Local Environment

Holland Park is an extraordinary place to live and work combining easy access to central London and the City with a stunning environment.

One of the many attractions is Holland Park. Holland Park is widely regarded as one of the most romantic parks in London, due to its abundant wildlife and secluded hideaways.

The northern half or so of the park is semi-wild woodland, the central section around the ruins of Holland House is more formal with several garden areas, and the southernmost section is used for sport. Holland House is now a fragmentary ruin, but a substantial part of its grounds were preserved from development and taken over by the local council. 'Holland Park' contains a famous Orangery, a cricket pitch, tennis courts, a Japanese garden, a Youth Hostel, one of London's best equipped children's playgrounds, squirrels and (impressively for a London park) peacocks. Today the remains of the house form a backdrop for the open air Holland Park Theatre, which is the home of Opera Holland Park. The green-roofed Commonwealth Institute lies to the south. The famous Belvedere Restaurant was once the Summer Ballroom of the Jacobean mansion, Holland House, and stands in the middle of the park.

Holland Park has a reputation as an affluent and fashionable area, known for attractive terraces of large Victorian townhouses, and high-class shopping and restaurants. There are many popular shopping destinations located around Holland Park such as High Street Kensington, Notting Hill, Holland Park Avenue, Portobello Market, Westbourne Grove, Clarendon Cross, and Ledbury Road.

Holland Park is now one of the most expensive residential districts in London or anywhere in the world, with large houses regularly listed for sale at well over ten million pounds sterling. A number of countries maintain embassies here.

Addison Road
Addison Road takes its name from Joseph Addison who lived at Holland House. He was an essayist and poet of the late 17th Century whose main claim to fame now is as the founder of the Spectator.

Addison Road stretches from Holland Park Avenue to Kensington High Street. Many of the houses have large front gardens with small sweeping driveways, and are well set back from the road behind high front walls and gates ensuring maximum secrecy. The grandest house in Addison Road is an ornate blue and green glazed-brick and tiled mansion known as 'The Peacock House'. This Grade I listed mansion was recently on the market for around £20 million. (This price took into account the fact that it needed considerable refurbishment and repairs). It was built in 1906 for Ernest Debenham of the supermarket store of the same name.

Addison Road was the first street to be constructed for new house development on the Holland estate. Its purpose was to provide a connection between Holland Park Avenue and Kensington High Street. The road was constructed by William Woods, a builder, who began work in about 1824. There is a curve in the road where it goes round St Barnabas Church. This was not out of respect for the church but because the builders had to work round some extensive ponds called "the Moats", which weren't finally filled in until about 1900.