Summary
Residential mansion block with shops at ground floor level. Built in 1901 to 1902 by the builders Martin, Wells and Company for John Barker. Architect unknown.
Reasons for Designation
The mansion block of 1901 to 1902, which covers 8, 9 and 10 Kensington Square, Abbot’s Court and 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26 Thackeray Street, London, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* constructed in a flamboyant Queen Anne Revival style with high quality materials, good detailing and decorative enrichment, it provides additional architectural vigour and character to Kensington Square.
Historic interest:
* Kensington Square was important in terms of London’s garden square development, as the first such square to be built outside the centre of the capital in the late C17, and this building is a notable part of the later evolution of the square, coinciding with the laying out of Thackeray Street to provide a third means of access in and out of the square.
Group value:
* the building possesses strong group value with the numerous listed buildings that form Kensington Square, and makes a significant contribution to the conservation area.
History
Garden square development is a key feature in the architectural history of London. Following the Great Plague of 1665 and the Great Fire in 1666, there was added impetus for more spacious developments outside London’s city walls. This led to a speculative building boom from the later C17 (London Gardens Trust)). Landowners leased land to builders, usually for 99 years at a low ground rent, and when the lease expired the houses became the property of the landlord. These squares have been labelled London’s ‘first suburbs’ (Ibid). Bloomsbury Square, laid out in the 1660s, was the first such square. Kensington Square was the first square to be built outside the centre of London and is the sixth oldest square in the capital, after Bloomsbury, Leicester, Red Lion and Soho Squares and Lincoln’s Inn Fields. It began as a speculative development by the wood carver and joiner, Thomas Young, who bought the land in 1682; an area that was then just a string of buildings along Kensington Road (now High Street) surrounded by market gardens (RBKC 2017, 20). The square was laid out in 1685 with more than 20 builders involved in erecting the terraced houses in streets overlooking a central square that could be used by residents. Kensington became increasingly fashionable and attractive to prospective house buyers after William and Mary decided to relocate their palace to the area in 1689. The last houses to be built in Kensington Square as part of the development were constructed in the north-west corner in the 1730s. The original houses were probably built to two storeys in brick with a garret but they were all extended and some refronted or even rebuilt predominantly between the late eighteenth century and the early part of the nineteenth century (Ibid).
Derry Street (originally King Street) and Young Street were laid out as smaller side streets providing access to Kensington Square. However, Thackeray Street was not laid out until 1900 to 1901 when it created a third point of access in and out of the square. The mansion block, which now covers 8, 9 and 10 Kensington Square, Abbot’s Court and 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26 Thackeray Street, with shops on the ground floor and residential apartments above, was also constructed at this time. It was designed in the Queen Anne style and constructed by the builders Martin, Wells and Company for John Barker. The building was listed at Grade II on 6 May 1970. Kensington Square Conservation Area was designated on 28 January 1968. It was the second conservation area in the Royal Borough and one of the earliest in the country.
Details
Residential mansion block with shops at ground floor level. Built in 1901 to 1902 by the builders Martin, Wells and Company for John Barker. Architect unknown.
MATERIALS: red brick with granite pilasters to the ground floor, and terracotta dressings to the upper floors.
PLAN: five-storey mansion block accommodating shops to the ground floor and apartments to the floors and attics above.
EXTERIOR: two principal elevations fronting onto Kensington Square and Thackeray Street. The west façade, facing the square, is six bays wide with a Dutch gable over the three central bays flanked by turrets, and a lower three-storey bay at the north. The ground floor comprises, from left to right: a moulded round-headed terracotta archway containing an iron gate, and then three shop fronts, each with a large display window and a glazed doorway. Each of these shops and the entrance bay are separated by moulded granite pilasters. The first and second floors are largely matching with a bay window projecting out from alternate bays, a cill course below and a cornice band above the windows, and moulded pilasters flanking the central bay. There are also bands of terracotta between every five courses of brick, which continue around onto the Thackeray Street elevation. The windows are square-headed one-over-one sashes. However, on either side of the central bay to the second floor are French doors opening onto balconies with Art Nouveau style ironwork railings. The third floor has a balcony running across the three bays between the turrets, whilst the fourth floor has a Dutch gable with scroll decoration and copper cupolas surmounting the octagonal turrets.
The Thackeray Street elevation is given a similar treatment but is 10 bays long and follows the curved alignment of the street. The ground floor has, from left to right: two shop display windows; the main entrance doors to Abbot’s Court with half-glazed panelled doors, side lights and transom lights set within timber surrounds carved with pilasters; and a further five shops with glazed doorways and display windows. All these bays are separated by granite pilasters. The first and second floors are essentially the same, and comprise, from left to right: a turret; a blind bay; a bay window; a three-light bow window; a bay window; another three-light bow window; two bay windows; a blind bay and a turret. Each bay is separated by a brick and terracotta pilaster and the windows are square-headed one-over-one sashes except the bow windows which have fixed and top-hung lights. The third floor is similar but has plain sash windows in place of the bay windows. The fifth floor has, from left to right: a copper-covered cupola to the octagonal turret; a Dutch gable containing two sashes; three dormer windows separated by tall chimney stacks; two Dutch gables containing sashes and a copper-covered cupola surmounting the east octagonal turret. The east elevation is blind, without any openings, whilst the rear elevation of the terrace is built of stock brick with an irregular composition of sash windows and dormers.
INTERIOR: the ground floor of this block consists of eight shops with basements. Moving anti-clockwise around the building, 8 Kensington Square has a fireplace with a cast-iron grate and moulded wooden surround, modern display cabinets* and units*, as well as a toilet with modern sanitary ware* on the ground floor. A wooden staircase with a timber handrail, turned balusters and newel posts leads down to the basement, which contains modern kitchen units* and shelving*. 9 Kensington Square has been refurbished as a restaurant and is largely fitted with early-C21 fixtures and fittings*, including stainless steel kitchen units*, a servery*, shelving*, and bathroom sanitary ware*. 10 Kensington Square largely has early-C21 fixtures and fittings* to the ground floor. The basement is accessed by a straight flight of stairs and has a plain brick fireplace and segmental brick-arched recesses. Continuing around the return of the block on to Thackeray Street, number 26 has late-C20 or early-C21 fixtures and fittings* to the ground floor shop. A decorative cast-iron spiral staircase leads down to the basement which is fitted out with modern kitchen units*, fitted cupboards* and a bathroom with modern sanitary ware*. The ground floor of 24 Thackeray Street retains some historic joinery but otherwise has a modern shop counter* and modern fixtures and fittings*. A decorative cast-iron spiral staircase also leads down to the basement, which is fitted with modern shelving*, storage units* and other such fittings*. 22 Thackeray Street is currently (2022) in use as a café and has a modern counter*, shelving* and seating* to the ground floor. A wooden staircase with turned newel posts, stick balusters and a timber handrail provides access to the basement where there is a modern bathroom* and modern storage and kitchen units*. Continuing along Thackeray Street, number 20 is currently a hairdressing salon with modern fixtures and fittings* throughout. 18 Thackeray Street has two stone fireplaces and some historic joinery to the ground floor. There is a turned newel post, stick balusters and a timber handrail to the landing and a decorative cast-iron spiral staircase leading to the basement which largely has modern fixtures and fittings*.
The first, second, third and fourth floors of the mansion block are occupied by a set of apartments called Abbot’s Court. The main entrance of Abbots Court leads to a hallway that has a tiled floor, a dado rail, fielded panels, a fireplace with a cast-iron firebox and moulded wooden surround, a dentil cornice, and a brass lantern. A set of original timber glazed doors lead through to the main staircase, which has a timber handrail and stairs surrounding a central lift shaft with a modern lift*. The staircase provides access to eight flats and a porter’s room. The wooden doors to the main flats largely appear to be original matching designs with lower fielded panels, a brass letter box and upper glazed panels. Flats 1, 1A, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8 were not inspected but are considered to largely contain late-C20 or early-C21 fixtures and fittings, and Flats 1, 5 and 6 have recently been refurbished. Flat 3 was inspected; it was fully refurbished in 1998 with modern floors*, sanitary ware*, built in wardrobes*, shutters* and other fixtures and fittings* installed at that time or since. Flat 7 was also inspected; it was fully refurbished in around 2000 and contains modern sanitary ware*, units*, fixtures and fittings*.
EXCLUSIONS
* Pursuant to s1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’) it is declared that these aforementioned features are not of special architectural or historic interest. However, any works to these features which have the potential to affect the character of the listed building as a building of special architectural or historic interest may still require Listed Building Consent (LBC) and this is a matter for the Local Planning Authority (LPA) to determine.
