Preface

This Volume describes the northern part of the Parish of St. Mary Abbots, Kensington, and covers the whole of the area to the north of Kensington High Street as far as Kensal Green. Large-scale building development began here during the boom years of the early 1820's, and except in the north-western extremity was virtually completed by the 1880's. This study is therefore largely concerned with nineteenth-century suburban growth, a subject which has not been dealt with in detail by the Survey of London since the publication of volume xxvi on Southern Lambeth in 1956. Since then there has been a marked increase of public interest in the nineteenth-century townscape, and this volume forms a natural complement to the recent work of the Historic Buildings Board in the designation and enhancement of conservation areas. Two more volumes, now in course of preparation, will describe the remainder of the Parish of Kensington.

B. J. Brown
Chairman, Historic Buildings Board
Greater London Council
County Hall