of Earls Court Road and Earls Court Square. Violence would often break out in the wee hours as members of the "straight" population would wrap up a alcohol-fueled evening with some gay bashing.

Nearby places

Districts

Tube station

  • Earl's Court tube station