Page 225 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - London

KENSINGT ON AND HOLLAND P ARK  223

6 Kensington Roof 8 Kensington
Gardens Palace Gardens
99 Kensington High Street W8 W8. Map 10 D3. 1 High St Kensing-
(entrance in Derry Street). Map 10 D5. ton, Notting Hill Gate, Queensway.
Tel 020 7937 7994; restaurant
reservations 020 7268 3993. Open This private road of luxury
9am–5pm daily (but call ahead or mansions occupies the site of
check website, as often closed for the former kitchen gardens
private functions). Photo ID required.
0 ∑ virginlimitededition.com/ of Kensington Palace (see p212);
en/the-roof-gardens its southern end is known as
Palace Green. It is accessible to
High above the bustle of pedes trians but not cars, unless Antique shop on Portobello Road
Kensington High Street is one they have specific business. Many
of London’s best-kept secrets – of the houses are occupied by
a 6,000-sq m (1.5-acre) roof embassies, though some have 0 Portobello Road
garden. First planted in the become private residences once W11. Map 9 C3. 1 Notting Hill Gate,
1930s by the owners of Derry again. It’s said to be the most Ladbroke Grove. Portobello Market
& Toms department store expensive street in London. Open Main market including antiques
below (which houses many 9am–7pm Fri & Sat; fruit & veg,
different stores), the themed clothing and bric-a-brac market
gardens are a lavish flight of 9 The Diana, 9am–6pm Mon–Wed & 9am–1pm
fancy and feature a woodland Princess of Wales Thu. See also Shops and Markets p337.
garden, a Spanish garden (with Memorial ∑ portobelloroad.co.uk
palm trees) and a formal English
garden (with a pond, live ducks Playground There has been a market here
and a pair of pink flamingos). Kensington Gardens. Map 10 E3. since 1837. Today the southern
Best of all, it’s free to wander Tel 0300 061 2001. 1 Bayswater, end consists mostly of stalls that
round, though there is no Queensway. Open daily, Feb & late Oct: sell antiques, jewellery, souvenirs
access when the gardens have 10am–4:45pm; Mar & early Oct: 10am– and other collectables – the
been booked for events; there’s 5:45pm; Apr & Sep: 10am–6:45pm; busiest day is Saturday, when the
also a restaurant, and a club May–Aug: 10am–7:45pm; Nov–Jan: antiques arcades are open. The
night on Friday and Saturday. 10am– 3:45pm. Closed 25 Dec. - 7 market is extremely popular with
∑ royalparks.org.uk tourists and tends to be very
crowded. However, it is well
7 Kensington The newest of Kensington worth visiting just to experience
Square Gardens’ three playgrounds was its bustling, cheerful atmosphere.
opened in 2000. Located close If you are looking for bargains, be
W8. Map 10 D5. 1 High St Kensington. to the Bayswater Road, on the warned – the stallholders have a
site of an earlier play ground sound idea of the value of what
This is one of London’s oldest funded by Peter Pan’s creator, they are selling. Other markets
squares. It was laid out in the J M Barrie, it takes the boy who run along the rest of the street on
1680s, and a few early 18th- didn’t want to grow up as its different days, with vintage and
cen tury houses still remain. theme and is packed with novel new clothes featured around
(Nos. 11 and 12 are the oldest.) ideas and activi ties including a Portobello Green, under Westway
The renowned philosopher John beach cove with a 15-m (50-ft) near Ladbroke Grove Tube.
Stuart Mill lived at No. 18, and pirates’ galleon, a tree house
the Pre-Raphaelite painter with walk ways, and a mermaid’s
and illustrator Edward Burne- fountain with a half-submerged q Notting Hill
Jones at No. 41. slumbering crocodile (careful W11. Map 9 C3. 1 Notting Hill Gate.
not to rouse
him!). Though all Now the home of Europe’s
children up to the biggest street carnival, most of
age of 12 must be this area was farmland until the
accompanied by 19th century. In the 1950s and
an adult, staff are 1960s, it became a centre for the
on hand to make Caribbean community, many
sure the children of whom lived here when they
are safe. Many first arrived in Britain. The carnival
features of the started in 1966 and takes over
play ground are the area every August over the
accessible to bank holiday weekend (see p61)
children with when costumed parades
Kensington Roof Gardens special needs. meander through the streets.

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