Kensington Court Gardens

Kensington Court Gardens is a large, late Victorian mansion block, completed in 1889, near to Kensington Palace and Gardens. Despite its plain, red brick exterior, it has been home to one of the greatest poets of the 20th century.

It is most famously the residence of poet, critic and playwright, T. S. Eliot who moved to No.3 Kensington Court Gardens in 1957, after his secret marriage to his secretary from Faber and Faber, (Esmé) Valerie Fletcher on the January 10, 1957. The marriage was criticised not only because it was kept a secret from all but her parents, but at the time Eliot was 68 and Valerie only 30 years old.

Despite the criticism and the age difference, it appears to have been the happiest time of Eliot’s life, the Oxford Dictionary of Biography stating he “attained a degree of contentedness that had eluded him all his life.”

However, at the time Eliot’s health was already in decline and he died in the flat only eight years later, on the January 4, 1965. Mrs Valerie Eliot still lives at No.3 Kensington Court Gardens and is editor and guardian over his letters, many of which are still un-published. Further notable residents include the Kopman family, who amassed their fortune in the property development and investment banking arenas.

The location of today’s Kensington Court Place was formerly part of the Vallotton estate, dating back to the late 18th century. Kensington Court Place was originally known as Charles Street and renamed in 1908. The eastern side of Charles Street was the former site of open grounds, known as The Paddock. It was the home of the Kensington Lawn Tennis Club prior to being bought by local surveyor, Albert James Barker for building development in 1886.

The mansion block, Kensington Court Gardens is believed to be designed by Henry W. Peck and built by Frederick Moir of Moir, Wallis and Company in 1887-9 in association with Albert Barker. Albert Barker was responsible for a large amount of the building development around Thackeray Street, Ansdell Street and Kensington Court Place and was responsible for much of the street layout that we see today.

The Times first advertised flats for Kensington Court Gardens in January 1889 at between £195 and £250 per annum. Kensington Court Gardens first appears in the London Directory in 1889, listed with Moir Wallis & Co. Builders, with building works not completed. The first residents appear in the 1890 Directory, with flat No.1 again, with Moir Wallis & Co. Interestingly, during the 1890s a number of residents of Kensington Court Gardens are retired military men.

The 1891 census shows residents General Alexander Silver, Lieutenant-Colonel Arnold Knight and Major-General James Black. The 1901 census and Royal Blue Book show other notable residents, including the builder Frederick Moir at No.7 and publisher Herbert Doubleday at No.9. Doubleday was responsible for the publishing of the Victoria History of the Counties of England and The Complete Peerage. Flat No.1 Kensington Court Gardens was originally the home of the building caretaker, listed in the 1891 census as Mr Charles Hall with his wife Emily. The 1901 census shows No.1 as the home of James E. Raybould, Hall Porter, with his wife Elizabeth.

Sources: Melania Backe-Hansen, Census documents between 1880 and 1969, New paper articles