About Kensington & Chelsea
Many of you have heard about the area recently in connection with Princess Diana, who resided at Kensington Palace. (By the way, you could often see Princess Diana shopping in the area or visiting local cafes or the cinema.) Your parents probably remember the area where "Swinging London" started in the mid-60s with places like King's Road, which also saw the birth of punk in the 70s, Kensington Market and Biba Fashion House (today's Marks and Spencer shop!). Nowadays, amongst other things, Kensington and Chelsea is the most affluent borough (local authority area) in Britain. Apparently, it is very popular with younger visitors because there are still many reasonably priced places to stay. So my idea is if so many people are staying, you might choose to explore the area. Therefore, this short guide is aimed at visitors with a limited budget. But please, please buy one of the excellent guides to London like those published by Lonely Planet, Time Out or Rough Guide. Another must is to buy the Time Out magazine, on sale every Tuesday, which is the unrivalled listings guide to events in the capital.
But let me start with its history: Kensington and Chelsea first originated as Saxon settlements with both mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. Royalty first moved into the area in 1689 when William III moved into Kensington Palace. Queen Victoria was born in Kensington Palace in 1819 and continued to reside there until her accession to the throne in 1837. With Queen Victoria's wishes, the title "Royal Borough" was given to Kensington in 1901, after her death.
In the census of 1801, Kensington is recorded as having a population of 8,500 and Chelsea having 11,600. By 1831 this had risen to 32,371 and 20,902 for Kensington. It was only in 1861 that Kensington overtook its neighbour in population size.
The two boroughs were only united in 1965 to form the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
The area is easily reached by public transport. If you are flying into Heathrow Airport, you can take the Airbus or Underground (Piccadilly Line, change at Earl's Court for the District Line to High Street Kensington). If you arrive at Gatwick Airport, take the Gatwick Express (train) to Victoria Station and then take the Underground to your destination (Circle, District and Victoria Lines). It is strongly recommended that you buy a day or weekly London Transport Pass in order to save money.