Chelsea Physic Gardens
www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk
Founded by Apothecaries in 1673 to promote the study of plants and medicine, this hidden walled gem is one of London’s oldest ‘secret gardens’ and one of the most important centres for botany in the world.
Chelsea Arts Club
chelseaartsclub.com
A private members club of over 2,400 artists, poets, architects, writers, dancers, actors, musicians, photographers, and filmmakers. The club was established in 1891 as a rival to the older Arts Club in Mayfair, by controversial artist James Abbot McNeill Whistler. It’s famous painted frontage changes regularly.
Chelsea Drugstore
A sixties icon no more
The American style Chelsea Drugstore caused outrage amongst locals when it opened in 1968. It was eventually forced to close in 1971, however, in it’s brief history it found fame in the movie A Clockwork Orange and in The Rolling Stone’s song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”. The iconic building is now a McDonalds restaurant!
The King’s Road
Chelsea's main artery
King’s Road was laid out by King Charles II as a private route from the Palace of Westminster to Hampton Court and only those with a King’s pass were allowed to use it. In the 1960s the thoroughfare gained a reputation for counterculture with far-out fashion and the 1970s brought Punk Rock with Malcolm McLaren’s Let It Rock shop and the launch of the Sex Pistols. Since then, the well-to-do route has regained its gentrified appeal and is still one of the most exclusive shopping destinations in the world.
Chelsea Old Church
chelseaoldchurch.org.uk
Chelsea old church doesn’t actually look that old – however, there has been a church on this site since Norman times. The current church is a replica of the medieval church which was bombed in the blitz. Some believe that Sir Thomas Moore’s body was secretly buried here – although his head was sent to Canterbury!
Oscar Wilde’s House
A Chelsea's resident
Oscar Wilde lived at number 34 from 1884 until his arrest in 1895 and wrote his best-known works here, sitting at Thomas Carlyle’s desk (which he acquired after the essayist’s death).
Chelsea Old Town Hall
rbkc.gov.uk/venueschelsea
Located on the famous King’s Road, the charming Chelsea Old town Hall is renowned for it’s ornate hall rooms and events including fashion shows and promotions, parties, dinner dances, civil marriage ceremonies and receptions. Famous people to tie the not here include Judy Garland and Wallis Simpson.
Habitat
habitat.co.uk
Sir Terence Conran opened the first Habitat at No. 77 Fulham Road in 1964, later moving his flagship store to its current location on the King’s Road into the iconic art-deco building which was once an Odeon Cinema. It’s now one of the brand’s only remaining stores.
Lots Road Power Station
A riverside landmark
Lots Road Power Station is a disused coal and oil-fired power station on the banks of the River Thames. Built in 1905 to provide electricity to the underground, it was the largest power station in the world at that time – preceding Battersea Power Station by at least 25 years. The red brick landmark is now being turned into luxury waterfront apartments.
Peter Jones Department Store
peterjones.co.uk
No many people know it, but the original Peter Jones store was situated on Chelsea’s Draycott Avenue until it burnt down. In 1877, Mr. Jones relocated to two small shops in Sloane Square. Business flourished and the shop expanded along King’s Road covering twenty-eight houses. The department store remains the number one destination for residents in south west London.
Chelsea Royal Hospital
chelsea-pensioners.co.uk/
Home of the celebrated scarlet-coated Chelsea Pensioners, and built by Sir Christopher Wren in 1692 upon the request of King Charles II (supposedly with the encouragement of mistress Nell Gwynne), the Royal Hospital is perhaps one of the area’s most familiar landmarks. The grounds including The Chapel, Great Hall and Figure Court are open to the public and can even be hired for private events.
Crosby Hall
A medieval building
Crosby Hall is one of the country’s most important surviving Medieval buildings. It originally stood on Bishopsgate, where the 15th century mansion was well known to Shakespeare – writing it into ‘Richard III’. The hall was moved stone by stone from Bishopsgate to Chelsea in 1910 in order to rescue it from proposed demolition.
Brompton Cemetary
royalparks.org.uk/parks/brompton-cemetery
Covering 16.5 hectares, Brompton Cemetery is the country’s only Crown Cemetery. Famous people to be buried here include Emmeline Pankhurst, Dr. John Snow (discoverer of the cause of cholera), auctioneer Samuel Sotherby and Reginald Warneford - the first man to shoot down a German Zeppelin in WW1. Beatrix Potter also used to walk here as a little girl, creating the names of some her most famous characters from the tombstones including a Mr. Nutkins, Peter Rabbett, Jeremiah Fisher and a Mr. McGregor