Pictures of England

Search:

Historic Towns & Picturesque Villages

Village of Capernwray, view from the top of the tower at Capernwray Hall

Capernwray

in the county of Lancashire

Lyme Regis in Dorset

Lyme Regis

a Seaside Town in the county of Dorset

Gentle Swanage surf

Swanage

a Seaside Town in the county of Dorset

Pictures of Notting Hill

in the county of Greater London

About Notting Hill

This area of London is known throughout the world as the scene of London's biggest annual street party. Each August Bank Holiday week-end, since the carnival first began in 1964 the streets of Notting Hill have exploded with a riot of colour, cultural music, dancing and feasting. It is such a wonderful event, hard now to believe that it evolved out of the race riots of the mid 20th century. The fact that we have the carnival today is largely due to the efforts of immigrants from Trinidad and other individuals, who sought to bring Notting Hill's diverse community together-and what a resounding success it has been, for during the two days of carnival over two million revellers pour into west London.

Two hundred years ago, this was predominantly an area of farms and wasteland where pigs were bred. It did not begin to flourish as a residential area until around 1840 when more housing developed. However, it was never the brightest of London's residential regions, and later, following World War II immigrants began arriving in Notting Hill. Eventually, it degenerated into one of London's worst slum areas.

People living in Notting Hill soon tired of the "slum" label, and many residents put in hard work and effort to bring about a change in the areas fortunes, this has not been swift but has paid huge dividends for the area is now one of the most fashionable "star studded" districts in London, with property on the market for six figure sums!

It has its quiet tree lined streets and a beautiful park to stroll in. These plus a multitude of shops, theatres, clubs and restaurants and smart hotels make it a truly "trendy" destination. Add to this the conviviality of the famous Portobello Road with its shops, galleries, arcades and more importantly its world famous traditional Saturday antiques market, attended by the public and traders from all over Europe, and you have a recipe for a thrilling weekend! The markets history stretches back over three hundred years, but it is only since the 1950's that it began to enjoy its current prestige, it now ranks in the top ten most widely visited places in London. The market featured in the film "Bed Knobs and Broomsticks" and more recently in the film entitled "Notting Hill" starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant.

Two of Notting Hill's outstanding features are the mid 19th century Church dedicated to St.John the Evangelist, this is in the Early English style with a spire that can be seen for miles around, and the Methodist Church of 1897 - this occupies a prominent position and has recently undergone a period of renovation and refurbishment.

Recommended towns & villages near Notting Hill

A picture of Kensington

Kensington (97 Pictures) in the county of Greater London

(0.6 miles, 1.0 km of Notting Hill)

The attractive Royal borough of Kensington has many special places. Most prominent is Kensington Palace, birthplace of Queen Victoria...

Pelham Place, Chelsea, London

Chelsea (170 Pictures) in the county of Greater London

(2.3 miles, 3.7 km, direction SE of Notting Hill)

Chelsea is a district in London which in recent times gained fame as the 'home' of the 'swinging sixties' . The swinging sixties was defined on the Kings Road, which runs the length of the area and both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones lived here at one time...

Curzon St., Mayfair

Mayfair (33 Pictures) in the county of Greater London

(2.4 miles, 3.9 km, direction E of Notting Hill)

Mayfair has it all, it is the haunt of the rich and famous, with elegant houses and apartment buildings that are the sole province of the wealthy...

Marylebone, London

Marylebone (6 Pictures) in the county of Greater London

(2.5 miles, 3.9 km, direction E of Notting Hill)

Marylebone is one of London's more affluent area's, it is home mostly to the well to do, and yet only a couple of centuries ago a large workhouse was built here to give shelter to the poor and homeless, often foundlings were discovered on the workhouse doorstep...

Sign at piccadilly at nite. London

Piccadilly (18 Pictures) in the county of Greater London

(2.8 miles, 4.5 km, direction E of Notting Hill)

One of the Capital's most noted places, Piccadilly sweeps uphill with handsome houses on one side and Green Park on the other...

All towns & villages in Greater London
Complete A to Z of towns & villages in England

Nearby attractions..

Kensington Palace Gardens

Kensington Palace (48 Pictures)

(0.5 miles, 0.9 km)

Kensington Palace is not only the private residence for several members of the Royal Family, it also has designated areas that.....

Kyoto Gardens, Holland Park, London

Holland Park (21 Pictures)

(0.8 miles, 1.3 km)

Opened in 1952, Holland Park is the most romantic of all the London Parks with one of the main features being the Kyoto Japanese.....

Boats

Hyde Park (85 Pictures)

(1.0 miles, 1.6 km)

One of the Royal parks of London, Hyde park is one of London's finest historic landscapes...

Prince Albert Memorial

Albert Memorial (35 Pictures)

(1.4 miles, 2.2 km, direction SE)

The Albert Memorial is a commemorative sculpture of Prince Albert commissioned by Queen Victoria. Whilst the structure was.....

London - The Royal Albert Hall, Sept 2002

Royal Albert Hall (24 Pictures)

(1.4 miles, 2.3 km, direction SE)

Impressive venue for Gala concerts and National celebrations. The Albert Hall was built in Kensington Gardens to a design by.....

Earl's Court in London

Earl's Court Exhibition Centre (3 Pictures)

(1.6 miles, 2.5 km, direction S)

Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London..

The Science Museum

The Science Museum (8 Pictures)

(1.6 miles, 2.6 km, direction SE)

The Science Museum, situated in South Kensington, first opened in 1857 and holds the world's largest collection illustrating both.....


All attractions in Notting Hill
All attractions in Greater London
Complete A to Z of attractions in England