London Major Area Walks 1: Chelsea—Walk of the Superstars

Focus: Chelsea

Historical Context

• Medieval Times: Chelsea first makes its appearance as a Saxon village on the banks of the Thames.
• Tudor Times: Until Tudor times, Chelsea remains a small fishing village on the Thames. In 1520, Sir Thomas More (Man for All Seasons) moves to this area, and later Henry VIII follows suit and establishes a hunting lodge on the Thames.
• Stuart Times: Charles II makes King’s Road part of his “official” route from his Whitehall Palace to his Palace at Hampton Court (and to Nell Gwyn’s house in Fulham); subsequent monarchs also keep it as a personal passageway. So heavily guarded is this road that one gains entrance only with a ticket bearing the emblem of the Crown until the time of the Georges. Charles II establishes a Royal Hospital for veterans.
• Georgian Times: George III projects a road to connect the Royal Hospital to his home in Kensington Palace. Ranelagh Pleasure Gardens open in 1742. In 1830, King’s Road is opened to the public.
• Victorian Times: During the Victorian era several prominent writers, painters, etc., make this their home, settling on Tite Road and Cheyne Walk, near the Thames. Cremorne Gardens opens in 1846 and closes in 1877. The Chelsea Embankment (about 1.5 miles between Chelsea Bridge and Battersea Bridge) is created in 1872—the third of London’s major developments along the Thames.
• Modern Times: Chelsea continues to be among the popular areas for London’s superstars. King’s Road becomes the center of activity for the punkers in the 1970s, vying with Carnaby Street honors in this respect. This also becomes the home of the Sloane Rangers (a group of Yuppies) during the 1980s, which includes Lady Diana, the former Princess of Wales. In 1963, passage of the London Government Act combines Chelsea and Kensington (1965) to form the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
  

Places to Visit in This Area When You Have More Time

Royal Hospital, National Army Museum, shopping boutiques on King’s Road, Battersea Park, Chelsea Physic Gardens