Borough

Kensington & Chelsea

About:

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is a London borough in the west side of central London.

The names Kensington and Chelsea are Anglo-Saxon in origin, giving us a tantalising if uncertain glimpse into their early development. Chelsea derives from Chelchehithe, Anglo-Saxon for chalk and landing place, corrupted by the 16th century to the more familiar Chelsey. Cyningholt, meaning kingswood, is the modern Kensal previously the outlying portion of Chelsea. Kensington probably derives from Chenesitun, 'town' of Chenesi's people.

The two events that Kensington and Chelsea are perhaps best known for today demonstrate both their traditional and forwarding looking sides. The Chelsea Flower Show, held in the magnificent grounds of the Royal Hospital every May, is attended by Royalty and the 'cream of society'; whereas the Notting Hill Carnival, held every August Bank Holiday on the streets of North Kensington, has grown over the past 30 years from a small community-based event into Europe's biggest and most exuberant street party, attracting a million plus visitors.

Routes that go through Kensington & Chelsea:

Thames Path National Trail:

Section 1 (Hampton Court to Albert Bridge)

Interesting places on or near the route:

Chelsea

Population:

158,919 which is 2.2% of the total London population (2001 Census)

Area:

12 square kilometres

Tube:

The borough is served by the Circle, District, Piccadilly, Central and Hammersmith & City lines. Visit http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/ for more information.

Rail:

Rail services in the borough are provided by Southern, Silverlink and Virgin. Visit http://www.tfl.gov.uk/rail/ for more information.

Bus:

The borough is served by a comprehensive network of bus routes. Visit http://www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/ for more information.

Green space:

Much of the green spaces in the borough is relatively small, many are the typical London square, built to service the houses around that square. Two of the larger open spaces are both of the "Magnificent Seven" cemeteries at Brompton and Kensal Green.

Local Authority:

Kensington and Chelsea Royal Borough Council

Other Information:

Click here to download a free 6 track audio guide that covers Kensington Palace, Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, 10 Downing Street, Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben.