Visited: September 1, 2018
Spending an afternoon in Notting Hill turned out to be filled with lovely surprises.
Most people under 50 I would imagine picture Notting Hill as a posh and expensive neighbourhood full of well to do new and old money. And while this is true it's also so much more with a rich history to boot.
Today (September 1st, 2018) I chose to do a walk through Notting Hill. I took a route suggested by a great book called London's Hidden Walks Volume 1. Much of what I'll recount I learned today on my walk from the Hidden Walks book. The title is a bit misleading at least for this walk as the walk is far from Hidden (in fact it mostly takes the beaten path), however it tells you a lot about "hidden" locations and the history of the area.
“..while it is true that much of Notting Hill is a posh neighbourhood it also is so much more with a rich history to boot.”
The Beginning and Early Years
It is not known for sure where Notting Hill got its name but it is believed to be a derivative of "Knottynghull" from the 14th century. The area itself was quite rural until London expanded into it in the 1820s. The Ladbroke family owned much of the land of what then was just West of London's sprawl and recognizing the need for more housing paved the way with Ladbroke Estates for a new residential development.
Early on Notting Hill was known for its pottery due to the clay in the area. There is still a leftover kiln, either one of the last or the last in all the land!
Early on the Ladbroke family hoped to have affluent families move in the area itself and while the richest of London did not move in the Upper Middle class did.
There was even a horse race course in Notting Hill for around 5 years called the Hippodrome which didn't last due to the unpopularity with the locals and the fact it often became very wet causing treacherous conditions for the horses. The outline of the tracks can still be seen in the curved streets around the hill.
Into the 20th Century
Over time the neigbourhood deteriorated and became the site of many racial tensions. The area became a common landing spot for the immigrants from the Caribbean. The newcomers were regularly discriminated against, but still became an important part of the area and community. Tensions eventually led to the racial riots of 1958.
Later in the mid 20th Century the area became known as the main spot of London's Underground Scene. The London Free School, a loose collection of local artists and free spirited folks called the area home. Many local events including concerts, performances of local social gatherings were hosted by the school. Notable members included Anjelica Houston and Pink Floyd.
Gentrification
As Notting Hill entered the 1980s it started to quickly gentrify. Families moved back in, stores and storefronts improved and the neighbourhood became what is picture from the movie Notting hill - a lovely somewhat posh area with pastel painted houses and beautiful gardens. It also is still very multicultural especially in the Northern part and off parts of Portobello road.
Well Known for What?
The neighbourhood is well known as a desirable area to visit and live in. It has Portobello market (thought to have been started by gypsy traders) which has a wide range of wares for sale including antiques, fresh produce and second hand goods. It has great restaurants and independent shops. It has many Caribbean places to eat and some dive looking type bars.
It's also still known for being in the arts. Movies with scenes in Notting Hill, and other arts/artists associated with the area
- Notting Hill (Julie Roberts / Hugh Grant) - probably the most famous
- The Italian Job (Michael Caine / Benny Hill)
- Performance (Mic Jagger)
- Sarm Studios - Home of Island Records and countless star artists. Check out this video filmed there!
- The Clash
- Pink Floyd
- Carnival - one of the biggest outside Brazil
Notable residents (mostly former)
- George Orwell
- Richard Branson
- Stella McCarty
- David Cameron
- Robbie Williams
- John Christie (serial killer)
Last but not least the area hosts All Saints Church pictured here, The Tabernacle and a monastery!
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