Holland Park
Melbury Road
Melbury Road runs between Addison Road and Kensington High Street. It is named after the original home of the Earls of Ilchester in DorsetVisually it is one of the most interesting streets in Kensington. It consists of some magnificent artist-studio houses designed by Norman Shaw and Halsey Ricardo. The south side formed a 19th century artists’ quarter. Particularly outstanding is the red brick Gothic-style tower on the north side, known as the Tower House and which is a copy of the Welsh Castell Coch. It was built in the 1870’s and renovated in the 1960’s by the actor Richard Harris.
Edward Fox-Strangways, the Fifth Earl of Ilchester, bought the estate from Lady Holland in the late 19th century. Lady Holland was allowed to continue living there but when she died the Earl of Ilcester decided to use the land of Little Holland House to create an estate of individual, architect-designed, houses. Little Holland House was demolished in 1875 to make way for Melbury Road.
Nos. 2 and 4 Melbury Road, a semi-detached pair, were built by A Adamson and Son, builders from Turnham Green, for the sculptor Hamo Thorneycroft. One house was for living in, the other for letting. No 6 was built for George Frederick Watts. He had been living at Little Holland House before it was pulled down so he gave that name to his new house. It was replaced by a block of flats, called Kingfisher House, in 1965. No. 8 was designed by Richard Norman Shaw for Marcus Stone. It is a two-storey house with a basement. A noticeable feature is the three oriel windows on the second floor. The house was built in red brick with ornamentation in moulded brick. William Turner, a speculative builder from Chelsea, built Nos. 10 and 12 which were demolished in 1964 to make way for Stavordale Lodge, which is a 5-storey block of flats. Turner also built Nos. 16 and 18.
On the other side of Melbury Road, No. 1 was built in 1880 as a single house but in 1935 it was divided into East House and West House. No. 3 was constructed by Lucas and Son of Kensington Square in about 1882. No. 29 (originally No. 9), and called Tower House, was designed by William Burgess as his own house. The most noticeable feature at the front is a circular tower which houses the internal staircase, and from which the house gets its name. It was built for him by Ashby Brothers of Kingsland Road between 1875 and 1877. No. 31 (originally No. 11) was designed by Richard Norman Shaw for the artist, Luke Fildes, and built by W H Lascelles in 1876. the house was later converted into flats. No. 47 (originally No. 13) was designed by Robert Dudley Oliver for Walford Graham Robertson, a playwright. It was built in 1892 by W J Adcock, a Dover builder. In 1912 Basil Procter designed an extra storey and an extra north wing. The house was converted into flats in 1948 .
Sir Alexander Rendel bought the piece of land to the south and had Halsey Ricardo design a pair of semi-detached houses, which are now 55 and 57 Melbury Road, (originally Nos. 15 and 17). The house was built by Walter Holt and Sons from Croydon. Work began in 1894. The houses were faced with ox-blood red glazed bricks.
