Melbury Road

{{short description|Road in Holland Park, London, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Use British English|date=August 2023}} {{Infobox street | name = Melbury Road | marker_image = | native_name = | alternate_name = | image = Melbury Road W14 - geograph.org.uk - 2044699.jpg | image_size = | image_alt = View along Melbury Road | image_map = | caption = Looking northeast along Melbury Road from Addison Road | map_type = | map_size = | map_caption = | map_alt = | other_name = | former_names = | part_of = | namesake = Dorset home of the Earl of Ilchester | type = Street | owner = | maint = | length = | length_m = 440 | length_ft = | length_km = | length_mi = | length_ref = | length_notes = | width = | area = Holland Park | addresses = | location = Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England | postal_code = W14 | metro = High Street Kensington tube station | coordinates = {{coord|51.49936|N|0.20397|W|display=inline,title|region:GB_scale:2000}} | direction_a = West | terminus_a = Addison Road (A3220) | direction_b = South | terminus_b = Kensington High Street | junction = Abbotsbury Road<br/>Holland Park Road | north = Abbotsbury Road | east = Addison Road (A3220) | south = Holland Park Road<br/>Kensington High Street | west = Design Museum | main_contractor = | cost = | references = | commissioning_date = 1874 | construction_start_date = 1875 | completion_date = | inauguration_date =  | demolition_date = | designer = | known_for = Holland Park Circle | status = | website =  }} '''Melbury Road''' is a residential road in the Holland Park area of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England.<ref name="weinreb-hibbert">{{cite book | title=The London Encyclopaedia | publisher=Macmillan | chapter=Melbury Road | year=1983 | page=507 | editor1-last=Weinreb | editor1-first=Ben | editor2-last=Hibbert | editor2-first=Christopher | editor2-link=Christopher Hibbert }}</ref> It is known for houses owned by the Victorian Holland Park Circle, an informal group of 19th-century artists, including William Burges, Luke Fildes, Frederic Leighton, Valentine Prinsep, Hamo Thornycroft, and George Frederick Watts.<ref name="victorian-web">{{cite web| url=https://victorianweb.org/art/architecture/homes/homes1.html | title=Melbury Road, Leighton House, and the Holland Park Artists' Houses | first=Jacqueline | last=Banerjee | work=The Victorian Web | accessdate=24 August 2023 }}</ref>

The road links Addison Road (A3220) to the west with Kensington High Street to the south. There is a junction with Holland Park Road, location of the Leighton House Museum.

==History== thumb|Melbury Road sign The road was created on the Ilchester Estate, named in 1875 after the Dorset home of the Earl of Ilchester.<ref name="weinreb-hibbert" /> The Kensington home of Lord Holland was demolished in 1875 to make way for the road.<ref name="victorian-web" />

==Buildings== thumb|View of houses on Melbury Road The following historic houses are of special interest,<ref name="weinreb-hibbert" /><ref name="bho">{{cite book| url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol37/pp126-150 | chapter=The Holland estate: Since 1874 | pages=126–150 | title=Survey of London | volume=37, Northern Kensington | publisher=London County Council / British History Online | location=London | date=1973 | accessdate=31 August 2023 }}</ref> many listed and some with blue plaques for members of the Holland Park Circle<ref name="victorian-web" /> and others:

*2, 2a, and 2b Melbury Road, designed by John Belcher for the sculptors Thomas and Mary Thornycroft and their family, built 1876–7; their son Sir Hamo Thornycroft, also a sculptor, lived at 2b Melbury Road. *6 Melbury Road ("Little Holland House"),<ref>{{cite web| title=Little Holland House, 6, Melbury Road, Kensington, W. | date=1935 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M7_SMAAACAAJ | last1=Sons | first1=Hampton }}</ref> designed by Frederick Pepys Cockerell for George Frederick Watts, built 1875–6; gallery extension by George Aitchison, 1878; demolished 1964 and replaced in 1965 by a block of flats, Kingfisher House. Watts lived here from 1878 until his death in 1904; he and his wife, the actress Ellen Terry, also lived in an earlier house here. *8 Melbury Road (Grade II* listed),<ref name="NHLE8">{{NHLE| num=1225615 | desc=8, Melbury House | accessdate= 31 August 2023}}</ref> designed by Richard Norman Shaw for Marcus Stone, built 1875–7; later the film director Michael Powell (1905–1990) lived here during 1951–1971. Both Stone and Powell are recorded with plaques on the front of the building. *East House, 9 Melbury Road (Grade II listed).<ref name="NHLE9">{{NHLE| num=1225642 | desc=East House West House | accessdate= 31 August 2023}}</ref> *10 and 12 Melbury Road, two detached four-storey houses built by William Turner of Chelsea; demolished c.1964 and replaced by Stavordale Lodge.<ref name="bho" /> *14 Melbury Road, designed by J. J. Stevenson for Colin Hunter, built 1876;<ref>{{cite book| title=The Story of 14 Melbury Road, Holland Park, London: The Homes and Residents of This Address Since 1876 | first=Godfrey | last=Bell | date=2021 | isbn=978-1527294837 | publisher=Godfrey Bell Publications }}</ref> destroyed by bombing during the Second World War. *18 Melbury Road (Grade II listed along with Nos 16 and 18A),<ref name="NHLE18">{{NHLE| num=1225643 | desc=16 18 and 18A, Melbury Road W14 | accessdate= 31 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101225643-16-18-and-18a-melbury-road-w14-holland-ward | title=16, 18 and 18A, Melbury Road W14 | website=British Listed Buildings | location=UK | accessdate=31 August 2023 }}</ref> built by William Turner of Chelsea; home of the Pre-Raphaelite painter, William Holman Hunt, from 1903 until his death in 1910;<ref name="victorian-web-hunt">{{cite web| url=https://victorianweb.org/painting/whh/homes/1.html | title=The Home and Studio of William Holman Hunt in Holland Park | first=Jacqueline | last=Banerjee | work=The Victorian Web | accessdate=31 August 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/art-artists/archive/w-holman-hunt-18-melbury-road-kensington-w-to-sir-edward-poynter | title=W. Holman Hunt, 18 Melbury Road, Kensington, W., to [Sir Edward] Poynter | date=7 January 1906 | publisher=Royal Academy of Arts | location=UK | work=RA Collection: Archive | number=RAA/SEC/6/27/1 | accessdate=31 August 2023 }}</ref> Cetshwayo kaMpande (died 1884), King of the Zulus, stayed here in 1882. Both Holman Hunt<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/hunt-william-holman/ | title=Holman-Hunt, William, O.M. (1827–1910) | publisher=English Heritage | location=UK | accessdate=31 August 2023 }}</ref> and Cetshwayo are recorded with blue plaques on the building. *22 Melbury Road, home of the composer Benjamen Britten during 1948–1853; he wrote ''Billy Budd'', ''Gloriana'', ''The Little Sweep'', and ''Spring Symphony'' here.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.theundergroundmap.com/wp/melbury-road-w14/ | title=Melbury Road, W14 | publisher=The Underground Map | work=W14, West Kensington | date=30 August 2022 | accessdate=31 August 2023 }}</ref> *The Tower House, 29 Melbury Road (formerly No 9, Grade I listed),<ref name="NHLE29">{{NHLE| num=1225632 | desc=The Tower House | accessdate= 31 August 2023}}</ref> designed by William Burges for himself, built 1876–8;<ref>{{cite web| title=Kensington: the Tower House, 9 Melbury Road, Kensington W. 14 | first=Col. | last=Minshall | date=1933 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4pIIGwAACAAJ }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title=Plans of the Tower House, 9 Melbury Road, Kensington, by William Burges | first=John | last=Bicknell | date=1952 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eIdEzgEACAAJ }}</ref> later owned by the rock guitarist Jimmy Page.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/robbie-williams-jimmy-page-battle-londons-a-list-mansions/ | title=Robbie Williams, Jimmy Page and their battle over London's most A-list mansions | first=Tristram Fane | last=Saunders | newspaper=The Telegraph | date=19 December 2018 }}</ref> *Woodland House, 31 Melbury Road (formerly 11, Grade II* listed),<ref name="NHLE31">{{NHLE| num=1225541 | desc=Woodlands House | accessdate= 31 August 2023}}</ref> designed by Richard Norman Shaw for Luke Fildes, built 1876–7; later owned by the film director Michael Winner and then the singer Robbie Williams.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/447555/The-history-of-Robbie-Williams-new-17-5m-Kensington-house | title=The history of Robbie Williams' new £17.5m Kensington house | first=Claudia | last=Joseph | newspaper=Daily Express | date=9 December 2013 }}</ref> *47 Melbury Road (Grade II listed).<ref name="NHLE47">{{NHLE| num=1266315 | desc=47, Melbury Road W14 | accessdate= 31 August 2023}}</ref> *55 and 57 Melbury Road (Grade II* listed).<ref name="NHLE55">{{NHLE| num=1225641 | desc=55 and 57, Melbury Road W14 | accessdate= 31 August 2023}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{commonscat|Melbury Road, Kensington}} * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u102xRSiS6w The Melbury Road Set], 1987 documentary by Colin Cunningham on YouTube (24 minutes)

Category:1875 establishments in England Category:Streets in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Category:Holland Park